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New-Hydro Power Production

Do not roll your eyes at what youre about to read. Please. This
article is about the theory of perpetual motion. However, its not what
you might fear: a misguided hypothesis with unsound physics
principles. Rather, it is an observation set in practice. After all, it
would be nave to assume that a human could devise a machine that
operates perpetually. However, I have, perhaps, noticed the perpetual
machine that has been working for millions of years and will continue
to operate for millions of years after were gone. It is my hope to use it
to our advantage.

Im no scientist. I assure you, Im not a lunatic either. I have a


degree in Film and Video Studies with a Minor in Business
Administration from Pennsylvania State University. Along my journey
to such an achievement, I chose two science electives that have
sparked my curiosity ever since I was a little boy. I studied and aced
introductory courses in Physics and Meteorology. The principles I
learned from those courses, in addition to research and experiments
Ive conducted in my free time, has led me to what Im about to
present to you. While Im only a novice, I bring this theory to you
because of the simplicity of my discovery. This simplicity breeds a fair
amount of confidence about the design Ive envisioned. Enough so,
that I present it to those who may be able to put the theory into
practice. Whether Im a foolish dreamer hoping to change the world,
or a physics fan who stumbled onto something big, I thank you for your
time and consideration. Without further delay, I will dive right into the
theory that I hope you all will analyze with great scorn or embrace and
improve upon.

Einstein was a genius. I do not need to tell you that. He


described the fabric of space-time so eloquently that it forever
changed our perception of the universe. He explained why the planets
revolve around the stars and why the stars move round the center of
each galaxy. Can you imagine the force the energy the power that
could be derived from the motion of the galaxies? What makes them
spin the way they do? What makes them fall into oblivion? Gravity, I
suppose, but for our purposes lets focus on the movement itself. Time
and time again it has been explained to me that stars and black holes
are objects that warp space-time such that smaller objects will revolve
around them. Like molecules of water spinning around a drain, each
star, too, circles the black hole in the center of its galaxy. Like
molecules of water spinning around a drain See where Im going
with this?
Gravity is a beautiful thing we dont quite understand yet, and if
the theory Im describing to you today rings true, maybe we can
discuss some theories that I have on gravity. For now, Ill stay on topic.
The universe is a machine that carries on perpetually. The movement
of the stars, our star, our planet, was propelled by an indescribable
amount of energy released at the Big Bang. This energy has been
transformed many times and in many ways, but as Newton suggested,
energy can neither be created nor destroyed. And while transforming
that energy from oil, wind, and solar power sources is nice, I think its
time we all begin to think bigger, and start drawing our energy from
the inertia that was given to Earth long before we evolved.

You probably understand why ocean and wind currents move the
way they do. Simply, they move in either clockwise or
counterclockwise patterns based on their hemisphere, and they do so
because of the Coriolis Effect. We live on a spinning globe, and
(without writing an entire college dissertation on the subject) this
motion sets the objects on it in motion. Ill reassure you that this effect
is a law of nature, and an accepted fundamental principle in Physics.
Ocean currents, hurricanes, and tornadoes all move according to this
effect. The complexities of each of these phenomena are vast, but
each is an example of extreme power set in motion by the rotation of
our lovely planet. It is my hope to use this knowledge on a smaller
scale to generate one of the most efficient energy-creating processes
ever known.

The machine is simple, but large in scale. (Unfortunately, the


scale is too large for someone with limited means, like myself, to test
in optimal conditions.) However, there are published experiments and
studies that verify the movement that the Coriolis Effect creates on
bodies of water. If I were anything more than a novice, I probably
wouldnt attempt to publish this theory at this stage in my research.
However, I feel as if Ive carried this ball as far as I will be able to take
it, and hope the scientific world can play the wide receiver to my
quarterback, and together we can reach the hypothetical endzone
(that endzone being a place and time where power is cheaply and
safely made anywhere in the world). With the burgeoning crisis of
global climate change on mankinds horizon, Im compelled to act
despite the ramifications it may or may not have on my prestige or
bank account. And Im driven to act quickly, as the damage we impart
on our globe only continues to grow at an exponential rate.

With all that being said, here is my proposed process for a perpetual
motion machine:

A large body of water in a large cylinder (or cone-shaped funnel)


is allowed to slowly drain through a small tunnel in an almost entirely
closed system under ground. Over time, this body of water will
inevitably begin to spin thanks to the effect Earths rotation has on the
water. The water will, also, accelerate from the force of gravity, begin
to crowd around the tunnel at the bottom of the cylinder, and bottle-
neck. Much like the drain in an ordinary bathtub, a vortex (or
whirlpool) will be created. To harness the power of this whirlpool a
turbine would be placed near the opening from which the water drains
into the other containers in the chamber. The moving water will easily
push this turbine and generate power for consumers. As the water
exits this immense container it will fall onto impact turbines, collect in
yet another container and be allowed to move through a tunnel system
designed much like todays hydroelectric power plants. (Modern-day
hydroelectric power plants dam rivers so that the head of the water
moving through the dam is high. This water is then allowed to pass
through turbines to generate power before being released back into
the river. The head in my design will be provided by the vertical
column of water resting atop the tunnel that leads to the turbine. The
second container will be filled with water before water from the first
container is released into the second to ensure the water pressure
remains high enough to drive the turbine.)

Where the design becomes perpetual is when the process uses


energy created by the first turbine to pump water to the beginning of a
similar container in another chamber. Like our four-chambered hearts,
the system I developed would also have four chambers. Chamber one
will be empty and receiving the water that is being pumped out of the
tank below chamber two. This process would be powered by chamber
three, which would be allowing the water to drain through it, in turn,
generating power for the masses and for the system itself. The fourth
chamber would be filled with water and be stagnant, allowing the
water to settle in order to minimize the effects of turbulence caused by
pumping water from the bottom of one chamber to the top of another.
I have provided a rough sketch at the end of this article.

The beauty of this process is that it obeys the Newtonian laws of


physics. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but merely
transformed. The energy imparted on the water is not being derived
from the water itself, but, however, it is being transformed from the
motion of the Earth. The energy given to the planet that caused its
initial rotation still exists today, and cannot be stopped until another
force prevents its motion. Since our planet is a ball spinning infinitely
in the vast, frictionless expanse of space, the supply of energy is
endless.
The second force this system capitalizes on is gravity, another
abundant and, for human purposes, never ending source. The error in
previous perpetual motion designs was that gravity and inefficient
machinery would grind any design to a halt eventually. I believe the
only way to counter-act that stubborn fact is by using the modern
technology we have today, which provides us with extremely efficient
machines, and the inertia of our rotating planet.

Ok So, I know things erode, there is still friction in water, plus


water may evaporate or freeze. Perpetual motion is shot down, again.
But I ask that you dont miss the point Im making. This process would
create the opportunity to power everything we need for many years
without wasting natural resources or destroying the planet. No nuclear
reactions means no more nuclear waste, and if proper plastic
fabrication is allowed to be used in my system, erosion may be very
slow. If plastic is used in newly designed, light-weight turbines, the
efficiency of my design skyrockets. If were able to use recycled
plastics to create such a system and turbines, then this process
becomes even more eco-friendly.

The hurtles of perfecting the design in terms of negating friction,


erosion, and any other design flaws Im missing seem surmountable.
Although, I may not be able to devise a way to overcome them, I
believe the great minds that exist in the world today will be able figure
it out. So, unless Im missing a huge flaw, I ask you to lend a hand in
making this a reality.

But wait, theres more: adding wind turbines inside the system
near the water would allow even more efficient energy production as
the water will ultimately push the air as the whirlpool begins to form
and as the water falls from container to container. Add air ducts to the
system that connect to the air outside of the process, and, just like in a
flask, air will rush in to replace the displaced water and push even
more energy generating wind turbines.

The energy from the Coriolis-induced whirlpool, wind turbines,


and impact turbines before the water reaches the traditional turbine
and design of modern-day hydroelectric plants would suggest more
than enough power to repeat the process and still export great
amounts of electricity for our daily use to consumers.
Initial power and possible humidity and temperature control
could be controlled by exterior power sources if need be. Ideally it
would be solar or wind power that would kick start the process, but in
the interest of maximizing efficiency, I suppose Id be all right with oil-
based generators, too (if necessary).

True, the size of the power plant would be huge (unless


engineers and researchers devise a way to make the process smaller).
However, with economies all over the world in need of jobs, I dont
think it would necessarily be a bad thing to take on projects this large
all over the country and, even, the world.

Where should we get the water? Well, while it would take a large
amount of water to run the system, I would hope to (some way) make
the system compatible with salt water. The use of plastics in the
design would help minimize erosion, however, I know the more
particulates in the water, the less effective the design would be. So, if
fresh water was needed, pipelines from fresh water sources may be
used to transport water into the systems where water is less plentiful.
As I pondered this problem, I thought that the United States was lucky
to have five large fresh water lakes on the Canadian border to draw
water from without having to disrupt the drinking water supplies of
many communities.

The initial effort and work needed to create this device seems
burdensome, but the payoff is huge. If, indeed, the process could
repeat itself perpetually (or almost perpetually), the initial work to set
it all in motion would be well worth it. Just consider it a long-term
investment (those usually cost a bit more and require a bit more
patience, but have long-term benefits and are often considered the
least risky of investments).

Now, I know you professors, inventors, and analytical types need


numbers in order to be sold on an idea, and perhaps some citations.
So, here you go:

Weight of 1 gallon of water = 8.328676 lbs. (See 1.)

Acceleration due to gravity = 32.174 ft/s (See 2.)

If water is allowed to fall through a small tunnel at the bottom of the


cylinder, it will be moving near the speed at which gravity acts upon
the water. However, since there will be insufficient access to the
tunnel, the water will inevitably circle the drain. While Im unaware of
all the known detractors to the waters speed because of my mere
basic understanding of those scientific concepts, the math I come up
with is breathtaking. Take a cylinder 400 high with a diameter of
1000. The volume of water stored in such a container would be:

V= (pi) x (radius) squared x (height)

Or

V = (3.14)(500)(500)(400)

That, roughly, comes out to:

V= 314,000,000 cubic feet

Since 1 cubic foot = 7.48 gallons of water (See 3.)

Total gallons in first container in first chamber is:

(7.48)(314,000,000)= 2,348,720,000 gallons.

If the tunnel at the bottom of this container is 30 feet in diameter,


roughly this much water would leave the container per second:

V= (pi) x (radius) squared x (height) *height = acceleration due to


gravity.

And look like this:

V=(3.14)(15)(15)(32.174)

which computes to: V= 22,730.931 cubic feet

And to determine how many gallons leave the container per second, I
multiply:

(22730.931)(7.48)=170,027.36388 gallons per second.

Which would have the force of:

(Gallons per second) x (lbs. per gallon) = Mass

&

Force=(mass) x (acceleration)

Which would look like this:


(170,027.36388)(8.328676)=1,416,102.82489062288 lbs.

For arguments sake (because Im only a novice at fluid dynamics) lets


say the water moves out of the first container at half the speed of
gravity:

(1,416,102.8)(16)= 22,657,645.2 foot-pounds per second.

That is the force falling from the tunnel. The force from the water
pressure circling the drain may only be a fraction of that number, but,
by my calculations, would provide ample force enough to drive a
turbine dangling within the vortex created by the draining water. If
speed is a concern blocking you from accepting this process, I rely on
the creators of new turbines being designed in the green energy
market today that harness the motion of water in ocean currents, and
remind you those turbines (while not yet in use) could transfer the
power I hope to squeeze from this process. I also remind you that I
publish this idea in hopes of generating positive, safe, clean
advancements in generating power in the coming decades, and
encourage you to add to any of my proposals or improve upon them if
you see merit in them.

Now, as this water leaves container number one and is allowed


to interact with the impact turbines as it falls from its original position,
it would then be collected in a second container, where water would
already be stored (allowing for ample pressure and head to act on a
turbine at the end of the second tunnel that would mimic the tunnel
systems of todays hydroelectric power plants. That is, the water
moves through this tunnel based on the effect of gravity usually
caused by the terrain {or a decline in the tunnel in this case.}) The
pressure, caused by the weight of the water above, pushes water
through a turbine and then falls into a collecting pool, but not before
interacting with another impact turbine after falling from the traditional
water turbine. This water would then be stored for use in the next
chamber of the system until it was time to repeat the process.

Whatever energy is lost from the water interacting with the


turbines would be added back to the water via the effect of gravity.
The multi-turbine design, as stated before, is put in place in order to
pump the water from one chamber into the next indefinitely while also
providing energy to export to the general population.
Ive come to you today with a design that may be flawed, or may
be too simplistic for my own financial welfare or legacy. I may be
seriously misguided, but if so, I can only ask for your forgiveness. In
the news today, I cant help but read of the dramatic effect global
climate change is now waging on our world, and while Im not a
scientist, I cannot help but try to throw one more idea into the ever-
growing idea bank for progress. I hope for a better future for our
species, our country, and our children. While Id love to develop this
idea further, I havent the money or the education to see it through to
completion, and, frankly, I feel we dont have the time to wait until I
have either. But before another ninety-day oil spill disrupts the
ecosystems of our oceans, before another species reaches extinction
due to global climate change, and before another act of God puts us on
the brink of a nuclear meltdown, I hope to publish this idea in order to
send us on a path toward feasible, cheap, abundant, and clean energy
sources that both meet our demand for power consumption, and helps
heal our ailing planet.

Thank you for your time.

Derrick Ferree

Patent Pending

1. http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/56355.html
2. http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/accelaration-gravity-
d_340.html
3.
http://www.montecitowater.com/how_many_gallons_of_water_in_a_c.ht
m

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