Electromechanical prototyping · Completed
Custom Brushless Motor
A hand-built brushless motor proof of concept that progressed through winding experiments to a 3D-printed assembly with custom speed measurement and Arduino-based control.
Proof-of-concept motor
This independent electromechanical experiment began with a flat arrangement of three coils and four magnets. After testing approximately four or five winding configurations, Owen moved toward more conventional motor geometry using a 3D-printed housing, hand-wound coils, bearings and rotating parts, and a magnet arrangement inspired by a Halbach array. An electronic speed controller was driven by a custom Arduino-based PWM setup.
Measurement system
To measure rotation, Owen built an Arduino Nano optical counter using an IR sensor and reflective tape. Early readings exposed a multiple-trigger-per-revolution problem, which he identified and addressed. The resulting test indicated an estimated peak speed of approximately 24,000 RPM.
Reported result
The assembled motor ran and the optical system produced an estimated peak near 24,000 RPM. The value was not independently validated with calibrated instrumentation, so it is reported as an estimate rather than a certified performance figure.
Mechanical and thermal limits
Bearing fit, 3D-print tolerances, mechanical rubbing, heat generation, and material softening limited sustained operation. These failures were useful: they connected electromagnetic design choices with manufacturing accuracy, friction, thermal behaviour, and material selection. The motor is presented as an educational proof of concept rather than a production-ready design.
Possible next tests
Future iterations could use improved bearing alignment, more heat-resistant materials, refined tolerances, calibrated rotational measurement, and structured comparisons of coil and magnet configurations. These improvements have not yet been completed.
Evidence note
Speed is described as an approximate prototype measurement. The project is evidence of iterative design and testing, not a claim of independently certified motor performance.
Development, step by step.
Flat motor experiments
Tested an initial three-coil, four-magnet arrangement and several winding configurations.
Conventional geometry
Built a 3D-printed motor with hand-wound coils, bearings, rotating components, and a Halbach-inspired magnet arrangement.
Optical RPM counter
Created an Arduino Nano and IR sensor measurement tool, then corrected a multiple-trigger issue.
Limit-driven learning
Used rubbing, bearing fit, heat, and material softening to identify the prototype’s practical constraints.