Connector to Feed a Motor Driving a Wheel

Slipring

There's also a rotating concentric (coaxial), 2-conductor connector which uses mercury instead of carbon (or composite) brushes and hard metal rings. Of course, such a rotating connector would have to be mounted on the rotation axis to work. I can't remember the name of the manufacturer, but you may find it by googling it. Since the world is so screwed up with mercury these days, it's possible that they are no longer being manufactured. I have a couple of small ones, but they aren't rated for 3 amps.

Have you thought about using a stationary motor driving a stationary wheel suspended above the subfloor upon which the rotating platform rests along with several idler wheels?

Thank you both. The stage has zero trap doors, but thanks for the suggestion. This is for a back up plan should our flywheel fail us.

"This is for a back up plan should our flywheel fail us ..."

Now that's got me wondering!

The turntable that you are describing seems very similar to what would be used in an automotive showroom for car displays. There might be a "self contained" battery powered option available.

Ask your local car dealers.

How many lines (incl. Volts and current) are you planning on running from the floor to the turntable?

are you running the table on a continuous drive, or will it only run x degrees left, then Y degrees right? (as like a oscillating) or rotating stage that only shows 2-3 sides?

Maybe if you just want lights in windows that illuminate at certain times of the rotation, you could have a mirror behind the area and have the light remotly mounted and beaming along a light guide (square box with mirrors) to the final destination, the source could be then positioned away from the stage, sub-base or in the rafters

Hi Dead Bear

I used to install these machines that had a (blue) shuttle car (3 phase) that ran around the eliptical track. It picked up the three phases and earth from womphler bars (don't know about the spelling but that is how it sounds) that can just be seen on the outside of the track. The shuttle car had floating pickups.

When we installed the bars, we had to keep forming them through a hand roller and gradually increase the rate of bend as required so, I guess you could make them round if you like. They were a copper type conductor inside a plastic insulation (or PVC).

If I was looking for them now, I would approach beam crane manufactures such as Demag who I know use the same style bars but straight.

Hope the idea works for you!

Ho-hum:- The name is WAMPFLER and their webb address is www.conductix.com They also hire out the hand rollers to form a circle if you want!

Good luck with it!

Hi,

the slip-ring that you may need is available from Litton if it is a small one as used in many inertial navigation systems where the innermost section -gyros and accelerometers - has to be decoupled (2 axis rotation) from the next frame, and this from the outer.

But these are very small and up to 12 or 24 different lines in minimum drag design with precious metal contacts. So cost some $.

If you are content with a coarser slip-ring it may be good to misuse a motor or generator that has these for power transmission from stator to rotor.

The materials used are very special so you would get good longterm results only if using these or similar ones.

For low load and low current I would suggest a bronze wheel contacted by a strain hardened silver wire, some oil added for lubrication.

This worked well in a 200V, 10A, DC transmission at an experimental anodising bath we built some years ago.

RHABE

Found the website for mercury slip rings: Mercotac

It turns out that the two I have will handle 4 amps . . . If you get desperate, let me know, and I'll send you one.

Again, thanks for everyone's responses. The SCR and 90VDC motor should do us right, this is a super-low power, low RPM (compared to anything 3-phase or industrial) project. We are "pumping" a flywheel, with respective gearing, but just wanted a back-up plan if we needed to drive one of the wheels directly in a jam. I'll post some pictures if anyone's interested. Or you could just come to the Met! :)