Understanding the Whipmag
The drawing below is intended for you to visualize how a octagon permanent magnet engine or the whipmag works. You must have a basic understanding of how this design is operating. Simply copying a design with bits and pieces of information will probably fail. Breaking the rotor down into a track gives a better picture of how the motor is indeed operating. The orientation of the track magnets is the clue. Notice that the track magnets are placed in positions so that the flux fields repel each other from magnet to magnet throughout the track length. Because the flux fields are of the same polarity between each track magnet this provides a coasting or attractive path between the rotor magnets for the attracting stationary mounted flipping magnet. The actual torque received is from the bloch wall to the end of each individual rotor magnet. (weak to strong--1/2 the magnet length) While one or two flipping magnets are coasting through these neutral flux spin fields, (depends on timing which is the flipper magnets location) another one has just flipped at the bloch wall and is pulling to the end of the magnet which is pulling the track. This magnet placement method eliminates rotor repel to the flipping magnets throughout the entire 360 degree rotor cycle of a octagon design. Perhaps several improvements could be made such as increasing the rotor magnets individual length. This would increase the distance (weak to strong) from the bloch wall to the magnet end, which should increase rotor torque. Decreased spacing between rotor magnets would allow the flux field to be more concentrated which would provide a smoother path (less drag) for the flipper magnets. I would pay close attention to the flipper magnet diameter and placement. The flipper magnet should be timed in lockstep with rotor magnets and also the number of flipper magnets used. Maybe even a mechanical link of sorts could be designed between the flipper magnets and the rotor. This would insure that the flipper magnet landed precisely at the bloch wall area. The logo picture (above) is a design that I came up with long ago using a mechanical link. But it won't work as shown because of the forces involved trying to flip the magnets. This is just a thought but, what if the rotor magnets of the logo picture were re-configured to match the whipmag rotor design?? The whipmag is a ingenious design by these fellows, but it is raw and they know it. My opinion would be not to jump in and build just yet, unless you understand the dynamics and your intentions are to improve the design. There will be a better design with enhancements made by them and others in the near future which will save you some time and money.
Octagon Flat Track Drawing |
