THE GYROSCOPIC INERTIAL THRUSTER

*UPDATE 31*

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This is a preliminary update, I will be adding to it (graphics mostly) a bit later.

This has been one rather busy time period indeed! In this update, the engineering students at Marquette University have tested their actual physical model, and sponsor Jim Bolstad gives us the report and a photo.

I will be appearing at an AntiGravity conference in Reno Nevada at the end of June, and am working furiously to have a "wow" thruster built to demonstrate there.

A new variant is now released to the public that I call the ALFA for "Angular to Linear Force Accelerator", and I may soon have the first product available to the general public, as I develop the gearing molds needed for my own copy of the new variant, and will have that work done, so others won't have to redo the "hard parts"! ;).

I have also developed a "non-conservation of angular momentum" demonstration device that can be built for under 20 dollars, to show one of the main principles of effective inertial propulsion to "disbelievers" ;)

Shown on the right is the model that the 4 engineering students at Marquette University used to verify their positive mathmatic computer models, and while problematic, it represents the first "official" study of inertial propulsion by a University that I know of (that wasn't "debunked")!

While it exhibited a loss of thrust during the testing, I believe that it proves inertial propulsion, in that the gross motions (sweeping counter-rotating arms) remained active, while it just wiggled back and forth after translating forward for a ways, (then it appears that the spinner torque may have quit by slipping on their axles, eliminating the source of thrust), since the "slip stick" argument was tested and thus ruled out, albeit inadvertantly! ;)

-----Original Message-----
From: James J Bolstad 
To: davidc@open.org 
Date: Thursday, April 29, 1999 3:18 PM
Subject: Re: space propulsion news - Info corrections - DavidC


Today the Marquette U. students did their final presentation, and it actually
went pretty well.  They did get the counter-rotating double-armed flywheel
device working, and it travelled across the table top, at least for about a
foot and a half.  Then it didn't go any further, just oscillated.  But their
construction techniques were not very good.  E.g., the flywheels are plastic
wheels with lead rings around the rims.  One of them became very loose fitting
from running it too fast, and their fix was to goop it up with contact cement
rather than to take me up on my offer to make them a new lead annulus.  They
thought it could have broken loose from the cement during the last part of the
demo.   And so on.

They also showed an animation video of the ADAMS simulation of this device, and
it also translated across the screen.

(Caution, though, I am not satisfied that everything was kosher in the
animation -- I couldn't really get a straight answer about whether the start-up
was abrupt or smooth, or whether it started up with non-zero velocity or with
zero velocity.  [In the latter case, you can get an initial "lurch" in the
simluation which could account for a translational movement.]  ).

But all in all, it was a positive presentation that further fuelled the
interest in some of the professors -- so we may go further with it at
Marquette.  We'll see in a few weeks.  Meantime, I'm going to get copies of the
presentation slides and the animations.

Later

Jim B.

The 1999 Antigravity Conference in Reno Nevada

Jim Cox reports that he has a Dean Drive model built, that consistantly reduces it's weight by 25% when running on a scale. Bob Dean, the son of Norman L. Dean, will also be speaking on his father's work, which was savagely suppressed, and subjected to a disinformation campaign early on in our history. Apparently Norman Dean actually had flying models as early as 1955 (not just the vibrating plank climbers by "slip/stick" friction effects that we were fed as a general public)!

Interestingly, my admonitions to replace the excentric weights in his drive model with ring masses (for a higher moment of inertia, that gives a place to "hide" rearward momentum away from external expression on the center of system mass), was already something he was aware of, and may account for the greater thrust figure, compared to other drive types! ;)

There are also more elegant means to achieve our "cheap space flight era" also to be discussed, so if this subject interests you, better sign up soon, seating is limited!

The price will be $48.00 in advance, half price to speakers (even /I/ can afford to attend! ;), students, and Antigravity News subscribers. That is a VERY good price for the information and demonstrations that will unfold there, and I believe it will be a major turning point for our cause. This is the direct link for the details on THE 1999 ANTIGRAVITY CONFERENCE

Don't miss this one, it promises to be a VERY interesting time indeed! The moderated round table discussion by "wild eyed inertial propulsion inventors" (me included ;), should be worth the price of admission alone!

Other IIC group members (inventors and contributors to our "International Inertial Consortium" internet research group), have indicated that they will also attend. So far, Amanda Gilbert, Joao Andrade, and Mike Haney will be there (barring unforseen circumstances), perhaps others will be there as well! Now's your chance to meet us face to face! ;)

.

I am releasing a new variant, that should be the best performer ever! Utilizing a device description by Sam Smith (of "Bowling Ball Bertha" GIT fame), that he called "ROGIT" for Reverse Orbital GIT, that he revealed during the "Inner GIT Circle" email forum era of this project early last year, a new variant emerges from our research.

Amanda Gilbert's cone gearing concept, and Joao Andrade's CFA (Centrifugal Force Alleviator), along with the findings of this open internet laboratory project are coming together in what might be our first viable commercial contender!

The OG (for "Old GIT"), has a 3 force profile, that while giving us definite thrust, all machines of that description had a very pronounced "swagger" or washing machine motion, which represents wasted energy (not to mention a passenger craft that would make the most ocean hardy seaman vomit uncontrolably! ;), in moving the system about it's system spin center, instead of producing smooth inertial thrust.

This is because the two partially angular, partially linear force profiles of the tangential (speeding up and slowing down of the orbitals on each side), and the spin torque (reversing spin accelerations of the orbitals on either side), would reinforce one another, and while producing thrust, mostly made for a "Chubby Checkers" twisting motion of the system.

I must caution you that I haven't tested it yet, and am working on getting one built ASAP, but the theory of operation is jelling now, into a viable explanation of not only the GIT, Thor, and now the "ALFA" models, but appears to explain ALL OTHER marginal mechanical inertial thrusters as well.! This theory makes the ALFA the most sensible assembly of parts and motions for our goal of useful inertial thrust, that I am aware of to date!

So here is the "ALFA" for Angular to Linear Force Accelerator:

Cone gear orbitals (of high angular mass of course, with most of it's mass concentrated in a ring), are made to orbit about a variable contact path INNER variable sized tooth gearing, that generates essentially an "infinitely variable", bilaterally reversing spin relationship of the orbitals with their main orbit reversing torque (tangential).

A ring drive gear drives one or more orbitals about the inner variable gear, so that they turn in the same direction as their orbit, rather than the opposed orbit/spin relationship in the OG.

This creates a reversed orbital spin torque to tangential force profile relationship (orbital torque about the system center). Instead of the angular componants reinforcing one one another (that gives us the "washing machine motion"), and some thrust in the OG, the angular force profiles of the orbital's spin acceleration and it's also angular, but more linear orbital rate system torque in the ALFA, will more readily cancel each other out for smoother operation, while still allowing momentum to pass from the tangential to the spin torque and back (and thus "hiding" some rearward momentum from external expression).

Joao's CFA (described in earlier updates, look it up! ;), is essentially bearings on the ends of the orbitals which run in circular tracks top and bottom, and prevents the orbitals from blowing outward from centrifugal force, and keeps the external gearing from grinding into dust, as average velocity increases into the dangerous rates, where useful thrust will emerge.

I intend to model it to show you, but may have an actual photo instead first, since I am constructing it now, and that is my first priority given the time constraints of the upcoming conference. I found a way to make hypercycloidal cone gear teeth with a table saw and a LOT of sanding by doing only one tooth (3D modeled to find my angles), and copying it for assembly into the complete cone gear (mold).

More on this later, but I DID want to get this out, to establish published date priority, just in case someone else decided to patent it and keep it from us. All contributing inventors have given me permission to release their ideas for our common goals, and I intend to keep it that way, until someone can pay me enough money to keep future secrets (very expensive for me emotionally! ;).

Oh, if these concepts are new to you please read GIT Plain document, the most comprehensive (earlier) theory document with animated graphics, GIT Theory document, and past updates (use "Old News" links to retrieve them back to Update 21, and The OldSite.zip package has the first updates, the first released theory explorations, related graphics, as well as other neat things! ;)

NOW, a simple "Non-conservation of Angular Momentum" demonstration device!

From Joao Andrade's swing arm torque test, the Thor emerged as an interum development machine, which did prove out (see past updates), and describes a linear displacement of the center of system mass resulting from a PARTIAL cycle of an off-center spin acceleration torque.

To demonstrate that principle without breaking your bank book, or taxing construction skills, here is a simple demonstrator. (Hey, I had to scramble for a more easily and cheaply built conveyance of ideology, after my egg facial resulting from the Sling Drive! ;)

Take a toy gyroscope and mount it on one end of a horizontal stick, balance suspended on a single yoke attatched overhead string (a shallow yoke attatched to both ends of the stick makes it easy to find center of gravity). I found a good one at "Toys R Us" in their scientific toys department called the "Super Gyroscope" by Edu*Science for 9 bucks, which is particularly suited for this use, since it has a plastic gear-toothed strip, which engages with a small axle gear for it's actuating mechanism, instead of a wind up string.

A spring running along the stick is our power source (I had to cut the strip in about half to make it fit the stroke), and a tip hinged 90* trigger wedge carved into the stick holds the open handle of the gear strip in the cocked position. I used two springs, one on top, and one on the bottom, root attatched on opposite ends of the stick to keep better dynamic balance (the springs collapse to opposite ends so it doesn't drop one side down once actuated), and a string wrapped around the free end of the stick in a stacked washer pulley (and counter balance), to link the two springs to the gearing strip.

A hole drilled behind the trigger hinge accepts a piece of ice (3/8 inch minimum ice rod diameter for the strength of springs I used) to hold the trigger extended momentarily, so you can stop all motion, and in a few seconds to a minute at most, the trigger melts through the ice and releases the spring tension (trigger collapses into the stick out of the way of the gear strip handle), spinning up the gyro.

Current "conservation of angular momentum" theory holds that the totally angular impulse from the spin acceleration (off center in this case), will result ONLY in a spin on the system, with no linear impulse, but my testing of this simple device shows that a side to side pendular motion will ALSO result, indicating a linear impulse from a totally angular (and "closed system") input!

It's NOT dramatic, and you may need a close light on the string to project the shadow of the string onto a wall to see it more easily, but it IS definite, and is an easy way to show that angular momentum is not always conserved, PARTICULARLY in a /partial/ cycle of an off-center torque!

Well, that's about it for this update for now. I needed to get something on the net so you could have enough time to make arrangements to meet us in Reno, and hopefully I will flesh out this update with graphics if there is enough time, so DO stay tuned, and I hope to see you in Reno with a "WOW" demonstration!

3 PM Tuesday afternoon, 25 May 1999

David E. Cowlishaw

New Alphabetic listing of this site will be updated regularly

Use the Old News link to download previous updates, a LOT of good info is to be found there and nowhere else!

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