Randall wrote:f you are talking about a strict contiguous path of weights around a center point where such weights impart their weight at each point where they are within the wheel, I totally agree that it won't turn, and the mgh=KE is a valid justification in such a case.
We both agree!
Randall wrote:However, when you consider that the force of a weight can be felt in one part of the wheel and then manipulated to be felt in a different part of the wheel through simple linkeages/mechanisms, then the whole mgh=KE is a bit difficult to apply as proof of impossibility.
If the "weight" is felt in a different part of the wheel through linkages then once again everything balances.
Randall wrote:Another way to say it is that mgh=KE is valid only for uniform acceleration of a mass, so if you change when and where it's mass affects the wheel (through a gravity driven mechanism), you've changed the acceleration of the mass in terms of magnitude and/or direction and can't rely on the mgh=KE forumal. The door is wide open to see how such manipulation could produce the desired OOB effect.
Now you're getting closer to the truth. No longer are you talking about simple gravitational up and down acceleration. You are now talking about changing/ fluctuating inertial momentum. And in some specific cases inertial momentum is called CF. Of course gravity can play a roll, but if the motion creates the extra force then gravity is only a minor auxilary player and can most likely be eliminated.
And as I stated, I feel we should be looking for motion as a cause whereby forces become unbalanced, rather than always looking at gravity.
Randal wrote:but I've not seen evidence that would preclude all gravity driven mechanisms.
I don't preclude a mechanism that uses gravity as a driving force, but I do preclude it as being a primary or main driving force. See your first quote above as evidence. A weight must be lifted before it can fall and produce rotational force from gravity. If a weight gives up energy while falling so as to rotate the wheel then it will not have enough momentum energy to lift back up to the top against gravity. Therefore in order for a PM wheel to work the moving/swinging weight must cause energy to be derived from the motion of the weights rather than from gravity.
Bill wrote:I guess the only problem I have with your CF proposal is that there is no available demonstration that shows it as a real energy source. Actually, it's observed to be wholly conservative like gravity, as you know.
Yes, I understand your concerns. I would love to post my explanation and show how I think it can be done. But patent laws being what they are I cannot do that just yet. The method does not seem to be "wholly conservative" as you say, but rather when the wheel rotates the weights swing and never again reach equilibrium until the wheel stops rotating. CF causes the weights to start swinging and when they are swinging CF causes them to swing even faster. Of course a weight swinging on a wheel must reach an end of swing. It's at that point that the weights are heard to bang against the wheel, thus driving it forward. Or optionally (like the early wheels) the swinging force can lift the weights OOB.
I'm working on building a POP wheel, but I'm an old man that no longer moves very fast and I'm a horrible procrastinator. One thing that has bugged me was how the bi-directional wheels might work using my method. Today I've cracked that nut. It's like John Collins suggests, two units placed side by side with one backward. The CF of the backward unit causes its weights to not swing and they just ride around on the wheel.
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