3.16 Billion Cycles
May 14th, 2009“3.16 Billion Cycles” is a clock designed by Che-Wei Wang. 1 cycle takes 1 seconds, 3.16 billion cycles will take 100 years. After that time the clock will fall apart due to the gap in the outer arc.
A 60 rpm (revolutions per minute) motor drives the entire mechanism. It rotates once every second. The following pulley rotates once every 5 seconds (1:5 ratio). The next rotates once every 60 seconds or 1 minute. Then 5 minutes, 1 hour, 1 day, 1 month, 1 year, and 1 decade. The decade wheel carries the load of the large arc. The large arc rotates once every century. The final ratio between the 60 rpm motor and the large arc is approximately 1:31.6 billion.
Each wheel is marked with a black nut to highlight a position that could be tracked over time. Along the arc, 100 lines mark the divisions of each passing year. When the clock finally reaches the end of a 100 year cycle, the arc falls off its track onto the floor.
May 15th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
[...] Zeit zum Staunen über dieses Kunstwerk: 3.16 Billion Cycles von Che-Wei Wang, gefunden bei today and tomorrow. Geschrieben in [...]
May 18th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
I guess this gets filed under ‘art for art’s sake?’ Otherwise…ummm…why?
May 18th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
I have a feeling this thing will run slower then intended, because I doubt it was made with friction in mind.
May 18th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
I don’t think that is going to be exact that years, because like Ergo Says, the friction is a big factor here, and the tension of the wire, and the tolerance that it has it need to be almost perfect and I doubt it. I’m sure that in 50 years that tension of the wire isn’t going to be the same. But it’s a great Mechanical design
May 19th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
You can now measure how much time you have on your hands
May 24th, 2009 at 9:35 am
pulleys? Not on something that should last 100 years. automobiles; serpentine belts.
August 17th, 2009 at 4:27 am
cool design and interesting concept. love it
August 18th, 2009 at 5:24 am
a lot depends on the materials it’s made of. Not only will it slow down, but the metal and cables o the pullies have to not break for 100 years.
August 20th, 2009 at 6:22 am
It’s creative and interesting, but a digital clock would be more useful. By the time I figure out what time it is, it’s not that time anymore, it’s a new time, which I have to then figure out.
December 10th, 2009 at 9:09 am
Its an art project. Dont take it so seriously.
December 19th, 2009 at 4:45 am
Ergo, if you thought of involving friction, why do you assume they wouldn’t?