TED Conversations

GOWTHAM REDDY

self employed director,

This conversation is closed. Start a new conversation
or join one »

Harvesting electricity from gravity? Is it possible ?

Since I was kid I watched the world around me going through energy crisis. I was wondering if there was a possibility of producing electricity using "GRAVITY" of planet earth.
I was thinking maybe we could use earths magnetic field, and then placing a conductor and oscillating it. when the oscillations are happening there will be potential difference between two ends and E.M.F is induced.
Are there any other ways of using "GRAVITY" to produce electricity ?
If you have any explanations, Ideas or theoretical possibilities please comment below.

Related Talks:
Topics: alternative energies applying science creativity innovation physics techno
+1
Share:

Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.

  • Jarred Figlar-Barnes

    • 0
    Nov 28 2012: Here’s a way, and its based on gravity. Make a glass cylinder about 10 ft long and make two glass bulbs. Put them at the ends, fill one with water then seal the bulbs to the cylinder so air can flow from one at one end through the tube to the other end without being able to escape. Place a fulcrum at the center. Attach a generator to the center with shaft, then place next to a geothermal hot spring. Gravity will force the bulb filled with water down next to the hot spring, the water will evaporate and the gas will travel to the higher bulb which is in cooler air so the water will condense into the bulb. When enough water is condensed, gravity will force that end down into the spring and the process repeats itself. I imagine this would be a very slow process and would not generate a lot of electricity but hey, maybe a similar concept could be up scaled to make it more than just a fun experiment? Probably the slowest generator ever...of all time.

    • John Smith 30+

      • 0
      Nov 28 2012: Your contraption would not produce power without the geothermal spring which is the actual energy source.

      • Jarred Figlar-Barnes

        • 0
        Nov 28 2012: But without gravity the energy that the spring depends on wouldn't exist, since there would be no planet or magma to draw energy from, and gravity itself keeps this process going, however slowly.
    • thumb

      Roy Bourque 20+

      • 0
      Dec 5 2012: Google "Minto Wheel". Mother Earth News did an article on a device called a minto wheel. It operates the same way as your example. Their only flaw is that they didn't calculate and provide for "heat out" which resulted in excess temperatures and pressures being built up in the device. Heat out must always balance heat in if the device is to work on a continuous basis.

      Geothermal energy is already being used in electrical generation in Iceland. I don't know if a minto wheel is any more efficient than any other heat engine. That would have to be calculated if it is to have any merit. Its sheer size would most likely be a disadvantage.

Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.