🚀 go-pugleaf

mcdermid@hcl.com wrote:
> 
> In <31b75faa.504355@netline-fddi.jpl.nasa.gov>, kdq@emoryi.jpl.nasa.gov (Kevin D. Quitt) writes:
> >No, actually is powered by changes in temperature.  But the question was
> >"close" to perpetual montion, and this clock is as close as you're going to
> >get.  Which makes it interesting.
> >
> 
> I suppose that depends on your definition of "close".  To me, "close to perpetual
> motion" would mean a device with very close to 0 energy loss while moving.
> I don't think this clock qualifies, since it could be arbitrarily inefficient, as long
> as the power system was able to generate enough power to keep it going
> despite the inefficiency.  Consider a wristwatch powered by a steam engine
> attached to a generator.  Even with a total energy conversion efficiency
> of .01% the generator could keep that small a load going.
> 
> Of course, I imagine the Atmos clock _is_ pretty efficient to work from just
> temperature changes, but I'm sure you could do better.
> 
> The best I can come up with is a top spinning on a diamond point in a vacuum.
> It would help if the surface it was sitting on was made of diamond too, I
> suppose.  Best if it was made of something non-conducting too, so stray
> magnetic fields didn't affect it.
> 
> I imagine that would keep going for a pretty long time.
> 
> Another good one is a closed loop of superconductor with a current flowing
> through it.  That'd probably keep going for quite a while too.
> 
> -- Rob
> ===============================================================================
> Robert McDermid     (Hummingbird Communications Ltd.)
> mcdermid@hcl.com     Unless otherwise stated above, all opinions are my own
>                      and do not reflect the views of Hummingbird Communications
> ===============================================================================

Both systems you describe seem to be an energy storage, but not an engine in usual 
sense. And making energy storages 100% efficient is not so hard as long as it is 
mechanical work you are storing: a spring for instance.

- Andreas Haffner