Producing Self Running Power: Pulse Motor Hits Almost 1.5V

Hook

I wanted to see if my little pulse motor could produce enough induction to feed its own linear cap bank after I pulled the 24V supply. We got close to 1.5V on the meter and watched the wheel keep spinning on momentum for a bit.

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I hooked a floating 32-gauge strand inside a 20/18-gauge series coil to both a volt meter and the cap bank that powers the rotor. A quick hand spin gave about a tenth of a volt. Pushing the coil closer bumped it to 0.162V. With 24V input we saw roughly one volt AC going into the cap bank. After removing power the meter still showed almost a full volt feeding the bank and the wheel kept going for a while before slowing.

What you'll learn

You’ll see exactly how much AC induction this setup made, how the voltage tracks rotor speed, why the 20-gauge wire might be too heavy for tiny power levels, and what the paperclip axle and edge-mounted magnets felt like on the bench.

From the bench

The rotor weighs right around 1.25 to 1.3 pounds. The axle is tiny and uses two paperclips as keepers – surprisingly low friction and very smooth. One magnet popped out so tape is holding it in place right now. The main coil pair is 26-gauge with 6,000 turns plus a 30-gauge 1,000-turn trigger (7,000 total). The other coil is a single 32-gauge strand with 14,000 turns. Everything is wrapped in series on the drive side except that floating 32-gauge pickup.

How it works / what we changed

Power comes in through a linear cap bank that converts the incoming AC and DC. When I removed the 24V supply the cap bank still had almost a volt from the induction and the wheel continued turning. The voltage jumps up and then drops as speed falls, giving a rough visual on how fast the rotor is moving. I tried bringing the coil even closer and the meter climbed higher, but the heavier 20-gauge wire in the drive may be swallowing too much of the tiny energy we’re trying to recycle.

self running

The wheel never stayed self running forever, but after cutting the 24V it did keep spinning on the induction feeding the cap bank for a noticeable time. We saw almost a full volt still going into the bank right after disconnect and the rotor stayed up to speed longer than I expected before the voltage and RPM both tapered off. It proved the pickup coil was making real power that the motor could use, even if it wasn’t enough to run indefinitely.

Builder checklist

• 20/18-gauge series drive coil with floating 32-gauge pickup strand
• 26ga 6k-turn + 30ga 1k-turn trigger coil (7k total)
• 32ga 14k-turn secondary coil
• Linear cap bank that accepts AC/DC in and outputs DC
• Paperclip axle keepers for low-friction spin
• Rotor magnets mounted on the outer edge (tape backup on one)
• Volt meter across the pickup and cap bank
• 24V starting supply (then disconnect to observe self-running behavior)

Troubleshooting

If your induction voltage drops quickly, check how close the pickup coil sits to the rotor magnets – half an inch or less helped here. The 20-gauge wire may be too heavy for very low power; lighter gauges or different turn counts might let it crawl slower. One magnet popping out killed balance until I taped it. Lights stayed off at 0.2V but lit when the drive coils hit 15-20V, so don’t expect LEDs to fire on tiny induction.

Safety

Keep fingers clear of the spinning rotor. The cap bank holds charge after power is removed so discharge it before touching wires. All voltages here stayed under 24V but treat any spinning magnet wheel with respect.

FAQ

How much voltage did you actually see? A quick spin gave 0.1V, closer positioning hit 0.162V, and after 24V input we measured almost 1V still feeding the cap bank once supply was removed. The title mentions up to 1.5V because the meter briefly touched that region during testing.

Will this run forever? No. Perpetual motion is not possible. It ran on momentum plus the induction for a while but eventually slowed as voltage dropped.

Why use paperclips on the axle? They gave almost zero friction and let the 1.25 lb rotor spin very smoothly.

What changed the voltage the most? Coil distance to the rotor and rotor speed. Closer gap and faster spin produced higher readings.

Related on this site

• How to Build a Pulse Motor: Parts, Coil Gap, First Spin
• Pulse Motor vs Bedini Motor: What's the Difference?
• Best Wire Gauge for Pulse Motor Coils (AWG Guide)
• Pulse Motor Rotor Design: Magnets, Materials and Balance
• Understanding Back EMF in Pulse Motors

Watch this experiment on YouTube

• ▶ Watch full on YouTube