Claus Wilhelm Turtur

C.W. Turtur
Discussion of historical perpetual motion concepts at Technical College Wolfenbüttel-Braunschweig

Claus Wilhelm Turtur (born March 26, 1961, Bonn) is a German doctor of physics and professor at Wolfenbüttel Technical College (Ostfalian Academy of Applied Sciences Wolfenbüttel-Braunschweig), author of books, inventor, and visionary of inexhaustible zero point energy.

Turtur wrote mathematical training books for students and, with book-on-demand, open-access journals without peer review and on the internet, published papers on allegedly utilizable and inexhaustible zero point energy (space energy, vacuum energy, ZPE) which, according to Turtur, corresponded to an alleged "dark energy" of the universe which was only loosely known but could be put to use as mechanical energy with a fan wheel motor Turtur invented and experimented with. In his assumptions on zero point energy, Turtur refers to Austrian born Croatian Nikola Tesla, French Graviflight tinkerer Jean-Louis Naudin, the Casimir effect, inventor (and owner of InterStellar Technologies Corporation) Fabrizio Pinto, Robert Forward, Anders O. Wistrom and Armik V. M. Khachatourian, Gravitec company, and experiments in the last decades on the effect of electrostatic fields. Turtur does not want his activities to be rated as research on perpetual motion devices or similar miraculous machines, although he in fact does use the term over-unity for his vacuum energy rotor (quote: There was more mechanical output being produced than electricity being used !). Furtherly striking are Turtur's websites kept on the webspace of Wolfenbüttel-Braunschweig Technical College, as they introduce various concepts of perpetual motions throughout history (see screenshot on the right).

Turtur is also creator of a so called "zero point energy circuit" (see further below).

His views about the use of a hypothetical zero point energy gained attention by "free energy"-enthusiasts, NuoViso, NEXUS Magazine[1], and NET-Journal, for whom he was a speaker at various events. NET-Journal dedicated an uncritical puff piece of an article to Turtur written by alternative practicioner Gerhard Lukert: 'The Rubicon has been crossed: Prof. Dr. Claus W. Turtur: Groundbreaking vacuum energy experiment successfully completed![2]. Lukert concluded: 'This proves that electrical charges emit a continuous energy flow which can be transformed to mechanical energy and made visible in a natural, extremely appealing way."

Esoteric journal Raum & Zeit, specializing in all kinds of pseudoscience, published an article by Turtur titled "Raumenergie - so wird sie nutzbar" (Space energy - how to make it useable) in 2011, presenting his views.[3]

Biography

Turtur studied Physics with minors in Mathematics and Informatics at Bonn University. He acquired a Ph.D. in applied solid state physics at Regensburg University in material sciences (read-write heads for computer harddisks). He then started working for an automotive supplier. Turtur currently works at the Electrical Engineering faculty at Wolfenbüttel-Braunschweig Technical College teaching students.

Expanding the Casimir effect

 
book authored by Turtur (Source:bod)

In his presumptions and claims, Turtur refers to an extension of Casimir effect of Dutch physicist Hendrik Casimir from 1948, which is well-known and generally recognized in physics. According to publications, Turtur meanss to accomplish practical appliance of energy from zero point oscillation of vacuum.

Through additional application of a high voltage electric field "the wavelengths of quantum mechanical zero point oscillations of the vacuum" are meant to be changed favourably to allow the use of this energy. Quote Turtur: There it is demonstrated, that every electrical charge permanently emanates energy carried by the electrical field produced by this charge...An electrical charge q causes a permanent electrostatic force onto the rotor and so it permanently drives the rotor, as long as the practical setup guarantees, that the forces of friction are not stronger than the driving electrostatic forces[4][2].

In simple words, Casimir originally established that a weak force (Casimir-Polder force) will take effect between two parallel plates placed in vacuum at very short distance (less than one micron), due to virtual particles being created and destroyed, and annihilating each other. Outside of the plates particles have an arbitrary momentum, but not between the plates. This leads to a minimal pressure pushing the plates onto each other, which was also proven by experiments and measured with 5% accuracy in 1997[5]. The forces established during the experiment were about 100 Microdyn (one nano-Newton).

Quantum field theory does not consider a vacuum to be completely empty. Even in ground state, the lowest possible energy level, Heisenberg's uncertainty principle allows the creation of so-called "virtual particles" and fields. Virtual particle pairs are particle-anti-particle pairs which exist for a short time before destroying each other again. This perpetual mutual (annihilation) of the particle pairs created averts violation of the law of conversation of energy.

Relevant forces are only present at very small distances of the plates (within one 1 µm) with effect proportional to distances squared. This force can reach large values at a distance in the range of nanometers. 10 nm distance yield pressure of one atmosphere (101.3 kPa). The Casimir effect is noticeable in nanostructures of microelectronics. Between adjacent components negative pressure can build up. Alexej Weber of Heidelberg University and Holger Gies of Jena University proved that for tilted and parallel planes fundamentally different forces apply. In addition, Casimir effect shows temperature dependence.[6][7][8].

The Dutch physicist Sipko Boersma described Casimir effect in the "American Journal of Physics"[9] erroneously with a phenomenon from navigation. Boersma stated that an attractive force is at work between two boats anchoring parallel to each other in heavy seas. He reasons that outside of the boats waves of arbitrary length can be created, but not between them. Boersma refers to the French author P. C. Caussée, who first described this force in his book "L'Album du Marin" in 1836. Boersma's paper was cited very often and was even mentioned in the journal "Nature"[10] . It became later apparent that the descriptive example was neither physically nor historically justified, it had just become a physics myth[11].

Vacuum energy circuit

According to Turtur, unmoving electric charges allegedly emitted energy at the speed of light, which they previously had received from vacuum energy. This allegedly resulted in an energy circuit. In conventional physics, only moving electric charges emit energy.

Turtur-Rotor / electrostatic fan wheel motor of Turtur

 
Test in vacuum

Between April and December 2008, Turtur conducted privately funded experiments on a "fan wheel motor" invented by him which, in his opinion, was powered by inexhaustible vacuum energy but at the same time required applying high voltage (1-30 KV) which, however, is not considered in the Casimir effect. Without high voltage, the impeller would not move. A successful replication of his experiment by other scientists is unknown as of yet (December 2009). Austrian Harald Chmela (Borderlands), at suggestion of Martin Tajmar, attempted a replication in a vacuum but failed[12].

Turtur used several slightly differing designs. Aluminium foil glued to balsa wood is used as material for the propeller which swims in a water bath on small styrofoam, with which it is connected by a conductive element. Due to high voltage between the electrically conductive impeller and a diametrically charged plate, Coulomb forces arise which turn the fan to a position of energy minimum (direction of rotation is undetermined at first). Afterwards. the fan is expected to start rotating. The direction of rotation is said to be always the same, while angular velocity is said to depend on the high voltage applied.

According to his own estimates, an observed performance of 150 nW(nano Watt) of the engine in air and water bath with rotation times of 1-16 minutes were seen, yielding a few kilovolts. The usage of the high voltage power supply is unknwon, but he mentions a current limit of 50µA for his vacuum experiments. A high voltage power supply built by Turtur was said to have been used in the experiments and Turtur stated that he was not able to keep the output voltage constant. A replica by an Italian inventor at 38 KV yielded high voltage fluctuating currents up to 7 mA[13]. Later experiments in vacuum with an oil bath of vacuum-oil(a special kind of oil) are said to have required higher voltage of 16-30 kV and yielded just an average current of 0.1 pA in vacuum (about 3 nW power) with additional peaks of several picoampere. Rotation speed was said to be slower in vacuum with a circulation time of 2 to 3 hours.

Vacuum tests: at Otto-von-Guericke University in Magdeburg, Turtur conducted experiments in vacuum in cooperation with the local technician Wolfram Knapp, after critics had pointed out that his construction just showed Biefeld-Brown effects. He put the impeller into a sour cream cup of the brand Milbona, which swam in oil. The impeller was connected to the high voltage power supply by a wire. According to his own report, rotation speed decreased. A pressure of 10-3 to 10-5 Millibar was applied; a further decrease of pressure would have resulted in boiling oil and was avoided. The vacuum oil used was of the type "Ilmvac, LABOVAC-12S" with a vapor pressure of 10-8 mbar, a 40 degree (C) viscosity of 94 mPoise. Mechanical power output in vacuum was not measured and also experiments were not conducted without oil or water bath.

According to his own report[14], no ongoing rotation over an arbitrary number of revolutions was seen in vacuum and the number of revolutions was not reproducible.

Vacuum energy vision

Turtur claims that enhancement and perfection of his experimental construction will result in a power output in the Watt range. With 10 Megavolt and 20 meters in diameter, outputs of 10kW should be achieved. Cascading 10 rotors in a pack should render feasible some 100 kW. Using a strong magnetic field instead of high voltage would further increase energy output, since high voltage corona discharges and sparking would be limited.

Criticism of the impeller wheel motor

Turtur called attention to his experiments with colleagues and was confronted with the criticism he had only demonstrated the Biefeld-Brown effect. The Biefeld-Brown effect happens with asymetric capacitor plates with an applied electrical field and refers to the force in direction of the smaller plate of the capacitor. The Biefeld-Brown effect is produced by ions which are accelerated by the field. The smaller plate of the capacitor ionizes molecules of the surrounding medium due to the high power of the electrical field and accelerated towards the larger plate. (See article Electrical gravity)

The reduced speed of the Turtur fan wheel at increased voltage caused the inventor to conclude that the Biefeld-Brown effect "played a role", although, in his papers on the experiments done in air, he inadmissibly concludes a successful detection of the use of zero point energy. Other forces than vacuum energy were claimed to be irrelevant in his vacuum experiments. According to Turtur, the acting force in vacuum was zero point energy in the quantum vaccuum at a certainty of 98%. He ascribed the current of 0,1 pA (10-13 A)to losses. The supply capacity of the high voltage power supply is completely ignored but should be at least one watt. Since atmospheric pressure was not lowered below 10-7 mBar, ionic wind out of radical ions and corona effects are a plausible explanation for the observed rotation.

Also, incident light might move a rotor which is called a "light mill" (Crookes radiometer) and sold commercially for decoration.

Both mechanical construction and inevitable inaccuracies of the impeller cause the impeller wheel jerks into a position of minimal energy when high voltage is applied. The movement of the rotor also leads to changes in capacitance and currents which can bring a non-ideal and unstressed HV power supply in "vibrancy" with the rotor, involuntarily resulting in an electrostatic motor. Key factors e.g. are internal resistance of the voltage source and capacity of the circuit. Usage of a parallel capacitor or an alternative power supply of different type during an experiment would have answered this question, but was apparently omitted.

Turtur does not respond to issues with plate spacings which were too far apart for the Casimir effect and the imperfect version of a perfect plate capacitor due to tilted wings. The large distance of several millimetres rules out the Casimier-Polder effect as explanation of rotation. No other experiments by Turtur showing these forces at other distances are known.

Elektromechanic Double Resonance Converter EMDR

The Elektro-Mechanic Double Resonance Converter (EMDR) is a further invention of Turtur, a vacuum energy machine, which is claimed to win useful energy from zero point energy. No professional literature or successful replications are known. (May 2011)

Reception by Science

Turtur's experiments were not met by scientific recognition from etablished science. According to an article Herrn Turturs Physik [Herr Turtur's physics] in "Die Tageszeitung" dated July 11, 2009[15] an attempt by Turtur to publish in the journal "Annalen der Physik" failed due to peer review. The experimental setup as described in Turtur's article was rated unprofessional by reviewers: ..The experimental setup is far away from professional standards... Colleagues ignored his experiments or criticised them, as the experimental physicist Gisela Anton who commented: "… this energy cannot be used according to current principles of physics". Immanuel Bloch, director of Munich Max Planck Institute, warned: I should rather be careful. Off the records, comments like „nonsense“ and "every minute dedicated to this is a pointless waste of time" were being voiced.

Versions of this article in other languages

Citations

(German)

  • Nach der klassischen Elektrodynamik werden elektrostatischen Feldern ebenso wie magnetostatischen Feldern (gemeint sind Gleichfelder und nicht Wechselfelder oder Wellen) keine Ausbreitungsgeschwindigkeiten zugeordnet [Jac 81], [Gre 08]. Vielmehr treten diese Felder überall gleichzeitig im Raum auf, an jedem Ort mit der ihm zukommenden Feldstärke, die sich für elektrostatische Felder auf der Basis des Coulomb-Gesetzes berechnen läßt und für magnetostatische Felder auf der Basis des Gesetzes von Biot-Savart, nach konventioneller Sichtweise aber eben ohne Berücksichtigung einer endlichen Ausbreitungsgeschwindigkeit.[16]
  • Wenn eine Punktladung (z.B. eine Elementarladung) seit einem gegebenen Zeitpunkt existiert, dann strahlt sie ab diesem Moment ihrer Entstehung elektrostatisches Feld und damit Feldenergie aus, jedoch ohne ihre Masse zu verändern.

Literature

  • Statische und dynamische Wechselwirkungen, Claus W. Turtur: Technische Rundschau, 93.Jahrgang, Nov. 2001, Heft 22, S. 36
  • Wechselwirkungsenergie-basierte Masse, Claus W. Turtur: Technische Rundschau, 95.Jahrgang, Mai 2003, Heft 10, S.28
  • A Connection between Gravitation and other Interactions, Claus W. Turtur: Nexus Magazine, Vol.11, No.2, Feb./March 2004 edition in Australia and March/April edition in Canada/USA
  • Does cosmological vacuum energy density have an electric reason ? Claus W. Turtur: http://arXiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0403278 (März 2004)
  • An easy way to Gravimagnetism, Claus W. Turtur: http://arXiv.org/abs/physics/0406078 (Juni 2004)
  • Vakuumenergiedichte, Claus W. Turtur: Technische Rundschau, 96.Jahrgang, 29. Okt. 2004, Heft Nr. 21, S. 16
  • Prüfungstrainer Mathematik, Klausur- und Übungsaufgaben mit vollständigen Musterlösungen, Claus W. Turtur, Lehrbuch mit 542 Seiten im Teubner Verlag, März 2006, ISBN 3-8351-0023-8
  • Prüfungstrainer Physik, Klausur- und Übungsaufgaben mit vollständigen Musterlösungen, Claus W. Turtur, Lehrbuch mit 570 Seiten im Teubner Verlag, März 2007, ISBN 978-3-8351-0137-1
  • Prüfungstrainer Mathematik, Klausur- und Übungsaufgaben mit vollständigen Musterlösungen, 2.Auflage, Claus W. Turtur, Lehrbuch mit 600 Seiten im Teubner Verlag, Oktober 2007, ISBN 3-8351-0211-8
  • Vakuum als Energiequelle, Claus W. Turtur: Technische Rundschau, 98.Jahrgang, 10. Nov. 2006, Heft Nr. 21, S. 158
  • Systematics of the Energy Density of Vacuum Fluctuations and Geometrodynamical Excitones, Claus W. Turtur, Physics Essays, Vol#20, No.2 (Juni 2007)
  • A step towards the Analysis of the Influence of an electrical Field on the Propagation of Light. Claus W. Turtur: http://arXiv.org/abs/0710.1532 (Oktober 2007)
  • Two Paradoxes of the Existence of electric Charge, Claus W. Turtur: http://arXiv.org/abs/0710.3253 (Oktober 2007)
  • About the Electrostatic Field following Coulomb’s law with additional Consideration of the finite speed of propagation following the theory of Relativity, Claus W. Turtur, PHILICA.COM, ISSN 1751-3030, Article number 112 (11. December 2007)
  • Two Paradoxes of the Existence of magnetic Fields, Claus W. Turtur, PHILICA.COM, ISSN 1751-3030, Article number 113, (19. December 2007)
  • A Motor driven by Electrostatic Forces, Claus W. Turtur, PHILICA.COM, ISSN 1751-3030, Article number 119, (18. Februar 2008)
  • Conversion of vacuum-energy into mechanical energy: First approach to an experimental Verification, Claus W. Turtur, PHILICA.COM, ISSN 1751-3030, Observation number 43, (31. March 2008)
  • Conversion of vacuum-energy into mechanical energy: Successful experimental Verification, Claus W. Turtur, PHILICA.COM, ISSN 1751-3030, Article number 124, (2. April 2008)
  • An electrostatic rotor with a mechanical bearing, Claus W. Turtur, PHILICA.COM, ISSN 1751-3030, Observation number 45, (11. April 2008)
  • A magnetic rotor to convert vacuum-energy into mechanical energy, Claus W. Turtur, PHILICA.COM, ISSN 1751-3030, Article number 130, (21. Mai 2008)
  • Conversion of vacuum-energy into mechanical energy, Claus W. Turtur, The General Science Journal, ISSN 1916-5382 (5. Juni 2008) [3]
  • Raumenergie, im Labor sichtbar gemacht, Claus W. Turtur, DVR-Info, Mitgliederinformation der Deutschen Vereinigung für Raumenergie e.V. ISSN 1860-4595 (Jg.5, Nr. 1/2, März/Juni 2008), S. 8-11
  • A QED-model for the Energy of the Vacuum and an Explanation of its Conversion into Mechanical Energy, Claus W. Turtur, PHILICA.COM, ISSN 1751-3030, Article number 138, (4. Sept. 2008)
  • The role of Ionic Wind for the Electrostatic Rotor to convert Vacuum Energy into Mechanical Energy, Claus W. Turtur, PHILICA.COM, ISSN 1751-3030, Observation number 49, (16. Sept. 2008)
  • Conversion of Vacuum-Energy into Mechanical Energy under Vacuum Conditions, Claus W. Turtur, PHILICA.COM, ISSN 1751-3030, Article number 141, (3. Dez. 2008)
  • Wandlung von Vakuumenergie elektromagnetischer Nullpunktsoszillationen in klassische mechanische Energie, Claus W. Turtur, The General Science Journal, ISSN 1916-5382 (3. Januar 2009) [4]
  • Definite Proof for the Conversion of vacuum-energy into mechanical energy based on the Measurement of Machine Power, Claus W. Turtur, PHILICA.COM, ISSN 1751-3030, Article number 155, (2. April 2009)
  • Conversion of the Vacuum-energy of electromagnetic zero point oscillations into Classical Mechanical Energy, Claus W. Turtur, The General Science Journal, ISSN 1916-5382 (5. Mai 2009)

Weblinks

Video

Wikipedia-links

References

  1. Claus W. Turtur: A Connection between Gravitation and other Interactions, NEXUS Magazine, Vol.11, No.2. Feb./March 2004 edition in Australia and March/April edition in Canada/USA
  2. Gerhard Lukert, "The Rubicon has been crossed: Prof. Dr. Claus W. Turtur: Groundbreaking vacuum energy experiment successfully completed!. NET-Journal, Mai/Juni 2009 Volume No. 14, Issue Nr. 5/6 31
  3. Claus W. Turtur: Raumenergie - so wird sie nutzbar, Raum & Zeit issue 170 (2011)
  4. Turtur, Claus W. (2007)." Two Paradoxes of the Existence of electric Charge. arXiv:physics/0710.3253 v1
  5. Steve K. Lamoreaux: Demonstration of the Casimir Force in the 0.6 to 6 μm Range. In: Physical Review Lett. Volume 78, 5 - 8 (1997)
  6. Alexej Weber, Holger Gies: Interplay between geometry and temperature for inclined Casimir plates, Phys. Rev. D 80, 065033 (2009)
  7. Article in: Spektrum der Wissenschaft, September 2009
  8. http://www.mpg.de/bilderBerichteDokumente/dokumentation/pressemitteilungen/2008/pressemitteilung20080108/genPDF.pdf
  9. "American Journal of Physics" Bd. 64, S. 541
  10. "Nature", Bd. 419, S. 119
  11. Nature, 4 Mai 2006. doi:10.1038/news060501-7. Popular physics myth is all at sea Does the ghostly Casimir effect really cause ships to attract each other?
  12. http://www.hcrs.at/TURTUR.HTM
  13. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VRDK5Ra-lg
  14. Turtur CW: Conversion of vacuum-energy into mechanical energy, The General Science Journal (ISSN 1916-5382), 5. Juni 2008
  15. Benno Schirrmeister: Herrn Turturs Physik, Die Tageszeitung, 11.07.2009 [1]
  16. http://public.rz.fh-wolfenbuettel.de/~turtur/physik_german/Schrift_02_deutsch.pdf