Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Technology => Topic started by: dutchiexx on 15/11/2016 02:22:04

Title: can we get free energy by using perpetual motion in outer space?
Post by: dutchiexx on 15/11/2016 02:22:04
i had an interesting idea recently, im no expert so i wouldnt know if it will work or not.

from my understanding of physics ( not much)  objects that are in motion will stay in motion until something stops it.
for example, if we go into space and throw a baseball, then that base ball will continue to move at a constant pace until something a external force prevents it from moving.
so why cant we use this concept to generate electricity?
if im not mistaken, a electric current is induced when a magnetic field passes through a copper coil or visa versa.
so why cant we go to space and spin a magnet or a coil to generate electricity?
i mean, the magnet or coil you spin will continue to spin until something stops it, its perpetual motion, all we would need to do is to design this generator in such a way that space junk cant interfere with it right?
if we can get a magnet to spin inside or near a copper coil then this magnet will spin for ever, thus, we can generate electricity for as long as this magnet or coil spins.
as for the issue of transmitting this electricity back to earth, i have seen technology that transmits electricity wirelessly, im sure that if we put effort into developing electricity wirelessly then we would eventually find a way to transmit electricity vast distances from space to us here on earth.

while on the topic of getting energy from space, why cant we use the earths natural magnetic field in some way that lets us generate electricity with it? maybe have a huge coil orbit around earth or something.
or even better yet, why cant we generate electricity in the same way that nature does? im talking about lightning. i have read that 1 lightning strike could consist of enough electricity to power a entire city for a week....think about it....nature generates this huge amounts of electricity during storms....scientist have said that what ever naturally occurs in nature can be recreated with human technology.
so why cant we simply induce a lightning storm in a jar or something? harvest the electricity from it..
Title: Re: can we get free energy by using perpetual motion in outer space?
Post by: Janus on 15/11/2016 03:41:46
i had an interesting idea recently, im no expert so i wouldnt know if it will work or not.

from my understanding of physics ( not much)  objects that are in motion will stay in motion until something stops it.
for example, if we go into space and throw a baseball, then that base ball will continue to move at a constant pace until something a external force prevents it from moving.
so why cant we use this concept to generate electricity?
if im not mistaken, a electric current is induced when a magnetic field passes through a copper coil or visa versa.
so why cant we go to space and spin a magnet or a coil to generate electricity?
i mean, the magnet or coil you spin will continue to spin until something stops it, its perpetual motion, all we would need to do is to design this generator in such a way that space junk cant interfere with it right?
if we can get a magnet to spin inside or near a copper coil then this magnet will spin for ever, thus, we can generate electricity for as long as this magnet or coil spins.
as for the issue of transmitting this electricity back to earth, i have seen technology that transmits electricity wirelessly, im sure that if we put effort into developing electricity wirelessly then we would eventually find a way to transmit electricity vast distances from space to us here on earth.

The moment you connect a load to this generator, current begins to flow, and this includes inside the copper coil. This turns it into an electromagnet, and with such a polarity that it will oppose the rotation of the magnet.  The magnet will slow in its rotation and eventually come to a stop.  We see the same type of thing a typical generator.  If the leads are connected to nothing, it can be fairly easy to turn, once a load is hooked up to it, it takes more effort to turn the generator at the same speed. You can only get the energy you put into a generator back out( and not even that due to losses)[/quote]

while on the topic of getting energy from space, why cant we use the earths natural magnetic field in some way that lets us generate electricity with it? maybe have a huge coil orbit around earth or something.[/quote]
The Earth's magnetic field is very weak, and the Earth doesn't turn very fast. You would need a Huge coil to generate any any amount of voltage, and you would lose the vast part of any energy to the resistance of the windings. You also have the same problem as above, the Earth would tend to drag the coil with it, and they would eventually match rotation.  Also, the Earth's magnetic poles don't rotate end to end, but rather wobble around the Earth's axis. Not the best situation.
Quote
or even better yet, why cant we generate electricity in the same way that nature does? im talking about lightning. i have read that 1 lightning strike could consist of enough electricity to power a entire city for a week....think about it....nature generates this huge amounts of electricity during storms....scientist have said that what ever naturally occurs in nature can be recreated with human technology.
so why cant we simply induce a lightning storm in a jar or something? harvest the electricity from it..

The energy needed to "induce" lightning in the jar would exceed the energy you would get from harvesting the energy from the lightning.

There are three laws that rule how we can deal with energy.
1. You can't win (You can't get more energy out of a system than was put in)
2. You can't break even. (You can't even get all of the energy put into a system out as usable energy as there will always be losses)
3  You can't get out of the game. (Everything in the universe is subject to rules 1 and 2.)
Title: Re: can we get free energy by using perpetual motion in outer space?
Post by: dutchiexx on 15/11/2016 04:01:08
i see, thanks, makes alot of sense, how ever, i cant agree that it takes more energy to create a artificial storm then what you would get out, i say this because nature creates lightning/ electricity without the input of any other energy, it literally generates electricity seemingly from nothing.its the process that matters.i think all we need to do recreate the process and i believe this can be done without any energy being put in.
lets keep in mind that there might be a way to induce the conditions that produces lighting using only natural elements that do the work for us....maybe.
Title: Re: can we get free energy by using perpetual motion in outer space?
Post by: Janus on 15/11/2016 05:11:16
i see, thanks, makes alot of sense, how ever, i cant agree that it takes more energy to create a artificial storm then what you would get out, i say this because nature creates lightning/ electricity without the input of any other energy, it literally generates electricity seemingly from nothing.its the process that matters.i think all we need to do recreate the process and i believe this can be done without any energy being put in.
lets keep in mind that there might be a way to induce the conditions that produces lighting using only natural elements that do the work for us....maybe.

A lot of energy goes into producing lightning, in the form of solar energy. It is the sun heating the Earth and atmosphere that creates thunder storms. The energy in the lightning will not exceed the energy from solar heating that went into forming the storm.
Title: Re: can we get free energy by using perpetual motion in outer space?
Post by: dutchiexx on 15/11/2016 12:57:15
well dang, i see, i overlooked the fact that the sun plays a role in it all, might as well just use solar panels.
there has to be a way to cheat physics, i mean, it would be totally pathetic if we are all trapped on this giant space ship we call earth with no way to explore the vastness of the universe we live in...its kinda like keeping a monkey in a cage its entire life while showing it photos of the outside world with no intention of ever letting it go outside....its time to boycott the universe!!
Title: Re: can we get free energy by using perpetual motion in outer space?
Post by: RD on 15/11/2016 16:41:17
... if we can get a magnet to spin inside or near a copper coil then this magnet will spin for ever ...

Nope: magnetic-field acts like a brake ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BeFoz3Ypo4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BeFoz3Ypo4)
Title: Re: can we get free energy by using perpetual motion in outer space?
Post by: Ethos_ on 15/11/2016 18:46:49
No. Perpetual motion assumes getting something for nothing and it will not work here on earth and is also not possible anywhere else, even in outer space PERIOD.
Title: Re: can we get free energy by using perpetual motion in outer space?
Post by: zx16 on 16/11/2016 17:18:25
No. Perpetual motion assumes getting something for nothing and it will not work here on earth and is also not possible anywhere else, even in outer space PERIOD.

Thanks Ethos, you say perpetual motion assumes getting something for nothing.  And that this won't work here on Earth, or in Space.

That sounds logical.   But I'd appreciate your further guidance on these points:

1.  On EARTH  -  consider a chemical battery, and a light-bulb.  When these are connected by a wire,  an electric-current  (ie, stream of electrons)  flows from the battery, to the bulb.  This makes the bulb glow and emit light - ie photons.  And this continues until the battery "runs down".  Then the bulb stops glowing and light goes out.

Ok. One might reasonably explain this by saying -  it's because electrons have got "used up" by being converted into photons.  However:

A. Has each individual electron been used up by being "drained" of its electric-charge?  And if not:
B. Has the total number of electrons in the battery been reduced?  And if not, where did the photonic light output come from?

2. In OUTER SPACE -  consider recent observations which seem to indicate that galaxies are speeding apart some 10% faster than they should.
Doesn't this suggest some of kind of space-energy, as yet not fully understood, which - referring back to dutchiexx's OP - we might make use of?

[Edited to acknowledge OP]

Title: Re: can we get free energy by using perpetual motion in outer space?
Post by: Ethos_ on 16/11/2016 23:31:56

Thanks Ethos, you say perpetual motion assumes getting something for nothing.  And that this won't work here on Earth, or in Space.

That sounds logical.   But I'd appreciate your further guidance on these points:

1.  On EARTH  -  consider a chemical battery, and a light-bulb.  When these are connected by a wire,  an electric-current  (ie, stream of electrons)  flows from the battery, to the bulb.  This makes the bulb glow and emit light - ie photons.  And this continues until the battery "runs down".  Then the bulb stops glowing and light goes out.

Ok. One might reasonably explain this by saying -  it's because electrons have got "used up" by being converted into photons.
In the case of a battery, it took energy to store an excess of electrons on one plate and a deficiency of them on the other plate. This imbalance in charge is the reason we can then extract that energy from this device. Now here is the kicker; The amount of energy used to create this imbalance is greater than the energy we can ever hope to extract. Thus negating the possibility of ever creating a battery that never looses it's charge.



Quote from: zx16



2. In OUTER SPACE -  consider recent observations which seem to indicate that galaxies are speeding apart some 10% faster than they should.
Doesn't this suggest some of kind of space-energy, as yet not fully understood, which - referring back to dutchiexx's OP - we might make use of?

[Edited to acknowledge OP]
The dynamics of universal expansion are the result of the big bang. And a great deal of the energy that was released from this event is still available for our use presently. As the law of Entropy explains, the ordered distribution of that energy will eventually become completely disordered resulting in no available energy for us or our descendants to use.

In the op's title, the first part; "can we get free energy" depends on how one defines "free". It may be true that we can take advantage of this energy, but doing so has a cost and the payee is the Law of Entropy. The second part; "by using perpetual motion in outer space." While there surely exists vast amounts of energy in outer space, defining it as perpetual is very misleading. Even though it would last us trillions and trillions of years, that ordered energy will finally become more and more disordered, therefore, nothing is perpetual, not even energy from outer space.

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