Zhao Zi-Long, Zhou Shiwei, Xu Shanqing, Feng Xi-Qiao, Xie Yi Min
Centre for Innovative Structures and Materials, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, 3001, Australia.
AML & CNMM, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
Sci Rep. 2017 Oct 13;7(1):13111. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-13137-1.
A common spinning toy, called "buzzer", consists of a perforated disk and flexible threads. Despite of its simple construction, a buzzer can effectively transfer translational motions into high-speed rotations. In the present work, we find that the disk can be spun by hand at an extremely high rotational speed, e.g., 200,000 rpm, which is much faster than the previously reported speed of any manually operated device. We explore, both experimentally and theoretically, the detailed mechanics and potential applications of such a thread-disk system. The theoretical prediction, validated by experimental measurements, can help design and optimize the system for, e.g., easier operation and faster rotation. Furthermore, we investigate the synchronized motion of multiple disks spinning on a string. Distinctly different twist waves can be realized by the multi-disk system, which could be exploited in the control of mechanical waves. Finally, we develop two types of manually-powered electric generators based on the thread-disk system. The high-speed rotation of the rotors enables a pulsed high current, which holds great promise for potential applications in, for instance, generating electricity and harvesting energy from ocean waves and other rhythmic translational motions.
一种常见的旋转玩具，叫做“蜂鸣器”，由一个穿孔圆盘和柔性线组成。尽管其结构简单，但蜂鸣器能有效地将平动转化为高速旋转。在本研究中，我们发现圆盘可以手动旋转至极高的转速，例如200,000转/分钟，这比之前报道的任何手动操作装置的速度都要快得多。我们通过实验和理论研究了这种线盘系统的详细力学原理和潜在应用。经实验测量验证的理论预测有助于设计和优化该系统，例如使其操作更简便、旋转更快。此外，我们研究了多个圆盘在一根线上旋转的同步运动。多圆盘系统可以实现截然不同的扭曲波，这可用于机械波的控制。最后，我们基于线盘系统开发了两种手动发电机。转子的高速旋转能够产生脉冲大电流，这在例如发电以及从海浪和其他有节奏的平动中获取能量等潜在应用方面具有巨大潜力。
