GSE: FAQ |
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General Technology Questions: - I've never heard of this technology, give me a technical overview?  - People say that this technology must steal energy from passing vehicles. - User Question: How do you buy these devices. - This is an amazing technology, why is it just being exploited now? - We are looking for green solutions for our road crews. How can GSE technologies help us? - How can we be assured that GSE products are safe to use on our roadways? - What are the advantages of GSE systems over wind or solar powered solutions? - I've heard of this but somebody called it a perpetual motion system? - We are looking for a reliable pumping system to water our camels. What does GSE have to offer? - Where does this technology fit within a modern country like the US? - We are concerned that GSE devices will disrupt traffic flows...since they look like speed bumps? - Our roads are plowed during storms, how will plows affect GSE traffic control devices? - Evan Mills of the Lawrence Berkeley and Dennis Maez from NREL are extremely skeptical and think that the device converts a loss of fuel efficiency. Comparison Tables: 1. Energy sources comparison by fundamental attributes 2. Projected growth and cost curves of popular energy sources 3. Comparison of energy density by source 4. Entries from the encyclopedia of alternative energy |
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User Question: How do you buy these devices. This website provides multiple methods to facilitate purchase of GSE devices. Our retail or off-shelf stock is available through order form link, this link also includes a wide variety of bundles aimed at wholesalers and retailers. Our large scale applications packages can be ordered through both the Application Packages link, as well as the Drought & Desalination link. Custom versions of our products are available through the engineering RFQ link. This site uses frames, which may not be visible in some older browsers. You may access the no - frames version by following this link. Following are links to all of the other pages on this site.
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I've never heard of this technology, give me a technical overview?  Over the last few decades industry and commerce has discovered that energy can come from sources other than traditional physical transformational methods such as combustion, fission, or fusion. These physical transformational methods are based upon a fuel model While all energy results from state changes, the traditional methods represent a small fraction of viable state changes. Wind, solar, and hydro power are classed as ephemeral state change energy sources, in that they are based upon temporal state changes, rather than physical changes. Wind, solar, and hydro are based upon a field model. At GSE we see all state changes as energetic, and many as viable if concentrated and directed. GSE methods are based upon a variation or change model. The illustration on the right demonstrates the nature of inertial energy. Observe that when the vehicles are stationary, weight is diffused directly below the vehicle, as indicated by the red columns. However, as the vehicles begin to move a dynamic energy wave flows in synchrony with the vehicle into the roadway. It is this dynamic energy wave that GSE devices harvest, and convert into gas compression, fluid pressure, or directly into electrical energy. GSE pumps and compressors, gain energy from the movement of significant animated masses, (i.e. livestock, motor vehicles, trains, and grounded aircraft). Contrary to popular misconceptions, GSE methods can be engineered to be completely transparent to a targeted mass. That is to say, that if the technology is engineered into the fundamental structure of a structure, (i.e. road, bridge, or building), as opposed applied to a post-production design, just as with field model methods, no additional vehicle fuel, or livestock calories need be consumed by the method. All of GSE's current methods are primarily based upon concentrating and directing gravitational energy into various storable forms such as physical pressure, or weight. The logical proof of gravity as a viable source, is that none of GSE current products would work on the International Space Station (ISS) or the moon. The energy potentials of GSE R-series units, assuming (average speed 45 mph, average vehicle weight 4.800 lbs) is equal to 24,816 BTU per lane mile at 80% traffic densities. [Note: these numbers represent ideal conditions and 100% deployment]. This means that the 6 lanes of traffic on a 30 mile section of VA I-66, could ideally during rush hour, generate 4,466,880 BTU per second or 4.7 Gigawatts per second. Each percentage point is equal to 47 Megawatts. This translates to a 1 foot wide GSE R-series device placed at 100 foot intervals on the roadway, and is enough power to operate all of the stationary lighting, signage, and toll plazas for a 100 mile stretch of roadway. ************************** |
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People say that this technology must steal energy
from passing vehicles. This is one of the biggest problems that we face in moving this technology forward. One of our guys was recently dismissed by a guy from Shell with the line "There must be an energy trade off, and you are are taking gas from passing motorists". Because of the forum we could not respond (It was like a Shark Tank critique). But he could not not be more wrong. The easiest way to see that this is not true is to imagine a roadway constructed of piezoelectric crystals, (something already tested in Israel) In this case the roadway is as flat and featureless as any paved roadway, yet a substantial amount of electricity was generated. This is because energy is always diffused into the roadway as heavy objects move, no matter what obstacles are present. What this view does is confuse the harvest method with the energy source. Similar to someone denying the existence of electricity because of the use of magnets in its generation, which was one of the earliest misconceptions of electrical generation. At a more fundamental level, this view demonstrates a limited view of thermodynamics, and the enthalpy of thermodynamic systems. [Enthalpy is a measure of the total energy of a thermodynamic system. It includes the internal energy, which is the energy required to create a system, and the amount of energy required to make room for it by displacing its environment and establishing its volume and pressure] Yet, this is not a valid criticism of inertial harvesting methods, but is instead and engineering attribute. Our speed sponge devices are engineered specifically to remove energy from the passing vehicle. This design is ideal for traffic control applications. GSE is working on a wide variety of roadway solutions, which include ultimately featureless pourable methods, which is less than 1 year away. ************************** |
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This is an amazing technology, why is it just
being exploited now?  It is one of the newest fundamental energy technologies, in that many have wondered how it escaped the ancient inventors like Archimedes. Some have labeled Gare Henderson, the primary inventor in 1998 of PEC, pressure to energy conversion, technology as the Newton or Archimedes of our age. However, the technology of active gravity capture and concentration has a long provenance. City dwellers have for centuries marveled at the ability of fast  ************************** |
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How can
we be assured that GSE products are safe to use on our roadways? We are currently involved in acceptance testing and certification with AASHTO testing program, awaiting the next cycle of testing of roadway devices. We are also working with a few state based roadway testing processes. However, if you are a stakeholder at the state or federal level you can assist us by requesting that our products be evaluated by your testing authority. These programs are added assurance to our own quality and engineering testing program in our OSHA certified testing facility. For more information about getting GSE products certified to use in your program, please contact our engineering department; engineering@gravitationalsystems.org ************************** |
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Dr.Evan
Mills of the Lawrence Berkeley and Dr.Dennis Maez from NREL are extremely
skeptical and think that the device [Traffic Tap] causes a loss of fuel
efficiency. This kneejerk skeptical account was published in 2001, and has been extremely detrimental to the both the spread of momentum/inertial power, and the ability of GSE to attract investors. Over the years this has been the dismissive analysis by researchers and venture capitalists. Yet, surprisingly given the eminent creditentials of both Dr. Mills and Dr. Maez, it is based neither on empirical evidence nor systems analysis. The skepticism is understandable, just as many were skeptical, or even hostile, to the world changing views of Copernicus, Galileo, and Leibniz. It seems contrary to common sense that significant energy flows into the earth, resulting from the movement of mass, are not immediately evident to even the careful observer. However, the accepted principles of the conservation of energy dictates that energy must be dissipated or converted since it cannot be destroyed. Two questions are evoked. What percentage of the energy of an object moving along the surface, bound by gravity, is dissipated into the earth, as opposed that percentage that is converted into waste heat and atmospheric friction. We must recall that an object, bound to a fast moving mass by gravitational field, which is the case for all independent masses on the surface of the planet, must have at least potential energy [flow]. This is made obvious when we compare the action of a similar mass outside of a gravitational field. The earth is rotating at roughly 1,000 miles per hour, if sufficient energy, by either friction or impact, to increase velocity by 1,000 mph, was added to a mass, a force of equal magnitude would be required to resist acceleration. Consequently, we must view, the phenomena of weight as energy, albeit negative, or stasis, energy. The enthalpy of an animated mass is substantially dictated by its existence within a gravitational field. Therefore, the movement of significant masses requires sufficent energy to overcome the negative energy of gravity at minimum. Additional energy is required to overcome friction. The conservation of energy requires that all of these energies be diffused or converted. We contend that the fuel of a vehicle is primarily converted into waste heat and horizontal displacement, yet the energy use to overcome stasis is simply modulated, and flows synchronously through supporting structures, much like a water wave or the fanning of a flame. The objective proof of the power and efficacy of these energy flows is the extent of damage to bridges and roadways, caused by traffic flows. This phenomena of modulated energy flows is also well documented, in solids, through P-waves which are the basis of earthquake detection. The second question is; can the energy flows modulated by the movement of significant masses be harvested adiabatically? In other words can energy, (not necessarily heat but instead as pressure, or enthropy which could be converted into heat), be harvested from animated masses without energy loss or cost to the targeted masses inertial velocity. In practical terms it is easy to see that through the use of rigid piezoelectric materials to construct roadways or dance floors, has proven our essential thesis, that energy can be harvested from dynamic masses adiabatically, without either increasing fuel usage or reducing fuel efficency. ************************** |
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We are looking for green
solutions for our road crews. How can GSE technologies help us? GSE R and S series devices are as green as fresh grass. Zero emissions: GSE pumps and compressors are made from recycled rubber, and emit no green house gasses. Very low approaching zero fuel consumption: GSE pumps, compressors, and hydrostatics use no petrochemical, no electricity, no sunlight, and no wind. In the case of roadway appliances, 2-4 inches of additional distance is added to the fuel consumption of passing vehicles. GSE R series, pumps and compressors, can assist road crews by supplying compressed air, by eliminating the need for fuel based fluid pumping, and increase both motorist and worker safety by calming traffic flows. The R series are easily deployed, durable, reliable, and acceptable to motorists. Unlike traditional temporary speed bumps and speed humps, GSE R-series roadway devices are more pliable, allowing higher vehicle speeds, less noise, and very limited driver discomfort. GE fluid pumps are ideal for construction projects where excessive groundwater is a problem Our pump are easy to setup, effective, efficient, and flexible for a wide variety of construction site challenges. ************************** |
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What are the advantages of GSE systems over
wind or solar powered solutions? GSE R series devices are base energy systems, which is always available for traffic based applications. The traffic base of GSE R series pumps and compressors makes them ideal for applications where a lot of vehicle or heavy animal traffic flows are available, or when such flows are coincident with energy requirements, as in livestock watering, or electronic roadway signage. Inertia power has a unique niche profile in the power market. Inertia power provides energy densities similar to fuel, without the pollution. However, due to the requirements of traffic flows inertial power is less dependable than stored fuel. Yet the demand sensitive nature of inertial power makes it ideal for many applications, which would require either significant fuel infrastructure or grid connections. The fuel independence of inertial based applications allows for power hungry projects, such as air pollution abatement or drought mitigation, which would be too expensive in terms of fuel or solar or wind infrastructure. Inertial power share the same distributive nature with wind or solar (photovoltaic) or other DSE. No grid connections or fuel supplies are required, and as a result most DSE (dynamic state energy) technologies are immune to systematic infrastructure failures. However inertial power alone is also independent of environmental factors such as wind speed, or the availability of sunlight. Yet another advantage of inertial power is its simple durable design, which can easily be manufactured locally from recycled materials, but will still benefit from research toward greater efficiency, lower costs and increased service life. Consequently the main advantages of inertial power over solar or wind are energy density and contextual reliability. ************************** |
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I've
heard of this but somebody called it a perpetual motion system? "Machines which comply with both laws of thermodynamics by accessing energy from unconventional sources are sometimes referred to as perpetual motion machines, although they do not meet the standard criteria for the name. By way of example, clocks and other low-power machines, such as Cox's timepiece, have been designed to run on the differences in barometric pressure or temperature between night and day. These machines have a source of energy, albeit one which is not readily apparent so that they only seem to violate the laws of thermodynamics. Machines which extract energy from seemingly perpetual sources - such as ocean currents - are indeed capable of moving "perpetually" until that energy source runs down. They are not considered to be perpetual motion machines because they are consuming energy from an external source and are not isolated systems" Excerpt from Wikipedia The primary source of energy for GSE R & S series devices is gravity, in that the devices would not be able to operate in a zero gravity environment. Or in a reduced gravitational field, such as on the moon, these devices would generate proportionally reduced energy streams. Therefore, since gravity is persistent but not perpetual these systems satisfy both the first and second "laws" of thermodynamics, and cannot be classified as perpetual. However, there are many identifiable sources at work with many of our devices, including; momentum, linear elasticity, and several electro-static phenomena. ************************** |
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We are looking for a reliable
dependable pumping system to water our camels. What does GSE have
to offer? GSE R series livestock systems can be
engineered for animals ranging from goats to elephants. GSE
systems are low maintenance, extremely durable, well tolerated by
livestock, and most importantly always available when the animals are
present. A GSE R-series livestock pump can easily be applied to
livestock watering or feeding, automatic flushing, or to provide
water for irrigation, or co mpressed air for gates, and tools. Our
livestock series, as seen in Popular Mechanics, is a part of our custom above
ground series. Please contact our sales department for more information.************************** |
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Where does this technology fit
within a modern country like the US? 5-8 GSE SHP500, placed at key transition points, can replace a 6 x 6 200 Hp. (100 KWh) above ground pressure booster with normal suburban traffic, during normal driving hours. Each of these 200 hp. units that are replaced will be as if more than 50 typical American homes were taken off the grid during the day. When used on freeway exits, 2-3 GSE SHP500 can replace the same 200 Hp. pump, and multiple units can be employed on each ramp. These equivalent installations would dramatically reduce accidents, and save the local government up to 1200 KWh of electrical generation cost each day. In this time lapse video from Boston's Logan Airport you can easily see the traffic volume of extremely heavy vehicles. An array of 100 well placed GSE compressors would easily supply enough power to keep the runways clear of ice, remove excess ponding during storms, run emergency lighting, or even run all runway lights. This application is like many for GSE innovative fluid movement methods. The municipal rational for the investment can combine both fiscal and safety considerations, in that GSE units can be configured to calm traffic as well as move fluids, or compress gases. Another key aspect of GSE technologies is the symbiotic relationship between activity and power generation. For example if GSE units are employed on a suspension bridge, to compress air for power generation, cooling, and air storage, the power generation is greatest when activity levels peak. The added benefit of local power generation, is key to disaster preparedness, and disaster nullification,, (i.e. road lighting during a blackout). ************************** |
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We are concerned that GSE devices will disrupt traffic flows...since
they look like speed bumps? While it is true that our, especially temporary, above ground units will introduce caution into the traffic stream. However, drivers will quickly learn that the distinctive green speed bumps are more like normal expansion joints. The actual impact on vehicles is controlled by the choice and settings of the device. GSE devices can be engineered on a scale, with a normal concrete speed bump being at 100, from 5 to 500%. The units are essentially hollow, and filled with either air or water, depending on the applications. When a vehicle encounters the GSE unit, at speed, if the unit is set or engineered to minimize the effects on traffic flow, the driver and cargo will hear an slight thump, but they will experience almost nothing. If the device is engineered, or set, to impede specific traffic by some combination of weight and speed, the driver and cargo will experience a significant reduction of forward inertia, almost if if they had gone from a paved to a muddy road. GSE Speed Sponges are all distinctively colored bright red, and driv  ers will quickly learn that these are active
speed /inertia control devices.
In the illustration on the right, a series of speed sponges allow regular
vehicle traffic to pass with no significant impacts. Yet when the
heavy truck encounters the speed sponges, at a high rate of speed, the devices
act to absorb the trucks energy with a noticeable bump. Once the truck has slowed to a proper speed, the device is no longer activated, and the truck passes with no noticeable effects. This action is to implement an exponential decay on targeted traffic streams. This type of decay function can be applied to reduced accidents or prevent breeching terrorist attacks. ************************** |
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Our roads are plowed during storms,
how will plows affect GSE traffic
control devices? GSE devices are extremely hardy and durable and can withstand repeated plowings, however we recommend that roadside markers be employed to minimize plowing of these devices. ************************** |
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