Question

[English assassin]

Nothing to do with perpetual motion, but I would like to take this chance to draw the org's attention to the awesomeness that is a Stirling Engine:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirling_engine

[doc_bean]

Nothing to do with perpetual motion, but I would like to take this chance to draw the org's attention to the awesomeness that is a Stirling Engine:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirling_engine

I have to understand this thing for an exam tomorrow...

/end escapism

[English assassin]

Good luck. Its probably annoying to say that I found it really hard to understand, and then when I got it, was impressed with how simple and clever it all was.

[yesdachi]

Wouldn’t the harnessing of the wind be considered using relative perpetual motion as an energy source? like the tital power?

[Papewaio]

Wouldn’t the harnessing of the wind be considered using relative perpetual motion as an energy source? like the tital power?

Perpetual motion refers to an object forever moving without outside interference. Also perpetual motion will not use energy from within the system, it is a kind of forever moving equilbrium.

Windmills are not a closed system, they rely on an external energy source:

Sun Fusion energy -> Photons -> Heat up Earths Atmosphere -> Creating Winds -> Move windmills.

The Universe, unlike humans, likes to share things, particular energy. As such the laws of thermodynamics mean that a perpetual motion machine is not possible. What most people refer to as perpetual motion is an object that is getting energy from some outside force to keep it moving.