Why has nobody invented a power unit using just magnetic forces.?

Question

Could the petrol engine be replaced with the above by a scientist/engineer or should I have a go myself.?

Answer 1

I'm assuming you mean a magnetic generator that doesn't require another fuel source to create a perpetual charge. Maybe just a push in the right direction to get it started. This is a very interesting subject to me also, with the rising cost of oil, coal and other fuel sources that we Americans seem to have an addiction to. Go for it!!

Answer 2

You know I've been thinking along the exact same lines and everybody keeps laughing and I don't know why. I remember asking in 1966 during the World Cup finals at half time, when tension was high, why it wasn't possible to transplant a head and now lo and behold it's already been done by

"Dr Robert White and his team, it was a triumph, the first effective mammalian head transplant ever performed. It took place on March 14, 1970 at the Metrohealth Medical Centre in Cleveland, Ohio"

I saw a science programme on the TV that showed the operation a couple of years ago. How's that for keeping up with the news? So I have no doubt that you nay WE are on to something here and I wouldn't be surprised if the scientists are already using a similar concept on trains.....they could call it maglev or something like that, short for magnetic levitation. Personally I think the aliens are ahead of us, I'm sure I saw a UFO once coz I saw a light hovering above the street lights where I used to live, too high for another street light and yet not high enough to be a plane or helicopter and I remember thinking, "I can see you" and blow me down it shot off straight as an arrow into the sky at a degree of around 45 to 50 and I bet they were using some kind of magnetic force to move at such lightning speed but I didn't hang around coz I wanted to go home and hide under the blankets.

Answer 3

This has already been done with a train. The railway lines are magnetised positively and the train wheels are magnetised negatively. As opposite poles pull away from each other, the train shoots along the track because it is trying to pull away from the negativly charged railway line. Actually, this train did not need wheels but hovers about 3 inches above the track because of the magnetic force pushing away from each other.

Answer 4

When I was an Apprentice my trainer reckoned he knew how to make an engine using magnets, As it has never appeared I guess he didn't , or more likely the petrol company's had him silenced. !

Did see a cool thing at Warwick university years ago a demonstration of superconducting magnetic material .
A lump of said material was cooled in liquid nitrogen then dropped onto a steel plate where it happily floated in mid air until it got warm again and fell down.

Answer 5

Gee, what a great idea. Why hasn't anyone thought of this before! I guess the 100,0000 engineers who are working on trying to figure out alternative energy sources just must have overlooked this easy and simple solution to the world's problems.

Before you start in on this, you might want to take a course on elementary physics.

Answer 6

What the hell is a power unit?

What do you mean by "just magnetic forces"? Do you pour magnets in one end and get magnetic force out the other end?.... Thats called a magnet...and you don't have to pour the other magents in.... they will just gum up the works.

Answer 7

Because scientists don't fully understand magnetic forces or gravity. Once that can be worked out (hopefully soon) then I'm sure benefits will come from it.

Answer 8

Whoa, like a coil of copper wire spinning inside a magnetic field?
It COULD work!
But WAIT!
That is called a GENERATOR!
LOL!

Answer 9

I think that nosdda is referring to the Linear Motor that is used on the Japanese Bullet train.

Answer 10

Bit nasty aren't they? When you mean without the wires and other paraphernalia? They will blush when they read this and realise!