Copy of letter to Dr. Brandt:

Dear Dr. Brandt:

I have been developing a small, slow self-excited induction generator
(SEIG) with Dr. Walerian Majewski at NVCC, nearby.

The problem I am up against now is that the stator DC resistance, R is
still greater than the square root of the product of the winding
inductance, L, and the resonant capacitor C. Units are ohms, henries,
and farads. Values are 23 ohms, 136 millihenries, and 51 microfarads.
Capacitance to 361 microfards will be available soon.

What I'd like to do is carefully dip a sample stator in whatever
cryogens you have available in approximately five liter quantities, and
measure the stator DC resistance at these boiling cryogen temperatures,
to determine whether R might in fact be less than sqrt(L*C) at some
temperature. If a "hit" is found, research can be conducted for a low
temperature bearing lubricant, and a live test made, as the machine has
only one moving part, plus two ball bearings.

Frankly, I doubt this will happen, but room temperature superconductors
are only an era away, and I could certainly present the resistance
measurements at the SPS spring conference as an "experiment that
failed, but produced results."

As far as I know, the literature contains temperature coefficents of
resistance for small pieces of wire, not whole stators, although your
lab has certainly got some big magnets, and I am sure you've
characterized them thoroughly. There are solder joints in this stator,
for example....

Yours,

Doug Goncz
Replikon Research
Seven Corners, VA 22044-0394
Student member SAE