GB2096838A - Magnetic motors - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus comprises a cylindrical housing having two portions (6, 7) each defining a respective semi- cylindrical internal surface, one of the surfaces being magnetised to have one polarity and the other of the surfaces being magnetised to have an opposite polarity. A cylindrical rotor (1) made of non-magnetic material is mounted for rotation in the housing, the rotor having peripheral slots (2) extending outwardly of the axis of rotation of the rotor and slideably receiving therein magnetic pieces (3). The radial clearance gap (12) between the rotor (1) and the housing portion (7) is greater than that between the rotor and the portion (6). The magnetic pieces (3) are attracted by the internal surface of housing portion (7) and are repelled by the internal surface of housing portion (6). Thus, if the rotor is given an initial rotation, the magnetic pieces move inwardly and outwardly in their respective slots as the rotor rotates. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus comprising a non-magnetic rotor arranged in a cylindrical magnetic housing This invention relates to apparatus comprising a non-magnetic rotor arranged in a magnetic cylindrical housing.

In the current energy crisis, many attempts have been made to provide new methods and mechanisms for exploiting different energy sources.

Magnetism has found applications in connection with electrical and hydrodynamic systems, but has never been used as a special and independent source of energy. The present invention seeks to provide method and apparatus which employs magnetism as an independent source of energy, and may be used in various applications for the production of energy in large units, and also in small scale models for whatever application.

According to the invention there is provided apparatus comprising: a cylindrical housing having two portions each defining a respective semi-cylindrical internal surface, one of said surfaces being magnetised to have one polarity and the other of said surfaces being magnetised to have an opposite polarity; a cylindrical rotor made of non-magnetic material and mounted for rotation in said housing, said rotor having peripheral slots extending outwardly of the axis of rotation of the rotor; magnetic pieces slideably mounted in said slots; and a radial clearance gap defined between the outer surface of the rotor and the internal surfaces of said semi-cylindrical housing portions;; in which the radial clearance gap between the external surface of the rotor and the internal surface of one of said housing portions is greater than the radial clearance gap between the external surface of the rotor and the other of said housing portions; and in which the magnetisation of the magnetic pieces and the internal surface of the housing portions is such that, during rotation of the rotor, the magnetic pieces are attracted towards the internal surface of said one housing portion and are repeiled by the internal surface of said other housing portion, whereby upon an initial rotation of the rotor, the rotation is maintained by virtue of the net turning moment applied to the rotor as the magnetic pieces move inwardly and outwardly in their respective slots.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of the apparatus; Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a non-magnetic cylindrical rotor of the apparatus with a series of peripheral slots within which magnetic pieces are slideably moveable; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of the apparatus.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown apparatus which comprises an external cylindrical housing which is divided into two semi-cylindrical (stator) housing portions 6 and 7 within which a non-magnetic cylindrical rotor is rotatably mounted with a radial clearance gap 1 2 therebetween. The portion 6 has a thickness twice that of portion 7, resulting, as shown in Figure 1, in a larger gap 12 at the side of the portion 7. The internal surface of the portion 6 is negatively magnetised, whereas the internal surface of portion 7 is positively magnetised. The two portions 6, 7 are connected at their lower ends to a base plate 8, which may be bolted onto the ground or onto a speciai frame with bolts 9.

At their upper ends, the portions 6 and 7 have longitudinally extending parallel flange members 10, which are connected together by a series of bolts 11.

The rotor comprises a cylinder 1 made from anti-magnetic (non-magnetic) material which is placed inside the housing, in which the cylinder is rotatably mounted on a bearing 5 provided on a central shaft 4, which rotates together with the cylinder 1. A series of equidistantly spaced peripheral cavities or slots 2 are provided along the external surface of cylinder 1, and slideablyreciprocating magnetic pieces 3 are mounted in these slots 2. The magnetic pieces 3 can carry out reciprocation within the slots 2 through a limited distance, so that they do not come into contact with the internal surfaces of the housing portions 6 and 7. As will be seen from Figure 2, there is a larger clearance gap 12 between the cylinder 1 and the housing portion 7, than between the cylinder 1 and the housing portion 6.

During operation of the apparatus, the magnetic pieces 3 are inserted into the slots 2 throughout the length of the cylinder 1, and initially facing the negatively magnetised surface of housing portion 6 so as to repel the magnetic pieces which move radialiy inwards in the slots 2.

At the other part of the cylinder 1 facing the positively magnetised internal surface of housing portion 7, the magnetic pieces 3 move radially outwardly within slots 2 because of the attraction exerted by the internal surface of the housing 7 (which is a positive magnet).

In this way, a continuous displacement takes place of the centre of gravity of the cylinder 1 (to the right as seen in Figure 1) so as to apply a continuous clockwise moment which rotates the cylinder.

It should be noted that the apparatus of the invention is not limited to the illustrated example.

The apparatus may be embodied using other methods, designs and accessories without departing from the scope of the invention.

Thus, for example, the number of peripheral slots or cavities and the corresponding number of reciprocating magnetic pieces in each series may vary. Moreover, the number of series of peripheral magnets may vary, whereas according to another embodiment of the invention, a long magnet moving inside a correspondingly long cavity may be used instead of the series of peripheral magnets. Furthermore, electromagnets may replace all or part of the illustrated magnetised parts (which are permanent magnets).

The apparatus has been described without reference being made to particular dimensions and sizes, since these do not define the substance of the invention, but merely the kind of the application. The way in which the rotating cylinder 1 and shaft 4 are supported is not shown, since such supporting may be made using conventional methods.

Claims (5)

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising: a cylindrical housing having two portions each defining a respective semi-cylindrical internal surface, one of said surfaces being magnetised to have one polarity and the other of said surfaces being magnetised to have an opposite polarity; a cylindrical rotor made of non-magnetic material and mounted for rotation in said housing, said rotor having peripheral slots extending outwardly of the axis of rotation of the rotor; magnetic pieces slideably mounted in said slots; and a radial clearance gap defined between the outer surface of the rotor and the internal surfaces of said semi-cylindrical housing portions;; in which the radial clearance gap between the external surface of the rotor and the internal surface of one of said housing portions is greater than the radial clearance gap between the external surface of the rotor and the other of said housing portions; and in which the magnetisation of the magnetic pieces and the internal surfaces of the housing portions in such that, during rotation of the rotor, the magnetic pieces are attracted towards the internal surface of said one housing portion and are repelled by the internal surface of said other housing portion, whereby upon an initial rotation of the rotor, the rotation is maintained by virtue of the net turning moment applied to the rotor as the magnetic pieces move inwardly and outwardly in their respective slots.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 and arranged so that, upon giving an initial impulse to the rotor, the rotation of the rotor is further accelerated by the resulting centrifugal force.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, in which said other housing portion has twice the radial thickness of said one housing portion so that the radial clearance gap adjacent said other housing portion is one half of the radial clearance gap adjacent to said one housing portion.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

5. A method of producing energy using apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims.