Building a Homopolar Generator: Step-by-Step Tutorial

  • Context: High School 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Doctor H.B
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Generator Homopolar
Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
11 replies · 5K views
Doctor H.B
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Let's begin.

I have been assigned to build a homopolar generator, but I really don't know where to start. I searched the net for some info, but I couldn't find anything useful (for me). I tried to read and understand the wiki-page about this faraday disc, but it's kind of hard to understand. Anyway, the understanding-part isn't that big of a deal (I will eventually understand all of it), but the lack of practical knowledge is preventing me from making some progression. I searched for some sort of tutorial, but I couldn't find a simple, understandable one.
Can somebody help me out here by describing each and every step? I'd really appreciate it.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
I'm a theorist, so of little help for building such a device. If you want to learn the basics, in my opinion the best book available are the Feynman Lectures on Physics, vol. II. There it's explained from the basic law of electromagnetic forces on charges, how homopolar induction comes to work.
 
You're kind of asking for a lot. Which basics don't you know? The theories and such on how it works, or the actual building of the device?
 
Drakkith said:
You're kind of asking for a lot. Which basics don't you know? The theories and such on how it works, or the actual building of the device?

The actual building of the generator.
 
vanhees71 said:
I'm a theorist, so of little help for building such a device. If you want to learn the basics, in my opinion the best book available are the Feynman Lectures on Physics, vol. II. There it's explained from the basic law of electromagnetic forces on charges, how homopolar induction comes to work.


The theoretical part isn't really a problem. I just have to "refresh" my knowledge. The main thing I'm looking for now is some kind of building plan.
 
Doctor H.B said:
The actual building of the generator.

I'm in a similar problem with trying to build a Fusor. I just don't have any of the required basic skills to do it. That and I'm horrible at teaching myself.
 
Drakkith said:
I'm in a similar problem with trying to build a Fusor. I just don't have any of the required basic skills to do it. That and I'm horrible at teaching myself.

Let's hope somebody can help us out!
 
I know you're all watching.
 
Doctor H.B said:
The theoretical part isn't really a problem. I just have to "refresh" my knowledge. The main thing I'm looking for now is some kind of building plan.

This looks simple enough to demonstrate the principle behind the homopolar generator (also known as Faraday's disk).

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Does anybody have some kind of simple building plan?
 
Have you still come up empty with regard to a building plan?