Michigan man believes his flying saucer is the answer
EDIT: This is a post about flying saucers powered by perpetual energy and should be read with humor in mind.
Could your next mode of transportation be on a flying saucer? It all depends on who you ask. Direct that question towards Alfie Carrington of Clinton Township, Michigan, and you'll get a resounding "yes." Carrington, a construction worker by day, hopes that the UFO he's been building in his garage qualifies him to receive $250,000 from the Feds as part of the much larger auto bailout program. A small price to pay to ween ourselves from petroleum use, right? We'd bet against him, but stranger things have happened.
What would the money be used for? To create the flying saucer's powertrain, which would reportedy use spinning discs that produce an unlimited supply of electricity that would be fed to batteries. A set of air ducts would be used to control the carbon fiber frisbee's flight path. That's rather vague, admittedly, but perpetual power sounds perfect for a flying saucer to us.
[Source: Detroit News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
jharlan 12:29PM (1/15/2009)
I'm sorry, but this doesn't make much sense to me.
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nads 3:01PM (1/15/2009)
This ABG post doesn't make sense because they left out most of the info from the original source article and instead tried to make it a "joke" piece to mask their ignorance on this topic.
This flying saucer, based on the info available, appears to use Magnetohydrodynamics, which as stated would use electromagnetic tech and require a small battery. It could be this guy doesn't even know what magnetohydrodynamics is but is working along the sames lines.
Professor Designs Plasma-propelled Flying Saucer
Flying saucers may soon be more fact than mere science fiction. University of Florida mechanical and aerospace engineering associate professor Subrata Roy has submitted a patent application for a circular, spinning aircraft design reminiscent of the spaceships seen in countless Hollywood films. Roy, however, calls his design a “wingless electromagnetic air vehicle,” or WEAV.
The vehicle will be powered by a phenomenon called magnetohydrodynamics, or the force created when a current or a magnetic field is passed through a conducting fluid. In the case of Roy’s aircraft, the conducting fluid will be created by electrodes that cover each of the vehicle’s surfaces and ionize the surrounding air into plasma.
The force created by passing an electrical current through this plasma pushes around the surrounding air, and that swirling air creates lift and momentum and provides stability against wind gusts. In order to maximize the area of contact between air and vehicle, Roy’s design is partially hollow and continuously curved, like an electromagnetic flying bundt pan.
One of the most revolutionary aspects of Roy’s use of magnetohydrodynamics is that the vehicle will have no moving parts. The lack of traditional mechanical aircraft parts, such as propellers or jet engines, should provide tremendous reliability, Roy said. Such a design also will allow the WEAV to hover and take off vertically.
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http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080611135049.htm
http://peswiki.com/index.php/Directory:Magnetohydrodynamics:Plasma-Powered_Flying_Saucers
harlanx6 3:24PM (1/15/2009)
You are right, Nads. I had never heard of the stuff you are talking about, but it seems fascinating. I am amazed that it is even theoretically possible, but UFOs must use some of this magnetic stuff. There is a hell of a lot yet to learn, but what doesn't make sense to me is how you could control traffic if everyone was flying around instead of rolling around on wheels. But I guess if you can solve the problem of flying without any moving parts, regulating traffic should be a snap.
Chris M 5:20PM (1/15/2009)
MagnetoHydroDynamics requires a powerful magnetic field, which could cause problems for nearby objects. MHD also requires a conductive fluid, and air is normally not conductive. To make air conductive it must be ionized, using lots of energy. Moreover, as soon as that MHD drive starts moving that ionized air, it is literally blown away, and the air rushing in must be also be ionized. Therefore, the energy consumption would rise dramatically with increased velocity.
Also, the odd shape of this craft isn't very good, aerodynamically speaking. It is highly unlikely that it could ever get off the ground using regular batteries for power. An electric airplane with old fashioned propellers would be much more efficient and much closer to practical usage.
harlanx6 5:51PM (1/15/2009)
There are a lot of skeptics, in the past we learn over and over that conventional wisdom in the long run is nearly always proven to be wrong. I'll be glad to give this guy a chance to prove he can design such a craft, but he'll have to do it on someone else's money.
nads 1:59AM (1/16/2009)
"Also, the odd shape of this craft isn't very good, aerodynamically speaking. "
Which just goes to show your depth on knowledge on Magnetohydrodynamics. Its interesting that you could have so many fatal misunderstandings in one post, when much of this tech is still little known and classified. One obvious: much like the standard airplane shape is the most practical and efficient for allow the plane to glide through the air, the saucer shape is the most efficient for plasma propulsion. Also the larger the saucer, the more efficient it is.
swaan 12:52PM (1/15/2009)
Even if it would work, the oil industry would never let it happen. Not to mention the scientific comminity.
Afterall where's the profit, greed and power in perpetual motion?
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James 1:12PM (1/15/2009)
"Afterall where's the profit, greed and power in perpetual motion?"
Or the understanding of basic thermodynamics? The third law is quite possibly the most extensively scientific principle in the history of human thought, and NOTHING has ever reproducibly demonstrated that could circumvent this fundamental law of nature. Anyone selling a perpetual motion is at best, completely clueless, or at worst, a scam artist.
I really wish ABG would have a science editor that would read all entries before they go live on the site, and add big "this is scientifically impossible" disclaimer to the obviously ridiculous ones.
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hoch09 1:23PM (1/15/2009)
Hey all you haters... Just because there are a few rules on the books that ban perpetual motion AND infinite energy sources, it doesn't mean a construction worker can't build these devices in his garage. Must have some sort of cold fusion power source to get that kind of lift. Count me as an investor!
Jeremy Korzeniewski 2:16PM (1/15/2009)
James, the post was written mainly as a joke... anything that touts perpetual power is ridiculous, obviously.
JK
Chris M 2:19PM (1/15/2009)
Hoch09, I'm not sure whether you are being sarcastic or really believe what you said, but just in case...
The laws of physics and thermodynamics are not a human creation, nobody made them up and no human law enforcement requires them. Instead, they are the way the universe works, and it is impossible to violate those rules in any way. Any claim that violates those basic rules should be met with extreme skepticism, especially when promoted by a sweet talkin' good-ole-boy who don't know beans about science.
Chris M 2:12PM (1/15/2009)
This is one of those bizzaro things that I can't quite tell if it is a scam being pulled on the terminally gullible (you know, the ones that flunked basic science and will believe anything that sound too good to be true), or if this is some delusional crackpot who has actually convinced himself that it will work.
If he starts asking for investments, or donations, or selling them sight unseen at elaborately staged events while praising AH-MIGHTY JE-SUS!, well, then we'll know for sure.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof, and I haven't seen any proof at all!
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Robert 1:50AM (2/22/2009)
Hey there, i was google searched an alien-infiltration type TV series that i used to watch when i was a kid (circa 1985); the picture you used for this post resembles the one i remember from the series.
The plot of the TV series basically went like: dormant slimy aliens were awakened by nuclear waste. They infiltrated the local population by "living" inside human bodies [with an extra appendage on thorax], and did all sorts of weird things in order to awaken more of their slimy dormant buddies. The main human characters included a woman with a kid, a few geeky scientists and an Indian American soldier. Near the end of the series they flew in flying saucers similar to the one your picture depicts.
Does this ring any bell? Do you remember the name of the TV series? This whole search thing must have sounded pretty goofy but thanks in advance for your help.
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tobias 10:43PM (6/30/2009)
I am an inventor,and i have invented a different way of creating anti gravity effect.This method of creating anti gravity is diferent from most of the current ideas. It is a mechanical method and involves no magnetism and no perpetual motion ideas.I do not live in the western world where it is easier to organise funds,and i am looking up every blog where there anti gravity enthusiasts,may be they can help me to link up to some form of support.My current major goal is to build a proto type which i can show to the whole world.I already have the ideas ready for action.This has been my life long goal and i hope there is some one there who can help me realise this goal.Thanks. To contact me,my mail is bace3day@yahoo.co.uk
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