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Re: Ionic propulsion/ pinwheel toroid

Nathan Howard wrote:

>     I have finished my first coil and wanted to try some different things
with
> it.  Since I am in physics this semester I thought it would be interesting to
> build a pinwheel for the top of my coil to experiment with ionic
propulsion.  I
> built an aluminum pinwheel similar to the one in Brent Turner's photo
gallery.
> It pivots on an inverted nail-shaped aluminum point.  I don't Know
exactly how
> much force the electrons jumping off my pinwheel have(I imagine not a
lot) and
> I think the friction of my pivot point might be conteracting their force.
 Has
> any one experimented with their coils in this way?  I could definately
use some
> help.  My coil is a prototype, so it is pretty small.  It has a 2in.(nominal)
> pvc secondary.. it puts out a 11in spark off a point discharge.

Very little energy is required to run these ionic motors, but they shall
be properly built to avoid excessive friction. A method that I have
used,
that works perfectly, and don't look as an improvisation, is to make a
hole with a conventional drill bit through the center of a short section
(1/4") of 3/16" brass rod, going most of the way through the rod. This
will create a hole with a conical end. A touch with a smaller drill bit
improves the end of the hole. Then make 2, 3, or 4 holes at the base
of the bar at the side where you started the hole and solder brass wires
bent in L and with the free points sharpened. Balance the finished and
polished part over another pointed brass wire mounted in a suitable
support.
These motors reach easily a surprisingly high speed. It is not the force
of electrons "jumping off" the points that make the motor run (too small
mass), but the repulsion of air ions created by the intense electric
field
at the points.

A different idea: Add "wings" as helicopter blades to the arms of the
motor, using light materials, and make it run around a vertical wire
ending in a ball instead of over a point. It will rise as it runs.

Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz