![]() ![]() The bottom line is that when you disable the hammers (which the inventor supposed were giving it excess energy) the system performs much better. Now the wheel performs much better, and a small push will cause it to turn many revolutions before it stops due to friction. The wheel comes to rest and assumes another equilibrium position before making even one complete revolution.įor comparison, you can then observe the wheel's performance with the hammers locked in one position, either extended, or not. There's no net energy gain, actually an energy loss, due to inelastic compression of materials. The hammer gains some energy from falling in the gravitational field, but no more than the energy you had to input to get the wheel started. Then, when the hammer hits a pin, this gives the wheel an impulse in the "correct direction". So as the hammer falls, the wheel gets an impulse in the wrong direction. At the same time, the hammer must rotate, which gives the wheel a counterclockwise force (backward) on the main wheel. But to get the wheel moving, you must manually turn it till a hammer is at the top and pointed straight up, then that hammer falls. The inventor assumes that if the wheel is given a clockwise push, it will continue to rotate. All of these wheels have positions of static equilibrium, and these photos show them in one of those rest positions. Our model uses smooth pins as hinges, and also as position constraints. In later centuries diagrams of this device were more explicit in showing methods for positioning the hammers at extended position on one side of the wheel. Villard's diagram shows strange perspective (common in his time) and does not show any constraints on the hammers. Hans-Peter Gramatke is assisting, preventing the wheel from moving so that it could be photographed in the museum's low light without blurring. ![]() This model, from the Deutsches Museum, is made of wood with brass hinges. ![]() The idea of a mechanically "overbalanced" wheel actually originated in the Orient, and is probably the inspiration for Villard's wheel (see below). In this document I will show examples of how these can be used. A trip to a yard sale or local antiques store will often yield old sets at reasonable prices. Some of these are no longer available as new sets, but a web search will reveal sources of supply for parts and even used sets. If you are niether, consider steel construction set parts such as Meccano, Erector, Mech-Tech, Mech-Struct, Steel-Tech, Exacto, Temsi, Merkur, Eitech, etc. If you like metalworking and have the equipment, that's great. Most of the classic perpetual motion designs may be easily built from parts already on hand, or readily available at your hardware or home-improvement store. If anyone asks, you can say it is symbolic of the uselessness and futility of many of the activities of the workplace. The finished model makes a nice conversation piece to display on your desk at home or work. We strongly suspect that those who thought perpetual motion was possible had never bothered to actually build even one such machine. Leonardo Da Vinci probably built and tested a few overbalanced wheels, but only tersly dismissed them without giving details of how far they fell short, even in comparison with the notoriously inefficient (though still useful) machines of his day. Yet no one forthrightly declared how poorly they perform, based on hands-on experience with an actual machine. Also you learn one of the dirty little secrets hidden during the many centuries of futile efforts toward over-unity machines: They perform miserably! Since the 11th century (actually earlier) folios and books of mechanisms have included one or more of these misguided designs (often with mild and cryptic disclaimers attached). You learn some of the reasons why the design was misguided. I submit that you can still learn a lot from hands-on experience with devices of faulty design. Why build them? That's a good question, considering that they never work as you may have hoped. The Basement Mechanic's Guide to Building Perpetual Motion Machines ![]()
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