I'm not sure if this is the right place to be asking this question, so close it if it's not, but I need help on a physics project. My current project is a ring launcher (Elihu Thomson Apparatus). I spent the last week winding 4,893 coils of 30 AWG magnet wire around a steel pipe which I filled with some small diameter metal rods (I'm not sure of the material, but it seems to be fairly ferromagnetic). On the steel pipe right next to the coil is a 1 inch copper pipe (the two are insulated from each other) free to move. When I hook the coil up to the wall, I get a nice changing magnetic field (according to the Hal probes in my phone) but nothing else. I'm not following any particular tutorial, but I've seen similar setups around the web that work and launch the ring. Any ideas on where to go?
I can take pictures if those would be helpful. Just tell me what you would like to see.
Help with a ring launcher
electromagnetism
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Best Answer
A ferromagnetic ring will sit and vibrate at the AC cycle rate. Pulsed DC is likely what you need. Typically "washer launchers" are a big bank of capacitors with voltages in the kilo (kill-you) range that are triggered to dump and "fling the ring". If you do not have the equipment to handle these measurement tasks, that is where you need to start. Get the test equipment.
For non-ferromagnetic, but conductive, rings, you sound like you're on the right track.
There is a physics youtube channel that has a "launcher" of the sorts that is sounds like you are talking about. They use room temperature [Al] and test, then the same ring Liquid[N] cooled.
Keep in mind the device in this video uses UK line voltage.
The Electric Cannon