--- Keith Nagel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > How much energy is required to push the ball back to > the starting position? It's trivial to redirect the > ball, recovering the kinetic energy. That's your > input energy. Pushing the ball under the ramp will > no doubt take some energy. Making the ball go > around the ramp in a big loop will also take energy, > although this may not be as clear or easy to > measure as the first method. Start with the > first method, and experimentally determine the > energy.
Hi Keith, The first job is to adjust the ramp parameters until the measurement system indicates the best final exit KE. Then take the magnets away, place the ball at the top of the exit and let it drop. If it can't make it back to the lower starting place then either you need to reduce frictional losses or increase the lift. Anyway once you know you can get a rollaround without the magnets, replace them and again adjust the exit position for the best final KE that is similiar to the calculated KE from a magnetless drop. You should then be able to observe a closed loop demo. I'm working on a simple to build / replicate single ramp, ball return system and expect to post a video in the next week or so. Now it's just engineering effort, time and money, Greg Find local movie times and trailers on Yahoo! Movies. http://au.movies.yahoo.com
