Continous energy source?

Distomak · 08-08-2003

I was looking at a new type of torch in a catalogue - using Faraday's idea of perptual energy (magnet passing through a coil) - basically you shake the torch to charge it. This got me thinking... what if you wired up a motor which would shake the torch to the energy store? Surely then you would create a sustainable shaking, thus causing the energy to be continuously generated.

Would this work?

wholloway · 08-08-2003

wholloway · 08-08-2003

It sounds like you delving into the relm of perpetual motion. People have been trying this for years with no results. It violates the second law of thermodynamics which states the entropy of the universe increases. An easy way to explain why this would not work is friction. The motor has friction, the magnet has friction, even electrical wires have friction (resistance). All this friction generates heat, the heat is lost to the atmosphere. Hence you always loose energy to heat. It takes more power to shake the flashlight, than the amount of power generated.

Hope this explains things a little. If you have more questions let me know.

Distomak · 08-09-2003

If you are generating friction, then surely wiring in a Friction motor as a secondary generator would allow compensation for this?

Tormod · 08-09-2003

Distomak, welcome to our forums!

You might want to read up on entropy. There is no way you can create any device which will create energy, feed this energy to a second device which in turn powers the first device - without bringing some sort of external energy into the equation. For example, the dynamo in a car engine recharges the battery which is used to help the motor going, which recharges the dynamo - but you need fuel, too.

Here's a start: http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/ENTRTHER.html

Tormod