LIM Question?

I did the thing with the nail and wrapping the copper wire around the nail and IT WORKED!!,but there wasn't enought power and how would you get more? Also im thinking of borrowing and AC/DC changer to add more power. Also how would I direct that power to the train and what material would I need on the train to do so? Why stay away from 12 volt? Thanx for all the help 1 week!!!!!

You could strap an entire pack of "D" size Energizers to the nail....

They keep going, and going, and going, and going....

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RACE FOR THE SKY!!
TOP THRILL DRAGSTER

maybe

Please, do yourself a favor and don't play with electricity anymore. You don't know what you're doing and you're going to get hurt. Unless you're connecting stuff to a D sized battery or smaller PLEASE don't touch electricity unless you've actually been taught something about it.

What do u mean by wrapping copper wire around a nail? could u explain all the things you did, this sounds really cool

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Yeah, my great aunt has a beard
...oops....sorry, wrong IM

I think industrial standards allow up to about 30v to be considered 'safe'. But that's pushing it. Twelve volts or less, and the voltage isn't going to kill you or injure you. Short circuits will make heat and smoke, and at 12v you can get a pretty significant spark if the current is high enough, but it's reasonably safe...you can hardly feel a 12v shock.

As the voltage rises, so does the intrinsic danger. 120 volts AC can easily kill you.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Low voltages get you out of the National Electric code. I think the limit is currently 24 or 30 volts. However in strange circumstances even low voltages can be dangerous. 12 volts or so from a train transformer is usually pretty safe especially since the transformer provides some form of current limiting.

To make a tiny LIM that actually works for a model is going to require some pretty precise work. Tolerances would have to be controlled closely to get the induced currents that you need. To some extent this is true even with large LIMs. I understand that CP had alignment problems with the LIMs on Wicked Twister during start up last year.

Which reminds me, Jim...you were saying something about having not seen single-sided LIMs? Wicked Twister uses them. Each motor has two coils positioned astride the center (copper) fin on the train. The two aluminum fins on the train (which are also used for braking) flank the outer sides of the two coils, and backing plates are mounted outboard of those fins. So each motor is being used simultaneously as both a double-sided LIM and as two single-sided LIMs. I wonder if I have a decent photo of that...

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I didn't realize that. I'll have to look closer when I go this summer. I have seen single sided LIMs for low speed applications such as people movers.