Posted by Nik Hall (195.74.96.28) on August 09, 2002 at 17:23:11:
In Reply to: Re: Costa Wheel Pictures posted by Scott Ellis on August 09, 2002 at 00:26:15:
: Sure. There are a couple on these pages. Be sure to click the thumbnails to see the high-resolution versions of the images:
: a href=""ttp://nseo.com/aldocosta/
One of the text blocks talks about the wheel functioning in a 'closed loop' system. Yet the costa wheel, because of its size, is manifestly NOT in a closed loop and is liable to all sorts of additional inputs of energy from a variety of sources. The slightest differential of energy input between say upward movement and downward movement of the radial elements could result in a slight turning force.
For example, if one side of the arms was painted matt black and the other side was shiny white, there would be differential expansion due to radiant energy from the sun ==> it would imbalance. This is probably not the way it works, but you can see the point...
But this would NOT be 'perpetual motion' as classically understood. “Per Se” means “of itself” i.e. self powered. John Collins points out, rightly, that Bessler's wheel was also NOT a perpetual motion wheel (classically understood)- it involved a fresh input of additional energy from gravity during rotation.
This is not how Bessler understood it - but it is perfectly possible to make something which works and yet be unable to articulate the correct physics.
The problem with the Costa wheel is that it is on such a scale that it is virtually impossible to eliminate additional energy sources - and so it may be unverifiable in principle.
Sure is big though.... :)
Nick