Homestead Energy: Magnets

This post may strike a bit of a different chord than my previous posts.  The reason for this is simply because there is a great deal of debate as to whether or not it is even a viable possibility to use magnets to create energy.  A simple search online will inevitably produce just as many people claiming "scam" as there are people praising the idea.  Now me, personally, I'm a believer.  There are theories that claim some UFO's use some type of magnets for their propulsion systems.  Now, I'm not going to get into that.  But the truth is that NASA has been looking into magnets as a type of deep space propulsion possibility by way of electromagnetic propulsion.  And the great minds at MIT also seem to agree that there is some merit here.  So from here on out, I'm going to continue along the idea that this is a viable option.  So here we go.

At the very basic level, as discussed in the link from MIT above, magnets do not contain energy, in and of themselves.  They must be acted upon by an outside force.  This is generally done in one of two ways: either a single rotating magnet or an electromagnet is placed near a rotating series of magnets, or two  counter-rotating magnets are placed near each other.  Being that magnets are used in a variety of different types of generators, it should come as no surprise that there are magnetic generators out there for sale.  In fact, most wind turbines run with a series of magnets in the generator.  Depending on the size of the generator, they typically start around $200.00 and go up.  Or you can build your own.

We probably all remember from our elementary science classes that magnets have two poles: north and south.  Like poles repel, while opposite poles attract.  That simple little bit of information should, theoretically, make the rest of the concept here pretty basic.  If you can keep like poles towards each other, there should be a constant push of trying to repel.  Therefore, if the series of magnets is placed on a rotating disc, and another magnet (or series of magnets) with poles in the relative same position is placed close to that disc, then it should be a never-ending cycle of the magnets pushing away from each other.  There are a few different opinions, however, on whether the magnets on the disc should all be in the same direction, or alternating.  The thinking is that alternating the poles will create more speed in the rotation, thus creating more energy.

But there are few things to consider.  First of all, while the rotating disk is basically a "Lazy Susan", it must be built in such a way that there is little to no drag on the moving parts.  This is to keep repair and maintenance to a minimum, and to increase efficiency.  For this reason, a typical design will use ball bearings to allow for free movement.  Secondly, realize that not all magnets are created equal.  There are actually four different types of permanent magnets, as well as temporary magnets and electromagnets.  The type of magnet you choose for your build will determine not only the amount of energy you get, but also how long your system will last before the magnets need to be replaced.  Yes, some magnets will lose their magnetism, or otherwise become demagnetized over time.  Here is a good breakdown of the types of magnets.

The cost of building your own magnetic generator is very fluid.  By that, I mean that it all depends primarily on your magnets.  How many?  How big?  Which kind?  What set-up will you use?  Stronger and bigger magnets will cost more.  You can scavenge magnets from electronic items, such as televisions, radios, computers, etc.  Or you can opt for purchasing new ones.  For a starting point, here is one supplier of Neodymium-Iron-Boron magnets, which is one of the types referred to above.  You can also purchase kits and/or instructions.  However, please be very careful with this.  There are many places out there that sell these, but they may or may not actually work.  This guy claims to have tested a few different versions of these instructions.  Whether he is for real or not, I can't attest to that.  But maybe what he says will help you to determine a bit for yourself whether or not this is an avenue you would consider.  And then there is this page which seems to go a bit more in detail.

All in all, there is science behind this idea.  Why there is so much debate about it, I'm really not entirely sure.  Assuming that it does work as well as it (theoretically) should, it could be very well worth the investment.  As to how much energy can come from a magnetic generator, well again, that will depend on the same variables that determine cost.  But I'd dare say that if this is something that NASA is looking into for deep space ventures, there must be some pretty good power there.  Just make sure you do some research to find the best option.  And please, if you do decide to try this, let me know how it works for you.  This is an option I'd definitely consider.