On the possibility of constructing devices capable of extracting energy from the forces of nature

S. K. Ghoshal, Madhusree Kole

The possibility of constructing new kinds of energy-generating machines by making use of the magnetic, buoyant, and electrostatic forces has been explored. A simple device capable of extracting energy from the permanent magnets has been fabricated. It makes use of both the attractive and repulsive forces between the pole-pieces of an electromagnet and those of a set of permanent magnets in sequential order to impart a unidirectional motion to a disc rotor along the rim of which pole-pieces of the permanent magnets are fixed pair-wise with regular spacing. The possibility of energy extraction by making use of antigravity forces has been demonstrated by another working device. The working of the contraption is based on the buoyant forces experienced by a float with the rise of water level in a tank, and translating this movement of the float into useful work through a lever and a crank-shaft system. Charging metal plates through electrostatic induction and subsequent discharging of the charged plates to generate electricity has been the basic principle of the third type of energy generating unit. The construction and working of these devices as well as their limitations and future prospects are discussed in this paper.