http://www.amazon.ca/SparkFun-Magne...1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1363985007&sr=1-1
Should that be enough wire to build my project with?
Should that be enough wire to build my project with?
Let's do a rough estimate:
From the pdf you posted, I would expect the coils to be approx. 4cm in diameter. You said yours will be slightly larger, let's assume 6cm diameter:
length of one turn then: pi*6cm approx. 19cm
number of turns per coil: 200 ---> 3800cm
number of coils: 4 ---> at least 15m
If you assume some margin for errors, you need approx. 20m wire, thats roughly 60ft, isn't it?
The 40ft of the 22AWG will probably be too short, the 75ft of the 26AWG will be enough.
Best to do the calculation again with the coil size/number you had in mind!
From the pdf you posted, I would expect the coils to be approx. 4cm in diameter. You said yours will be slightly larger, let's assume 6cm diameter:
length of one turn then: pi*6cm approx. 19cm
number of turns per coil: 200 ---> 3800cm
number of coils: 4 ---> at least 15m
If you assume some margin for errors, you need approx. 20m wire, thats roughly 60ft, isn't it?
The 40ft of the 22AWG will probably be too short, the 75ft of the 26AWG will be enough.
Best to do the calculation again with the coil size/number you had in mind!
Last edited:
You'll do much better to use many many more turns of much thinner wire.
Did this with my daughter. Her "Scientific method hypothesis" was "my dad can build a better water-powered generator that your dad."
You are not going to generate much voltage and barely any current. So you don't have to worry about using heavy enough wire. You need enough turns of wire, a strong magnet, close tolerances, and to spin it fast!
I didn't use the convetnional pictured oatmeal-box-tube design.
I sued mutiple coils instead. I didn't want to spend a lot of time winding coils. I bought coils of thin insulated wire already on plastic spools. That way, each was already a wound coil ready to use. Then I built the generator to accomodate the existing coils. Thin solid enamelled wire is best, but coils of thin plastic-insulated wire can also work, depending on several other factors.
I mounted the cover for a plastic bucket on a saw mandrel, and screwed plastic cups to the plastic bucket cover, for the water-wheel. I used GOOP brand glue to glue Radio Shack neodymium magnets to the bucket lid, alternating the polarities. I mounted the coils to a sheet fo thin wood so the magnets came very close, but did not stick to the coils. I mounted the coils using thick steel bolts and nuts thru the coil, to also act as a coil core. I wired the coils so that their polarity, like the polarity of the magnets, changed with each sucessive one around the circle.
Had to spin it pretty fast, and it "lit" a small pea lamp with an orange glow, but not an LED.
Hit it with the garden hose and it lit up pretty good, but in the classroom they used a science lab faucet.
Good luck. The lamp cord/speaker wire is not very good stuff to use. You really want insulated wire that's just thicker than hair. And they won't have enamelled wire at the Home Depot. I ordered mine online, since we had several weeks.
Did this with my daughter. Her "Scientific method hypothesis" was "my dad can build a better water-powered generator that your dad."
You are not going to generate much voltage and barely any current. So you don't have to worry about using heavy enough wire. You need enough turns of wire, a strong magnet, close tolerances, and to spin it fast!
I didn't use the convetnional pictured oatmeal-box-tube design.
I sued mutiple coils instead. I didn't want to spend a lot of time winding coils. I bought coils of thin insulated wire already on plastic spools. That way, each was already a wound coil ready to use. Then I built the generator to accomodate the existing coils. Thin solid enamelled wire is best, but coils of thin plastic-insulated wire can also work, depending on several other factors.
I mounted the cover for a plastic bucket on a saw mandrel, and screwed plastic cups to the plastic bucket cover, for the water-wheel. I used GOOP brand glue to glue Radio Shack neodymium magnets to the bucket lid, alternating the polarities. I mounted the coils to a sheet fo thin wood so the magnets came very close, but did not stick to the coils. I mounted the coils using thick steel bolts and nuts thru the coil, to also act as a coil core. I wired the coils so that their polarity, like the polarity of the magnets, changed with each sucessive one around the circle.
Had to spin it pretty fast, and it "lit" a small pea lamp with an orange glow, but not an LED.
Hit it with the garden hose and it lit up pretty good, but in the classroom they used a science lab faucet.
Good luck. The lamp cord/speaker wire is not very good stuff to use. You really want insulated wire that's just thicker than hair. And they won't have enamelled wire at the Home Depot. I ordered mine online, since we had several weeks.
Are you in a 3rd or 4th year Electrical Engineering class?
Did they teach you , in due order, as in each in a consecutive Year:
a) Physics, specifically the "Electricity and Magnetism" part?
b) "Electro Technology" (freely translated from Spanish "Electrodinámica I")
3) "Electrical Machines" (freely translated from Spanish "Máquinas Eléctricas I")
I had to approve all 3 yearly courses mentioned above while studying Engineering in the early 70's , before even *considering* trying to design a working electric motor or generator ..... and your Teacher says you "just Google it" or equivalent?
No wonder fresh graduates can't even *solder* (unless they learnt on their own).
Pffffffffffffffftttttt !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mind you, I am *NOT* saying you can't build a working one , but the teacher must provide a working, buildable example, as well to at least point to supply sources.
Poor pupils !!!!
Ahahaha! I have it all planned out, last question, I am gonna go with slightly thinner wire with plastic insulation, I am hoping that the multimeter will pick up the slight energy difference. If it spins it will pick up SOMETHING I suppose, if she sees that it is functional I will get the full mark on that specific criteria. So the thinner probably 2-3mm in diameter wire should produce something right?
It's one of those threads that make me wonder... 
********
Step one: Question of thread opener: Will it work with speaker wire?
********
********
Step two: Common conclusion after approx. 4 pages: No, it won't really work.
********
**********
Step three: Reaction of thread opener: OK, then I'll do it with speaker wire. Thank you so much!
**********
********
Step one: Question of thread opener: Will it work with speaker wire?
********
********
Step two: Common conclusion after approx. 4 pages: No, it won't really work.
********
**********
Step three: Reaction of thread opener: OK, then I'll do it with speaker wire. Thank you so much!
**********
You do this sort of thing in high school.
Any more questions Mr Fahey?
This is a joke.
But, you said it will generate some sort of power/energy, that is all I am going for. And Apparently it will generate some power. By the way I took a picture of my first coil which sucks and i will redo but can you please tell me what looks wrong or maybe it is okay.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/58776266/Photo 2013-03-22 7 17 54 PM.jpg
Please tell me what you think.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/58776266/Photo 2013-03-22 7 17 54 PM.jpg
Please tell me what you think.
As already said, it's very few turns occupying a large volume...
If you have access to a multimeter/oscilloscope, hook it up and move one of your magnets over the coil at roughly the expected speed of your 'water turbine' - then see what the meter picks up...
Some of these coils and reasonably powerful magnets should be able to create a few 10s or 100s of mV that ought to turn up in a sufficiently sensitive meter.
Andreas
If you have access to a multimeter/oscilloscope, hook it up and move one of your magnets over the coil at roughly the expected speed of your 'water turbine' - then see what the meter picks up...
Some of these coils and reasonably powerful magnets should be able to create a few 10s or 100s of mV that ought to turn up in a sufficiently sensitive meter.
Andreas
Alright so i finished my 4 coils if anyone can find anything wrong please tell me before I proceed, (Yes I do have the forum on my monitor if anyone realizes)
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/58776266/Photo 2013-03-22 10 54 49 PM.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/58776266/Photo 2013-03-22 10 54 49 PM.jpg
Dear Cal, please don't quote half what I posted , it loses meaning if incomplete or out of context. (Or both)
I said the op can BUILD such a project, in High School or even earlier, if somebody gives him a working project and the actual stuff or a guide where to get it. (that would be cool)
I maintain he needs University level education if he wants to DESIGN such stuff on his own.
Do you think he does not?
To avoid guessing , why not ask him if he feels qualified?
He seems to be in High School and according to what you say, then he "should" be.
Only thing that worries me a little, he doesn't even know how to differentiate between raw copper or plain enamelled wire; from that point alone we can estimate what's *actually* being taught at High Schools today.
To claim that people with such poor teaching (I'm no criticizing the OP's personal qualities *at all*, quite the contrary) can design anything of this complexity is, to say it lightly, optimistic.
Of course, what would life be without optimism?
- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.