Perpetual motion machine
A perpetual motion machine, also known as a perpetuum mobile (Latin), refers to a hypothetical machine that keeps operating forever or produces more energy than it consumes. It is considered impossible by the laws of thermodynamics.
Thermodynamics
In thermodynamics one distinguishes between two sorts of perpetual motion machines:
- A perpetual motion machine of the first kind can hypothetically create energy out of nothing, or what amounts to the same thing, it supposedly can increase a given amount of energy without any energy input. A perpetual motion machine of the first kind is in contradiction the the first law of thermodynamics. The first law states that the amount of energy in the universe is constant, that is, if the energy content of a physical system seems to increase, this energy must have been transferred from somewhere else, it cannot have been created out of nothing.
- A perpetual motion machine of the second kind is a machine that extracts heat from a body, such as the sea or the earth and converts it into work (i.e., into useful mechanical or electric energy). Subsequently, the work generates heat that is given back to the body in the same amount as was originally extracted from it. This cycle does not violate the first law, but is in contradiction to the second law of thermodynamics. This law states that it is impossible to extract heat from a single body, and thereby cooling the body, without doing work. An air conditioner and a refrigerator need work (usually done by an electric motor) to transport heat from a cold to a warm place.
In summary, a perpetual motion machine of the first kind, which produces more energy than it consumes, breaks the first law of thermodynamics, the law of conservation of energy: "Energy cannot be created nor consumed, only transformed". A perpetual motion machine of the second kind breaks the second law of thermodynamics, which in its common version says "Work is needed to transport heat up a temperature slope".
Usage in frauds
It is not uncommon for people to claim to have a perpetual motion machine from which one could generate mechanical or electric energy. These people are usually very secretive about their work and need sponsors while claiming that the secrecy is to protect them from certain entities that might oppose systems that provide free energy.
Claims of feasible perpetual motion machines exist even now in the twenty first century. In particular, the Yubileiny (Jubilee) satellite launched by the Russians in May 2008 was reported to use a perpetual motion machine, called gravitsapa, for propulsion.[1][2] Russian publications indicate that huge funds were spent to test the machine. As of March 2010, there has been no official statement from the Russian government regarding the reported use of a perpetual motion machine in the Yubileiny satellite. Later, the clame for the perpetual motion was denounced, but the claim for the support-less propulsion by gravitsapa remains at least until the beginning of year 2010, giving the way to measure the absolute speed of the inertioid, just dividng the power it spends for the propulsion by the support-less force it provides. [3]
Patent system
Since patent systems were put into use, they have received a number of patent requests for perpetual motion machines. The U.S. Patent Office now requires a working prototype in order to grant a patent for a perpetual motion machine.[4]
References
- ↑ The Yubileiny satellite was so named because it was launched to commemorate the 50th anniversary (Jubilee anniversary) of the launching of Sputnik 1, the first man-made satellite.
- ↑ Russian scientists test perpetual motion machine in space Pravda,April 14, 2009: "Valery Menshikov, the director of the Institute for Space Systems, said that the machine was installed in the Yubileiny satellite which was launched into orbit almost a year ago. The satellite can now move from one orbit to another with the help of the engine, which discharges no reaction mass."
- ↑ Support of non-traditional concepts, D.Kouznetsov. Preprint, Institute of Laser Science (ILS), Japan, 2010. Preprint, Institute of Laser Science, Japan, 2010
- ↑ Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP), 8th Edition, 2001, Latest revision: July 2008 608.03 Models, Exhibits, Specimens [R-3]: "With the exception of cases involving perpetual motion, a model is not ordinarily required by the (Patent) Office to demonstrate the operability of a device."