Sucheta Dalal :Newton & Climate Change
Sucheta Dalal

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Newton & Climate Change  

December 30, 2008

 By B Rajaram

(former chairman, Konkan Railway Corporation Limited and creator of the Skybus Technology)
 
Newton is a unique scientist whose work remains relevant to humanity after centuries and even for space age travel. He is said to have born on 25th Dec 1642 as per Roman Calendar, but Europe reset the date to 4th Jan 1643 as per Gregorian Calendar later on.
 
Let me share one more secret kept from us for the last 300 years! His principle of gravity can actually meet the entire energy needs of humanity to transport us and goods, even at 210 mph from city to city as well as move our cars on gravity-powered roads without fossil fuels and transport cargo from any one point to another at 60 mph and in metro, even existing metro rail can be powered by gravity doing away the electrical traction! This is how it happens and all this is due to Newton's gravity!
 
Detailed specification in US Patent application number: 12184151 dt. 07/31/2008 provides more information regarding the "Gravity Powered Rail, Road and Runways transportation systems".
 
The principle is rather simple and ancient too. Look at the pendulum. When pulled to one side not too much but a little, the slight rise in its height from its first rest position in the middle of swing, it starts to swing, coming down in the process, the mass attached to the string gaining velocity in horizontal direction, converting the potential energy into kinetic energy. By the time the mass reaches the mid point of swing, it has only kinetic energy and a velocity in the horizontal direction.
 
But as the mass moves beyond its momentum, it starts to experience the gravitational force as resistance to rise and the kinetic energy gets consumed raising the mass almost to the same extent of height relative to the position at the mid point of swing. The mass comes to a stop and the reverse journey starts. This we all know.
 
But what is important to realize is the efficiency of energy conservation – unlike the case of mechanical energy to electrical energy and back to electrical energy for the purpose of recovery in linearly oscillating systems like transportation, where we get only 30% recovery, in case of gravitational force, we recover more than 99%!
 
So, we can design a transportation system where a heavy set of vertically moving masses in a Gravity Power Tower, connected through variable gears and power transmission cable attached to a rolling unit in horizontal direction, to start the rolling unit from rest and accelerate to the desired speed, by allowing the heavy masses to move down under gravitational force of attraction. So while moving down, the heavy masses give out energy and the rolling unit gains kinetic energy.
 
Now imagine we reverse the gear direction in such a manner that instead of the heavy masses going down the rolling unit is moving forward. For the rolling unit to move forward, it has to pull up the heavy masses against gravity. Then the kinetic energy of the rolling unit is taken away by the heavy masses in the tower, by rising back to a position very close to its original starting point, while the rolling unit comes to a stop. So we can travel in the rolling unit taking energy to speed up and then giving out energy while stopping. But the entire process involves pure gravitational force and not electro-magnetic forces like electrical energy used.
 
In very simple terms, the principle is described. The control and management is through knowledge-embedded microprocessors and the system has distributed intelligence managing various operational parameters as human control cannot match the response times needed. But this uses low power electronics.
 
But remember the friction losses in rolling cannot be recovered, and this appears as the small gap between the original position of driving heavy masses and the recovered position in the Tower. This 5% or 10% of the energy is what is to be made up using electrical motors.
 
Thus, we save substantial quantum of energy usage in transportation. Since friction losses are critical, rail-based systems deliver the best results.
 
We can power the roads too to run cars without the IC engines using electromagnetic coupling for power transmission from road to the car; details are described in the specification. But energy savings come down to around 50% because of higher friction losses between rubber tires and road surface as well as the freedom that a driver wants to decouple from the powered road and stop away from the road. Carbon emissions can be totally eliminated. The existing roads and rail infrastructure can be powered by gravity attaining speeds of 60 mph.
 
Hope, I am able to explain the principle to be understood by as many people as possible – it is not complex particle physics but classic Newton's laws we still use to launch our space probes successfully. If it works for space, then it can work on our planet too, you will agree.
 
Science and technology can thus provide the solution but we need it very urgently. More than the research what we need is an attitudinal shift to believe in ourselves. Actually, we do have a solution for immediate implementation based on Gravitational Force. Surprisingly, the latest development but truly simple in technology for implementation and has little chance of failure because it is explainable by simple Newton's equations, and nothing beyond that level! (www.atrilab.com)
 
The implications of gravitational force can provide in case of USA are:
 1. 360 kmph rail-based intercity transportation saving 87% of electrical energy;
 2. Urban metros, even existing ones can save 97% of electrical energy;
 3. Cargo can be moved from any one point to another in USA with gravity power, saving 97% of energy from fossil fuels;
 4. USA can stop importing 8m barrels of oil daily and stop 3.5b tons of carbon emissions per annum.
 
The projects for USA would need investment of $450 b, but no subsidy from the government, because they generate 30 to 40% cash surpluses. They also generate close to one million jobs. Eternal free gravity force can kick start projects in all the states for transportation infrastructure to be futuristic, totally powered by gravitational force. Within four years, we can complete the commercial implementation and get benefits, without any need for waiting for the research to be completed.
 
The implications for India are:
 
 1. 360 kmph travel between Delhi to metro cities linking among each other.
 2. Golden quadrilateral and other high-density routes not covered by railway including dedicated freight corridor totaling 30,000 km can have gravity-powered rail transportation – this eliminates use of diesel as well as electrical traction and makes the
transportation automatic too.
 3. Gravity Powered urban metro transportation including even existing metro rails, which use no electrical power for traction but saves 97% of energy used currently.
4. India can stop importing oil!
 
Aproximatetly Rs 50,000 cr investments will be attracted. Then the projects are financially viable to give return on investment of the order of 30 to 40 % while creating a million sustainable jobs. As the capital is recovered and interest burden vanishes with the cash surpluses, the charges are reduced to maintenance and depreciation which is minimum being totally automated and using inflation-proof free energy. One of my objectives in life has been transportation to be made practically free for all. I believe this dream is now very close to realization.
 
But one should not underestimate Einstein's quip that one may doubt whether universe is infinite but human stupidity certainly is.
 
This is a formidable barrier to block or delay the needed paradigm shift in transportation scene in the world with "green" energy from Newton's gravity.
 

 


-- Sucheta Dalal