Electronics Would This Setup for a Ball Bearing Accelerator Work?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on a design for accelerating a ball bearing down wire tracks using an inductive coil activated by a proximity sensor. The proposed method involves placing the coil below the tracks to maintain the ball's stability during acceleration. Key considerations include whether the ball will roll or slide, as this affects kinetic energy loss due to rotational energy or friction. The skin effect is noted as a limiting factor for the magnetic field's effectiveness, suggesting that a hollow sphere or aluminum ring may enhance launch speed. Additionally, there is a query about the efficiency of using a toroid versus a bar core inductor for generating the magnetic field, alongside a request for clarification on the Q-factor and the suitability of iron versus ferrite cores for the application.
WorldWiz
Messages
19
Reaction score
0
TL;DR Summary
Proposal to Use an Inductor Coil underneath Wire Tracks to Accelerate Ball Bearings
I need a method to accelerate a ball bearing down a pair of wire tracks, and to generate a consistent amount of force on every activation. Please critique my tentative design:

I want to use an inductive coil activated by a proximity sensor to generate a transient EM field to accelerate the ball bearing. Since the ball just runs on a pair of wires, I think I may need to place the coil below the tracks (rather than run the tracks through the center of a solenoid), so that there will be some force keeping the ball from flying off the tracks.

As follow-up questions, I’m also wondering if I would get better current to field strength efficiency with a toroid core inductor coil or with a bar core inductor coil generating the attractive magnetic field? I also don’t entirely understand the Q-factor, so for my purposes, would an iron core or a ferrite core be a better choice?

Thanks for your help.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
WorldWiz said:
I need a method to accelerate a ball bearing down a pair of wire tracks, and to generate a consistent amount of force on every activation. Please critique my tentative design:
Will the ball roll or slide as it travels along the tracks ?
If it rolls, the kinetic energy will be reduced by the rotational energy.
If it slides, the kinetic energy will only be reduced by friction.
If both, the velocity will be unpredictable.

Skin effect will limit the depth of the ball subjected to the magnetic field pulse. The currents and magnetic field, induced in the surface of the ball, will rotate with the ball. You might get a greater launch speed from a hollow sphere, or an aluminium ring.
 
WorldWiz said:
As follow-up questions, I’m also wondering if I would get better current to field strength efficiency with a toroid core inductor coil or with a bar core inductor coil generating the attractive magnetic field?
So you didn't read my replies in your other thread? That is most disappointing...
 
Some time ago I posted this Raspberry PI DIY Mass Spec using Raman Scattering. It's was something of a cumbersome project though, needing a 3D printer and special heat-resistant plastic giving of carcinogenic fumes during printing. To be blunt it was also not very mobile and interpreting the results was further cumbersome Recently though, I've been told that Arduino, and it's various sensor packages, has matured to the point where it's a usable alternative. Now I realize that a cigarette...
Thread 'Nonlinear rubberband type thing - "k" dropping fast as it is stretched'
What materials can I try in order to get a curve of displacement versus force that looks somewhat like this.. (of course, there would be a small kink around the origin where the ends of the rubberband are closer together than its length, which is not shown here). I am looking for something that will last at least 100 stretch cycles and is not messy, so for example liquid based colloidal stuff won't be suitable. Is there something one can whip up using silicone and some additive, say? Or...

Similar threads

Back
Top