Hello
I just read this http://io9.com/scientists-just-creat...scl-1526957560 where they explain a new type of revolutionary artificial muscle.
The principle of operation is very simple: when a material gets hotter, it contracts and generates a force. I already knew materials can expand or contract when their temperature vary, but it looks like i havent thought about it deeply enough.
If I have a thin bar of a metal tied to the roof, and 1 ton of iron tied to the bar. Then, I spend 1 watt of energy to cool the bar, and it contracts by 1 cm. This contraction lifts the ton of iron, increasing its potential energy by much more than 1 watt. Loos like I'm creating energy, which of course its not possible, but that's my question: where is that energy coming from?
Best regards
I just read this http://io9.com/scientists-just-creat...scl-1526957560 where they explain a new type of revolutionary artificial muscle.
The principle of operation is very simple: when a material gets hotter, it contracts and generates a force. I already knew materials can expand or contract when their temperature vary, but it looks like i havent thought about it deeply enough.
If I have a thin bar of a metal tied to the roof, and 1 ton of iron tied to the bar. Then, I spend 1 watt of energy to cool the bar, and it contracts by 1 cm. This contraction lifts the ton of iron, increasing its potential energy by much more than 1 watt. Loos like I'm creating energy, which of course its not possible, but that's my question: where is that energy coming from?
Best regards