I’m looking to make a very simple project, which is to turn this small ferris wheel constantly at a low rpm.
But I’m unsure what type of battery powered motor can provide high enough torque?
Hi,
you can use stepper motor.
DC motor not a good choose because you need to control a step not just a movement.
a steeper motor you can control a step and a speed between a step in coding, and it have a good torque
Looking at the wheel zoomed in I can’t see where you’ll drive it from. It seems to run directly on the axle so I’d also be concerned about the wear on either the wheel hub or the axle if you don’t install bearings or a bearing surface.
I’m not sure whether you intend to drive it from near the axle or near the rim. It’ll make a big difference to the speed of the motor. The motor would need far less torque and could run faster if you drive it from the rim. You’d also have an easier time with cable management if the motor was near the bottom.
There are a number of geared DC motors that’ll do the job (See https://cpc.farnell.com/search?st=geared%20dc%20motor) but I’d suggest starting with an idea of the speed you want it to turn, measure the diameter of the wheel at the point where you’ll drive it, and then with a little Pi you’ll be able to find a motor that runs at the right speed.
But again, I’d have a serious look at the hub and axle. If you run that continuously for a long enough time I think you might ruin it.