Neo-mag from HDD generators

[Vizier87]

Hi guys,

Whats the difference in terms of efficiency between these two configurations:
**broken link removed**

and this:

**broken link removed**

this is from: **broken link removed** and **broken link removed**

it looks pretty the same. The results, however, is pretty difficult to compare since they're on different parameters i.e coils, core or no core, etc. Which one, in any of your experiences, is better?

Thanks.
Viz

 

[Vizier87]

No takers?

 

[Birdman Adam]

Both of your links are to the same site.

 

[Vizier87]

whoops. let me rectify that:
second article: **broken link removed**

 

[Sceadwian]

Can't help much I'm afraid, but aside from wasting a lot of time and perhaps recycling some old bits, what would be the purpose of trying to hand build a generator like that? I'd have scrapped all the metal and bought a motor to use directly.

 

[Vizier87]

Well... Aside that it looks fun (and I'm building a mini version offit anyways... so no problem, I wouldn't be molding my own parts, which looks like nearly everything to it) I heard that motors aren't efficient as generators, but that may not be true. Especially the friction by the brushes, etc. The HDD generator builders look pretty motivated on building it, eh?

 

[Sceadwian]

Motors are generators are motors =\ They all work both ways just fine.

 

[colin55]

Look on the scrap heap for Fisher and Paykel (clothes) washing machines, They have the motor you want. It is 300w and is a stepper motor.

 

[Sceadwian]

I didn't even know they made steppers that large colin, nice recommendation, it's multiphase output too, so although you'd need more diodes for bridge rectification you'd have a much smoother DC output.

 

[bryan1]

The backshed forum which is in the sticky links in the alternate energy forum is based on using the F&P motor as a wind generator

 

[Vizier87]

The F&P project is very interesting. . thanks for all the response, but actually I'm just looking forward to reusing my old neodymium magnets from broken hard drives to build a demo backyard generator for fun. My capital is tight as it is, so I don't have money to buy scrapped models like those.

 

[bryan1]

Hi Vizier87,
I would be glad to send you over a F&P motor to you but the cost of postage from Australia might cost abit. If you want to PM your address I can get a quote on the shipping. Or if you prefer going with a dual axial flux wind generator I do a have a contact in China where the neo magnets are very cheap.

Cheers Bryan

 

[Vizier87]

Hi Vizier87, I would be glad to send you over a F&P motor to you but the cost of postage from Australia might cost abit. If you want to PM your address I can get a quote on the shipping. Or if you prefer going with a dual axial flux wind generator I do a have a contact in China where the neo magnets are very cheap.

Cheers Bryan

Hi Bryan,
Thank you for your kind offer. Regarding the neo mags, I have a collection of it already, I just need confirmation on which one is a better configuration stated in post #1. As for the winding, I've got quite a lot of step-down transformers to be reused.

 

[cr0sh]

If I remember correctly...

I work as a software developer. My boss writes his contracts stating that any machine (PC) that is replaced that has a hard drive, he will scrap the hard drive. At one point he had a ton of hard drives waiting for recycling, and it became my job one day to help.

I got to take apart a bunch of hard drives. Yay.

Really, it sucked, but if I remember correctly, those hard drive magnets were arranged where one end was opposite polarity of the other. The voice-coil of the head actuator of the hard drive was positioned by changing its voltage and its polarity, to move it thru the entire arc.

With that said - it is hard to say what is going on in the first picture, vs the second - because we don't know from the pictures (maybe more info is on the site?) what the polarity of the split ends are. Maybe in the first picture, he has two north pieces, then two south, then two north, etc - all the way around? But this doesn't make sense, because if you split a bar magnet (which is what these are, technically), you get two bar magnets - not two uni-pole magnets.

In the second picture, we just have the magnets arranged in a circular fashion, but we still don't know how the polarities are arranged.

Finally - where are the coils? In the first image, I can't tell if they are supposed to be placed over/under the disk of magnets, or around the edge. In the second, I have to assume that they are placed "over" the disk, simply because the outer edge would have little-to-no magnetic flux.

In both arrangements, you would end up with an AC output, and depending on how the magnets and poles were arranged (and how fast the disk was spun), that AC output would be of a certain frequency. There would also be dependencies on how the coils were arranged, wired, and synchronized; you could get anything from single phase to n-phase output - if wired wrong you could even potentially get nothing as the phases cancel out (and the coils would heat up and possibly burn out!).

It is difficult to say which, if either, would be better...

 

[Vizier87]

i guess i just have to build it then...

 

[Stefan1212]

Hi Bryan 1,
Would you be so nice to provide the contact details for your Chinese cheap neo supplier ?.
Here in Hungary those prices are unrealistics.

Regards,
Stefan

 

[bryan1]

Hi Stefan,
First of all welcome to the forum, now my suggestion would be go to Neo Magnets-Neo Magnets Manufacturers, Suppliers and Exporters on alibaba.com

Then contact some companies yourself.

Cheers Bryan

 

[oz93666]

Hi Stefan,
First of all welcome to the forum, now my suggestion would be go to Neo Magnets-Neo Magnets Manufacturers, Suppliers and Exporters on alibaba.com

Then contact some companies yourself.

Cheers Bryan

My experience with alibaba is most suppliers only want to ship by container load, very difficult to communicate, unless you speak Chinese, the two quotes I did get for bulk supper capacitors were higher than buying singularly on eBay... and you risk getting your money stolen , has anyone out there actually bought anything from them? My experience is eBay is best for magnets etc.

 

[foobillious]

If you read through the articles on theworkshop.ca site he states why he did it. I don't recall exactly, but I believe its because of the hdd magnets are face polarised... so one flat is N and the other is S. So the way he had it set up in the first picture is all screwy, and wouldn't work properly.

Pretty sure he states why on this page: www.theworkshop.ca/energy/bengen/bengen.htm
go read the text.

The generator he was trying to make is an Axial Flux generator... apparantly you can get up to about 500 Watts with one made from hdd magnets. Thats pretty worthwhile.

 

[Simple Simon]

Hi vizier

H.Drive. Mags will work quite well. They need to be split in half. We have seen as much as 500 watts (12 volts) from them.
I frown on reusing copper... But we do have to recycle. So go for it. Pick a voltage, work with a 3 phase stator, and i think you will do well. Recycled copper may not last... But it was a lot cheaper than new. First make your mag plate 12 mags, Then make a stator with room for 9 coils. You will have to experment with the number of wraps. to get your voltage. When you pass mags over coils you will make ac power. It then can be converted to Dc so it can be stored in batteries.

S. Simon

first coil voltage times 9 will = voltage output. You will want this at about 150 rpm for a wind turbine.