So - the magnets are moving past the coils.  RPM's is fixed.  How does the magnet size/strength/spacing relate to increasing/maximizing electrical generation??  Which aspect will provide the greatest result?  I'm confused! 

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Variations of Faraday's Law
The concept of Faraday's Law is that any change in the magnetic environment of a coil of wire will cause a voltage (emf) to be "induced" in the coil. No matter how the change is produced, the voltage will be generated. The change could be produced by changing the magnetic field strength, moving a magnet toward or away from the coil, moving the coil into or out of the magnetic field, rotating the coil relative to the magnet, etc.


At upper left in the illustration, two coils are penetrated by a changing magnetic field. Magnetic flux F is defined by F=BA where B is the magnetic field or average magnetic field and A is the area perpendicular to the magnetic field. Note that for a given rate of change of the flux through the coil, the voltage generated is proportional to the number of turns N which the flux penetrates. This example is relevant to the operation of transformers, where the magnetic flux typically follows an iron core from the primary coil to the secondary coil and generates a secondary voltage proportional to the number of turns in the secondary coil.

Proceeding clockwise, the second example shows the voltage generated when a coil is moved into a magnetic field. This is sometimes called "motional emf", and is proportional to the speed with which the coil is moved into the magnetic field. That speed can be expressed in terms of the rate of change of the area which is in the magnetic field.

The next example is the standard AC generator geometry where a coil of wire is rotated in a magnetic field. The rotation changes the perpendicular area of the coil with respect to the magnetic field and generates a voltage proportional to the instantaneous rate of change of the magnetic flux. For a constant rotational speed, the voltage generated is sinusoidal.

The final example shows that voltage can be generated by moving a magnet toward or away from a coil of wire. With the area constant, the changing magnetic field causes a voltage to the generated. The direction or "sense" of the voltage generated is such that any resulting current produces a magnetic field opposing the change in magnetic field which created it. This is the meaning of the minus sign in Faraday's Law, and it is called Lenz's law.

I would think fewer larger, stronger magnets will give you more inductance / electricity.

Thanks for the replies!

So - as the larger magnets will cause larger drag - to keep the RPMs constant (with the same power input)- the air gap will have to be increased.  Doing this will result in about the same output as the smaller magnets with a smaller air gap.

With a device having a maximum attainable RPM's, once this level is reached, smaller magnets will - in effect - be like adding to the RPMs. With smaller magnets, will the greater frequency of the changing magnetic flux provide enough extra output to compensate for the smaller magnetic field proving to be superior to lower frequency, larger/stronger magnets?

ie: large mags 1+1=2 : small mags 1+1>2 (because of frequency)
(similar to ->  iron core 1+1=2 :  hollow/or amorphous core 1+1>2  (all variables considered))

or does 1+1=2 no matter what you do?  More amp turns in a coil = larger drag = slower rmps = larger power input needed = larger magnets = larger drag = larger air gap = .................. aaaaaaaaagh!!!!!!!!!!!!   

Thus: it doesn't matter what size, because all things considered - it will be the same in the end??
It seems tweaking here and there should matter!  With a fixed surface area to place magnets - it should figure magnet size would be a variable to optimize.....just like core size/material, wire size, amp turns etc. can be optimized.................
Or is magnet size just one variable that can't be 'cause 1+1=2 no matter? 

CH