Jump to content

Are Perpetual Generators

Featured Replies

Lately I have thought al lot about perpetual motion. I know that it's not possible, but what if you have a wind generator type machine. Instead of having it being powered by the wind, it has weights that extend out as they spin and retract as the reach the top of the machine. After a while it will lose momentum and slow down. I realize that that will happen but what if u made it so that the generator uses 10% of the power created to start the "perpetual" cycle over. Then it becomes endless. All the machine needs is a push to get it started and then it does the rest by itself. It's Infinite energy.

Lately I have thought al lot about perpetual motion. I know that it's not possible, but what if ....

no.

Something will always go wrong and you will not produce perpetual motion from such mechanical devices. Usually in designing such machines you assume ideal components or more often than not forget to take some power source or drain into account. You idea reminds me of some classical designs; which of course do not work.

Not sure if I understand the idea, so the following may not apply here: It sounds tempting to think of vertical rotors in which the torque is extended on the "downwards side" and removed on the "upwards side", e.g. by extending and shortening arms of the rotor. However: In a cyclic process with no outside interference each tiny element in your construction, say each atom, follows a closed cyclic path. I.e. ignoring losses after one cycle the net energy gain/loss of each atom is the same as at the start of the cycle. Hence, the total energy is the same.

 

(btw.: This is not a standard argument against such constructions - it's one I just came up with that sounds somewhat convincing to me, and which does not require to go through all the details of the mechanism that extends the weights on the "downwards side")

  • Author

 

Where does this energy come from?

Well once it's started (moving), it'll generate power, so that's when it uses 10%

Well once it's started (moving), it'll generate power, so that's when it uses 10%

 

But then it has an output that's 10% smaller, which you will not quite replace because no system even hits 100% efficiency.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.