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Zero Point Energy: Can it become a practical, near-term, alternative?
Posted on Monday, April 12, 2004 @ 19:23:15 UTC by vlad
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Anonymous writes: The following is a summary of the Zero Point Energy picture from my personal perspective.
Gas prices remind us daily that we are entering a new era. Price reductions from here forward are likely to be temporary. Only revolutionary new energy technologies can make a major change. Competition from such breakthroughs is the best, and probably the only way to reverse the present trend. Effective solutions require unusually rapid development of little-known energy conversion systems. Perhaps the most promising is ZPE.
March 1st, 2004, Aviation Week and Space Technology published an article headlined: “Aviation Giants Eye Zero Point Energy”. The next line reads: “Zero Point Energy emerges from realm of science fiction”. The article goes on to suggest that ZPE might result in “Mach 4 fighters, quiet 1,200-seat hypersonic airliners that fly at 100-mi. altitudes as far as 12,000 mi. in about 70 min., and 12.6-hr. trips to the Moon.”
ZPE is still not widely known or understood. It emerges from experiments that demonstrate that seemingly empty space, sometimes called the “quantum vacuum”, is teeming with energy. According to Tom Valone at IRI, data from the NASA Wilkinson Probe suggests that it should be possible to extract about 20 times more energy from the Zero Point Field, per unit of surface area on earth, than can be derived from solar energy -- approximately 20 kilowatts per square meter -- 24 hours per day.
ZPE has been investigated as a potential power source since a 1984 paper, by the late Dr. Robert Forward, appeared in Physical Review. Physical Review has also carried several articles stating that it is theoretically possible to tap this energy for power and propulsion. ZPE is present everywhere in the universe. The late Nobel physicist, Richard Feynman, once remarked that enough was present in the volume contained within a light bulb, to evaporate the oceans of the earth.
Dr. Fabrizio Pinto, formerly a physicist with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, created Interstellar Technologies Corp., (see his extensive website: www.interstellartechcorp.com), to develop near-term applications of ZPE. In a U.S. Patent issued last December entitled “Method for Energy Extraction”, he states: “ZPE is expected to exhibit infinite density and to be universally present, and might therefore be a limitless source of energy.”
ZPE can be extracted magnetically. Two Russian laboratories claim to have done so. One reproduced and improved a magnetic device, invented in England, with an output of 7 kilowatts. ZPE could prove to be only one form of available, extremely dense, vacuum energy, capable of being harnessed to produce electricity.
Dr. Hal Puthoff, Director of the Institute of Advanced Study at Austin, is quoted in the Aviation Week article: ”I’d say our confidence level [of a breakthrough] is 50% or better. If our [research] is successful, almost assuredly there’d be no problem with small units—a few cubic centimeters of ZPE—providing enough energy to power spaceships.”
Magnetic Power Inc., has quietly been evaluating, (and more recently developing), ZPE systems for two decades. Laboratory results are now encouraging. Systems capable of producing several kilowatts of electric power from Zero Point Energy seem to be on the horizon. Prototype drive systems for vehicles may be possible within two years. These electric power generators will require no fuel and produce no pollution. If we, and others working with revolutionary energy technology, are successful, the beginning of a transition away from oil, and other fuels, could be a near-term event.
Demonstration devices, as well as inexpensive toys, are planned, in order to overcome understandable skepticism. As acceptance of the reality of new energy conversion devices becomes widespread, the price of gasoline could gradually stabilize, and later fall back.
Funding such breakthrough research has been difficult. At this early stage it still depends on Accredited Angel investors, individuals who can afford high risk. Later, it will involve Strategic Partners interested in manufacturing generators under license. One of the latter has already provided substantial assistance.
Mark Goldes
Chairman and CEO
Magnetic Power Inc.
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Re: Zero Point Energy: Is it real? (Score: 1)
by kurt9 on Monday, April 12, 2004 @ 22:22:18 UTC
(User Info | Send a Message) http://www.metatechnica.com | I wish you guys the best of luck. I would like to believe that ZPE is real, but am still not convinced of it. Also, it is is real, its not clear to me that useful energy can be extracted. Useful energy comes from a difference of energy levels, usually temperature. I don't see such a difference in ZPE, leading me to think that it is impossible.
It may be possible to extract the energy from high frequency and use the lower frequencies as the heat sink. I have no idea if this is possible.
Of course, 7 years ago I thought that cold fusion was twaddle, and it now appears to be a real phenomenon. I met some physicists at a particle beam conference in the late 90's and, when I asked them about cold fusion, most of them told me that they thought it was real but that it was no fusion in the conventional sense.
So, maybe it will be for ZPE. Who knows.
If ZPE is possible, I think the best strategy is to make a low-cost demonstration device or toy that can be easily marketed. This will provide the "proof of principle" needed to attract serious investment and customers. |
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Zero Point Energy: Can it become a practical, near-term, alternative? (Score: 1)
by bodebliss on Monday, April 12, 2004 @ 23:44:16 UTC
(User Info | Send a Message) http://picoscience.8m.com/ | I love this site for it's undying enthusiasm. Too bad you can't run cars on that, because that appears to be something that America has alot of. If and when ZPE is proven to be a working commodity, it will be the biggest discovery since FIRE . There will be no suppressing it . The knowledge of it's proof will spread like FIRE through the world of science and a new day will dawn for mankind. You won't be able to miss the event, not even if you want to. It will be future altering and inescapable.
Bode Bliss |
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Zero Point Energy: Can it become a practical, near-term, alternative? (Score: 1)
by bodebliss on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 @ 10:21:12 UTC
(User Info | Send a Message) http://picoscience.8m.com/ | With oil: you tap a reserve of oil in the ground refine and distill to get gasoline for cars.
With electricity: you tap higher energy to feed the lines to your house.
ZPE is everywhere the same how do you start a flow??
You have to go from higher to lower in some form to start a flow.
This is a law. |
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Re: Zero Point Energy: Can it become a practical, near-term, alternative? (Score: 1)
by ElectroDynaCat on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 @ 10:46:24 UTC
(User Info | Send a Message) | Any device that could make the vacuum flux an actual power source would not only have implications for technology, it implies a deep insight into the very basis of physics, mainly because every known law of nature says that the ZPE cannot be extracted.
The physics community has every right to be sceptical, but open to this possibility. When it comes to ZPE devices, physicists are all from Missouri, they want you to "Show me".
The main paradigms a ZPE device has to circumvent are not the Conservation of Energy or the Second Law of Thermodynamics. These two laws are results of a higher, more general Principle of Least Action, formulated by Lagrange back in the 19th Century. A mathematic enigma, Lagrange's Principle has been the main tool of modern theorectical physics for two hundred years. It is the one theoretical result that has held firm in every chemical and physics experiment ever performed in history. It is so difficult to solve precisely that any problem involving more than two bodies is beyond the comprehension of any Physicist, Computer Scientist or Mathematician. Ask any third year physics student about Lagrange and an expression of pain will inevitably arise.
Will it still hold up to scrutiny if and when someone discovers (not invents) a Zero Point Device? It is so cryptic in its message that we may find that we have in fact, just not re-verified it, but found another higher aspect of Lagrange. That would make the people that stand up in front of blackboards and wonder about Lagrange very happy. |
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Re: Zero Point Energy: Can it become a practical, near-term, alternative? (Score: 0)
by Anonymous on Wednesday, April 14, 2004 @ 14:14:21 UTC | I can't help but be very sceptical.
If a 7 KW device works, then all you need is a few dozen of these and whole towns can get free power. So where are they? There are hundreds of companies all over the world that would drop everything and start mass producing these devices if they really worked.
The fact that we DON'T see these devices everywhere is the most convincing proof that they don't work.
Not that I wouldn't LOVE it worked, I would really like to be wrong here.
On the positive side, it looks like nuclear [hot] fusion is closer to reality, thanks to some advancements by Sandia laboratories in the US. Now there is something that may really work, since the Sun demonstrates the physics behind it quite nicely.
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- Re: Zero Point Energy: Can it become a practical, near-term, alternative? by nanotech on Wednesday, April 14, 2004 @ 20:36:16 UTC
- Re: Zero Point Energy: Can it become a practical, near-term, alternative? by ElectroDynaCat on Thursday, April 15, 2004 @ 07:43:45 UTC
- Re: Zero Point Energy: Can it become a practical, near-term, alternative? by ElectroDynaCat on Sunday, April 18, 2004 @ 09:26:39 UTC
- Re: Zero Point Energy: Can it become a practical, near-term, alternative? by Anonymous on Thursday, May 13, 2004 @ 09:32:32 UTC
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The Stars Are Ours (Score: 0)
by Anonymous on Saturday, May 15, 2004 @ 19:51:06 UTC | OK, first item, the existance of ZPE has been proven in labratory experiments. It's existence has been suspected since the 1940's, and is fairly well accepted concept now. Despite it's being contrary to all we know of physics. Recent experiments are considered proof. Look it up.
Second item, if the US Air Force is now talking about it, I bet they've already done it, used it, and have a serious lead in the technology. It also means that most other countries have found out about it. It's no big deal then to announce it. My opinion.
Third item, there are an awful lot of people around the world working on this. Individuals, small groups, aerospace companies, and national efforts. I wouldn't call them all wrong at this time. Look it up.
Fourth item, the idea of ZPE being used in toys and cars right away is cool. Can't wait. China is creating a huge demand for automotive fuel. We Terrans need something new right away.
Fifth item, a differential state to producing energy is a reasonable requirement. But what about photovoltaic devices? Not so obvious there either. Not everything depends on heat transfer.
Sixth item, this would allow the human race to basically up and leave the planet and go anywhere we want. The new requirement would be how to haul enough food along with us. So I guess dependable hydroponic gardens will be the next big deal.
The Stars Are Ours |
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