Subject:
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Re: technic motors as generators????
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.technic
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Date:
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Thu, 5 Oct 2000 08:32:23 GMT
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Viewed:
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567 times
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In lugnet.technic, Brad Hamilton writes:
> I saw some sort of diagram some place (I think in some sort of Dacta
> documentation) stating that you could use a technic motor as a generator.
You can use any brush-type DC motor as a generator.
> When I turn one motor one turn, the other one turns exactly the
> same amount!
Well, *almost* exactly: there's got to be at least some loss in the system.
But the fact that you can't spot the error speaks well of Technic motors.
> I've never heard of a generator that was is so efficient!
It takes very strong magnets, that are almost never used in "hobby" motors
(although I suspect that that's changing some now, as the magnets get
cheaper).
The large difference in current draw specs suggests that this won't work with
the older 9V motors: they probably have cheaper, weaker magnets. They'll
still work as generators, but won't be nearly as efficient.
> Will this damage my motor??
It *can*, if you:
a. Run the "generator" for too long into a (near) short and overheat it.
b. Put too much torque on the shaft (which is not that difficult to do:
you're a *lot* stronger than the motor, so you could strip the gears
if you crank too hard).
Since you sound a little nervous and hesitant about doing this, it's highly
unlikely that you'll be willing to crank it hard enough to damage it.
Personally, though, I wouldn't be willing to set up a hands-on science fair
exhibit to demonstrate it. Unless TLC was willing to sponsor it and provide
replacement motors, of course ;-)
> I also tried hooking up the "generator" to my aquazone train. I had to
> crank it up quite a bit to get the train to move, but I got it going at a
> good clip using just my wrist power alone!
Lego: it's fun *and* educational for kids of all ages ;-)
> The only down side seems to be the limited load that the secondary motor can
> handle. If I put even a moderate load on it, then it won't turn unless I
> crank the other motor harder (presumably providing more voltage).
And more current. Which means more power, because power is the product of
voltage and current.
Fun Fizzics Fact of the Day: using the customary metaphor for the flow of
electricity, "current" is the measure for *how many* electrons are flowing
past a given point per second, and "voltage" measures *how much* energy each
one has (I hear that the physicists are saying this model is not exactly true.
But, like Newtonian mechanics, it works fine for those of us who aren't into
splitting atoms or trying to find quarks ;-)
Roughly speaking, the voltage depends on how *fast* you crank, and the
current on how *hard* you crank to keep the generator going at a given speed.
Ran
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: technic motors as generators????
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| (...) flowing (...) each (...) true. (...) into (...) A metaphor that I like to use when describing the voltage / current relationship is rolling balls down a hill. Voltage describes how tall the hill is, and the current is how steep the hill is. (...) (24 years ago, 5-Oct-00, to lugnet.technic)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | technic motors as generators????
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| I saw some sort of diagram some place (I think in some sort of Dacta documentation) stating that you could use a technic motor as a generator. This makes sense, but I never tried it until today and I am utterly amazed at how well it works! I'm using (...) (24 years ago, 4-Oct-00, to lugnet.technic)
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