[Ask the Gulch] Galt's Motor? The electrostatic motor built by John Galt was, of course, misunderstood and misapplied by his employer of the time, but could it really be built?
Posted by gafisher 9 years ago to Ask the Gulch
The linked video suggests ... perhaps.
It's all a question of energy density. There is an electrostatic gradient in the atmosphere and the voltage difference is a function of distance between the surface and the point of measurement above the ground. Unfortunately, the power varies enormously from milliwatts per square meter to megawatts during a lightning strike.
It is not likely that Rand was trying to identify a real technology in her novel so any relationship between Galts motor and reality is strictly serendipitous. That is probably why AS is commonly listed as science fiction. There is also some confusion caused by the comment in AS1 that the Casimir effect was involved. Casimir effect is a measurement of a quantum dynamics force which is very different from atmospheric electricity. The interesting thing is that her description of Galts motor has stimulated thinking by some very smart people.
So, if an "impossible" space propulsion system exists, why not a Galt engine? Traditional perpetual motion engines, with mechanical systems that would require the abolition of friction to move, let alone provide a surplus of motive power, are of course ridiculous. However, Rand's Galt engine wasn't one of those, and used "electrostatic" energy. Nikola Tesla may have inspired her thinking by his search for creating such an engine. Are there undiscovered energy sources that might make the Galt engine possible? We've only scratched the surface of the peculiarities of quantum mechanics, so we may yet discover the answer to that question.
A field mill is a rotating variable capacitor that alternately exposes and hides its vanes to atmospheric electricity. It converts the static field into an AC signal. You don't get much for power out if it, probably microwatts, but the signal tells you the electric condition of the atmosphere above it.
The field mill is used by researchers studying thunderstorms and by rocket-launch crews planning to avoid dangerous lightning strikes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_m...
Google search for the term reveals several plans for making one.
Interesting video. Getting past the frictional losses is non-trivial.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhXxS...
paper (unless it was a local Richmond magazine)
about somebody over in the Hanover area (I be-
lieve) who claimed he had invented such a motor
and was trying to get it patented. But I don't know if he succeeded or not.-- (Personally, I
have wondered if it could be done by using
green chlorophyll from plants and putting it in a
machine).
The above link is to another experimenter who has gone considerabley farther the above mentioned one. He has gone into working with and creating his own super capacitors and electro-static motors.
http://www.conservapedia.com/John_Galt
Look there for a section titled "The electrostatic motor."
Electrostatic motors have been a staple of science fiction since Jules Verne ("Master of the World", "Robur the Conqueror", and "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea"). Nikola Tesla is widely reputed to have come close to building an electrostatic motor and even electrostatic power transmission. Unfortunately, his New York laboratory burned up. Think what patents he could have had if that had not happened.
Now, whether this atmospheric energy is feasible or non-negligible is a completely different matter, but it is NOT a perpetual motion machine.
As for burning more energy to lift the hexacopter than is produced by the motor, that's a red herring... all you need is a collector tied to a tall-enough tower and probably appropriately insulated from it! They might try using the copter to carry the collector up to the right elevation on a tall tower, land there and shut down.
Few things are impossible. It's better to just say that 'we don't yet know how to do that.'
Folks today have theorized several methods of achieving Faster-Than-Light travel... FTL. It's just sci-fi now, but may be worked out in another generation (sorry, accidental pun) or three.
Personally, I believe that FTL drives and abundant, inexpensive energy are the two key elements critical to the survival of the human race.
Some day, someone will find out if I was right.
Cheers, and good luck to all researchers and developers!
+af
Besides, decades ago I saw a show on TV that portended the future: Dilithium Crystals.
I won't say 'never', of course, but don't expect it very soon. We've only just recently gotten to the point where battery energy density and weight have improved to the point where it's economically feasible to create a vehicle that can move it's own batteries down the road for an acceptable distance!
But the learning curve is getting quicker.
:)
http://www.conservapedia.com/John_Galt
although the author of that website incorrectly states that Galt was born in 1980 (probably meant 1880).