Easter engine problem

[CDRIVE]

Wingnut, my motor model had a resistance of 62.5 Ohms. Your DMM isn't going to catch this short pulse. Also note that the author's photo indicated an unloaded motor with a piece of tape on the armature shaft so he could see it move.

Also, and as I said before, I think this circuit is best suited for use with a Super Cap.

Chris

 

[wingnut]

I tried the circuit with a TIP127 power transistor to drive the motor, and with a lower resistance of 1k to the TIP. The circuit performed perfectly with a 6V battery actually turning my 1.5V motor about a quarter of a revolution every 6 seconds or so.

Unfortunately with a solar panel the voltage would not rise above about 2.5V, showing that the circuit itself was drawing current away from charging the cap.

Still, I am very happy it basically works now, needing as you suggest, a super big cap, or a super small motor.

I am closer to my dream of living off scavanged energy.

 

[BobK]

I am closer to my dream of living off scavanged energy.

But still a very long way to go!

Bob

 

[CDRIVE]

The TIP127 is a Power Darlington. Its characteristics are not similar to a 2N3906 in any way, except for being a PNP.

Perhaps you missed it but I stated previously that this is a novelty circuit. With a large cap and low current motor it will do very minor work. It's not even the starting gate to energy independence.

My view of personal energy independance.....

I've followed quite a few threads that involved storage cells charged by solar cell panels, solar heaters, windmills, hydrogen generation and combinations of all of them. All of these people seemed to have one thing in common.. a sh!t load of free time and a taxpayer grant. How any of these people could possibly have a job escapes me because they seem to spend 24-7 maintaining these things.

A decade ago roof top solar heaters were becoming the in thing here in Florida because of our abundant sun shine. Then Hurricane Francis, followed by Wilma blew through. Those solar panels became near perfect air foils that left the owners with roofs that leaked like a screen door on a submarine. Neighbors were not thrilled with the missiles they became either. Needless to say, they're not very popular any longer.

Chris

 

[wingnut]

Chris I appreciate your dislike for the rather hippie dream of living off the sun and very little else. Your objections have validity.

I installed my own homemade water heating system on my flat roof. It cost less than $125 and has worked perfectly during all but the winter months for 4 years trouble free. All it consists of is a 5" thick black PVC pipe filled with water fed by a toilet cistern - all lying flat on my roof - low pressure with an extra pipe plumbed to the bath. At least this thick black PVC pipe filled with water is going nowhere.

Of late I have been playing with solar tracking - but as you say, the fear of a gust picking everything up and depositing it in the neighbors yard is a problem I am still working on