Abstract

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.

Details

Title
High-speed spinning disks on flexible threads
Author
Zi-Long, Zhao 1 ; Zhou, Shiwei 1 ; Xu, Shanqing 1 ; Xi-Qiao, Feng 2 ; Xie, Yi Min 3 

 Centre for Innovative Structures and Materials, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia 
 AML & CNMM, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China 
 Centre for Innovative Structures and Materials, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia; XIE Archi-Structure Design (Shanghai) Co., Ltd, Shanghai, China 
Pages
1-11
Publication year
2017
Publication date
Oct 2017
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
1957857307
Copyright
© 2017. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.