BlackMonster

I came across this article at one of my car related forums and thought that I'd pass it on here. I have always been intrigued by "alternative" technologies where they relate to artificial locomotion.

Though you guys might be interested, it is quite long.

Lips2000

Love the article. The only thing I don't get is how can you compress the gas if you don't have a stationary chamber?

According to the article:
Let's say the wobble plate is tilted 45 degrees on axis to the drive shaft which runs through the center of the two cones pointed at each other. The enire assembly is surrounded in a sphere, right? The compression chamber seems to be fixed at the center of the glow plugs...and if you fire the plugs, won't they "push" against each side of the wobble plate with the same force? It's rotating around the cones, sealing each side and the edge with the sphere...so, the wobble plate makes up two sides of the compression chamber and the enclosing shpere is the 3rd side (although large, still only one side). Don't see how youa re going to get any polar momentum...any rotation.

I'm know engineer but it seems awkward.

Mark

BlackMonster

Mark,

The motor fires twice each revolution. The first firing causes the wobble plate to nutate, or oscillate, which turns the shaft 180 degrees. The second firing, in the opposing chamber, causes the wobble plate to nutate back to its original position, thus completing the rotation of the shaft and ball assembly a full 360 degrees.

Check out the amination....

Scuba Driver

Awsome article.

Where did you get the animation. I didn't see that in the original article link. Anyway thanks for the post.