a replication of this ramp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPLILn3sCdQ&feature=channel_page
Hi;
I am excited by this Flash Ramp idea as an extension of a SMOT ramp.
It seems like it would be possible to build a cart that runs between two
identical flash ramp tracks oriented in parallel. This cart could be made
wider then it is long, and have four magnets as wheels. It seems like it
would behave pretty much like an individual magnet puck would behave
on the track.
Then, what one would do is to build a flywheel on the cart, rotating in the
plane of the wheels, along with a miniature CVT continuously variable
transmission consisting of a small rotating wheel and a disk. Actually
one could make the disk as part of the flywheel itself. The small wheel
would be positioned radially on the disk by a computer driven actuator.
As the flywheel speeds up the wheel move radially on the disk to keep
gearing up the mechanical advantage and storing energy.
When the cart gets into the gate area of the track, the cvt would be
made to “downshift†by repositioning the wheel on the disk and it would
begin dumping energy from the flywheel to the wheels to carry the cart
slowly across the sticky spot.
I would use a computer and electronic actuator at first to get the CVT
ramp parameters correct but one could eventually convert it to an all
mechanical actuator system based on wheel run-out and a trigger in
the ramp area. The idea, as previously demonstrated by Clanzer, is that
the SMOT ramp can be made any length, therefore it would seem any
amount of energy could be made available to the flywheel to buffer for
the needs of the cart in the gate area. The CVT Flywheel mechanism is
rather simple to build in terms of parts and the computer would make
finding the correct mechanical "impedance" setting easier.
:S:MarkSCoffman