Perpetual Motion

A Perpetuum Motion (lat: eternal movement) device is a hypothetical machine that can produce work indefinitely without energy source or produce more energy than they consume.

A great number of inventors claim that they have build a perpetual motion machine, but none of them could prove it. Often these claims were made by fraudsters and scammers. Since such a device would violate the laws of thermodynamics, it is also scientific consensus that it is impossible. .

Classes of Perpetuum Motion devices

PM nach Leonardo da Vinci

PM Bessler Rad

From a theoretical point of view these machine are classified by the law they violate:

• Perpetuum Motion device of the first kind: This machine produces energy without input or more that it consumes and violates the first law of thermodynamics.
• Perpetuum Motion device of the second kind: This machine converts heat to mechanical energy. Since this cools the environment, it cannot go on forever and violates the second law of thermodynamics.
• Perpetuum Motion device of the third kind: A machine that can run indefinitely without doing work. Since friction and other interactions with the environment cannot be avoided, such a machine cannot be build (but one can come very close)

Examples

• Hydrino
• Joe-Cell
• Perendev-Group
• Steorn
• Devices of Leslie Szabó
• Testatika
• Concepts of Claus Wilhelm Turtur
• Wasserauto
• Felix Würth AG

Weblinks

• http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Perpetual_motion
• http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History of perpetual motion machines
• The Museum of Unworkable Devices

Versions of this article in other languages

• deutsch: Perpetuum Mobile