FAQ: T-dam

Please review the Technology Overview Section first.

How can power be recovered from a T-dam: (G^p : Gross Power)

Power can be harvested from a T-dam using a wide variety of methods.  

The easiest method to describe is to harvest power via torsional rotation.   This is accomplished by inserting 1 or more paddle wheels in the descent path, to intercept the saturated rotors as they  fall.  The axis of the paddle wheel is attached to a standard generator.   A differential, and flywheel may be necessary, as required by the particular generator.  In this method the rotors are not required to hold a magnetic charge and can therefore be shelled with some sort of high impact plastic.  As more rotors are introduced into the circulation, the number of simultaneous impact, limited only by the design of the system, will increase the torsional output on the paddle wheel.   This method can also be used to compress gases or as a propulsion method.

The most efficient method is via direct magnetic induction.   As the magnetizable rotors fall through the ascent channel, they fall through the center  of  one or more strong magnetic fields. As the magnetic field violently clash, current is induced and stored in an attached battery. Normalization of the charges via rectification, or other methods will be required.

Energy in the form of continuous impacts can be captured at one or more points in the descent channel.  This is accomplished by an intervening surface, which captures the impacts, and then allows the rotors to continue their cycle.

In short the use of the two state rotor.  The two state rotor is light to maximize buoyancy and heavy to maximize falling mass. The Bou-Mass attribute (Objects' Buoyancy potential to Mass potential)  of a material could theoretically approach 1-100.   This would imply  that a 1 lb mass could generate 100 lbs of falling potential.

I am loathe to raise the term perpetual motion by reference.  It is on the face of it...a ridiculous short hand for the honest statement "I don't understand its source of power".

To this question, as inventor, I say...the only statement required to refute the assertion of perpetual motion is "Gravity is its' power source, therefore the t-dam's effectiveness directly proportional to any change in gravity.

Gare Henderson

How can the net power out be more than the inputs: (N^p : Net Power)

The source of energy from any system, is a relative term.   In hydro-electric power, the medium is water, but the "source of power" is gravity.  A traditional hydro-electric dam, uses the negative buoyancy of water (free-fall) in atmosphere to convert an apparently unlimited gravitational force into torsional rotation.   A T-dam uses the positive buoyancy of trapped gas (free-float) in fluid, to convert the same unlimited gravitational force into torsional rotation.   Additionally, a T-dam can more directly convert this gravitational force into electricity via magnetic induction.

 Therefore in that it can be accepted that flotation (free-float) is the opposite of falling (free-fall), and that both are the results of gravitational forces tapped from the interaction of materials of significantly different densities, within a gravitational field..  The question of sources of energy of a T-dam are completely answered.

In short, that question does not apply to a T-dam. 

The idea that energy is some commodity that must be moved about is inaccurate.  

In a traditional electric generator, powered by fossil fuels.   The electrical force is tapped by the generator, it is not created.  To say that a standard generator creates electricity, is analogous to saying that the Dutch boy removed his finger from a small hole in the dike, did so with enough force to generates the flood that followed.  In both cases the actions of the generator and the boy, are methods of enabling or organizing the flow a vast potential resource.

Both solar and wind power can easily be traced to similar tapping methods. 

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The trick dam is so called because just as the magician uses a small amount of energy, in a diversion, or furtive movement to achieve the greater goal of the illusion.   A trick dam can generate a substantial power output via torsional rotation, direct magnetic induction, or continuous impact capture.  Each of these methods is scalable.  This means that by using more effective (larger) rotors, denser fluid, longer or more numerous channels the power potentials can be optimized.

The required power inputs, depend upon the implementation, i.e. lake or river application, standalone, or municipal designs. The most power hungry of these designs is the closed standalone design.   The power inputs for this design are;

Upper impeller (UI^p): 

The impeller is required to lift multiple floated rotors, from the top of the ascent channel, and deposit them into the top of the descent channel(s).    The maximum distance of travel will be roughly 1/2 of the outer circumference of  the impeller.  This distance will be determined by the configuration of the channels.  The rotor size, rotors saturated weight, and the operational speed of the impeller will determine the power requirements.   The paddles of the impeller will be vented to allow excess fluid to immediately drain back into the top of the ascent channel, however the weight of some residual fluid will add to the power burden of this component.   The final power requirement is that required to move the impeller paddles through the fluid itself.   However, since this is a given range, from 0-max capacity, this power requirement can be compensated by increasing G^p.

A couple of notes are important here.   In the lake (still water design) this is a minimal power drain, and in the river (moving water design) this may required substantially more power, plus the power needed to pump water up to the saturation platform.   Also, if very buoyant rotors, in sufficient number the upward pressure of the cresting rotors may be used to operate the upper impeller, partially or completely.  However, once this requirement is determined, the system can be optimized by extending the ascent channel capacity (length or number of channels).

Lower impeller: (LI^p)

The lower impeller is required to transfer the fallen rotors to the base of the filled ascent channel.   The power requirements are for the impeller blades to withstand the weight of the water column, and to fully or partially evacuate a section of the impeller via compression. This has proven to be the highest power consumption of the system.   However, these power requirements can be successfully mitigated via a number of methods. 

A primary method is replacement, in that as rotors are introduced a directly related quantity of fluid escapes to the sump system. If the pressure inside of the ascent channel is constant then this action creates a proportional vacuum at the top of the fluid column, thereby reducing the power necessary for this impeller.   Even in an open system, the amount of evacuated fluid, tends to proportionally reduce the power requirement of this component.  Even greater mitigation is achieved from optimizing the power removed from the falling rotors, so that sufficient force remains in the rotor to motivate the impeller via impacts. 

The greatest mitigation is in the rotors design and composition.  The shape of the rotors can be optimized for fluid insertion, much like a car can be designed to lower wind resistance.  But the choice of absorbent materials, such as an open-cell foam, will allow the rotors to be presented to the base of the ascent channel with only their unsaturated mass X_m.  When the rotors are introduced to the top of the descent channel the rotor has absorbed quantity Y_m of fluid.  Therefore, rotors generate energy with a mass of X_m+Y_m, but only require the energy of mass X_m at the insertion point.   Consequently, the choice of rotor design and materials can be substantially improve the P^o:Pⁱ ratio. In our prototyping using household sponges, this ratio could be as high as 2-3:1.  We estimate that using optimum materials this ratio could be as high as 100 to 1.

Sump System: (SS^p)

Fluid will collect at several points in the system.   The lower impeller, the upper impeller, and in the descent channel.  This fluid will be trapped in the sump system.  The sump system consists of various strategic channels which can be optimized to minimize the depth this excess fluid travels, with the consequent increase in the sump power requirements.  This can be achieved by returning as much fluid as feasible directly to the top of the ascent channel during upper impeller operation.  However, given that all evacuated fluid is trapped in the lowest level, which is the case with a simple design, the sump power requirements remain minimal.  This is because hydrostatic pressure, or siphon action is employed, albeit augmented.   A channel is established from the sump system to a siphon well in the ascent channel which is lower than the sump collection point.

The power formula for the system is;  N^p = G^{p - (}SS^{p +} LI^{p +} UI^p)

Is the Trick dam a finished product:

No.   We have achieved some success in prototyping the design, but we are designers, not builders.   However the logic of the design is sound.   The next step is to achieve optimal configurations in the lab environment.  Specific questions relate to materials, construction, configuration, and optimization.

Contact our development team