this post was submitted on 25 Jun 2024
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Does this have any benefit over just using friction to convert the rotation into heat? I suppose it would suffer less wear, but it also seems way more expensive.
As you said, friction would introduce more wear and maintenance. This gentleman's idea is to attach a windmill to drive the rotary induction wheel, which would essentially be "free" heat energy, and an interesting hobby contraption. Entertainment and a sense of accomplishment is probably his main goal.
Its not a brand new idea, just a different application of the principle. Induction generators already exist, and they can indeed be used with windmills, but to generate AC current versus heat energy.
More power to this fun and crazy inventor. Maybe he can find practical and reproducible use for this effect. If not, he's gonna have the most unique water heater ever invented. With this he could make a fully mechanical hot water heater that burns no fuel and uses no electricity. He would just have to make a mechanism to disengage a clutch at the top temperature.
If he turned it into a generator and powered a heat pump he could get 2-3x the heat energy than he generates.
If you read comments to the original article, it is far from new idea and some farmers have used for a long time.