Mendocino motor

Looking for a unique desk display? CybHER has you covered!!

What is it?

The Mendocino motor is a solar-powered, magnetically-levitated electric motor. Frictionless, but for a "needle point" of contact to stabilize it during rotation, the motor illustrates dramatically the function of an electric motor.

How does it work?

The motor's copper coils ("windings") are underneath the solar panels. Each coil is charged by a solar panel on the opposite side of the shaft so that, as the bottom coils are powered by the opposite solar panel, they will be repulsed by the central magnet (below the motor). This causes the array to rotate and bring the next coil into position over the magnet and the next panel into position towards the light source - thus maintaining the rotation.

Where will it work best?

Just like with real solar panels, sunlight works best, followed by incandescent light made by traditional light bulbs or open flame (so, tea lights work well!). Fluorescent and LED light sources provide far less energy to the solar panels, but they can work if powerful enough.

A word of caution: sunlight works so well, in fact, that centrifugal force can cause the motor to spin out of its axis and be pulled down into the magnets. But at a moderate rpm in a calm, well-lit area, the motor can run indefinitely.

Donated by: CybHER