Ok .. here is the cleaned up sim I made yesterday - it compares a blue polygon ring/hoop mounted onto a 1 gm disk in contact with the track, against, a red pseudo ring of 4 weights mounted near the rim - they don't have exactly the same MOI's but close - the track elasticity is set to ZERO as per yesterday ..
Comments .. A couple of things to watch in the sim and animation ..
1. we expect a little static and rolling frictions to erode some of the original GPE at start for final/Total GPE recovered .. but we see the pseudo red wt ring is WAY DOWN of GPE Recovered - and that is primarily because it didn't get any KER going until about a third down the slope (but note both were together until then) .. its KET was about normal ..
2. So, not developing full GPE Recovery nor KER ! .. so it must be SLIPPING the first third, and this doesn't allow the KER the build up steadily to give it the extra angular momentum push to climb back up to similar heights .. and slipping isn't aiding the KET component significantly ..
If the slope was a gentle one, either straight of curved they would regain the same GPE height or similar imo ..
** I have no idea how to fix this slippage anomaly unless they can be rack and pinion type geared (no frictions) ..
Somebody may have a better explanation for the energy loss or workaround ..
** lever and attached weights swinging around are perfectly fine and reliable - 'Buyer Beware' .. this steep rolling situation can be suspect it seems ..
.................
.................