Daniel Bentea's Gravity Engine - trip to Romania anyone?

[PhysicsProf]

The inventor invites people to come and check out his device -- in Romania.  I would not give credence to the claims until someone looks to make sure that it runs with load, with no input energy (but "gravity" - the inventor claims.)  Note:  I'm from Missouri, the show-me state!

The inventor writes:

I want to invite you to Romania to see it with your own eyes. Everybody is more than welcome to see this invention, live.

Can anyone get over to Romania to see the invention??


Here's the report from Sterling yesterday:

Directory Daniel Bentea's Gravity Engine
This is the first prototype built by Daniel Bentea. It allegedly can produce from between 4.5 and 35 kilowatts. Bentea said it resulted in his winning a Guinness world record.

Compiled by Sterling D. Allan
Pure Energy Systems News
June 29, 2013

Here we feature an alleged gravity-powered system by Romanian inventor, Daniel Bentea.

This one has been sitting in my hopper for a couple of months. I sent the person who posted the videos on YouTube a few questions, then received the following response. (Slightly edited)

 

Re: Interested in Gravity Motor

   Thank you for being interested in our invention!
   1) No I don't have a website
   2) All our systems work 24/7, with the exception of when we need to check them or service them, once every year, if necessary.
   3) Yes we had an electrical engineer plus a board of commission checking and reviewing all the aspects!
   4) No we currently don't have a company registered in USA.

I sent a request for more information, but as far as I can see, I did not get a response. I'll be sending another request.

Here's the description they posted with their recent video, posted January 7, 2013, which has received nearly 18,000 views as of the time of this writing. (Slightly edited.)

 

Hello everyone!
   First I would like to begin by saying that this invention was created back in 2000 - 2001 when a great electrical crisis occurred in California. I was thinking: "How it is possible that such a great and powerful country like the USA can have such problems?"
   Then, I begin to think about a solution! It took lots of time money and effort to bring this invention to where it is today.
   This is my first prototype, with which I won my first Guinness record, in Romania!
   This prototype is currently patented, and I'm in the process of getting my second one.
  I only want to share this with the world, [which is] why I'm not actually looking for powerful investors to build together a much more smaller and yet more efficient [unit] just for a household, not industrial size.
   This particular one starts from 4.5 kilowatts, all the way to 35 kW of power -- more than enough for a household.

He posted the following responses to comments on his video:

 

In order to help others, I need someone who has capital to make this in mass production. Also, [it] is not simple to fight against big powerful companies who have money and power. If I did not care about poor people or kids that sleep on the street in cold winter, I would not share it with all of you!

   This system will not work for everybody, that only think theoretically but not practically! 50 to 100 years ago, we used to have cars and trains running by steam engines. Nowadays, cars are braking and parking by themselves! That should give you a perspective where we are today, and that's why this invention works great for free, anywhere and everywhere!

   I want to invite you to Romania to see it with your own eyes. Everybody is more than welcome to see this invention, live.

Maybe one of you in our audience could go visit them for us and let us know how that goes.

He seems to be open sourcing the design. I've asked him for drawings.

I recommend that if any of you do end up going commercial with this in any way, selling plans, translations, kits, components, finished units, franchises, that you do the right thing in return and send the inventor a royalty for 5% on all sales.

[EMdevices]

It appears to be a simple potential energy storage system, falling weights go down and rotate an electric generator.  Once the weights have fallen to the bottom, it stops.  It has some usefulness but the energy storage capacity is much lower than can be achived with flywheels, which electric companies are using to smooth out irregular power flows on the electric grid.

[PhysicsProf]

On my way to IRAQ this fall I can stop by and see it, I also want to see the Tesla museum, and maybe go to Turkey to see the PPM motor, should be a fun trip.

This is great news -- I look forward to your reporting on what you learn.
Would you like me to seek address infor for the Romanian device?

"It appears to be a simple potential energy storage system, falling weights go down and rotate an electric generator.  Once the weights have fallen to the bottom, it stops.  "

Inventor claims it puts out over 4.5 KWatts.  Are you saying it does this only for a very short time? Inventor says it has run for a year or more, IIRC.
I just wonder what you're basing your conclusion on here.

[TinMan]

! Wow! the guy has made a big grandfather clock generator.
Here is the smaller version.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chLvzGPVLnw

[EMdevices]

Professor, where did you read that it runs for a full year?    Are you thinking this could be a device that violates the law of conservation of energy?

(all my comments are based on the youtube video)

FYI,  I called an engineer buddy of mine from California and he just told me that he met the inventor in early 2000 when he was discussing his invention.  From the video it appears he repatriated to Romania to try and help out his native country with this invention.  I'll try and find out more if I can.

[PhysicsProf]

Professor, where did you read that it runs for a full year?    Are you thinking this could be a device that violates the law of conservation of energy?

(all my comments are based on the youtube video)

FYI,  I called an engineer buddy of mine from California and he just told me that he met the inventor in early 2000 when he was discussing his invention.  From the video it appears he repatriated to Romania to try and help out his native country with this invention.  I'll try and find out more if I can.

Thanks, EMD.  In the OP, quoting the inventor from the article,

Thank you for being interested in our invention!
    1) No I don't have a website
    2) All our systems work 24/7, with the exception of when we need to check them or service them, once every year, if necessary.

But since seeing the video, it appears this runs off of wind energy (and so, of less interest to me) ... so not a violation of the energy cons. law certainly. 

[EMdevices]

But since seeing the video, it appears this runs off of wind energy (and so, of less interest to me) ... so not a violation of the energy cons. law certainly.

I'm having second thoughts about this invention being a simple "grandfather" clock mechanism that stores energy in the gravitational potential.

In the video he says that the weights drop and charge batteries, then the batteries supply an inverter, than the loads, so it implies that the mechanism runs all the time and charges batteries slowly.  In the video we see one weight DROP and the other LIFT up kind of rapidly (in a few seconds),  so this reinforces the view that maybe it's some clever mechanism that constantly goes through a cycle and extracts some energy from the gravitational field with every drop.



Let's do some simple calculations:

Assume the weights are 200 kg each,  so 400 kg total, and they drop from a 10 m height.

Energy:    U = m g h = (400 kg) (9.81 m/s^2) (10 m) = 39240 J

If we light up 4 light bulbs, each 60 Watts, for 240 watts total, this will last:

t = (39240 J) / (240 J/s) = 163.5 s,  

which is barely 3 minutes, yet in the video we see a string of light bulbs lit up  (probably powered by the inverter drawing current from the batteries)

Maybe this guy found the ancient secret of Bessler's wheel?

[PhysicsProf]

I'm having second thoughts about this invention being a simple "grandfather" clock mechanism that stores energy in the gravitational potential.

In the video he says that the weights drop and charge batteries, then the batteries supply an inverter, than the loads, so it implies that the mechanism runs all the time and charges batteries slowly.  In the video we see one weight DROP and the other LIFT up kind of rapidly (in a few seconds),  so this reinforces the view that maybe it's some clever mechanism that constantly goes through a cycle and extracts some energy from the gravitational field with every drop.



Let's do some simple calculations:

Assume the weights are 200 kg each,  so 400 kg total, and they drop from a 10 m height.

Energy:    U = m g h = (400 kg) (9.81 m/s^2) (10 m) = 39240 J

If we light up 4 light bulbs, each 60 Watts, for 240 watts total, this will last:

t = (39240 J) / (240 J/s) = 163.5 s,  

which is barely 3 minutes, yet in the video we see a string of light bulbs lit up  (probably powered by the inverter drawing current from the batteries)

Maybe this guy found the ancient secret of Bessler's wheel?

I appreciate your adding the approx. calculations, EMD. 
Hopefully you'll get a chance to go THERE as you said -- and take some observations along the lines above - the actual WEIGHTs, the drop, the run-time and so on.  He invited visitors! 
This could get interesting...

[Paul-R]

In the video he says that the weights drop and charge batteries, then the batteries supply an inverter, than the loads, so it implies that the mechanism runs all the time and charges batteries slowly.

There will be horrific losses in all this. Would he get 30% coming out the far end?