User:ZackDCote

ENES-100


 * Team page

My instructor is Jeyasingh Nithianandam.

These are my weekly project reports:
 * /Mendocino Motor/



Project Description
We will be constructing a Mendocino motor, and testing whether the four-sided or six-sided design is more efficient or effective.

Equipment List
We will use a 3d printer to make the bases and housings.
 * 20 rare earth magnets*
 * 4 small solar cells*
 * 6 small thin solar panels*
 * 20 gauge copper wire*
 * metal rod
 * 2 plastic bases
 * plastic four-sided housing
 * plastic six-sided housing

Week 1 Narrative
We started researching the basic design of the motor, and assigning jobs. On the Internet we were able to find several videos and pictures of the motors, and also articles explaining how to make your own. We found several magnets in the lab, but still needed two more to make a prototype of the levitation component of the motor. At the seminar on Thursday Mr. Foerster made an announcement saying that we needed microwaves to take apart for their magnets.

Week 2 Narrative
This week Zack brought a prototype housing for the motor (Pictures Above), and a microwave, which we disassembled. We took out two magnets, and a device we think is an electromagnet. We also drafted a proposal of what we mean to do, and who is going to do it. It still needs to have certain parts edited into a different format.

Week 3 Narrative
We spent this week preparing a presentation that we gave to the class. Afterwards we were asked to give the presentation to the seminar next week. Zack and I also worked on getting the parts request to Mr. Foerster. The things in the equipment list marked with asterixes are the things we need to buy.

Week 4 Narrative
On Tuesday; Austin made a prototype of the levitation component of the Mendocino motor. He used a piece of plywood for the base, magnets, three metal rods, and clay (to hold the magnets onto the plywood). On Thursday we gave the presentation on the motor to the seminar. Our presentation was met with approval.

Week 5
Zack, and I are working on getting the components ordered. We will be ordering twenty | rare earth magnets; four, 95mm x 51mm | solar panels; six, 90mm x 25mm | solar panels; and one, three hundred fifteen feet roll of | copper wire. We have sent the request to Mr. Foerster, but have not gotten a response. In the request we included the dimensions, and brand of everything; the solar panel's efficiency, peak voltage, and peak current; the magnet's pull force, and plating material; and the copper wire's gauge, and diameter.

Week 6
Things have been slowing down as we wait for our parts to come in. That being said, Austin has taken apart a hard-drive, for its brushless motors. He is going to find out whether the solar panels or the brushless motors are more efficient at generating power, so we can determine if it would be practical to use the Mendocino motor for a power source (this was a suggestion someone at the seminar forwarded). Zach spent this week designing the base and housing of the motor. I worked on the Wikiversity page.

Week 7
We were asked to create a power point presentation on Tuesday, and give it on Thursday. I started it on Tuesday and finished it on Wednesday. I could not come to class on Thursday because I was sick, so I do not know how the presentation went. Zach is still working on the 3d printing file for the base and housing, and Austin is experimenting with the brushless motors.

Week 8
We gave the power-point on Tuesday, and afterwards Mr. Nithianandam suggested as a project (not as a possible project, due to its level of involvement), to use a certain mathematical formula, and an arduino connected to an electromagnet to determine, and increase the stability level of the motor while it is spinning. On Thursday Zack brought a six-sided housing (printed from a 3d printer) to class.

Week 9
We got the six sided motor built, but the wiring was incorrect so we were not able to get the motor working as we want. I specifically finished the motor base design finished, and got the design ready print. I used Replicatorg to slice and generate the g-code for the base. the estimated time for the print is 10 hours and 50 minutes. That is with a 10% infill, with a layer height of 0.27mm. I will be printing it the base with a sky blue PLA filament. on tuesday night i tried to print the motor base, but it failed. It failed because one: the edges curled and made it hard for the extruder to move around the print with out hitting it. and two: because of the extruder hitting the print, the print was knocked off of the build platform.