Christopher MimsElectric motors might be on the cusp of a transformation on par with the invention of the lithium ion battery, thanks to the pioneering work of Ben Franklin. (really)
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For nearly 300 years, a weird kind of electric motor that works on static electricity has been little more than a scientific and engineering curiosity.
Then a couple of PhD students threw themselves into figuring out if modern tech could make it viable.
Turns out they were right.
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Here’s the result, alongside a reproduction of Franklin’s original model. It doesn’t use a continuous flow of electricity, like all modern electric motors. Instead, it relies on the attraction and repulsion of electric poles.
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“This is turning everything on its head. I don’t use the term ‘disruptive technology’ lightly, but this could be that. It could change the game.”
Mark R DeLong@mimsical a fascinating article. I'd never heard of these things before.
Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸@mimsical I can’t break through the WSJ paywall. 😢 What is the difference/advantage over traditional electric motors? Less copper?
Kevin Leecaster@GreenFire @mimsical 80% more efficient though. Wow. 🤯 considering how much more efficient magnet-based motors are compared to ICEs…
@chris @mimsical
I wonder how much torque those motors might be able to produce, but I could really see them working well in applications like circulator pumps in hydronics.
The article, which is available on MSN's news aggregator site, says that UPS is testing electrostatic motors on a conveyer belt which is also something that needs to keep spinning without having to get going with a lot of inertia working against it starting to rotate.
@chris google c-motive their explainer videos have it all