@ScientistSmithYT it really depends on how long you need the energy stored. For most circuits using inductors to store energy, the time is on the order of milliseconds to microseconds. Superconducting magnets can store current for days

@Bob yes, we asked for them to change it back to the recommended $$ escapement because we use prices from time to time.

@ScientistSmithYT If you store grain in a grain silo, you don't expect it to last forever. It could get eaten by mice, get wet and grow mold, whatever. And you have to take the grain out of the silo again to make bread with it. But we still say we stored the grain in the silo between the time we harvested it and when we sent it to the flour mill to get turned into flour.

@ThePhoton That's true for grain. Good example for grain.

@W5VO Can you give me a reference for superconducting electromagnets that store current for days? Either that electromagnet is 100% efficient or you're meaning capacitors. Superconducting electromagnets use generators to produce the electricity then put it in capacitors. When with an automatic bus bar connection allows the current surge to flow in. The generator runs the whole tine during operation.

@W5VO But that bus bar opens and closes on world breaking electromagnets like the 100 tesla multishot magnet. The 45 Tesla Hybrid magnet is different.

@W5VO I've had the privilege to examine and analyze there 2 world record electromagnets. Everything seems custom. Or custom enough to be pushing limits and buttons.

@W5VO The exact specs they showed me were astonishing. They did things that moved boundaries. They moved boundaries that I thought were solid. I would tell everyone the amazing things they use. But they are secrets. And I'm under contract. So I can't. But they did things that are pushing the limits. It's one of those things people will say aren't a good thing to try, but they accomplished an amazing piece of scientific art.

@W5VO Since everyone now uses the term "stored" to describe an inductor. Even though that's not the processes. As I explained it being more complicated than it seems. For fun I used a coil to in a sense "store" energy in the coil and make it output 197 VAC RMS. I used a coil from a transformer. Approximately 14-16 gauge copper magnet wire. Around approximately 100 or more turns. Which was directly connected by a 16340 3.7 volt lithium Ion cell.

@W5VO I shorted the battery to the coil. The switching mechanism was a magnetic switch switching at 60 Hz. It used magnetism to act as a switch. The output was measured from the negative and positive end. I then put my right pointer finger on the negative output. Then my left pointer finger on the positive output. I held the positive first and made final contact to the negative. It gave me a jolt. But nothing painful or worrying.

That gave me an idea. I then used the same setup, but changed one thing. Instead of using the 1 coil. I got 5 more. The known coils had 120 turns per coil. I estimate that the voltage (given that the first coil was probably not yet 120 turns but close and the volt different ratio between the coils) is 1,197 volts AC. The cold temperature blue spark was very small. But I estimate the voltage to be around 1,197 volts.

@ScientistSmithYT en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superconducting_magnet

Read under the persistent mode of operation. The one I knew about wasn't crazy strong, but it could definitely store current in a loop. No capacitors. Requires liquid helium. Superconductivity is kinda magic, but it's not endless magic unfortunately.

@ScientistSmithYT Congratulations. You've "rediscovered" the operating principle of the boost converter.

You can do the same thing without the pain.

@W5VO I see. But I guess it borderlines on the definition of storage. But doesn't quite get there. Since there's very little electrical loss the current keeps flowing in the loop until it looses too much. Simple principals but yet so neat. But not storage of energy.

@JRE Nope. The connections I did were different.

@JRE But good sarcasm.

I don't think anyone was implying that inductors are the next battery replacement, but you can store energy in them.

The principle is the same, even though the actual circuit is a bit different.

It seems more like your definition of "storing energy" is not standard

I would say "store" energy in them for now. There isn't a good enough word to do it justice. It uses forms of a couple different words to describe the processes. That's why I am undecided on the correct word. Which helps me understand why people have settled with that word usage.

My term of "storing energy" is pretty standard. It is per definition standard.

@JRE You'll be happy to know that instead of my components on my MOT CW multiplier exploding. The factory soldered wire blew apart. Turns out it had 106.8 pounds of tension on it. So it couldn't handle the pressure and blew apart. That's what an electromagnet does when the current, voltage and wattage is right. But the wire strength fails. I've seen worse and done worse.

@JRE I made an electromagnet that blew up so explosively. It blew open steel man doors to the shop. Luckily the walls were concrete. But nothing was left but burns pieces of the coil.

I planned it on purpose to see what could happen. But it succeeded my expectations a little bit.

And saying that an inductor stores energy in a magnetic field is a bit of a simplification, it's the interaction of current flowing in it's self-generated magnetic field

The Wikipedia article on inductors has a pretty good explanation, and the derivation if you're interested

Ok, sorry for a late reply. Busy with some things. I'm filling out paper work on finalizing my process for a UTA electrical technician.

What is the proper wording I should choose to find that wiki page? Inductor seems to have a couple pages.

@ScientistSmithYT The "Description" section.

@JRE Thanks. I'll take a look at it. :)

Shameless plug.

I spent a few hours playing with inductors this last weekend. I expect it's all old hat to everyone here, but I had fun doing it.

Were the kiddos involved? :)

@rdtsc One "kiddo" is enrolled in a university, the other just got accepted to start next year. My "kiddos" aren't kiddos any more. :(

@rdtsc My son did help film the working gadget though.

I know the feeling! I have a 22-year old, a senior in highschool, and soon-to-be a freshman. Unfortunately none have even the slightest interest in engineering.

You should email a link to your local schools. It's these "easily accessible" tidbits which get a young mind thinking about new things.

@rdtsc My son got accepted into a mechanical engineering program. He's not much interested in the electrical parts, but he's making a CAD model of my oscilloscope camera so I can have a better one 3D printed.

@ScientistSmithYT on the page JRE linked, there's a decent explanation under Energy stored in an inductor

Wikipedia - Energy stored in an inductor

I bought a 3D printer. Indespensible! I've made numerous things with it. About to make a new lid for this coffee mug. :)

@rdtsc What do you use to design things? My son is using some CAD program with a student version that he got somewhere, but it crashes frequently. It isn't really even a CAD program. It's some kind of 3D simulation software, and it includes a 3D modeller.

Can use pretty much anything which will spit out a 3D model in .stl format. I use Blender, but that's rather complex to learn. Most entrants will use something like TinkerCAD (online, free) to make the models. Once you have the model, you "slice" it using a program such as Slic3r or Cura (again free) to make the gcode which the 3D printer can understand.

@rdtsc I've played with Blender. Powerful program, not easy to use. My son seems to be able to use his program pretty easily - it just crashes too often.

Have him try out TinkerCAD --> STL file --> Cura. :)

OK.

@W5VO Thanks I'll look at it

@JRE Thanks for the link.

@JRE In my electrical technician Job at UTA I basically do the same job as an electrical engineer and also tell them what to do. A friend of mine got me the job. He said he sees great potential in me. The benefits are so so. Just the usual job perks. The usual stuff. Nothing as good as my other job where I'm an onsite electrical technician. I repair, organize and manage the workers and electrical systems there. But nothing has broken down in a while. Which is great.

@JRE The job at UTA encompasses a few things.

@JRE I'm really into electrical stuff. But I would care less if my kids didn't want to do what I want to do. I would care the most if they did what they always have wanted to do. As long as it's not illegal.

Because that's exactly what I'm doing. I'm getting there and maybe this next year I'll have a building for science demonstrations. Specifically geared to handle explosions, fires and acids. The catch is that it's free. Anyone can walk in look around or do an experiment gather results.

Then leave and come back at any time. I want it to be open 24/7 so anyone can do what they want and at any time. I want my building to give fuel to curious minds and hopefully make the next generation too smart. Which would cause colleges to up there game on education. I want to greatly accelerate common knowledge in the next generation.

1 person has told me that is impossible. But from talking to so many other people. They say that the goal isn't actually that impossible. They say it is very possible for me. They say that it is very possible because of my potential that everyone keeps talking about. At times I go through discouraging times. But my determination is what gets me up to make myself even smarter and better every single day. I try to learn things in the most efficient, precise, accurate and fastest manner possible.

I don't waste valuable time.

So this book I'm working with is trying to explain the quality factor to me. But I really don't get the explanation. It's telling me that at resonance, the resistive component of the RLC circuit has a voltage equal to that across the entire circuit. Therefore there must not be any voltage or potential difference across the inductor or capacitor.

Then they say that occurs because the impedance of the inductor and capacitor are equal $$\omega L = \frac{1}{\omega C}$$

Therefore $$ \omega_{0} = \frac{1}{\sqrt{LC}}$$

Which, when combined with $$Q = \frac{X_{L}}{X_{R}} = \frac{X_{L}}{R}$$

Allows us to deduce that: $$Q = \frac{1}{R} \times \sqrt{\frac{L}{C}}$$

I don't understand the last step there. I can't find out how combining the quality factor equation and the value of resonance frequency gives that result