Free energy machines, perpetual motion machines - secret technologies or a hoax?

They are called free energy machines or simply perpetual motion machines ... Ever since the time when mankind put electricity to its service, the tireless minds of inventors have been looking for a brilliant solution - a source of free energy without the need for any kind of fuel. What can I say, historians have always found technical sketches of “perpetual motion machines”.

Here and there, now more often than in ancient times, one can find projects of “perpetual motion machines”. Let’s take a closer look at this problem and see what does exist and what it actually is.

From the point of view of science

Educated people are well aware that the perpetual motion machine cannot work in principle, this does not need to be proved. But since the debate does not subside in any way, this requires attention. The eternal engine, if it were a real device, would violate the laws of thermodynamics, which are actually indestructible, the world rests on them.

The first law of thermodynamics tells us that the energy of a closed system always remains constant. And if part of the energy from the system is removed, for example, in the form of rotation of a loaded rotor, then the same amount of energy will have to be returned to the system from somewhere.

The second law of thermodynamics tells us that in an isolated system the entropy cannot decrease. Heat will not flow from the area with lower temperature to the area with higher temperature, doing the job. The eternal engine, if it were real, would violate these unshakable laws.

Perpetual magnet motor

On the permanent magnet designs inventors of all time had particular hopes. Magnets arranged in a circle should push the rotor and maintain its rotation forever. So it would be possible to make the perfect motor.

Inventors all over the Internet shout about thousands of such projects, and some manage to show video of a working device. Ostensibly kinetic energy exceeds costs (mechanical or electrical), and once launched, such an engine will spin and spin continuously. How to understand this?

Anyone who calls their engine perpetual is mistaken. Often the inventor does not have a physical education at all, and he does not even have an elementary idea of ​​the principles of operation of mechanical and electrical systems.

But a person can sincerely and deeply, honestly err. He can show calculations and graphs, but he himself does not fully understand what is happening in his device. Speaking that he violated the laws of nature, which has unique knowledge, such a grief-inventor shows only his lack of elementary knowledge.

The history of the search for the “perpetual motion machine” goes back centuries ...

Some of the earliest perpetual motion models date back to the 12th century. The wheel of Bhaskara is very popular, the curved spokes of which are half filled with mercury, and supposedly during the rotation of the wheel the liquid tends down from the axis in the direction of rotation of the wheel and to the axis when the spokes move upward, the lever action should rotate the wheel continuously.

This design is called the “wheel with a constantly shifted center of gravity,” and is repeated in different variations over the centuries.

Willard’s wheel - with hammers, a Tokkola wheel - with levers, even Leonardo da Vinci drew a series of such wheels with an offset balance, although he understood that it would not be possible to get eternal rotation from such a wheel.

They say that da Vinci owns a statement that sounds something like this: “designing such a wheel, which has many balancing parts to maintain rotation, will always lead to a stop, this is self-deception; although the heavier parts are further from the axis, their moment is greater, but the driving force of the wheel remains unchanged. "

A special position in the history of ever-rotating wheels was awarded to Johann Bessler. Many wheels were built by this German watchmaker in the early 18th century. The pendulum brought the wheel into rotation, but the mechanism itself was hidden.

Many supported the illusionist, recognizing his talent as a watchmaker, although they considered him an illusionist. One of the Bessler wheels rotated continuously for 53 days, although no one was allowed into the guarded engine room ...

Physics always takes its own, no matter how you name the mechanism, what abstruse terminology you can’t whip. In 2006, the Orbo device was announced, which turned out to be a simple magnetic motor, and its demonstrations failed, it was worth disconnecting the battery. For decades, John Searle said that he built a motor generator on magnets, with which his saucer flew.

Some confidently claim that a coil of wire is capable of generating electricity.

Rodina’s coil, according to its author, Marco Rodina, allegedly uses the principle of vortex mathematics he invented and works like that.

The eternal engine of Tain Haines, under the interesting name of Perpetti bi-toroidal transformer, turned out to be an ordinary electric motor, which, according to Haynes himself, produces more energy than it consumes.

Many fans of perpetual motion refer to Nikola Tesla and on his articles. But Tesla never declared the possibility of creating a "perpetual motion machine." Tesla was only considering the possibility of efficiently using heat transferred from one place to another, from a warm region to a cold one. Tesla did not even stutter about the possibility of violating the laws of thermodynamics, he only wanted to use it more efficiently.

But many "perpetual motion machines" are patented

There is a serious argument in favor of the so-called perpetual motion machines, which sounds like this: "many of them are patented." The fact is that the patent indicates the originality of the invention, but cannot serve as one hundred percent confirmation of its performance. In fact, most patented “perpetual motion machines” fail in testing, and in most countries they have not been patented for a long time.

The “Requirement of Applicability” was introduced in the USA - the device must be really applicable, and until a really working sample is presented - nothing will be patented in the USA.

You don’t have to go far for examples. Joseph Newman in the 80s developed his own gyroscopic and electromagnetic theory, and on this basis he invented the motor. He was denied patenting, because the described principle simply violated the fundamental laws of nature. Newman's appeal was denied. He even filed a lawsuit against the patent committee later, and the court ordered an examination.

The expert carefully studied Newman’s design and realized that the inventor, although sincerely, was mistaken in his theories, but admitted that there was more energy at the output than at the input. The Bureau of Standardization came to conclusions that did not coincide with the conclusions of the expert, the motor was recognized as a direct current to alternating current converter, by the way, the efficiency of the converter was inferior to the already known ones. One way or another, the final court decision was not in Newman's favor.

Conspiracy theories

Discussions about the possibility or impossibility of a real “perpetual motion machine” are ongoing, and conspiracy theories cannot be omitted here. The main argument of conspiracy theorists is that governments support oil tycoons and suppress inventors. Various thematic sites and conspiracy films support such views.

But upon careful examination, there is no suppression. On YouTube, videos daily appear with running "perpetual motion machines." Suppression probably doesn't work.

Many people have been defending their idea for decades, and no one pursues or interferes with them in search of free energy. Patents remain available, videos remain on YouTube, books continue to be printed. Who is suppressing that?

Why are they looking for a “perpetual motion machine”?

The essence of this social phenomenon seems to be that the impossibility of violating physical laws accepted in science encourages seekers and is a strong motivation for them.Science fiction lovers turn into scientists who take the liberty of casting doubt on strong scientific foundations in the name of either fulfilling their dream of free energy, or because of a desire to find a simple and quick solution to all problems. The same applies to the development of superpowers, psychic superpowers and other obsessions of our time. Dreams are inexhaustible.

Are they all charlatans?

In fairness, it is worth suggesting that not all honest inventor-innovators are just dreamers. Many of them, obviously, simply cannot correctly explain the work of their inventions, and because of this they look like charlatans in the eyes of real scientists. Those seekers who do not seek fame and money, who are devoted to their good goals, can only wish them success in their work. There is much in the world, friend Horatio, which our sages did not dream of ...