Solar+Motor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQqpnAKf9cM





Dowel through two cups. Pins stuck in the ends as bearings.

These solar motors convert sunlight directly into rotating motion without any electrical or other mechanical parts. The use of the term "free energy" in this contest means that it is converting energy that is "freely" supplied by our sun and is not meant to suggest that it violates any laws of thermodynamics. The movement of this motor is dependent on the unique property of the stretched trash bag strips. These strips are made from a plastic material called polyethylene. This chemical is a common example of a polymer. One of its characteristics is that it is made of very long molecular chains. These long molecules are stretched to their elastic limit during the stretching process. If more pressure is applied, these long chains are broken when the plastic tears apart. By heating the strips, the polymer chains contract, pulling the molecules closer together. They do not expand due to cooling as some students may suggest. The action of the polyethylene contracting is quite different from a uniform expansion of matter as a result of kinetic energy. As this plastic is heated temporarily, the material pulls tighter and shrinks to a smaller size. The plastic remains “shrunken” until pressure is applied to stretch the molecular chains out again. The movement of the motor is due to the materials at the top of the cup assembly contracting slightly; this action is pulling the cups together at the top. The action is not noticeable since it is so slight. It is noticeable if the plastic is heated sufficiently but too much heat may damage the rotor. As the cups are pulled together, the assembly becomes unbalanced. The motor is now top heavy and starts to turn and fall toward the bottom. As the assembly turns, a new section is then exposed to light and is heated. This new spot becomes top heavy causing this section to fall. The action is continually repeated making the top section always unbalanced; the cups are constantly trying to adjust to become balanced. The end result is the motor turning because it is trying to right itself. The highest speed for the cups in direct summer sunlight seems to top out around 65 RPMs. The addition of mass to the flywheel directions has some benefits and drawbacks. This addition can make the cup more efficient, but it will not make it spin faster. The “good news” is that adding mass to the flywheel can enable this tiny motor to perform small tasks, however, it does not make it efficient enough that it can turn a small generator. This design simply does not generate torque to do so. The "bad news" is that as more mass is added to the flywheel, it becomes more finicky and will require more adjustments for balancing.