This experiment demonstrates a type of electrode combination that
always moves in the direction of the positive as in the
Biefeld-Brown effect.
The Basic Device
The basic device consists of two electrodes, a brass dome
shaped one of diameter 2 5/8 inches, the other a copper disk
of diameter 7/8 inches. The optimum seperation between the
two I found to be about 2 1/4 inches. The following three
pictures show close ups of this device (note that the seperation
in these pictures is about 1 3/4 inches).
The Experimental Set Up
The pictures below show two views of the devices suspended from
a tower the idea being that when the voltage is turned on, the
suspended devices make the rotor rotate.
Experiments and Results from my Lab Book
I first experimented with this device back in September or October
of 1997 but am only now getting around to put it on this website.
The device almost always moves in the direction of the positive
electrode.
I say almost always because there were a few times a few years ago,
when it would start moving in one direction and then as the voltage
was turned up, reverse itself. Once reversed, it would continue
in the new direction. It is as if one force were at play until
the voltage was high enough for another force to take precedence or
take over. Unfortunately, I did not make any notes
of which electrode was positive at the time and which direction
it reversed into. The only thing I do recall was that it would
always occur if and only if a specific electrode was positive
(either the dome or the disk) but I can't recall which and can't
reproduce it.
It tends to move twice as fast when the dome is positive than
when the copper disk is positive.
I also put a cone shapped slug of wax between the electrodes at one
time to act as a more massive dielectric with a higher dielectric
constant than air. Due to the crudity of my tower and the fact that
the amount of friction varies per experiment every time I make an
adjustment, I could not determine if this was an improvement. It did,
however, continue to move only in the direction of the positive
electrode. See the following picture.
Conclusions
These devices are perhaps more interesting than the saucer shaped ones
as they always move in the direction of the positive electrode
(possibly Beifeld-Brown effect) and because of the reversing that
happened on a few occasions.
