Toward characterization of Huber's ball-bearing motor

Joo Liang Choo; Wen Liang Soong; Derek Abbott

doi:10.1117/12.582394

28 February 2005 Toward characterization of Huber's ball-bearing motor

Joo Liang Choo, Wen Liang Soong, Derek Abbott

Proceedings Volume 5649, Smart Structures, Devices, and Systems II; (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.582394
Event: Smart Materials, Nano-, and Micro-Smart Systems, 2004, Sydney, Australia

Abstract

A motor that can be powered up by either a DC or AC supply and rotates in either direction, based on the so-called Huber effect, is investigated. For the first time, this paper examines the motor characteristics under both DC and AC conditions, for quantitative comparisons. Earlier work has not examined, in detail, the effect of an AC supply on the Huber motor operation. Previous work on the Huber or ball-bearing motor suffered from alignment problems and here we describe a new methodology to address this. The new construction is also a step toward a micromotor realization. The motor, with its reduced dimensions, also has the advantage of reduced operating current. Since 1959, the principle of operation of this motor has remained an unsolved mystery and various theories exist in the literature. We show various empirical findings that shed some light on the hotly contested debate. The discovery of carbon on the bearings, under AC supply conditions, reported here creates a new open question. Motor acceleration versus torque characteristics are obtained, using a data acquisition system to facilitate dynamic real-time recording.

Citation Download Citation

Joo Liang Choo, Wen Liang Soong, and Derek Abbott "Toward characterization of Huber's ball-bearing motor", Proc. SPIE 5649, Smart Structures, Devices, and Systems II, (28 February 2005); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.582394

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