I Finally Got My Pulse Motor Running (Vape Pen Battery Charger)

Hook

I’m running a 12-magnet north-south pulse motor on three volts and it’s charging a vape pen battery through a cap bank while I sit here grinning like an idiot.

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The rotor is mag-leved and spins nice and steady. Input is a DC buck converter putting out 3 V at roughly 150 mA on one side and 12 V at 200 mA on the other. The bifilar coil (24-gauge drive, 32-gauge trigger) has almost zero extra resistance in the circuit right now. That’s the beauty of it as a toy; you can see exactly what the coil itself is doing.

What you'll learn

You’ll see how a north-south magnet configuration seems to let the battery voltage creep upward. I explain the cap bank acting like an AC-to-DC converter that lets DC flow straight through to the battery. Plus I walk through plans for a serpentine coil on the Utron rotor and why I think the electromagnet pulses might induce more than the permanent magnets alone.

From the bench

Right now the main rotor uses a 20-gauge coil with 830 turns and a matching 32-gauge trigger strand. The dual-drive coil is sitting beside it; one strand on output 2, the other on output 1 so each can talk to its own battery. I’ve only done the two-circuit test with power supplies at 3 volts. Hooking 12-volt batteries straight in will need some resistance or it’ll be a tremendous voltage jump. I’ll report back once I try it.

The Utron rotor has four big permanent magnets inside. I’m going to wrap a serpentine coil around the equator, add aluminum tape strips, and put matching strips on each coil. Brushes will let us take a clean reading off the serpentine winding while the rotor spins. The goal is simple: see if the electromagnetic pulse from the drive coils can induce current in that serpentine coil even though the permanent magnets probably won’t.

How it works / what we changed

The circuit is dead simple. Power supply to the trigger and drive strands, output through the cap bank straight to the battery under charge. The cap bank takes whatever AC component is there, turns it into DC, and lets the DC flush through. You can even hook a battery to the AC side and still get DC out the other side. That’s what we’re doing with the vape pen battery right now.

I switched from a single-polarity rotor to this 12-magnet north-south layout because I think it stacks the energy better in the battery and capacitance. Whether that’s true or not, the voltage is definitely creeping up while it runs. That’s the measurement that matters on the bench.

Pulse motor experiments

This whole video is one big pulse motor experiment. We’re not claiming over-unity or free energy; we’re just turning a conceptual toy that proves and debunks ideas. The north-south rotor, the dual-drive coil on separate batteries, the Utron serpentine pickup; every piece is an experiment I can’t wait to finish and measure.

Magnets coils energy harvesting

The real question on the bench is how much energy we can actually harvest from the magnets and coils. Right now the north-south configuration looks promising for generation. The serpentine coil on the Utron is my next attempt at harvesting; the idea is that when the drive coils fire they create a pulse that should induce current in the equatorial winding. We’ll also try aluminum tape for possible electrostatic pickup. I don’t know yet if it’ll work, but that’s why we build it.

North south rotor

I changed to a 12-magnet north-south rotor because I believe it will keep the battery energized longer than a single-polarity setup. The voltage on the cap bank is already creeping upward. Whether that’s because of the alternating fields or just the way the cap bank smooths things, I like what I’m seeing. The rotor is mag-leved and runs smooth even at the modest 200 mA the supply is giving it.

Bifilar coil

The coil on the main rotor is bifilar: 24-gauge for the drive at 830 turns and 32-gauge for the trigger, same number of turns. That combination gives me a strong drive with a sensitive trigger. Resistance is only what’s inside the wire; nothing extra in the circuit right now. When I hook the second drive strand to the second battery I may have to add a resistor because we’re jumping from 3 volts to 12-volt batteries. I’ll measure that jump on the next run.

Cap bank battery charging

The cap bank is the star of the charging side. It takes the pulsed output, cleans it up, and feeds the vape pen battery. You can literally hook a battery to the AC side of this bank and still get usable DC out the other side. Right now the battery voltage is creeping up while the rotor spins at modest speed. I’m curious how long it holds that charge once I disconnect the supply.

Utron rotor

I took a quick look at the Utron rotor on camera. Four big permanent magnets inside, and I’m planning a band around the equator with a serpentine coil that goes up and down. Aluminum tape strips on the rotor and on each coil should let us see if there’s any electrostatic energy to harvest. The serpentine coil will connect through brushes so we can get a clean voltage or current reading while everything spins. The hope is that the electromagnetic pulse from the triggered coils will induce more in that serpentine winding than the permanent magnets can alone.

Serpentine coil

The serpentine coil is the new experiment on the Utron. It sits around the equator like a belt that zig-zags up and down. When the drive coils fire they create a magnetic pulse that should couple into this winding. I’m not counting on the permanent magnets to induce anything useful in this layout, but I think the electromagnets will. We’ll take readings with brushes and see what kind of voltage or current we actually get. That data will tell us if the idea is worth chasing further.

Builder checklist

• 12-magnet north-south rotor, mag-leved for low friction
• Bifilar coil: 20 ga or 24 ga drive (830 turns), 32 ga trigger
• Simple trigger/drive circuit with no extra resistance for first tests
• DC buck converter or 3 V supply for initial runs
• Cap bank between motor output and battery under charge
• Second drive coil and second battery ready for dual-battery test
• Resistor on hand in case 3 V to 12 V jump is too aggressive
• Utron rotor with serpentine coil, aluminum tape, and brushes for next build
• Multimeter or scope to watch voltage creep on the battery

Troubleshooting

If the rotor won’t start, check that the trigger coil is sensing the magnets; I had to adjust placement more than once. When jumping from 3 V supply to 12 V batteries the current can spike; add a small resistance on the drive line and watch the ammeter. If the cap bank voltage doesn’t climb, make sure the diodes are oriented correctly and that the cap bank is actually seeing pulses. For the Utron serpentine coil, poor brush contact will kill your reading; clean the slip rings and keep pressure light but steady.

Safety

These voltages are low but currents can still heat wires fast if something shorts. Keep loose clothing and hair away from the spinning rotor. When testing dual batteries at 12 V, watch for sudden speed increases that could throw a magnet. Always discharge caps before touching the bank after a run. Wear eye protection; magnets and spinning parts don’t care whose fingers are in the way.

FAQ

Can a pulse motor really charge a vape pen battery?

In my tests the cap bank lets the battery voltage creep upward while the rotor spins. It’s not fast charging, but it does put energy back in.

Why use a north-south rotor instead of all north out?

I think the alternating fields help the energy stack in the battery and capacitance. The voltage is climbing, so something is working better than my last single-polarity rotor.

Do I need a bifilar coil?

It’s not mandatory but the trigger and drive in one package keeps wiring clean and gives a strong, synchronized pulse. I’m happy with the 24/32 gauge combo.

Will the serpentine coil on the Utron actually produce power?

That’s exactly what I’m going to measure. The permanent magnets probably won’t induce much in that layout, but the electromagnetic pulses from the drive coils might. We’ll see what the meter says.

How much power is the motor using right now?

On the 3-volt side I’m seeing about 150 mA, so roughly 0.45 watts. The 12-volt supply side is around 200 mA. Both are bench measurements; your mileage will vary with coil resistance and magnet strength.

Related on this site

• How to Build a Pulse Motor (Parts, Coil Placement & Circuit)
• Pulse Motor vs Bedini Motor: What's the Difference?
• Understanding Back EMF in Pulse Motors
• Can a Pulse Motor Charge Batteries? What Experiments Show
• Pulse Motor Rotor Design: Magnets, Materials and Balance

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