Mendocino Motor Drives Cubicle Conversations
Mendocino motors are solar-powered electric motors that rely on pseudo-levitation. The levitation comes from magnets mounted on either end of the shaft, which repel same-field magnets fixed below them into the base. When light shines on the solar panels, current flows through connected magnet wire windings, creating an electromagnetic field that interacts with a large stationary magnet mounted underneath. These constantly repelling forces spin the shaft, and the gaps between the solar panels provide the on-off cycle needed to make it spin 360°.
As [Konstantin] discovered, building this simple motor and getting it to spin depends on a lot of …read more
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