Subject:
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Re: Using motors without a power source.
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Mon, 25 Jan 1999 22:00:02 GMT
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Viewed:
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864 times
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> In this case one motor is being used as a generator and the other as
> a motor, correct? You aren't powering both motors.
That's correct.
> also more accurate. What benefit did you see using the two-motor
> system?
The main benefit is that I was able to use any design I wanted without being
restricted on how and where to place the axels. I could run the wire in any
manner I needed.
> In your 4 motor system was every motor being used both as a >differential and
> as a power source? Or was there no power source involved?
I'm not using any power source at all. Basically I was trying to build a 4WD
car with strange wheel placement that made it very difficult to connect them
using gears, axels, and differentials. I decided that maybe I could use a
motor for each wheel instead and connect them with wires. I've read that some
of the electric car designs used this method. I would then connect at least
one of the motors to a power source (a battery pack or RCX for example).
However, before I connected the power source I notice that when I turned one
of the tires, all of the tires turned!!!
I understand why this works since there is always resistance in the Lego motor
whenever it's connected to a power source. The motor seems to use electrical
resistive braking. I've read that the same braking design is also being used
in electric car designs. These electric cars could use the electricity
generated during braking to charge the battery a little.
It seems to me that Lego purposely engineered this feature into their motors.
I've just never seen any documentation on how this could be used in Lego. I
would have never thought of it had it not been a chance thing. I have never
considered using motors without a power source but this has definitely changed
my thinking.
Denny
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: Using motors without a power source.
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| If I understand what you are doing then: Think about the efficiency (or actually lack of ) in using this method. Just how inefficient are the Lego motors? as generators? Put a load on those motors and see if they still turn. Drive all the motors (...) (25 years ago, 25-Jan-99, to lugnet.robotics)
| | | Re: Using motors without a power source.
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| (...) That makes perfect sense. If you turn any electromagnetic motor, it will produce an electric current. I think this is the basic principle that hydroelectric power plants use. Even old Lego motors do this (I tried when I was a kid with many (...) (25 years ago, 26-Jan-99, to lugnet.robotics)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Using motors without a power source.
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| (...) In this case one motor is being used as a generator and the other as a motor, correct? You aren't powering both motors. I think its neat, but don't understand the use of it in the context of 4wd. The differential is much smaller then two (...) (25 years ago, 25-Jan-99, to lugnet.robotics)
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