tim@cmu-cs-k.ARPA (Tim Maroney) (03/24/85)
Although it's fairly obvious that the machine under discussion is a hoax, as evidenced by the conflicting stories the inventor gives about its mode of operation if nothing else, there isn't anything inherently ludicrous about extracting energy from the Earth's magnetic field, is there? After all, it does have the ability to do work -- just look at what happens with a compass needle. However, I have no idea what the theoretical maximum of extractable energy is. Can one of you physics types tell me, or correct my speculation? -=- Tim Maroney, Carnegie-Mellon University, Networking ARPA: Tim.Maroney@CMU-CS-K uucp: seismo!cmu-cs-k!tim CompuServe: 74176,1360 audio: shout "Hey, Tim!"
harmon_c@h-sc1.UUCP (david harmon) (03/31/85)
> Although it's fairly obvious that the machine under discussion is a hoax, as > evidenced by the conflicting stories the inventor gives about its mode of > operation if nothing else, there isn't anything inherently ludicrous about > extracting energy from the Earth's magnetic field, is there? After all, it > does have the ability to do work -- just look at what happens with a compass > needle. However, I have no idea what the theoretical maximum of extractable > energy is. Can one of you physics types tell me, or correct my speculation? > -=- > Tim Maroney, Carnegie-Mellon University, Networking > ARPA: Tim.Maroney@CMU-CS-K uucp: seismo!cmu-cs-k!tim > CompuServe: 74176,1360 audio: shout "Hey, Tim!" There is one problem with machines drawing energy form the earths magnetic field. The energy yaken from the field must be taken from somewhere. For example, if you use a dynamo effect (you can keep a space platform in orbit with a few solar panels this way) the energy is taken from the Earth's energy of rotation. Naturally, this will cause problems only for the NBS in the near future, though I have not worked out the effects of a widespread industry based on something like it. By the way, NBS is the National Bureau of Standards, who among other things are responsible for setting the time by dawn and sunset. Dave Harmon harmon@h-sc1.arpa
swift@reed.UUCP (Theodore Swift) (04/06/85)
Earth's energy >of rotation. Naturally, this will cause problems only for the NBS in the near >future, though I have not worked out the effects of a widespread industry based >on something like it. By the way, NBS is the National Bureau of Standards, who >among other things are responsible for setting the time by dawn and sunset. > Dave Harmon > harmon@h-sc1.arpa Wouldn't the above suggested method of generating power also tend to take energy from the orbit?, i.e., unless you fire a rocket to replace lost momentum, your orbit decays. As for the earth slowing, there is much more drag from tidal effects than would be noticable from a space station. If I'm wrong on this, as I was wrong about the lifting power of hydrogen, lemme know.