Infinite energy?!

sinr0202

I am currently studying angular momentum and precession. If you suppose that you had a frictionless gyroscope with the flywheel spinning, thus precessing, could you harness the torque (converted to kinetic energy) generated about the axis of precession? since the force is generated by gravity it seems possible to me.. but then again that fails logic -____-; can someone explain to me why i am wrong?

K^2

If gyro applies torque to generator, generator applies opposite torque on gyro. What is the direction of this torque vector? How will the gyro respond to torque in that direction? If you answer these questions correctly, it will become clear why this resource of energy is finite.

sinr0202

If the torque is in the opposite direction, the precession does not continue, thus it will not be able to change the direction of the angular momentum, and nutation follows. does it just fall then?

K^2

Precession does continue, actually. Keep in mind that gyro does not rotate in direction of torque. That's kind of the whole reason there is precession. So figure out where the net torque points and new direction of precession.

sinr0202

I have a feeling that the reaction torque will not allow the change in angular momentum to be as much as it would without that reaction torque. But precession must continue.. hmm I'm quite clueless to what happens