FTC Energy's Self-Running Linear Generator

[Xaverius]

Anyone seen the two videos by FTCenergy, one dated yesterday and one dated three weeks ago?  They both show a 300+ watt motor driving the generator with a 700+ load.  Approximately a 100% gain of overunity.  They list the generators at a base price of $7500 and list a non toll-free telephone number.  Scam? Familiarity?

[avalon]

Anyone seen the two videos by FTCenergy, one dated yesterday and one dated three weeks ago?  They both show a 300+ watt motor driving the generator with a 700+ load.  Approximately a 100% gain of overunity.  They list the generators at a base price of $7500 and list a non toll-free telephone number.  Scam? Familiarity?

I don't think it's a scam, although their process is, somewhat, unusual. I called the number on their Web site and spoke to a guy who sent me to directionalenergy.com instead of ftcenergy.com.
It looks that directionalenergy.com is run by 2 (I presume) brothers - Conrad and Allen Staff who live in Nevada and Orange respectively. Hence their 'headquarters' are in Nevada and Orange.
According to the guy prices start @US $1500 per watt so a 5 KW generator would cost $7500. [Yikes!]

That aside, FTCenergy products look real. They utilize a similar to Converteam's approach to minimize cogging (patent 7,714,473 - http://www.google.com/patents/US7714473?printsec=abstract#v=onepage&q&f=false) - fractioning the number of winding slots per pole. In FTCEnergy's case the number is always N.5 (i.e. 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 and so on). Almost identical patent application have been filed by, at least, another 2 companies. B.T.W it looks like Converteam is a subsidiary of GE so it will be difficult for anyone to overtake them.

Will see soon enough.

P.S. All their coils are independent from each other. That supposed to give flexibility of configuring the generator. In reality, it is going to be a big plus for all tinkerers and a big headache for anyone else.
Finally, there is a big question mark about the reliability of the generator as both the rotor and the stator are made of plastic (phenolic) materials. It helps to minimize the eddy currents losses but it minimizes the lifespan as well.

[Xaverius]

Thanx for the info.  This company shows two overunity demonstrations on Youtube.  I wonder if anyone has verified the claim?  I'd like to order a generator and give it a test, if it came with a guarantee.

[avalon]

According to the guy I have spoken with, the second unit (round case) is not available at all. Only the square case unit is available.
The 'available' part is questionable as he could not tell me the lead time for the unit.

My initial thought was, probably, exactly like yours. Get a unit, connect it to a small motor (or a rotoverter, or a pulse-driven motor, etc.) and, presto, you have an OU setup. My understanding is that they could not do it, neither could Converteam's guys.

In fact, Converteam is way more conservative. They do not claim 'zero cogging' but just 'reduced cogging'.
Another point to consider here is this. Zero-cogging generator is not the same as lenzless generator. You will still have to supply more rotational power when increasing the load. Zero-cogging is just a way of reducing free-running losses.

However, if you really need a 'zero-cogging' generator than I would recommend to look for 'axial-flux generators'. They are definitely reduced-cogging generators if not 'zero-cogging'. Best of all, they are available in industrial quantities from a number of manufactures primarily for wind applications. I have seen a number of axial-flux 'zero-cogging' generators around 3 kW mark for about $900.

[e2matrix]

I almost forgot about this thread.  I just looked at the vid they have with a motor running their gen. and powering 750 watts in lights.  No solid proof there.  Now if they would put watt meters on the input to the motor and the output to the lights I might start to get a little excited.  But they didn't and why wouldn't they do this.  $20 x 2 = $40 for watt meters so why wouldn't they want to show this with meters if it was really OU?  Because it probably is not.... IMO - just Florida salesman - home of more scams than I can recall.  I hate to be negative when I don't have proof but please don't anyone go spend money on one of these unless you go there in person and thoroughly check it out.  There is nothing to convince me so far this is anything other than bloated claims hoping to sell to a few unsuspecting people.  The other obvious thing they would be doing if it was really that much OU is to power the motor from the generator once started and then power a couple hundred watts in bulbs too - all self running which would be easy to do if it was really that much OU as they claim.