Simple Inertial Drive System

Series 100 Revision 2

By

 

Robert Dudley Berne

CopyrightÓ2001-2004All Rights Reserved

Licensed to Inertial Drive Systems Inc.

 

 

This Method is the simplest form of a Simple Inertial Transfer Mechanism. It is the inertial equivalent of an AC to DC Full wave bridge rectifier.

 

The basic concept starts with a torque source. For the discussions of the Cycle Segments we will model this with a simple flywheel as show in figure 1.This flywheel is mounted on a lever arm. For this discussion there is a clutch and a hidden motor that spins the flywheel in either direction.

 

After this basic discussion, the actual design requirements for 100 series will focus on the motor assembly particulars. For now this motor will start up and change directions, without adding torque to this simple design, except with the clutch. Later a design for the motors will follow the same constraints as not to differ with the cycle segments discussion.

 

For this discussion, the payload is 1000Kg and the motor mass is 1 Kg. The Lever Arm is mass less. The clutch can apply N newtons of force in either direction to the payload pivot, as a result of the torque conveyed.

 

            It suffices to say that two motors mounted axially, (share the same axis line) but turn in opposite directions will have no net force on the lever arm. The reason this is stated here is to dismiss the question of how the flywheel is powered in both directions with out backlash or additional torques. Te flywheel discussed herein is really a pair of counter rotating flywheels.

 

 

 

 

This flywheel is mounted on a shaft with a clutch on a lever arm. It will convey a torque, and therefore a force on the lever arm at a given point. If we engage the clutch in free space, it will wobble around the center of mass.

 

Cycle Segments

 

The amount of force is dependent upon the distance from the center of the flywheels rotation, and the clutches’ ability to apply the force. There is a direction to this torque it is a right angle to the line between the axis of rotation and the point of contact with the mounting pivot as shown in Figure 2.

 

Starting at the 1st Segment, a rotating flywheel clutch engages this conveys a torque to the lever, and pushes on the pivot bearing. The assembly moves to the position of the 2nd segment. From an observer at rests point of view the motor moved backward ~1 meter and the resulting payload motion is ~1 mm.

 

The clutch disengages and no torque is applied as the arm swings to segment position 3.

 

With the flywheel turning in the opposite direction the clutch is again applied with the same amount of force and the assembly slows to position of segment 4. It did so by exerting a forward force on the payload pivot. Since the assembly moved 1 meter. The payload moved forward 1 mm.

 

Once at a dead stop the clutch is engaged from position 4 to 5; again 1 meter assembly, 1 mm payload. Traveling free to position 6. From position 6 to 7 the flywheel turns in the original direction with the clutch exerting the same amount of force as it did in the 4 to 5 segment translation; again 1 meter assembly, 1 mm payload.

 

The assembly is now in the same state in terms of position relative to the payload.

However the payload has moved. Not much but there is translation, due to a net force

 

 

Figure 2. The Inertial Drive System Motion Diagram

 

A forward force has been applied. At all times in the same direction. The lateral motion has a net value of zero. When two of these assemblies apply a forward force and are out of phase by 3 segments the instantaneous lateral force is zero. During segment 2 and 6 the entire lever arm and motor assembly ‘Tug’ at the payload because it is moving and the pivot constrains the motion. This is over come by increasing power segments from the duration of 90 degrees to 135. 

 

Figures 3: Forward and Lateral Forces of 100 and 300 Series Inertial Assemblies

 

We have incrementally added a force dictated motion four times and subtracted from that motion twice.

 

 

Tug is a result of the total mass on the lever arm. It is affected by the duration of the segments 2 and 6. The overall forward force is a combination of Tug and Forward forces. The clutch and flywheel must have sufficient transfer of inertia to make this method efficient. This is dependent on angular velocity and the duration of the tug segment.

 

During the segment 2 and 6 the whole assembly is applying a force against the pivot in the backward direction. This is because the pivot is constraining it in a circle. By keeping these segments to a very short duration this ‘tug’ is reduced to a near zero value. This would mean keeping the power on for a duration of up to 135 degrees instead of 90. It probably need to be stated that applying power and crossing over the center line of forward force creates a ‘tug’ force as well. A diagram of a reduced tug segment is shown in figure 4.

 

Figure 4. 135 Degree duration cycles.

 

 

A total of .707 N Newtons (RMS Newtons) has been applied in the forward direction for the cycle. As shown in figure 3. Tug in the reverse direction is shown as well.

 

By increasing the power duration to 135 degrees A total of .707 N Newtons (RMS Newtons) has been applied in the forward direction for the cycle. (As shown in figure 4.) Tug in the reverse direction is reduced to a near zero quantity.

 

If the flywheel moves 1 meter, the payload in this case moves 1 mm in the opposite or forward direction. That’s 4 mm per cycle added to the previous cycles velocity.

Constant force equals constant acceleration.

 

Big deal. Ok lets make a ten by ten array of these assemblies. The force increases by 100

Now that is 400 mm/cycle. With motors that spin at 10000 RPM and clutches that respond in microseconds, a second is a long time.

If we could only get 10 cycles per second then the rate is 4 meters per second per second.

And there are now available from manufactures: perfect magnetic bearings.

 

            Considering that there are …

 

86400 seconds in a day and that Distance =1/2 Acceleration * Time**2

 

The moon is 4 Hours and 40 minutes away.

 

 

 14,929,920,000 meters in 24 hours

 59,719,680 kilometers after 48 hours

134,369,280 km 3 days

 

238,878,720 km 4 days

373,248,000 km 5 days Mars Orbit, A little fast! Oh yes one more thing about Mars … its gravity constant is less than 4 meters per second per second.

 

Pluto in 23 days 3 hours 18 min 4 sec … Don’t blink. Your moving at around a million km an hour.

 

 

 

Motor particulars.

 

            Moving a flywheel back and forth is an acceptable method of creating the inertia necessary for this method to work. However it is very stressful on the mechanism. An alternative is to use two motor clutch flywheel assemblies mounted axially but turn in opposite directions. The motors spin up the flywheels and the clutches slow it down when they are engaged. There is less overall stress on the components

 

            By mounting two identical motors with a pair of independently controlled  aligned axially a system for accelerating the flywheels in opposite directions is created where by no net torque is conveyed to the lever arm. This is important because any torque applied to the lever arm will result in payload motion. During the segments 2 and 6 these motors spin up their respective flywheels. A more durable version is to use four flywheels instead of two. This lowers the torque requirements of the motors, By allowing for more time to return them to their required speed.

 

 

 

Ideal vs Reality.

 

In reality there are no perfect motors, as least that any customers can afford. One motor invariably is slightly stronger than another. Bearings and internal aerodynamics will ultimately cause one motor to spin faster than the other. After a billion acceleration cycles one motor will not be turning and the other will be going twice what it should be. The way to deal with this is to bleed off the excess by using a Snubber.

 

A Snubber is a magnetic field that repels the lever arm away from the payload. Two are required for each side. A clutch on the pivot would work as well. As the usage of the inertial drive assembly progresses, a minute imbalance is detected. The stronger side of the segment is dampened slightly to compensate. At the same time this takes place the slower motor accelerates against the faster motor and the lever arm. In reality the motors are monitored and per cycle adjustments are made for controlling power, tug, and dampening segments. This process will also be part of a process that will serve as an alert to wear and repair requirements.

 

When creating arrays of these motors, slight variances between assemblies, will cause the array to veer. There are two ways to compensate for this. An increase in clutch applied power to a weaker assembly or increasing tug to a stronger assembly, by shorting the

Power segments duration to less than 135 degrees. 

 

 

 

 With a single drive assembly this would ultimately cause the payload to veer around in circles, due to the imbalance. So in effect we really haven’t converted angular momentum in to linear momentum, we have made a bigger circle. With an array of these assemblies

We can steer the payload in a linear approximated direction. One could simple rotate the assembly perpendicular to the line of force 180 degrees and then veer the other way for the same amount of time.

 

 

There are two reasons this method will cause translation from a point in space to another point in space. First I really was accurate about the circle thing. We really only converted on circle thing to another circle thing. There is no magic here. This is the inertial equivalent of a simple AC to DC converter. There is really no trick in it. It happens in nature all the time. A wind pressure blows through stays and whistles, and that is a potential being converted into an alternating state. But then again the wind is an incomprehensible accumulation and superposition of waves. They just happen to be going in the same direction. Just add energy as pure heat and light and you have wind. So start with a little chaos, add some more chaos, unbalanced of course, and now you can order something at a semi chaotic loss and some how show a profit.

 

It should also be noted the above example of using an array need to keep in mind that increasing the number of motors increases the payload weight.

 

The next design description will be about the series 300. It is very similar in construction and design with the exception of each flywheel is replaced with a pair of gyros and rotary actuators. This methodical variation is for long haul applications requiring billions of cycles with minimum maintenance.

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Ok why does this really work? Its simple Mass is the Key ingredient. With out mass this would be impossible. It is the mass and velocity or displacement ratio that dictates the acceleration in all ‘things’. Mass is the connection to, as some calling it, the quantum vacuum. This vacuum is the stuff that is left over when you take all the ‘things’ out of it. What is left is this gooey stuff called quantum particles. Mass is a property of something in the quantum ‘fluid’. This propeller thing works in a ‘liquid’ called the quantum fluid.