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NEWSCIENCENEWSCIENCENEWSCIENCE Efficiency of the Minato motors career, but I want to make a contribution to three-layered, non-magnetic rotor fitted Minato's invention and its ability to use society—helping the back-street manufac- with powerful Sumitomo Neomax remarkably less power and run without turers here in Japan and elsewhere. I want (neodymium-iron-boron) magnets located heat or noise makes it perfect for home to reverse the trends caused by major (for a duration of five degrees) every 175 appliances, personal computers, cellphones multinationals. There is a place for corpo- degrees around the circumference of the (a miniature generator is in the works) and rations. But as the oil industry has taught rotor. The magnets possess a powerful other consumer products. us, energy is one area where a break- _ force of 5,000 gauss and repulsively inter- The magnetic motor will be cheaper to through invention like this cannot be act with the two diametrically opposed make than a standard motor, as the rotor _ entrusted to large companies." fixed electromagnetic stators. and stator assemblies can be set into plastic Minato was once close to making a deal The rotor moves due to the stator electro- housings due to the fact that the system with Enron. But today he is firmly ona magnets bouncing the rotor magnets away creates very little heat. mission to support the small and the inde- from the stators, in the direction to which Further, with the motor's energy efficien- pendent—and to go worldwide with them the rotor magnets are inclined. The stator cy, it will be well suited for any application and his amazing machine. "Our plan is to electromagnets are pulsed at specific inter- where a motor has limited energy to drive _ rally smaller companies and pool their tal- vals and durations (about 10 milliseconds it. While development is still focused on _ ent, and one day to produce the technology at start-up, and reducing in period to 2 ms replacing existing devices, Minato says that across a wide range of fields." as the rotor reaches its natural speed), to his motor has sufficient torque to power a make sure that they are only energised vehicle. How it works: magnets in motion when facing a departing rotor magnet. With the help of magnetic propulsion, it Minato's Magnetic Motor is quite differ- Minato overcame a number of obstacles is feasible to attach a generator to the ent from the four fundamental types of _ that have stopped other inventors from motor and produce more electric power motors manufactured today. The most realising a magnetic motor earlier than is put into the device. Minato says modern designs, be they AC or DC, servo (although there have been a lot of that average efficiency of his motors is _ or stepper, all fundamentally employ the attempts). about 330 per cent. same principle of electromagnetic force of The first is that the rotor magnets use Mention of "over-unity" devices in many attraction that was discovered almost 200 _ repulsion and not attraction to reduce the scientific circles will draw icy scepticism. years ago. Their designs all suffer signifi- amount of energy needed. Secondly, the But if you can accept the idea that Minato's cant losses in efficiency caused by the __ positioning and angle of the magnets on the device is able to create motion and torque coils, the core and consequent magnetic rotor are critical to providing the right through its unique, sustainable, permanent losses (eddy currents). These losses are "glancing" motion of rotor and stator fields, magnet propulsion system, then it makes __ typically given up as heat from the system. —_ bouncing off each other to create repulsive sense that more can be got out of the unit Minato's magnetic motor uses magnetic (and thus motive) force. Also, the magnets than is put into it in terms of electrical repulsion as its core source of energy and have to be powerful—something that only power. Indeed, if the device can produce a _ suffers very few losses. It creates almost became possible after neodymium magnets surplus of power for longer periods, every _ no heat and is substantially more efficient appeared in the 1980s. household in the land will want one. (up to 330 per cent) than conventional The north-south structure of any magnet "I am not in this for the money," Minato motors. can be maintained by making the rotor with said. "I have done well in my musical Most of Minato's test units consist of a _ three layers: a top layer with the north pole - of the Neomax magnets facing outwards, a nonmagnetic layer and a south pole outward-facing layer. These layers are aligned with the opposing north-south poles of the two electromagnets. The pulse timing on the electromagnets is the key to creating a "sweet spot" for the repulsion between rotor and stator. Timing is created by means of sensors picking up timing marks just before the rotor magnets appear. The rotor is started and stopped by applying and removing energy to the two stator electromagnets. After a deceleration period, the rotor aligns with the magnets facing the iron cores of the stator electromagnets. oo (Source: By John Dodd; reprinted with permission from J@pan Inc. Magazine, March 2004 edition, web page http://www.japaninc.com/technology/ index.php) Another air conditioning unit developed by Kohei Minato. How it works: magnets in motion Minato's Magnetic Motor is quite differ- ent from the four fundamental types of motors manufactured today. The most modern designs, be they AC or DC, servo or stepper, all fundamentally employ the same principle of electromagnetic force of attraction that was discovered almost 200 years ago. Their designs all suffer signifi- cant losses in efficiency caused by the coils, the core and consequent magnetic losses (eddy currents). These losses are typically given up as heat from the system. Minato's magnetic motor uses magnetic repulsion as its core source of energy and suffers very few losses. It creates almost no heat and is substantially more efficient (up to 330 per cent) than conventional motors. Most of Minato's test units consist of a 44 = NEXUS JUNE — JULY 2004 Efficiency of the Minato motors Another air conditioning unit developed by Kohei Minato. www.nexusmagazine.com