The perpetual motion machine

Perpetual motion machines are supposed to work continuously without any energy input. This would appear to be the perfect answer to the energy crisis that threatens our existence. In other words, it would equate to the concept of free energy.

The idea that a machine could work continuously has fascinated humans for centuries. The history of perpetual motion dates back to the Middle Ages. The earliest such machine, known as the magic wheel, has been traced back to Bavaria. Bhaskara, a mathematician and astronomer, built the Bhaskara wheel. Leonardo Da Vinci was against the idea but drew up sketches for such ideas nevertheless.

In 1900, Nikola Tesla was also taken up by the idea, stating a departure from known methods – possibility of a "self-acting" engine or machine, inanimate, yet capable, like a living being, of deriving energy from the medium – the ideal way of obtaining motive power.

In recent times, the term ‘perpetual motion’ has been replaced by ‘overunity device’.

Perpetual motion machines are of three major types.

Devices that purport to deliver more energy from a falling or turning body than is required to restore those devices to their original state. The most common of these, and the oldest, is the overbalanced wheel, as seen in the diagram.

The second type uses heat, like the ammonia-filled “zero motor” developed in the 1880s by John Gamgee in Washington, D.C.

The third type tries to achieve continuous motion, which would supposedly be possible if hindrances like mechanical friction and electrical resistivity could be eliminated. In fact, such forces can be significantly reduced, but they can never be eliminated without expending additional energy. This is an area of interest. Currently, it takes a lot of energy to create such low friction and low resistivity. However, superconductor research is achieving some of these goals. However, the term ‘perpetual’ might not be suitable for these machines.

An interesting machine that deserves a mention here is the Oxford electric bell. It has been working for nearly 170 years already. It is powered by a dry cell made of zinc and magnesium discs. No one seems to know why this bell has been working for so long or when it will stop working. The answer would be found by opening up the batteries, which no one wants to do because the bell is a real rarity. The bell has already rung 10 billion times.

Interestingly, the bell was built by an experimental philosopher. The term was used for physicists in those days.

There is an impossibility to these devices. This is due to the discovery of the 1^st and 2^nd laws of thermodynamics. The universal concept is that energy cannot be created or destroyed. Any motion would need a consistent input of energy to make it move for perpetuity.

Even though science dictates that such machines are not possible to build, the human mind continues to be fascinated by the idea. To this date, people are continuing to work on it, an idea that seems doomed to fail. The success of this idea could very well mean that the laws of thermodynamics might need revision.

The other side of the idea is that the machine will not let any energy out. Even though the idea seems fascinating, there is a darker side to the process. If a system keeps accumulating energy without letting it out, it increases the risk of explosion.

By: HAMZA HAMID, Class 12^th student at the Tyndale Biscoe School in Srinagar.