musicalmechanic

OK, one last question. Is it only if two magnets are the same polarity constantly that they will magnetize? What if it was altenated, meaning half the time it was same polarity and half the time the opposite polarity?

You say that two magnets in opposition will de-magnetize each other, which I understand, but will two magnets which are opposite polarity (meaning they are attracted to each other) demagnetize also? And by the way, welcome back.

Heh, I wish I knew a bit more in the way of theory with magnets. I've always been taught the right-hand rule. I do have a question for anyone who thinks they can tackle it. Neodymium is a metal, therefore it goes through half-lives just like every substance known to man, at least this is my current understanding. Now that's said, I'd like to find out if a substances half-life is affected by stresses you might put that substance through. For example, say the half-life of Neodymium is 25 years, when it is sitting still. Does that get reduced if it is constantly pushing and pulling against a substance, or does its magnetic strength stay the same regardless of outside stresses?

Heh, lemme know if I can help with any of that research, if you choose to pursue it. I've had it up to my ears in magnets in the past several weeks. Right now I'm trying to find out what would be a good very thin magnetic shield. BTW, just for kicks I'll link to the site where I purchased several of my magnets. I think I'm gonna order some smaller ones just to tinker around with. I got 10 of these.... http://www.wondermagnets.com/cgi-bin/edatcat/WMSstore.pl?user_action=detail&catalogno=0035 And 10 of these... http://www.wondermagnets.com/cgi-bin/edatcat/WMSstore.pl?user_action=detail&catalogno=0044 It's nifty stuff, but they can't be heated above 250 and are very brittle. I'd love to get larger ones, but my wife is ready to kill me for the ones I have now... Jose'

I'm kinda sticking with the traditional engine, in a sense. I know it's vague, but the concept is still there. There will be pistons, connecting rods, crankshaft, and cylinders. The modification involves the size of the pistons in relation to the stroke, modification to the cylinders (ceramic isn't magnetic and is easy to machine), and severe modification to the head. As far as why I am picking a 4 cylinder engine, it has to do with the fact that having a piston every 90 degrees makes the math easy while still accomplishing what I want. I could use a 6 cylinder engine, but that would be way too large. There is some minor customization as far as the pistons go, but I'm really leary about getting into the hardcore specifics of what I want to do, at least online. I don't believe they make 4 cylinder RC plane engines. If so, the guy at the hobbyshop owes me lunch. Man, I like some of your ideas, but I'm trying to stay away from using an outside source of fuel, and utilizing electrical current fits that mold. I've thought about the permanent magnet/ electro-magnet setup, and always come to the same conclusion, which is that they seem like they would be too heavy, and would consume more energy than is worth it. The nice thing about an electro-magnet setup would be the fact that you could fluctuate the RPM depending on how strong you made the current in the magnets, and how fast you pulsed the current. Plus, this concept was already patented. As far as I can tell, what I want to do isn't. What I'm trying to accomplish is a magnetic engine that will run at a set RPM until the magnets loose their strength. Not only that, but I think most small engines could be modified. I'd like to market conversion kits for them, if possible. The concept of this came to me as my mother complained about her $380 heating bill. She's on disability, and only takes home $1,000 a month. I thought I might be able to design a way for her to get heat more efficiently, so I started tinkering around with some ideas. I think I can design an engine that would power a generator which powers a small heating unit, or possibly several. The pistons and the head might need changing every once and a while, but the cost will be negligable compaired to what she has saved in heat. So, what I'm trying to create is a stand-by generator that powers two 120V outlets. I have the power inverter, and I want to set up a 12V system because altenators and generators are pretty common in the 12V respect. Sorry if I've ranted too much. Any input is appreciated. Jose'

Well, I don't want to bore you with the details, but I'm a mechanic, and therefore I'm very firmilliar with the common internal combustion engine. I believe I can modify it so that it runs off of nothing but magnetics. This would not be for an automotive application, I have to stress, because I don't think that it would create enough torque to move a vehicle that is 1,000 + lbs. I have the engine (a 750cc Honda 4 cylinder), I have the magnets, I have someone that is going to make custom pistons for me, and I have someone that is going to make ceramic cylinders. So I wouldn't say that I'm too far along, but this is something I am actively pursuing. I just got the cycle on Thursday, and I've had this idea since about Christmas. I'd like to think the magnets would last a very long time, even if there was constant interaction between them at remarkable speeds, but that is what I am unsure about.

Just curious if this thread is still active. I have an idea that I'm running with as far as a "perpetual motion" engine, and would like some practical advice about magnetism. If you have a series of magnets acting on each other, what plays into or affects the lifespan of the magnets. I've got some neodymium (I'm pretty sure that's how it's spelled) magnets I want to use for this purpose, and I'm curious how long they will react to each other. Any help on this would be appreciated.