The Ball-Bearing electric motor

This interesting but unfortunately not very useful device produces motion from electricity without magnetism being involved. It operates purely by thermal means, so it works on AC or DC, and the motor can rotate in either direction, determined by the initial spin which is usually required to get it going.

It simply consists of two ball-bearing races on a common conductive shaft, with the outer ring of each race being connected to a high current, low voltage power supply. An alternative construction is to fit the ballraces inside a metal tube, and mount them on a shaft with a non-conductive section (e.g. two sleeves on an insulating rod). This method has the advantage that the tube will act as a flywheel.

This picture shows the motor running. There is a rectangular white label on the right-hand flywheel, being blurred by the motion.


References

1. Milroy, R.A. Discussion, J. Appl. Mechanics, vol. 34,1967,p.525. 2.
2. Gruenberg, H. The ball bearing as a motor. Am. J. Phys., vol. 46, 1978, p.1213.
3. Weenink, M.P.H. The electromagnetic torque on axially symmetric rotating metal cylinders and spheres.Appl. Sc. Research, vol. 37, 1981, p.171.
4. van Doom, M.J.M. The electrostatic torque on a rotating conducting sphere. Appl. Sc. Research, vol. 40, 1983, p.327. 5. Mills, A.A. The ball-bearing electric motor. Phys. Educ., vol. 15, 1980, p.102.
6. Marinov, S. The perpetuum mobile is discovered. Nature, vol, 317, 26 Sept. 1985, p.xii.
7. Marinov, S. The Thorny Way of Truth, Part II. East-West, Graz, ist edition 1984, 3rd ed. 1986.

At the time of writing, Dr Marinov was at the Institue for Fundamenral Physical Problems, Mouellenfeld- gasse 16, A-8010 Graz, Austria.

More info on Stefan Marinov : Institute for New Energy
Harold Asdpen's Energy science site

Attached Images

motor1_486.jpg (42.6 KB, 480 views)

 

I've seen that before, VERY cool... of course requiring massive amounts of current is a drawback, as well as the crazy heat generated... but from what i've heard they can spin incredibly fast...

that and i imagine that if you were to stop the shaft (or not give it an initial spin) that it would probably just weld itself together

 

Yes, It can't run for long at a time without seizing up.

 

Neither can I, but I'm an old geezer.

 

See what happens when you type fast without having your glasses on Well Ron, that makes two of us!

 

:lol:
how fast does it turn, and how much current does it draw?

__________________
Jeff
To the optimist, the glass is half full.
To the pessimist, the glass is half empty.
To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

It not gonna develope any useful torque either

nicve proof-of concept but apart from that

Give me Brushless DC or SR machine anyday