Rotating Capacitor: Concentrating energy using accessible technology

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of a rotating capacitor designed to achieve high energy density using accessible technology. Participants explore the feasibility of this idea, considering theoretical implications and practical limitations, including the effects of magnetic and electrostatic forces, energy accumulation, and material constraints.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant proposes that a rotating circular capacitor could avoid plate contact through magnetic repulsion, suggesting that energy density could theoretically increase without limit under ideal conditions.
  • Another participant challenges this notion, emphasizing the importance of practical conditions and the potential for sparking between plates due to high energy densities, arguing that the system cannot achieve the proposed energy accumulation.
  • Further contributions discuss the relationship between the electric and magnetic fields generated by the rotating capacitor and the implications for energy production, noting that energy does not continuously accumulate indefinitely.
  • One participant references a figure from the Feynman Lectures to illustrate the cancellation of fields in the context of the proposed system.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express disagreement regarding the feasibility of accumulating energy in the proposed rotating capacitor. While some explore the theoretical possibilities, others assert that practical limitations and physical laws would prevent the desired outcomes.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the need to consider practical conditions, such as material limits and the balancing of forces, which remain unresolved in the discussion.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in theoretical physics, energy systems, and innovative engineering concepts may find this discussion relevant.

south
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TL;DR
Concentrating energy using accessible technology.
Hello again. I am interested in the possibility of achieving a very high energy density, using accessible technical resources. I refer to the word accessible in terms of technical feasibility, not monetary cost.
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It all started by thinking about how it would be possible to avoid the plates of a circular capacitor that uses vacuum as a dielectric from touching, without placing material separators.
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After a week I thought of giving the capacitor a rotational movement, to produce magnetic repulsion between the electrically charged plates. I put an elementary graph to illustrate the idea.
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Rotat Cap.png

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Some time later I noticed that the Poynting vector is very small in a large part of the space between plates. Consequently the system radiates very little and the energy generated accumulates inside. The longer the system rotates, the more energy is accumulated. I assume there is no theoretical limit to the accumulation and that the energy density between the plates of the circular capacitor will then grow as much as the operator decides, without limit in abstract terms. In concrete terms, materials can be damaged when the energy density reaches too high values. My intention is for the moment to reason in ideal conditions, without taking into account practical conditions.
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- What do you think of the idea?
- Could it be viable?
- Would it achieve a sufficient energy density to shape spacetime between the plates of the rotating capacitor?
- Could the construction of the device be an affordable task for today's engineers?
 
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Some time later I noticed that the Poynting vector is very small in a large part of the space between plates. Consequently the system radiates very little and the energy generated accumulates inside. The longer the system rotates, the more energy is accumulated. I assume there is no theoretical limit to the accumulation and that the energy density between the plates of the circular capacitor will then grow as much as the operator decides, without limit in abstract terms. In concrete terms, materials can be damaged when the energy density reaches too high values. My intention is for the moment to reason in ideal conditions, without taking into account practical conditions.

Physics is concerned with practical conditions though, you can't divorce physics from reality the way you can with math. Ignoring the entire balancing of magentic forces with electrostatic ones to provide some sort of serperation, losses from various types of radiation, if the materials can survive, etc, eventually you will have a strong enough field to literally rip electrons off and spark between the plates.

- Would it achieve a sufficient energy density to shape spacetime between the plates of the rotating capacitor?

Definitly not. You'll be sparking across the plates long before you get anywhere close.
 
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south said:
TL;DR Summary: Concentrating energy using accessible technology.

Consequently the system radiates very little and the energy generated accumulates inside. The longer the system rotates, the more energy is accumulated.
The stationary rotation make B field which generate energy and angular momentum in combination with E, but it does not keep on producing and accumulating more and more energy.

Fig 27-6 in https://www.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu/II_27.html shows E,B fields and poynting vector loop generated by one of your paired charged disk. In the +- pair superposition, we would observe cancelling each other out almost in far area.
 
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QuarkyMeson said:
Definitly not. You'll be sparking across the plates long before you get anywhere close.
anuttarasammyak said:
The stationary rotation make B field which generate energy and angular momentum in combination with E, but it does not keep on producing and accumulating more and more energy.

Fig 27-6 in https://www.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu/II_27.html shows E,B fields and poynting vector loop generated by one of your paired charged disk. In the +- pair superposition, we would observe cancelling each other out almost in far area.
Good morning. Thank you for your attention. The plates rotate in opposite directions. I had doubts about how this is indicated in the drawing. I edited it and it seems that I did not do it well.
 
If the energy cannot be accumulated, we do not need to extend the consultation any further. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each person who has been present.
 
south said:
If the energy cannot be accumulated, we do not need to extend the consultation any further. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each person who has been present.
Thank you, thread is now closed.
 

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