Why Does My Daedalon Chaotic Pendulum Get Stuck After Initial Rotation?

[javaman1989]

I am working with a Daedalon chaotic pendulum for an experimental physics class. The pendulum is rather old and seems to have a strange problem. The pendulum can be driven by a DC current, and as voltage is increased, the pendulum begins to rotate. The pendulum is supposed to rotate smoothly and at some point start oscillating. The pendulum I am working with though gets stuck after some initial rotation and no increase in voltage will begin the rotation again. Only a manual "kick" to the pendulum will cause the pendulum to begin moving again. The daedalon device allows for damping, but the damping is not the issue. The manual nor my professor can provide guidance as to why the pendulum is operating this way. Has anyone else worked with this model and experienced similar issues? The company seems to no longer exist or was bought by another company.
Here is the model I am working with. http://www.oberlin.edu/physics/catalog/demonstrations/waves/chaospendulum.html I am not a student at Oberlin though.

Thanks
Vance

 

[member 553083]

One possibility is that the pendulum is stuck in a stable equilibrium point. This is a point where the pendulum is no longer moving and is holding itself in a stationary position. This can be caused by a number of factors, such as a faulty bearing or an unbalanced pendulum weight. If this is the case, you may need to inspect the pendulum for any signs of damage or imbalance. Additionally, you could try adjusting the damping on the pendulum to see if that helps to dislodge it from its equilibrium point.