Magnet Motors Powered by Electron Spin?

The ever increasing need to replace fossil fuels as our primary energy source has many scientists and inventors searching for alternative energy sources. The mechanical energy generated by magnetic force from powerful permanent magnets such as those made of neodymium has drawn much attention over the years. 

"Spin is an intrinsic angular momentum of particles such as electrons, and has an associated magnetic field, much like that of a bar magnet.  Electrons have two spin states, spin-up and spin-down. In the presence of a magnetic field, an electron has a different energy depending on whether the spin is aligned or anti-aligned with the field." (SFSU.edu)

Long ago, before we understood electron spin as the source of magnetic fields, permanent magnets were labeled as "conservative" or "closed" systems. It was especially difficult then to imagine that a small block of matter could deliver continuously magnetic force and mechanical energy (unless the energy was in a closed loop). Today, we know that magnetic fields are generated by the spin (on its axis) of electrons, and that the electrons continue to spin whether or not the magnet (magnetic field) is put to work. We also know that permanent magnets can be made to do (mechanical) work for long periods of time and show little or no decrease in magnetic strength. 

Given that all permanent magnets must have at least two poles (one North and one South), their fields are therefore unevenly distributed, polarized in shape as well as charge. Accordingly, it is not difficult to imagine that two magnets might be capable of doing more work when pulling themselves together (or push each other apart) along one path compared to another path. In other words, magnets can be made to pull themselves together (do work) along a path where the magnetic field is stronger (resultant force in the direction of motion) and then the magnets can be pulled apart along a path where the magnetic field is weaker.

Several inventors have developed "magnet motors" based on these, or related principles and have been met with considerable skepticism and even ridicule from the scientific community. Many inventors and believers of magnetic motors argue vehemently that the scientific community is wrong to deny any possibility of perpetual motion. Magnet motors that are supplemented with an external energy source, such as in an electromagnetic configuration (ref.) are described as "putting out more energy than put in".

Though well intended, these claims and statements are incorrect and misleading. Since energy can neither be created nor destroyed, a perpetual motion machine will never exist and we can never create more energy from less energy.  Proper arguments are needed to dispel the misconceptions and misunderstandings surrounding permanent magnets.

Permanent magnet motors are not examples of perpetual motion. Instead, the magnets provide a source of electromagnetic force which can be transformed into mechanical energy. The electromagnetic force comes from the spin of electrons (see below for models of electron self-energy and spin) which is described by the scientific community as "intrinsic". As early as 1921, Otto Stern and Walter Gerlach performed an experiment which showed the quantization of electron spin into two orientations. This made a major contribution to the development of the quantum theory of the atom. Simply put, the magnetic force and the mechanical energy generated by permanent magnets is an "atomic" energy released continuously from the electrons. More recently, quantum physicists have many speculations about the source of the spin and related energy. Nonetheless, the spin is real, the magnetic force is real, the work generated by magnetic force is real, and magnetic fields of permanent magnets can be unevenly distributed

The world cannot afford much longer to continue using fossil fuels as the primary energy source. A crisis is eminent.  We need the full support and expertise of the world's scientific community to develop and exploit as soon as possible the clean energy available from permanent magnets. We are likely to win that support much sooner and easier if we avoid the temptations of using words like "perpetual motion".

A model of describing permanent magnets as a source of "atomic" energy derived from electron spin acting as a gate to a vast energy source may promote more constructive dialogue with, and support from the scientific community.

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Sterling D. Allan and  Sepp Hasslberger also contributed to the above article.

References

Understanding Electron Spin (doc) - Resources compiled by Ken Kozeka, Ph.D. (August 3, 2007)

Singularity-Free Electrodynamics for Point Charges and Dipoles: Classical Model for Electron Self-Energy and Spin
S. M. Blinder
Eur. J. Phys. 24 (May 2003) 271-275
 
General relativistic models for the electron
S. M. Blinder
Rept.Math.Phys. 47 (2001) 279-285
 
About Zitterbewegung and Electron Structure
Waldyr A. Rodrigues, Jayme Vaz, Erasmo Recami, and Giovanni Salesi
Physics Letters B 318 (1993) 623-628
 
Zitterbewegung and the Electromagnetic Field of the Electron
J.Vaz Jr e W.A.Rodrigues Jr,
Physics Letters B, 319, 203-208, (1993).
 
Spin and Electron Structure
M.Pavsic, E.Recami, W.A.Rodrigues Jr, D.G.Maccarrone, F.Raciti e G.Salesi,
Physics Letters B, 318, 481-488, (1993).
 
Mass and Spin Renormalization in Lorentz Electrodynamics
Walter Appel, Michael K.-H. Kiessling
Annals Phys. 289 (2001) 24-83
 
An Elementary Account of the Factor of 4/3 in the Electromagnetic Mass
P. Moylan
Am. J. Phys. 63, 818-820 (1995).
 
The Electromagnetic Mass of a Charged Particle
V.A. Kuligin, G.A. Kuligina, M.V. Korneva
APEIRON Vol. 3 Nr. 1 January 1996

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