Finsrud's Perpetuum Mobile

[noodles]

Random thoughts:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=553061720631716456&hl=en
@ 41:10 -> 41.30

When you hear that click.  It is something which flashes, seems like an electrical click. Always when the ball is passing a particular point on the system it clicks. 

Personally, I think the pendulums may just be for show.  It is a 1kg ball on a almost frictionless plane.  if it was pushed to start the sytem, that alone is a large amount of energy injected into the system. 

I will now explain what I think the flashing clicking is -
In my opinion it is an electromagnet.  It attractes the ball just before it passes it and switches off again as soon as the ball has passed, thereby speeding its progress without pulling it back.

Maybe inside the column is a coil of wire, a magnetic field (as found on the pendulums) moving past a wire generates electricity.  this could be collected in a capacitor to power the electromagnet.

Alternatively the sound could be a resetting mechanism or some method used to give the pendulums a "kick" to keep them going...but with the quality of the video, it is hard to discern the sound exactly.

Also I believe without the middle bits, the ball, once given a push to get it up to speed as seen in the videos will continue in its orbit for a very long time without any mechanism due to its weight and smoothness of plane.

Shak

[Omnibus]

@noodles, you wrote:

?Personally, I think the pendulums may just be for show.  It is a 1kg ball on a almost frictionless plane.  if it was pushed to start the sytem, that alone is a large amount of energy injected into the system.?

The energy from the initial push cannot explain the weeks of work of the device. Take away the magnets and this same energy from the initial push will only be enough for just several turns of the ball.

As far as clicks go, they are more than one ? at least three less loud and the one more clear. Clicks are detrimental to the functioning of the device since they're waste of energy which drives it. Therefore, in the analysis (because they are adverse factor) clicks may work in favor of the device and not against it.

?I will now explain what I think the flashing clicking is -
In my opinion it is an electromagnet.  It attractes the ball just before it passes it and switches off again as soon as the ball has passed, thereby speeding its progress without pulling it back.
Maybe inside the column is a coil of wire, a magnetic field (as found on the pendulums) moving past a wire generates electricity.  this could be collected in a capacitor to power the electromagnet.?

You?re suggesting fraud. There have been groups that have studied such a possibility, using very sensitive instruments capable of detecting very slight electromagnetic phenomena. No such phenomena have been detected. Proposals such as yours to explain away the Finsrud effect have been around at the beginning and all of them have failed to detect any foul play.

?Alternatively the sound could be a resetting mechanism or some method used to give the pendulums a "kick" to keep them going...but with the quality of the video, it is hard to discern the sound exactly.?

This is another suggestion for fraud but it is a mere speculation. More is needed to accept your proposal.

?Also I believe without the middle bits, the ball, once given a push to get it up to speed as seen in the videos will continue in its orbit for a very long time without any mechanism due to its weight and smoothness of plane.?

As I said, without the magnets the ball will only make several turns and will stop despite the initial push. If have something else in mind, explain it better.

[Gregory]

The energy from the initial push cannot explain the weeks of work of the device. Take away the magnets and this same energy from the initial push will only be enough for just several turns of the ball.

As far as clicks go, they are more than one ? at least three less loud and the one more clear. Clicks are detrimental to the functioning of the device since they're waste of energy which drives it. Therefore, in the analysis (because they are adverse factor) clicks may work in favor of the device and not against it.

As I said, without the magnets the ball will only make several turns and will stop despite the initial push. If have something else in mind, explain it better.

This is very right, I agree with Omnibus. Without the magnets, or without the pendulums, the ball will take only several turns, and stop, it's sure. If you don't believe, You can try for yourself.

About fraud suggestion... Finsrud is an artist. In this case he has no interst to do something fraudulant. He didn't advertise his moving sculpture too much, or perhaps didn't at all. Others talked about it much more. He just placed his artwork in his gallery, and that's all. Visitors can see it. There is no evidence for fraud.

I think the clicks are not for a hidden trick. Also the speculated coil, capacitor, and electromagnet can't produce   enough power to do that.

This machine is really a unique one. (Not always needed to look for a hidden trick, or fraud.)
From one more viewpoint it can be considered as a system, which able to continously store some energy received from gravity and the fields of permanent magnets, a kind of storage device. The machine resets itself every turn, and continously store the energy in its own motion. (And use its own motion to resets itself.)
I think at the loud click, the ball give a small push to the pendulums to keep them swinging. The pendulums react each other through various mechanisms, and the kick has been divided.

This machine is quite complex (below the surface), really a great work of art.
Perhaps doesn't run for a century, but prove the possibility.
And everything can be better, and better...

[hartiberlin]

It is said,
that it only stops, if the clay that holds the magnets
in the lower buttom magnet plate dries out too much.

But this could take a few months.

The click sound probably comes from the one small
sawing hole in the track.
You can see it, when the camera zooms across the rail track.
When the ball goes over this small slit then it probably makes this
click sound.
I have to rewatch it to be able to hear it.

[noodles]

Hello,

I never said Fraud.  They were random thoughts about other possibilities.

His reluctance to monetize this discovery is what is causing the doubt.  If it was so good and you wish to help society, release plans, open up the centre so we can all see and allow a replice of the device to be made.  On the other hand, if money is your passion, then take that route, but at least take some route rather than dangling a carrot...

From what I have read, it seems like he has moved on to creating other art and is reluctant to monetize.

I have tried the dangling magnetic pendulum over magnets experiment before, is always seems to find a point of stability and equilibrium.

What is your explanations for the flash at the point in the video in my original post? (clearly visible at 41:12 and 41:17 it is yellow, at bottom of tall spring thing with yellow top)