The Mendocino Motor is a magnetically levitating solar powered motor that we will be making from scratch.
It demonstrates the ideas of solar power, DC motors, electrical inductance, magnetism and electromagnetism. We will be manufacturing the entire device from raw materials in the classroom. We will make our own Computer Aided Design drawings of the components before we build them. For details on how to build the motor, take a look at MendoMotorProcess
SketchupBase MendoMeasurements
SketchupRotor MendoMeasurements
Making the wooden base
Routing the grooves in the base
Sealing the wood of the base
Winding the rotor
Attaching the solar cells
Wiring the solar cells to the motor windings
Assembling the motor with magnets