Has anyone heard of Magnic Lights?

[brush-head]

Just came across this http://www.magniclight.com/MagnicLight/index.php/en/on the BikeSnobNYC blog & it looks rather interesting. Might consider a small sum to help get this moving.
Anyone heard of anything similar?

[LollyKat]

These Reelights work on the same principle and are apparently very popular in Denmark, where all cars have to have daylight running lights. Personally I wouldn't want such big magnets on my wheels.

Edit: the Magniclights seem a bit different, and don't need bits added to the wheel - sounds interesting.

[TwoWheelsGood]

It gets mentioned here:

http://www.bikerumor.com/2012/02/24/mag ... omponents/

As someone points out in the comments section, this method of generating electricity will only work if the wheel is VERY true.

[Audax67]

It gets mentioned here:

http://www.bikerumor.com/2012/02/24/mag ... omponents/

As someone points out in the comments section, this method of generating electricity will only work if the wheel is VERY true.

I would think that if the wheel is off-true the output will fluctuate, but it would still work. And indeed, in the videos the light does appear to be flucuating, possibly with the spokes passing the induction head. Come to think of it, it might work better with a wire-bead tyre.

I'm going to kick in a few € and watch what happens.

[snibgo]

A commenter says they are less efficient than ordinary dynamos, wasting more energy as heat. And there is no standlight.

[Mick F]

Whilst riding this morning, my mind was wandering into the realms of electro-magnetic induction ............ funny how my mind wanders!

If a magnetic field crosses a conductor, an Electro Magnetic Force is produced. This EMF is proportional to the strength of the magnetic field and the conductivity of the conductor. Therefore, to create an EMF, you need both of these things.

Where's the magnet?

[mrjemm]

In a Denmark LIDL (or was it Aldi?) I saw reelight copies for very cheap prices. I can't remember how much exactly, but maybe one tenth of what they're asking for these. Are the magnets really worth losing to the tune of £180? But this item is carbon, so it has bling potential. Oooh, shiny things.

But then... It's a new/developing technology (or application at least), so I shouldn't judge so early, when it presumably will come down. Hopefully.

[andrew_s]

Discussed on YACF a week and a half ago

[Brucey]

the magnet is in the little housing together with the coil. The rim is a 'moving conductor' (and is also weakly paramagnetic) thus has eddy currents excited in it as it moves past the magnet. The pickup coil 'sees' a changing magnetic field as the rim with its eddy currents in it moves past the coil.

At least that is how I understand it to work. It is a neat idea, I wish I had thought of it.

cheers

[Mick F]

So the rim is the conductor?

Going back to Electro Technology ...........
The EMF is induced in the conductor by a magnet.

I'm sure it works, but I don't know how.

[Brucey]

Well that is my understanding of it; I must say it is not intuitively obvious to me that this should work with any efficiency.... but I guess it must do....

I am keen to try my own experiments in fact....

cheers

[Mick F]

PS.
It must have something to do with the spokes, not the rim.

The spokes and nipples probably alter the magnetic field as they pass the unit, thereby inducing an EMF.
The rim doesn't "move".

[[XAP]Bob]

PS.
It must have something to do with the spokes, not the rim.

The spokes and nipples probably alter the magnetic field as they pass the unit, thereby inducing an EMF.
The rim doesn't "move".

It does - in a circle. Look up electromagnetic braking (various lorries use it on the prop shaft)

I'm off to read about this new magic,and will report back...

[Mick F]

Yes, Bob, it does move in a circle .... but it doesn't cross a magnetic field. It just moves through it.
They need to cross. Just moving though does't do anything.
Right angles is best of course, but the rim doesn't "cross" anything.

The spokes and the nipples cross perfectly, so they probably induce the EMF, not the rim.
The wheel as a whole does it, not the rim by itself.

[[XAP]Bob]

Ok. Big magnet in the box.
Rim moving last it, conductor in a magnetic field therefore eddy currents.
These currents create their own magnetic field, which passes by the coil in the box (because the rim is moving).
this coil then produces an output voltage.


A couple of comments.
- the eddy currents are the basis of EM braking, with a powerful magnet it's scarily effective)
- close proximity is important for magnetic field interactions, and a magnetic circuit is preffered
- it will work, but I'll stick to a hub dynamo...