Irish company Steorn is back in the news with their perpetual motion machine. Having had their claims dismissed by a jury of scientists earlier this year, they're now appealing directly to the public by staging a demonstration of their machine in Dublin.
I still can't figure out if these guys really think they've developed a new, revolutionary technology, or if it's all a cynical publicity ploy.
So, it's a motor/generator set with a battery to 'start' the rotor. Problem is, can it do any useful work? Usually these setups are barely able to keep themselves running with zero load, and that's mostly because of the efficiency of electric motors.
Posted by John Paradox on Wed Dec 16, 2009 at 11:12 AM
Since the battery allegedly is only there to start the motor, once the motor is going, it should be possible to remove the battery from the circuit and have the motor continue to operate. Let's see Steorn do that (after a thorough examination of the set-up to insure that there is no other source of power, of course).
Posted by Cranky Media Guy on Wed Dec 16, 2009 at 05:52 PM
They've been busted, why are they still here? Admittedly, it is very impressive BS......
Posted by Canadarm on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 01:28 AM
*groan* Thought we'd been rid of those guys..
As for why they're still around, its because there is money to be made off of gullible investors, paticularly ones with more money than physics knowledge.
Posted by Robin Bobcat on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 02:39 AM
Oh right, it's an "over-unity" system that does substantially more work that the energy supplied by the "reservoir" (i.e. battery), and moreover it can run a generator that'll actually charge up that battery will the rotor is running!
So what was the result of the three year study by a panel of scientists picked by Steorn to study their amazing device's substantial output?
"The unanimous verdict of the Jury is that Steorn's attempts to demonstrate the claim have not shown the production of energy. The jury is therefore ceasing work."
I wonder why this so-called jury were so unable to detect this substantial output?
Posted by David B. on Fri Dec 18, 2009 at 04:40 PM
I am but a lowly Power and Chemical Production Student but from the tiny blurb in the video I heard two major things that make it suspect.
The Law of the Conservation of Energy for one.
Secondly, the implication that heat emitted is a form of usable energy. Motors on the whole are very inefficient machines due to three losses: friction, heat, and sound. There is no actual way to harness the heat of a motor (other than warming the interior of your car in winter) that I have heard of. Thats the paradox of perpetual motion. All outside forces acting on the motor would have to be eliminated and thats impossible. Matter will always act under the force of friction when moving, heat will be generated and in most cases sound.
I'm not sure of their motivation to try and hoax the world, and it must have been tongue in cheek as they must have known it would be declared a failure.
Too bad. They are right about one thing: if it were true it would change the world.
Posted by Rheanna on Thu Dec 24, 2009 at 01:05 AM
Why is anyone even debating this? I wish science was taught in schools these days.
Posted by Dave on Sat Jan 16, 2010 at 04:03 PM
I think we are debating it for the same reason that this hoax got so far before being debunked; because the prospect of perpetual motion is sensational, and their claims provocative. Debate is the cornerstone of science and the developement of scientific theory. Without the desire to question and probe how can one be 'scientifically minded'? As far as your wish that science be taught in school, it is (whether you think it's done successfully or not is another debate altogether) evidenced by the intelligent comments being left here. I wonder why you felt obliged to even comment if you find it all so tiresome.
Posted by Rheanna on Mon Jan 18, 2010 at 01:05 PM
If it really worked, they would be selling the power they were generating from it, not trying to sell the goose that lays the golden eggs, so to speak.
It would be like me saying "Hey, I've got a tree that grows money - I'll sell it to you for a million bucks"
Posted by Doug on Thu Nov 11, 2010 at 12:52 PM
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Comments
As for why they're still around, its because there is money to be made off of gullible investors, paticularly ones with more money than physics knowledge.
So what was the result of the three year study by a panel of scientists picked by Steorn to study their amazing device's substantial output?
"The unanimous verdict of the Jury is that Steorn's attempts to demonstrate the claim have not shown the production of energy. The jury is therefore ceasing work."
I wonder why this so-called jury were so unable to detect this substantial output?
The Law of the Conservation of Energy for one.
Secondly, the implication that heat emitted is a form of usable energy. Motors on the whole are very inefficient machines due to three losses: friction, heat, and sound. There is no actual way to harness the heat of a motor (other than warming the interior of your car in winter) that I have heard of. Thats the paradox of perpetual motion. All outside forces acting on the motor would have to be eliminated and thats impossible. Matter will always act under the force of friction when moving, heat will be generated and in most cases sound.
I'm not sure of their motivation to try and hoax the world, and it must have been tongue in cheek as they must have known it would be declared a failure.
Too bad. They are right about one thing: if it were true it would change the world.
It would be like me saying "Hey, I've got a tree that grows money - I'll sell it to you for a million bucks"