This project began with an idea I had almost three years ago.
It was an idea for an electrostatic motor with a plate arrangement that, as far
as I knew (and later research would confirm) had not been done before. What's
more, I believed—and still believe—that this plate arrangement should be able
to produce a high HP, high torque, electric-based engine that could run for
years or even decades without needing recharged. This would be incredibly
useful for vehicles and machinery, of course, but by attaching an electric
generator, it could also provide almost unlimited electrical power.
Electrostatic motors are not new. Benjamin Franklin and others experimented with these devices as early as the 1740's. Some ES motors are currently in use today, but their use is limited because they require relatively high voltage sources (several hundred to several thousand volts), yet they produce very little mechanical power. Another disadvantage of ES motors, as well as the more conventional electromagnetic motors, is that they all require electrical current flow for their operation. This either drains their batteries over time, or it requires them to use an external power source.
I believe my project could be a dramatic improvement over all other forms of electrical and mechanical power generation. It would not need any current flow, so it would not drain a battery or require an external source. As a fairly simple design, it would require very little maintenance or upkeep. It would only need common, low-cost materials for its construction. And the idea is easily scalable from very small to very large devices.
My current aim is to produce a device that could compete with standard V-6 engines. As such, I have plans for an engine that, if successful, could produce over 100 HP from a cube smaller than 20 inches. However, with the precision machining we are now capable of, a factory-built engine of this kind should be able to achieve at least ten time this power output from a similar volume.
Electrostatic motors are not new. Benjamin Franklin and others experimented with these devices as early as the 1740's. Some ES motors are currently in use today, but their use is limited because they require relatively high voltage sources (several hundred to several thousand volts), yet they produce very little mechanical power. Another disadvantage of ES motors, as well as the more conventional electromagnetic motors, is that they all require electrical current flow for their operation. This either drains their batteries over time, or it requires them to use an external power source.
I believe my project could be a dramatic improvement over all other forms of electrical and mechanical power generation. It would not need any current flow, so it would not drain a battery or require an external source. As a fairly simple design, it would require very little maintenance or upkeep. It would only need common, low-cost materials for its construction. And the idea is easily scalable from very small to very large devices.
My current aim is to produce a device that could compete with standard V-6 engines. As such, I have plans for an engine that, if successful, could produce over 100 HP from a cube smaller than 20 inches. However, with the precision machining we are now capable of, a factory-built engine of this kind should be able to achieve at least ten time this power output from a similar volume.