Electromagnetic Pump

Build a homemade water gun or water balloon launcher and tell us about it.
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Neongreen
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Electromagnetic Pump

Post by Neongreen » Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:56 pm

This is modelled after the human heart.

You have two magnets on either side of the pipe(Which must be able to be compressed). One stays at one polarity(Postive, for example), and the other flips between positive and negative.

In theory, this should cause a rapid slamming and release motion. It will require a battery to flip the charge. The pump chamber would NOT be able to hold more than 20mL's, but it would be able to pump several times a second I'd imagine.

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Silence
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Post by Silence » Thu Sep 28, 2006 10:48 pm

Well yes, in theory, this would work as a pump. But it's overly complex and inefficient, very much like the terrible internal combustion engine, simply because you're trying to move a piston one way and then immediately change directions. Ugh. Talk about inefficiency!

I don't know exactly how other pumps would operate, but I imagine they'd use a motor and a turbine somehow. That would make far more sense, even if it wouldn't create such a tight seal.

Neongreen
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Post by Neongreen » Thu Sep 28, 2006 10:59 pm

Actually, I think this would be quite effecient, because:

The battery itself ISN'T moving the magnets. It's reversing the polarity, so the magnets themselves are repelling. I do not know much about electromagnets, so if someone more informed thinks otherwise, please speak out. :) Additionally, the magnets come to a complete halt before reversing direction.

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SSCBen
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Post by SSCBen » Fri Sep 29, 2006 1:22 am

If it has to start and stop again, that's the source of the inefficiency.

There's better electric-pumps anyway. A high-torque electric motor would be not only more efficient, but easier to make.

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Silence
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Post by Silence » Fri Sep 29, 2006 3:12 am

Let me put it this way, if Ben's explanation didn't work either. You use up a lot of energy to get the piston or whatever moving. Now, on a turbine, it keeps on moving in the same direction, so little energy is required after that. But with the pump, you take as much energy to start as you do to stop the piston; and then you have to do it all over again going in the other direction!

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joannaardway
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Post by joannaardway » Sat Sep 30, 2006 12:49 pm

Electromagnets eat batteries, and don't give much power in return.

Sure, magnetism is very powerful relative to other forces (say, gravity - thus, why a magnet weighing a few ounces can defeat the pull of the entire earth).

But generating it like that is seriously inefficent.

The best battery powered pump I ever saw was cannibalised from a cordless drill and a few other things. It pumped some ridiculous amount of water at notably high pressures.
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Neongreen
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Post by Neongreen » Sat Sep 30, 2006 4:18 pm

Ahh, thanks for that. Makes a tad more sense now ;)

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Silence
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Post by Silence » Sat Sep 30, 2006 5:09 pm

Don't let that discourage you, though. If you had plans for an electric water gun, it's still easily feasible--only better! For example, the Scorpion, an commercial battery-powered gun, could have a homemade variant with a quieter/more powerful motor, a better PC, more nozzles, and a larger battery. All of which are possible.

Neongreen
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Post by Neongreen » Sat Sep 30, 2006 5:42 pm

Heck, an electric water gun? I've still got to make the RangeBoost I and II prototypes, going to be a loong time before I even consider anything else. :P

On the other hand, I'm goin to enjoy having a sniper rifle :D Especially in the 1HK games.

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