In history of technology lots of attempts to find a perpetuum mobile did fail. However, that Bessler-Wheel is documented officially to be a ´self-turning wheel´, which did run.
Johann Bessler (1680-1745) was a ´strange guy´, e.g. called himself also ´Orffyreus´, had diverse interests and ´jobs´, besides others also that of a clockmaker. However, it was the great mathematican Leibnitz, who recommended Bessler to count Karl of Hessen-Kassel (a county in Gemany, where Hessen still is one major country of Federal Republic of Germany). So Bessler got a government official at court of that ´earl´.
From 1712 to 1717 he constructed diverse wheels, which did turn by itself and which were able to lift weights of some 35 kg. His most large wheel had a diameter of some 360 cm and did rum some weeks in a sealed room of the palace. This maschine was started by Gravesande and some other physicans and honorables. There was no connection to other devices, turning speed was constant, even the wheel had to lift weights. These facts were confirmed by a commision officially.
this wheel was covered by burlap bag and but few saw the inner of that wheel. However, nobody did understand the complex mechanism, nore could describe it exactly. Bessler didn´t allow any expert to see that technology - cause it would be as simple, any carpenter could construct that maschine. Bessler demanded one hundred thousand Taler (currancy that time) for this invention - but nobody did pay. Thus he destroyed his wheels and his secret died with him. Since that time, lots of people did try to unravel this mystery, as documented by literatur.
Most experiments show weights at lever arms, which move that kind, unbalancy should result. However, each tip or fall over will cost height, so up to now none of these experiments could show effect.
As this wheel was said to have worked indeed, here also an attempt will be made to solve this problem. At first will be investigated, how in principle inertia in combination with gravity will work at wheels. Based on this, some general solutions are suggested, which could be realized technically in divers manner. At following chapters, some of these suggestions will be discussed in detail.
Vektors of inertia and gravity
In EVGIG 02 at first, well known facts are shown. Turning sence here always is assumed to be counter clockwise. Upside left at this picture, a masse point (MP) will turn around a turning point (DP, German Drehpunkt), here shown in positions after each 30 degrees turning. Tangentially each inertia power (TK, German Trägheitskraft) will show, marked by green lines. Vertically down each gravity force will show (GK, German Gravitationskraft), marked by grey lines. Based on both forces, a resulting power will exist (RK, German Resultierende Kraft), which will show in directions marked by read lines.
Turning speed at this picture is that kind, inertia power will exactly correspond to gravity power.
Upside right at this picture, resulting forces (RK) once more are shown. Its components right angle towards each radius could be called turning momentum (DM, German Drehmoment) of masse at each position. It´s easy to see, these momentums not at all are symmetrical. At a position right outside e.g., inertia and gravity will compensate to null, masse there will be ´weight- and powerless´. At a position left outside, on the other hand, both forces will add to double amount of power.
Besides this tangential component of resulting power above (RK), there will be components in radial direction, as shown in this picture downside left. Upside there, spokes will be pressed (SD, German Speichen-Druck), practically will weight on the axis. Below there, spokes will be pulled (SZ, German Speichen-Zug), thus a radial pulling at the axis will result. This pressure and pulling is most strongest in positions above or below the axis, while there will be no radial forces at positions quit left resp. right.
Right side down in this picture, a fact is shown with importance to general problem here. Masse in each position resp. each resulting force of, is looked at to weight on a horicontal lever arm (HA, German Hebelarm), turnabel around a central turning point (DP). Amount of each weight is marked by vertical green lines.
Here now it´s easy to see, weights (LA, German Last) are spead different. Left side, masse will weight practically double at the lever arm, in the center by normal weight (GK, German Gewichtskraft, corresponding to green dotted line), while right side null weight will ´exist´.
But friction
These well known forces will exist, when an excentric masse will rotate, but same kind at every wheel turning around its axis. At EVGIG 03 these masse points (MP), resulting forces (red lines) and this spreading of weights (green vertical lines) are shown once more. That lever arm (horicontal line) is assumed to be turnabel around a system axis (SA). That masse point is assumed to be installed at a rotor (RO), which will be fixed at a shaft, turnable around system axis. This system shaft will be beared turnable within a housing (GE, Geman Gehäuse).
Forces described above then will exist, but with no effect towards outside of this system. All forces will impact as pressure or pulling at the shaft resp. bearings of housing. Using excentric masse, these forces will work, depending on each position, in diverse direction and amount, spread in time. This concept however does fit to each wheel, turning around its axis. At this ´normal´ wheel, symmetric masses will have effect same time, so but one common resulting power will exist, showing downside left.
These forces thus do show but one asymmetric effect, a load onto bearings resp. housing left side down (not only vertical). If now, we want this asymmetric force not only to weight onto the housing, so a first consequence must be, the rotor may not be installed direct by bearings of the housing (like this normal wheel here).
Suspending rotor axis
At picture EVGIG 03 downside, the rotor (RO) with masse point (MP) once more is shown, but now supported by a rotor arm (RT, German Rotorträger) and turnable beared by a rotor bearing (RL, German rotorlager). The rotor arm itself is assumed to be turnable or swifable around a system axis (SA). In principle, this rotor arm has to be installed that kind, it will somehow be in a state of suspense, free hanging in space, so it won´t be able to take forces above.
Above this, the rotor may not be supported but at its shaft or but at its axis, but secondly at other parts of the system. If now for example, the rotor would be designed as a gearwheel, it could be in connection with a central gearwheel (ZR, German zentrales Rad), thus weights are spread onto two supporting points. As an alternative (or in combination), that rotor-gearwheel could be in connection with an outer gear-rim (ZK, German Zahnkranz).
Both possibilities here at first are shown but in principle. Different weights here are marked from 2.0 to 0.0 units of weight, analog to gravity g. Already by this schematic figur it´s easy to see, these different forces might have effect at different long lever arms.
Beam Scale
It just could be reasonable, masse without any central axis to rotate that kind. Thus even better spreading of weights at even better lever arms could be possible. At EVGIG 04, ring-shaped masse is shown without central shaft, and below schematically a beam scale is marked.
If masses or a masse point (MP), while turning, could be supported that kind by a ´beam scale´ (BW, German Balkenwaage), this scale would show remarkable un-balancy of weights. Opposite, if it would be possible that masse would have effect that kind, a counter-force would be necessary to hold that scale balanced. It´s just this counter-power which could be usable power as an output of rotor-system.
Usable power
Above, turning speed was assumed that kind, inertia and gravity will show same amount. This seems to be maximum speed, cause thus at one side gravity-weight will be compensated, on the other side will be doulbed. It won´t be possible, gravity to effect levitational forces by this maschine, thus to show acceleration upwards.
Bessler wheels are told to turn once a second, by a diameter of 3.6 m this seems to point at well known figure of 9.81. It´s also talked about Bessler wheels to start very fast, after some turns already would show maximum speed. But the wheels didn´t accelerate above a certain speed and even more interesting, didn´t slow down when these maschines had to lift weights.
In EVGIG 05, movements like above are shown once more, here however with turning speed reduced to half. At one power-triangle are marked inertia power (TK), vertical gravity power (GK) and the resulting power (RK). At other positions but this resulting line is marked.
One here can see also asymmetry of amount and vectors of forces. Right side for example, gravity weight is cut ot half, left side the weight will be 1.5-fold. Thus, un-balancy at lever arms of a beam scale also will exist at reduced turning speed.
Above this, at the very fist start of turning this system, there will be a (small) difference of weights, which will allow the system to accelerate by itself. By example of beam scale above, at least in principle is demonstrated, why this system will go on turning same speed, even power is drawn off: this system will continously run, as long as that beam scale is hold horicontal, no matter this balance is managed by the system itself or that counter-force will be taken off the system.
Performance of maschines like this, at any case will be limited, depending on effective weight installed and radius of rotors. That kind, no megakilowatt-power-stations may be constructed, but energy for each single house might well be generated.
Solutions
By this chapter, at first basic facts of this subject had to be discussed. Above this, already some solutions in principle were mentioned. These solutions however, are not based at commonly used fall-, tip- or tilt-over of some weights at some lever arms. Here the aim will be to design continously running systems, where masses move at circled tracks or at least at harmonic tracks.
These principles of solutions, probably might be realized by numerous variations. At following chapter Studies of gravity motors some corresponding concepts are worked out and discussed.
Evert / 19.10.2000