alt.energy.renewable

daestrom wrote:
>
> "Dan Bloomquist" wrote in message
> news:7tdAj.5709$7d1.5641@news01.roc.ny...
>> daestrom wrote:
>>>
>>> Whilst I don't agree with any of the OP's junk science, if you
>>> arrange the gyro's shaft so that it is perpendicular to the earth's
>>> axis, and the shaft is limited to a track that is also perpencidular
>>> to the earth's axis (on the equator it would be vertical, at other
>>> latitudes it would be tilted away from the pole by the degree of
>>> latitude), then as the earth rotates each day, the gyro's shaft would
>>> make one complete revolution around the track. This revolution of the
>>> shaft around the track could be harnessed to draw some power.
>>
>> Hi daestrom,
>> This is about converting angular momentum to energy. But, angular
>> momentum is conserved. i.e., you can't slow the rotation of the earth
>> from a closed system.
>>
>> I'm sure the details would bare this out.
>>
>
> On the 'big picture' I can see what you mean, but if we put the gyro on
> the equator with the shaft pointing straight up at noon, six hours later
> the shaft is horizontal, six more hours and it points straight down, etc...
>
> If we attach some mechanism to capture that 'revolution' of the shaft
> around the track, we transfer some angular momentum (AM) from the earth
> to the mechanism (albeit a tiny amount). Momentum is conserved but
> kinetic energy is transferred from one rotating body (the earth) to
> another (the mechanism).

Hi daestrom,
It has been a while and I never finished working through any math. But
here is what I recall happens. As soon as you put some force on the axis
of the gyro, (restrict precision), you the angular momentum of the
rotor. This change will exactly balance the change in the angular
momentum of the earth. And, of course, it will take a force to get
energy, FxD. If there is any question that the rotor will change
velocity with external force, see this toy:

http://www.powerballs.com/

I've been meaning to buy one of these for years. Question is, can I get
one cheap enough on ebay to make the cost of fun balance. I'm thinking I
can. :)

So, the energy will come from what ever energy it took to accelerate the
rotor.

Best, Dan.