Help Finding Parts & Building My Motor

Hi Chuck, Col Zimka and mr. Cotten

Indeed the best way to see what a Keppe motor can do is build one. It is a very forgiving technology, you don't have to be worried too much if you don't use the exact components as suggested in the manuals. I have built both the V1.0 and V3.0 motors (albeit with some deviations) and both operate quite well. If you have problems to build the optocoupler circuit use an easier option (my V3.0 motor uses Reed switches instead).

For larger scale motors (say above 1 kW), the Keppe technology is probably quite efficient but there are no indications that it would yield better results than conventional AC motors.
Just have a look at the Keppe motor site, under "Techical information" they list the actual efficiencies (highest value is some 78% for a 26 W motor). For a small motor that is fantastic but if you compare that to the efficiency of an industrial triphase AC motor it is not that great (they reach efficiencies up to 95%; see international standard IEC 60034 for definition of efficiency classes, e.g. at http://www.beta-power.co.uk/Download/IEC-60034-30.PDF ).
My conclusion is that Keppe motors can do a very efficient job for low power applications but they are not competitive for high power applications.

Regards,

J Greef

Hi Col Z,
My son has built 2 wooden frames for the structure (I'm building 2 units also). My sister-in law is fabricating the circuit plates & I'm thinking of using Carbon fiber tubing to hold my batteries. I believe I have every thing else I need. I'll take your advice & get started with what I have on hand By the way, what size wire are you using for your connections?

Thanks Again
Chuck

Hi Chuck,

Just saw your post for parts assistance. I use Mouser.com for many of my parts, and even Radio Shack if in a pinch. I built my own wooden frames for the structure as they suggest. In fact, it looks just like theirs. I wound the coils as described. The optical boards are really just little "breadboards", again, wired exactly as they describe. I think the only item I had any difficulty with was the PVC pipe for holding those powerful Neodynium magnets in place. My pipe was a bit too narrow, so I made a slit down the side of the PVC to allow the magnets to slide inside, though very snugly. Let me know exactly what you are having difficulty with. The best advise I can give is to just start building the Keppe v.3.0. Make a few mistakes ( also known as learning curve opportunities! ), and keep moving forward. There are a lot of wires so label them with different colored electrical tape to keep them straight.

Cheers,

Col Zimka

I'm in the process of finding the parts needed to build this motor (since January this year). I'm by no means an electrician & a lot of the instructions & diagrams are hard for me to follow. I need someone who is able to tell me what parts I can purchase outright and what parts need to be fabricated. I asked my local Radio Shack and similar electronics stores about some of the parts and they have no idea what I'm talking about (i.e., optical circuit plates). Is there someone I can communicate with who can help me with my construction? I would think more people would post their successes & failures in finding parts & building this motor...maybe I'm the only one having this problem.

Thanks