PIE Inertial Drive – Grassroots Mechanic Movement

PIE 7 – “PIE Type-2”

The PIE 7 is coming along.

After months of crazy interruptions from home and shop repairs to health issues the PIE 7 is being constructed. I am nearly ready to mount the first beam on a center axle.

But first, an addition to the glossary of terms presented in the last post. While the PIE is a Type-1 machine and the Trammel is a Type-2 machine each can have sub-models and sub-types. The PIE 7 is a PIE Type-2 machine, meaning it is a new breed of PIE but NOT a Trammel.

Now, on to the actual update!

The early PIE assemblies were made to be cheap and easy to build by anyone with a workshop and auto shop type tools. The PIE 7 is a bit of a switch from that to precision machining using lathes, milling machines and other machinist tools.

Along with the redesign of the rotating assemblies, all of the parts for the PIE 7 are machined and fitted with far greater precision than any other PIE has been. Shafts are precision fit into bearings which are fit into machined mounting surfaces. Tolerances are still considered pretty wide for machine shop work as a tolerance of about 1mm (+/- .5mm) is acceptable, For reference for all of us older US based machinists and mechanics, 1.5mm is about a sixteenth (1/16) of an inch.

Initial bench tests of the new dimensions and weighted masses are very promising, and we are hoping that the PIE 7 will perform as well as expected. If it does perform well, we should be able to move a motor vehicle using only the PIE 7.

The PIE 7 is also the first one we are creating proper “prints” (blueprint drawings) for including desired material types and construction techniques along with the customary dimensions and tolerances. The design nature of this PIE is going to be the basis of PIEs to come and the start of what we hope will be a commercial enterprise. The base design will continue to be “open source,” but future iterations may start to take on a proprietary design for commercialization purposes.

The big changes from the earlier PIEs are in the motor drives (using 2 or more motors), the gear train (using reasonably quiet running roller chain), bearings used for all pivot points, and the use of “beams” instead of “wheels” for the rotating assemblies.

The beam design allows for lighter weight materials (aluminum) and the proper support of the weighted masses on two sides with ball bearings to reduce friction. The additional support and use of proper bearings allows us to use heavier masses and a larger primary radius. There are multiple ways to build this, but I have chosen a 3.5 inch (89mm) square aluminum tube with ¼ inch (6.5mm) thick material as it is reasonably easy to obtain locally, is light weight, is easy to work with, and is a fairly strong material (structurally).

We are fabricating the required idler sprocket assemblies now including making our own idler sprockets.

Here are some photos of the beam, the drill guide used for making idler sprockets, and the first idler sprocket ready for bearings and installation.

Definitions and Abbreviations

As PIE 6.0 road testing winds down (more on than soon), and we are planning for the next phase, I noticed an issue while speaking to a trusted associate. I would say PIE and he would ask if that’s the aluminum one, or I’d say Trammel engine and he would think I am speaking of the PIE 6.0 that we have been testing. I thought to myself that there must have been a similar confusion in pre-war Germany at the young Volkswagen company. As they basically had 2 models, with a small number of options, people would confuse the “Beetle” with the “Bus” (Americanized names) so they simply labeled the Beetle as a “Type-1” and the then unnamed little van as a “Type-2”. If it worked to help reduce confusion at VW, it should also be able to help here at Stclairtech R&D!

For the sake of simplicity:

PIE – If it is a planetary gear design with a stationary sun gear the PIE may easily be referred to as a Stclairtech Type-1, which can be shortened to ST-1 in documentation.
Trammel – If it uses rotating discs with an X cut into the middle of it, the Trammel engine can easily be referred to as a Stclairtech Type-2, which will be shortened to ST-2 in documentation.

We will also be creating simplified identifier logos for the Stclairtech Type-1 & Type-2 (ST-1 & ST-2) soon. Until then: Stclairtech Type-1 (ST-1) is a PIE. Stclairtech Type-2 (ST-2) is a Trammel.

To anyone confused by the terminology issues, I understand the confusion and I want to keep it as simple as possible. The old axiom identified as KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) still stands in our workshops, although we do tend to reverse the simple and stupid for a clarified statement making it Keep It Stupidly Simple. In that spirit, here is a short glossary of words, terms, and abbreviations referring to specific components of the thrust-generating devices we are developing here at Stclairtech R&D.

Abbreviations unique to our mechanical closed-loop propulsion system(s):

PIE = Pulsed Inertial Engine
ST-1 = Type-1 = Stclairtech Type-1 = PIE
ST-2 = Type-2 = Stclairtech Type-2 ST-2 = Trammel engine
SDC = Speed Differential Control
QBD = Quantified Backlash Drive
QBC = Quantified Backlash Coupler
AMP = Active Mass Point
FP = Force Point
CLIP = Closed Loop Inertial Propulsion

Definitions & terminology unique to our mechanical closed-loop propulsion system(s):

Closed Loop Inertial Propulsion = Propulsion produced without propellant.
Pulsed Inertial Engine = Type-1 Closed Loop Thrust Producing Engine.
Trammel engine = Type-2 Closed Loop Thrust Producing Engine.
Mass = Any mass or weight, generally referring to a mass used to produce work.
Active Mass = Mass that isn’t “fixed” in place and used to produce work.
Active Mass Point = The point where an AMP applies force to do work.
Force Point = The point where force is transmitted to the assembly.
Speed Differential Control = Device used to change rotational speeds dynamically.
Quantified Backlash Device (Drive or Coupler) = Coupling device with a specific calculated (quantified) amount of backlash, connected between rotating assemblies.
Thornson Drive (EZKL) = A type-1 device which paved the way for modern Pulsed Inertial Engine technology.
Reversion = The act of an object reversing its direction of movement or thrust.
Wheel or Disc = The base rotating assembly currently being used to rotate the masses.

Quantified Backlash Drive Coupler

8/11/2024

Quantified Backlash Drive:

We have been testing the Quantified Backlash Drive (QBD) coupler for over a month now. Running the PIE 6.0 with 2 motors and the QBD keeping the synchronization within the working spec has resulted in a PIE that has minimal vibration, near constant thrust, reduced noise, low power usage, and excellent performance.

Actual thrust has not been measured, since this has been about the QBD design. The PIE 6.0 uses the rotating assemblies from the PIE 4 machine so thrust was never expected to exceed that of the PIE 4.

Thinking about the video presentation with Roy Thornson presenting his last design which was intended to go in an airplane to assist propulsion and even be the primary propulsive force eventually, we can see exactly why it never made it “off the ground”. In the video and in the very few photos available we can see there are 4 rotating wheels connected by roller chain, or timing belt, to a central motor drive hub.

Along with several other things that Roy never got figured out (to the best of our knowledge), Roy was unaware of the negative effect of reducing speed in the range of 90 degrees before the mass reaches “apex”. We reach this supposition because he did not use any kind of Speed Differential Control (SDC) system, so the rotating speed (RPM) input was constant. However, if there was a load introduced to the motor as it entered the 90-degree range it would be reasonable to think that the motor’s RPM might have dipped slightly. Even dropping a few rpm (example 150 down to 145) during that phase would be enough to cancel most of the propulsion!

IF Roy had timed the wheels all the same and used only 1 mass (weight) per wheel, it would work. He could have even spread it out amongst the wheels a bit to allow each to come to apex within a 20 to 30 degree range and still had some propulsion, but the only way to get that design to work is with a separate motor for each wheel, or pair of wheels, to attain a maximum of 4 pulses per revolution, AND, keep them synchronized (timed) with a QBD.

This said, it would now be possible to build a replica of his engine that, with the proper modifications, would actually work! — Any Takers? —

Successful Road Test

A few weeks ago (June 16, 2024), the PIE 6.0 was mounted in the test vehicle. A protective & sound deadening box made from steel tubing, plywood and several thick rubber mud flaps was built to cover it. Due to personal time constraints, it wasn’t run & tested until nearly 3 weeks later…

July 6, 2024: The PIE 6.0 has successfully completed its maiden voyage! The PIE design is solid so there are really no surprises there. This test was mostly about the Quantified Backlash Drive.

The PIE 6 is really two single-disc PIEs stacked on top of each other in a single framework. The two PIEs are timed 90 degrees apart to smooth the thrust pulses. Previously, this has proven problematic as the pulsing of one disc (or wheel) would detract from the pulse of the other disc when timed this way. The problem seemed to be that the rotational speed of one was directly affecting the rotational speed of the other. Also, the forward pulse of either disc was theorized to be affecting the building of energy in the other disc.

Two different design changes were proposed to test the validity of those 2 theories. The theory concerning rotational speeds seemed more realistic as rotational velocity manipulation is important to the efficacy of the design.

The Quantified Backlash Drive coupler (QBD coupler) allows the 2 PIEs to work somewhat independently, while keeping the initial 90 degree timing within an acceptable tolerance. This whole effort is only to smooth the pulsations of thrust without reducing the thrust of each rotating assembly.

Proper testing of thrust on the test vehicle will now be conducted to satisfy the scientific requirements to validate the design. Even without proper thrust validation the QBD coupler’s success is allowing the PIE design to be enhanced for maximum power. Perhaps a pair of 30 inch rotating assemblies with 15 pound masses! Maybe not exactly, but you get the picture.

This is now making me wonder how many “failed” designs might have been successful if they had used multiple independent rotating assemblies tied together with something similar to the Quantified Backlash Drive… It should be making us all start seriously thinking about it!

Preparing for Road Tests

The PIE 6.0 is ready to install for road testing. We are currently prepping the vehicle by building a multi-purpose hood for it to protect it from the weather, reduce noise, and contain it for safety purposes.

Although the relays and their wiring are still visible, the rest of the wiring has been greatly neatened and properly secured. A heavy duty 4-wire connector is being used to connect the engine to its control system & power source.

An easily removable galvanized steel angle is installed near the rear of the truck bed where the PIE 6.0 will “pull” the vehicle forward in the test sequences instead of “pushing” as we have done in previous tests.

Once the PIE is installed, a simple remote activation switch will run to the console by the driver’s seat. Road test updates will follow along with videos and photos.

Quantified Backlash Drive for the PIE

The PIE.xx or PIExx is the newest iteration of the original PIE which was based on the work of Roy Thornson. This build is using the masses, or weights, from the PIE 4 series as they are the most advanced masses built to date with their “dead-blow” properties. It is using the “stacked” or “double-decker” design of the PIE 2 series for the smaller footprint and for the implementation of some new features. It is using the non-contact switches from the PIE 4 series as they are simple and inexpensive to interface with multiple speed controller designs.

The newest and most radical feature added to the mix is one I am calling the “Quantified Backlash Drive” or QBD.

The QBD: The QBD is a 2 input/output “jackshaft” that allows partial uncoupling of the two while ensuring the uncoupled halves stay within a specified range or have a specific backlash between them. The entire purpose of this is to allow the two rotating assemblies (“wheels”) to use separate drive motors each with its own separate SDC but not allow the two wheels to get out of their approximate 90 degree synchronized relative positions.

Premise: The need for the QBD stems from wanting to have additional pulses per revolution (ppr) which will make the end-user feel less pulsations because they are much closer together. Previous attempts at having more than 2 ppr yielded no stand-alone thrust. Using 4 ppr, thrust was measured as an aid to propulsion for a vehicle with a large enough mass to absorb much of the pulsations. When dropping the ppr to 2 ppr, self-propulsion was achieved without the need for as much overall vehicle mass. Note: Some overall mass is still required to absorb reversion pulses.

The reason for the lack of self-propulsion is the interaction of pulses and the requirements of the SDCs. The SDCs add more than a speed boost through part of each rotation, they add a momentary deceleration when the mass nears apex causing the mass to impact its stop with much more force. This is incredibly important and cannot be done if there are other masses needing to accelerate at the same time. This makes the SDC combined with the QBD a truly operational “acceleration and deceleration” mechanism!

The new Quantified Backlash Drive being set up.

The SDC & QBD Ready for Testing.

NEW PIE 6.0

As I have been posting here, I have been building the Trammel engine for over 2 years now. I have had some successes, and some failures, and right now I have to admit that I am a little “stuck”. In order to “pull back” a bit and shift focus slightly to a new PIE. The PIE 6.0 is using a lot of knowledge gained from building the Trammel. As before, the PIE 6.0 will be another “open source” project, so, here we go…

March 30, 2024 was the beginning of the PIE 6.0. The 6.0is bringing together multiple working designs of PIE, some of the parts reclaimed from earlier builds, and multiple bits of knowledge gained from the Trammel engine project.

The similarities: The 6.0 is using “dead-blow” weights, we need to refer to as “active masses”, and it is using the stacked “double-decker” design of the PIE 2 series. It will also be using the powerful little brush-type motor(s), speed controller(s), and SDCs (Speed Differential Controls).

The Differences: The 6.0 is planned to be using 2 motors and drive assemblies, one for each disc (“disc” is a more accurate description than “wheel”). There is a planned timing mechanism that will keep the discs working together while allowing them to also utilize the flexibility of the independent motors and SDCs. There is also a proposed frame pivot assembly, to be explained later.

The Need for Changes: The PIE design is a good example of something that works, but it isn’t readily accepted to be used “as-is” due to the prolific “pulsing” it produces. Previous efforts to improve the “feel” of thrust produced fell short of that goal, so efficiency and “harshness reduction” are the primary goals. There is still going to be noise, I am not focusing on that right now as it is much easier to control with simple modifications to gear designs and sound-deadening covers (hoods).

Stay tuned, we have a lot happening very quickly now, photos below!

PIE 6.0 Early Assembly – Fitting The Pieces Into an Assembly

PIE 6.0 First Motor Install – Won’t Stay This Way

PIE 5.0 Update & “Scientific Heresy”

The PIE 5.0 does work! It is not as good as I was hoping, but it does show just one more way this “impossible” propulsion becomes possible! The things learned by actually putting hands to work in the shop far outweigh the mainstream physics falsehoods still perpetrated in many (or most) of our “higher learning” institutions.

What I am about to say is considered “heresy” in the “religion of science”:

Science is supposed to be available to everyone.

Science is supposed to be FUN.

Scientific information is supposed to be openly available and shareable.

Science and physics are supposed to be shared and debatable among all of us, not just the PhD’s. PhD’s who unfortunately tend to believe what they were taught in their final years of education, which is that their Graduate Degree somehow makes them “better” than everyone else. Science is not supposed to discriminate, science (by definition) is to “observe” with an open mind, not “dismiss” with no regard to the idea of actually learning what is possible.

That said, the PIE 5.0 did work, but just not as well as I hoped but that is actually a large part of what makes testing it successful! Every test, every build, every experiment, every failure, every debate & every argument lost has taught me something and makes me who I am today!

Latest Test of the PIE 5.0

The data and understanding gained from development of all of the PIE versions (including the PIE 5.0) is now being poured liberally back into the Trammel Engine project with a renewed enthusiasm! That alone is worth the time spent planning, laying out, building, and testing! And as a bonus, it is “fun“!

More to come soon, please check back here for updates!

PIE 5.0 Becoming a Reality & 1st Picture

So the first successful test of the PIE 5.0 concept is in the books! Although it is only a bench test with one “wheel”, built on the PIE 4’s frame, and sitting on roll pipes, there is no doubt that there is strong forward thrust with reversion at a level of “little to none”.

Adding more weight will definitely increase thrust as seen in experiments completed. An increase of RPM may also increase thrust, but that has not been experimentally confirmed.

So, what is the big deal with the PIE 5.0? No sun gear! No planetary gears! No impact zones! No stops to get broken!

What does this serve to accomplish? Less noise! Less potentially damaging pounding! Longer thrust pulse duration! No need for a pivot point to swing the weight! Virtually no reversion!

The one thing I struggle with is the need to make this work public while also wanting to build a business around it. Conventional thought says that it needs to remain secret, while every fiber of my being screams “make it public”. With guidance from above, I have built this, & with that same guidance will come the reveal.

Below is a photo of the first tested prototype. Much continues to change so more details will be added as work progresses.

Updated Website & Upcoming PIE 5.0

11/9/2022

It has been a long summer of trying to balance my time in my workshop/lab and my career as a Parts Associate, now promoted to Supervisor. Sometimes I think that I must be doing a good job, but there are some difficult days when I think that I am the supervisor because nobody else wants the headaches…

Trammel Update: The Trammel Engine has been rebuilt over and over and now 99% of the internal motion is now working as expected. There are internal components I call con-rods (connecting rods) which only pull and never push, then there are push-rods which can only push and cannot pull. The con-rods are now of a very strong design and their length is adjustable. We had multiple con-rod failures until this design was implemented.

The problem appears to be with the push rods. It was originally thought that their purpose was more of “timing” between the lower halves of the motor, so they would only need to basically “take up slack” with a spring load. This now appears to be incorrect. It seems that they must actually provide a “hard stop” which only pushes but cannot pull. Springs will still be used, but more as an ant- rattling device (I think).

The constant trial runs and failures precipitating rebuilds and repairs have really taken their toll on me mentally… I need a freakin’ win for crying out loud! So I am now (on an opposite workbench) building a PIE 5.0! It is a culmination of PIE and Trammel knowledge gained over the last 3 years and preliminary tests are incredibly promising.

It is still an ugly “Frankenstein” of a machine, but I will post pictures as it becomes something to look at! The good news is that even though it is still in the earliest stage of development it is already making pounds of thrust (too bad NASA)! With one wheel! With one weight!

Sorry I don’t have pics yet of the PIE 5.0…

Our web site (http://stclairtech.tech) is revamped and rebuilt with new fresh graphics and a much nicer interface which is easy to navigate. I also have a page showing some pictures of UAPs (UFOs) over the St. Lawrence River on the US & Canadian border. The pics show black, odd-shaped objects in the air which might be explained away as birds or insects, but they are 100% real photos of objects which only show up on the digital camera! These are completely invisible to the naked eye! See these photos here: http://stclairtech.tech/UAPs/

Thanks for reading and following along… Talk to you again soon!