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CYR HOURGLASS GRAVITY GENERATOR
Hackaday.io — Digikey Green Powered Challenge
Submitted: March 16, 2026
Author: Alan Cyr / Wolf13 · CYR Technologies · Chicago, IL
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PROJECT OVERVIEW
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A self-flipping gravity engine and gravity battery that generates continuous
electrical power from mass and height alone. No fuel. No coastline. No
reservoir. No terrain requirements. Deployable anywhere on Earth.

The Hourglass Gravity Generator uses a counterweight-driven dipole swap
mechanism to flip automatically at the 50% balance point — no motor, no
electronics, no external input required. A master flywheel on a common axle
with individual centrifugal clutches per unit eliminates the zero-torque dead
point at each flip, producing smooth continuous shaft output.

Two units staggered in phase = 100% continuous generation.
Eight units (Fibonacci F6) = 520W firm output.
Tower-scale (100m³, 5m height) = 15.9kW gravity storage.

HOW IT WORKS — THREE PHASES
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PHASE A (0–50%): Water weight in top chamber drives turbine through
Fibonacci-tapered neck. Counterweight arm retracted — minimal drag.
Flywheel spinning up on common axle.

BALANCE POINT (50%): Net torque passes through zero — the dipole swap.
Centrifugal clutch engages master flywheel automatically. Flywheel
drives the flip through the dead point. Clutch releases as torque resumes.
No electronics. No sensors. The torque drop IS the trigger.

PHASE B (50–100%): Counterweight now drives rotation in the same
direction — same shaft, continuous generation. Water now in bottom
chamber, ready to reload via ratchet refill system.

INNOVATIONS STACKED
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1. DIPOLE SWAP MECHANISM
   At 50% balance point torque passes through zero — polarity reversal.
   Water side becomes counterweight side. Same rotational direction
   continues through the null point. Exact mechanical analogue of a
   magnetic dipole reversal. No motor required. The counterweight
   completes the flip automatically.

2. FIBONACCI-TAPER NECK
   Each stage narrows by 1/sqrt(phi) = 0.786. Three-stage taper
   multiplies water velocity by phi^3 = 4.24x at turbine face.
   +8-12% turbine efficiency over straight-bore geometry.
   Same phi-spiral geometry as nautilus shell — nature's optimal
   fluid acceleration path.

3. MASTER FLYWHEEL + CENTRIFUGAL CLUTCH ARRAY
   One master flywheel on common axle. Individual centrifugal clutch
   per unit. Clutch engages automatically when torque drops at flip
   point — no counter, no sensor, no electronics required.
   More units on axle = higher flywheel spin rate = stronger flip assist.
   System improves with scale automatically.

4. RATCHET REFILL SYSTEM — 3-ARM AND 4-ARM CONFIGURATIONS
   3-ARM (Y configuration, 120° spacing): Top chamber fills from
   tower flow or pumped input. Y-split routes overflow to two lower
   collection arms. Water drop at each junction point extends
   counterweight arm one ratchet step — locks position. 2 full
   rotations = 2 fill sessions. Self-sustaining. No external pump.

   4-ARM (Cross configuration, 90° spacing): Same principle with
   four arms at 90°. Opposed pairs give perfect lateral balance.
   Four ratchet steps per cycle — finer increments, smoother torque.
   Better suited to tower-scale and high-cycle-rate applications.

5. MULTI-UNIT COMMON AXLE CASCADE
   Units staggered in phase on common axle. Each unit drives the
   master flywheel during Phase A and Phase B. Units at flip point
   draw briefly from flywheel via clutch. Shaft torque always
   positive. No dead points ever in...