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Perpetual Popcorn Machine

Posted on May 10, 2016
This is a concept design of a perpetual motion machine. A perpetual motion machine is a mechanical system that is able to move without a source of energy, without ever stopping, some designs are too bold to even claim that the system generates free energy (free energy machine).
Of course this design is not a functioning Perpetual Motion Machine, it is nearly impossible to design such system, energy is always lost while it makes its cycle in the system. It is lost in form of friction, heat dissipation and by moving the surrounding air which absorbs the energy.
Here is a brief explanation of how this simple machine could operate. An individual corn kernel falls on the heated platform (colored in red), the water in the corn kernel heats up and eventually causes an explosion (The POP), the explosion allows the corn to expand into a popcorn and this expansion pushes the piston downward and the Popcorn with it. At the bottom, the Popcorn exits the piston from the right side. The motion of the piston drives a gear which rotates a shaft connected to an electric alternator. The alternator generates electricity which is fed back to the heating platform. 
By this design, the energy of the exploding Popcorn is partially recovered and sent back to heat up another corn.
 
I should point out however that this system can be multiplied to several pistons connected to the same shaft and flywheel , each allowed to input energy to the alternator freely but also keeping a more continuous motion for the flywheel. The gear and the flywheel are not connected by a straight shaft, the gear drives the main shaft by a torque in one direction and free rotation in the other direction, exactly like the drive gear of a bicycle.
There are few mechanisms removed from these pictures.There is a mechanically connected gate , that allows one corn kernel to fall into the piston when the piston moves downward and returns to place, this gate will allow feeding in the kernels, one by one. This system also assumes that all corn kernels will explode. It is of course possible to later add electronic smart systems that detect a bad corn kernel and disposes of it to keep the Perpetual popcorn machine running.
Of course a system like this has no point other than interesting mechanical design , popcorn making and just a fun thing to try out. All previously design “Perpetual Motion Machines” had no purpose, at least this one , while consuming energy from the electric grid to keep running, it will also make you something to munch on while you watch a movie.
There could be in fact a perpetual motion machine, if you can cheat with the conditions, for example, two bodies in the vacuum of space connected together by gravity, can rotate around each other endlessly if there are no external gravity fields affecting their motion and no contact between the two bodies to create friction.

10 thoughts on “Perpetual Popcorn Machine”

  1. innovations.rajan says:
    October 10, 2017 at 5:12 PM

    like any other perpetual motion machine concepts, unworkable for ever.

    Reply
  2. Rami Rouhana says:
    October 10, 2017 at 6:53 PM

    I agree.

    Reply
  3. Unknown says:
    October 13, 2017 at 4:03 AM

    Concept is good, but don't think other part will work… Can it generate the desired force??

    Reply
  4. Rami Rouhana says:
    October 13, 2017 at 1:14 PM

    I think a small force would allow it to rotate , but i am not sure how much energy it will generate. The only way to know is to build and test. I think it would be a fun project for someone.

    Reply
  5. Ugoani Clement says:
    October 30, 2017 at 4:04 PM

    Interesting to read… At least stimulates innovation. Some intense playing around that could lead to some other useful discovery. Nice job Rami.

    Reply
  6. Rami Rouhana says:
    October 30, 2017 at 4:06 PM

    Thank you Ugoani, my goal is to stimulate innovation. I guess, i am on trakc. 🙂

    Reply
  7. Sagar Davadra says:
    November 2, 2017 at 2:10 AM

    #Interesting and innovative idea #great scope of work on it…

    Reply
  8. Siddharth S says:
    November 2, 2017 at 8:28 AM

    Theoretically possible, practically you won't be able to extract the energy required to heat the plate. You can give it a try to study why it won't work. Even I had several such ideas when I initially heard about perpetual motion machines.

    Reply
  9. Rami Rouhana says:
    November 3, 2017 at 12:04 AM

    Thank you

    Reply
  10. Rami Rouhana says:
    November 3, 2017 at 12:05 AM

    It would be interesting to measure how much energy can be recovered.

    Reply

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