On 24/08/2020 21:37, wrote:

On Monday, 24 August 2020 10:05:57 UTC+1, Clive Arthur wrote:

snipped

The gyros can only supply one-way torque for a limited time
(newton-metre-seconds?) before they hit their 'end-stops', no way round
that, so to balance, the thing has to actively push against a side force
so that its weight counteracts it. In the large Brennan prototype for
example, as the passengers move to one side, the car tips sideways the
other way to maintain balance.

I'm not making much sense of that.

You can't exert a torque or force indefinitely without something to
react against, which you don't have with two wheels. So to balance
against a constant side force, the only way to do it is to use your
weight. You need to push the force away to a position where your weight
(the horizontal component) balances the applied force.

If you lean against a gyro stabilised motorcycle or monorail, it will
push against you, not just in the sense that a wall 'pushes back', but
to physically move you back. This can be seen (briefly) in one of the
Lit Motors video clips where Kim leans against the vehicle, it's also
noted in the Brennan stuff, and is the way the vehicle automatically
leans into corners - it's balancing the outward force with its weight.

If you push on it with a finger, it will actively push you back, I mean
actually move you back so that its weight balances against your finger.
Of course, that's how it automatically leans into a curve.

Imagine that in traffic with constant changing blustery side winds.

the gyro stabilises it. I've watched a car drive into the side of a gyro stabilised 2 wheeler. It got knocked sideways but didn't fall over.

That's different. Yes, knock one with a brief transient and it will
wobble and possibly slide, but hopefully remain 'upright'. Blow against
one and it will lean towards you. Unlike a normal bike, you're
insulated from the wind by the cabin, so you just get the buffeting for
no obvious reason.
Imagine one stationary near a solid object and trying to squeeze past -
it would crush you.

Surely it's basic sense that the driver knows it's not always completely upright. If they choose to squeeze a person between car & wall they have only their own foolish actions to blame.

Say the vehicle is waiting at the lights, alongside a normal car, or
worse, another gyro bike. A cyclist squeezes between and brushes the
gyro bike. The bike leans into him, the force increases, the bike leans
more, the force increases...

Or you somehow put your foot, or your dog, under the vehicle on one
side. Stationary vehicles shouldn't be inherently dangerous.

AIUI Russia were particularly interested in a national monorail system because it would save them so much on rails. Bridge savings are also attractive. For cars there seems little real upside bar novelty. Given the bridge situation perhaps it would suit North Korea.

Well, it might if it worked as well as first imagined, but it can't.
Brennan's vision was long distance monorails in Australia, and there
were somewhat fanciful pictures of wide carriages with billiard tables.
You know when you're on a train and you pass another one at speed -
imagine what that would be like as the gyros compensate for the
violently changing side forces.

The fact that it's not been achieved after over 100 years also indicates
something. A great idea, but just not quite practical, though as an
indoor novelty monorail it would be fun. This is an interesting piece...

http://www.catskillarchive.com/rrextra/odgyro.Html

NT

--
Cheers
Clive