The Mendocino motor is a solar powered magnetically levitated motor. It was invented by Larry Springs and constructed and designed by Huib Visser with plans of Tom Vales. The motor base consists of five sets of magnets. Four magnets in the base are levitation magnets which provides levitation force against the shaft magnets. The fifth magnet, is a field magnet which provides the magnetic field for the rotor. The back plate has a piece of glass as a bearing plate.
The rotor consists of a shaft with a point on one end, magnets and rotor block. On the rotor block, there are four solar cells; one cell on each of the four sides and two sets of windings.
Now this is how it works. The rotor is levitated by the repelling force between the shaft magnets and the levitation magnets on the base. The levitation magnet also provides a forward thrust to keep the shaft point against the bearing plate.
When the light strikes one of the solar cells, it generates an electric current thus energizing one of the rotor windings. This produce an electromagnetic field which interacts with the field magnets in the base, causing the rotor to turn. As the rotor rotates, the next solar cell comes in position, this cell now energizes the second winding. The process repeats again.
Thomas Vale actually has a website, where he provides the equipment to make Mendocino motors. It’s good to know that anyone could reproduce such a great engine.
