Tom’s Demos were all really interesting considering the variation of energy sources and different tools. The first toy he showed us was the Mendocino Motor. This demo uses magnetic attraction and repulsion, the magnet is wrapped in solar cells which makes it run on solar energy. Its considered a self commutating motor, when it receives energy from light it puts a current through the coil, creates a magnetic field which reacts with the magnetic base and causes it to turn 90 degrees in a continuos process. This is a super sensitive object because the solar cell is made of silicon, it can be broken by even blowing on it.
Another demo he showed was the Rocking Armature Motor. People made these motors not to do work, but to try different approaches and layouts to different motors. The fly wheel spins due to the rocking member which is called the armature.
Another demo Tom showed us was a Stirling Engine which was originally created by the Reverend Robert Stirling in 1816. Stirling idea of this motor was to take the place of steam engines. Steam engines were all we had for water power back then and they were extremely dangerous. If the water level got too low in the boiler, the intense heat from the fire box took the smaller amount of water and flash boiled it, which caused it to immediately turn into super heated high pressure steam and this caused massive explosions in steam boats. The Stirling engine is a hot air engine, it works by virtue of moving air.
He showed us a few other demos like a high voltage motor that would illuminate lights just by coming close to it (no contact), a violet ray, and a 1920’s circuit breaker. The demos were super interesting I loved the class!
