Regenerative Acceleration Generator Technology Evaluation

A white paper prepared by:

Mark G. Anderson, PE & Thane Heins

ReTechnology Power and Water Engineering

April 10, 20

Regenerative Acceleration Technology Evaluation

Summary: Electric regenerative braking systems convert dynamic motion into electricity to charge batteries

while slowing vehicles. Resistant generator induced torque slows rotating motor-generators resulting in current

flow back to a battery system thereby transferring momentum reducing kinetic energy and storing electrical

energy in the EV’s batteries. This concept may be intuitively obvious to most casual technicians. Regenerative

acceleration is a more difficult notion to merely accept or grasp partly because the exciting results appear to

break traditional laws of physics. Impressive, well-documented demonstrations provide astonishing empirical

results but overreach foundational academics challenging learned professionals to theorize and document why

regenerative acceleration works. Endorsement from recognized university labs such as MIT, Ottawa University,

Condordia University has helped to embolden regenerative acceleration toward widespread commercial

application.

The purpose of this evaluation is to test the argument and empirical results presented by Potential Difference

regarding Regenerative Acceleration, to identify weaknesses in the premises and structure of the argument and

use results to either improve or abandon the position that regenerative acceleration technology is viable. This

paper also offers recommendations to complete the evaluation cycle through hypothetical analysis, additional

testing and performance verification to support a marketing plan for widespread commercial application.

Background: Mark G. Anderson, PE and others were invited to learn about, observe, witness, and evaluate the

viability and application potential for regenerative acceleration technology as developed by Potential

Differences, Inc. on March 11 – 12, 2012 near Toronto, Canada. Several demonstrations were presented and

examined. The final comprehensive operating test was recorded by professional videographer ending with a

panel discussion including the inventor, unbiased professional engineers, commercially interested parties and

witnesses.

Regenerative brakes are most commonly seen in electric or hybrid vehicles. Electric regenerative brakes

descended from dynamic (rheostatic) brakes which have been used on electric and diesel-electric locomotives

and streetcars since the mid-20th century. In either of those systems, braking is accomplished by switching

electric motors to act as generators that convert motion into electricity instead of electricity into motion. Of

course, traditional friction-based brakes are also required for full braking of moving vehicles.

Instead of losing the potential energy developed in a moving vehicle to heat loss through traditional braking, the

potential energy of the back electro-motive force (EMF) can be used to recharge the battery system to improve

efficiency and increase range.

Electric regenerative braking systems are estimated to operate effectively at a wide efficiency range depending

on momentary factors such as deceleration rate, speed, direction (uphill vs. downhill), topography and state of

battery system charge, as well as design factors specific to each vehicle such as torque, number of drive wheels

and whether they are connected in series or parallel. The main disadvantage of regenerative (vs. dynamic)

brakes is the need to closely match the electricity generated with the supply. DC power requires voltage to be

closely controlled and monitored. Regenerative braking primarily works with moving vehicles.

Potential Difference has taken a polar opposite approach with the technological development of regenerative

acceleration. Engineer and inventor Thane Heins reports that unlike a conventional coil that stores its energy in

an external magnetic field (thereby inducing counter-electromotive-torque), the Regenerative Acceleration Coil

stores potential energy as voltage inside the coil when a magnetic field approaches the coil (thereby eliminating

counter-torque), and releases this energy as the magnet moves away as a complementary-electromotive-

torque. The potential energy is dissipated through the coils via current flow which creates a delayed magnetic

field having the same polarity as the receding magnetic field.

The net effect is fourfold:

1) The receding magnetic field is accelerated away from the coil faster than it otherwise would be;

2) The next opposite magnetic pole on the rotor is attracted toward the coil with additional force; and,

3) Electric current delivers power to the system’s batteries.

4) The prime mover input power is reduced by up to 62% in the demonstration prototype.

CONVENTIONAL COIL OPERATION WITH REGARDS TO GENERATOR COIL INDUCED

COUNTER-ELECTROMOTIVE ARMATURE REACTION/EV REGENERATIVE BRAKING

CONVENTIONAL COIL OPERATION SUMMARY

1) (FIG1) WHEN A ROTATING MAGNETIC FIELD APPROACHES A CONVENTIONAL GENERATOR COIL WHICH IS

CONNECTED TO A LOAD, A VOLTAGE IS INDUCED IN THE COIL ACCORDING TO FARADAY’S LAW OF INDUCTION

CURRENT FLOWS IN THE COIL ACCORDING TO OHM’S LAW AND IT PRODUCES A REPELLING MAGNETIC FIELD

BECAUSE THE COIL OPERATES AS AN ELECTROMAGNET AND PRODUCES THE SAME MAGNETIC POLARITY AS THE

APPROACHING ROTOR MAGNET ACCORDING TO LENZ’S LAW.

2) ADDITIONAL EXTERNAL FORCE MUST BE APPLIED TO THE ROTOR TO OVERCOME THE COIL’S INTERNALLY

INDUCED REPELLING MAGNETIC FIELD.

3) (FIG 2) WHEN THE ROTOR MAGNET MOVES AWAY FROM THE COIL THE CURRENT FLOW IN THE COIL CHANGES

DIRECTION AND THE COIL NOW ATTRACTS THE ROTOR MAGNET AS IT TRIES TO MOVE AWAY.

4) (FIG 2A) THE CONVENTIONAL GENERATOR COIL IS ALWAYS PRODUCING COUNTER-ELECTROMOTIVE-FORCES

WHICH WORK AGAINST THE ROTATION OF THE ROTOR AND ADDITIONAL ENERGY MUST BE SUPPLIED FROM THE

EXTERNAL SOURCE TO OVERCOME THESE FORCES TO AVOID SYSTEM DECELERATION AND LOSS OF POWER TO

THE LOAD.

5) THE MORE POWER DELIVERED TO THE LOAD THE GREATER THESE COUNTER FORCES ARE AND THE MORE POWER

MUST BE SUPPLIED TO OVERCOME THEM.

THE CONVENTIONAL GENERATOR COIL

REPELLS THE APPROACHING SOUTH POLE

ROTOR MAGNETIC FIELD (F3) WHILE

SIMULTANEOUSLY ATTRACTING AND

PREVENTING THE NORTH POLE

MAGNETIC FIELD’S DEPARTURE (F2) AS IT

TRIES TO MOVE AWAY.

CONVENTIONAL COIL OPERATION WITH REGARDS TO GENERATOR COIL INDUCED

COUNTER-ELECTROMOTIVE ARMATURE REACTION/EV REGENERATIVE BRAKING

ReGen-X COIL OPERATION WITH REGARDS TO GENERATOR COIL INDUCED

COMPLEMENTARY-ELECTROMOTIVE ARMATURE REACTION

/EV REGENERATIVE ACCELERATION

ReGen-X COIL OPERATION SUMMARY

1) (FIG 3) WHEN A ROTATING MAGNETIC FIELD APPROACHES A ReGen-X GENERATOR

COIL ABOVE A CRITICAL MINIMUM FREQUENCY WHICH IS CONNECTED TO A LOAD,

CURRENT DOES NOT FLOW IN THE COIL AT T=1 BECAUSE THE COIL IMPEDANCE

PREVENTS IT AS DICTATED BY THE EQUATION: Zt = 2 pi F L + Rdc + Xc

2) THIS ACTION PRODUCES NO MAGNETIC FIELD BECAUSE CURRENT MUST FLOW IN

THE COIL FOR A MAGNETIC FIELD TO BE PRODUCED.

3) NO ADDITIONAL FORCE MUST BE APPLIED TO THE ROTOR TO OVERCOME THE

COIL’S INDUCED MAGNETIC FIELD BECAUSE NONE EXISTS.

4) (FIG 4) WHEN THE ROTOR MAGNET REACHES TOP DEAD CENTRE (TDC) THE

INDUCED VOLTAGE IN THE COIL IS MAXIMUM WHILE THE COIL IMPEDANCE IS

MINIMUM AND THE COIL’S MAXIMUM INDUCED VOLTAGE CAN NOW BE DISSIPATED

THROUGH THE LOW DC RESISTANCE OF THE COIL AND THE LOAD.

5) THIS PRODUCES A MAXIMUM MAGNITUDE REPELLING MAGNETIC FIELD WHICH

APPLIES ADDITIONAL FORCE AND KINETIC ENERGY TO THE ROTOR MAGNET AND

ACCELERATES ITS DEPARTURE AS IT IS ALREADY MOVING AWAY FROM THE COIL.

6) (FIG 5) THE DELAYED REPELLING MAGNETIC FIELD ALSO ATTRACTS THE

APPROACHING OPPOSITE ROTOR POLE MAGNET ON THE ROTOR WHICH IS NOW

COMING INTO POSITION.

7) THE MORE POWER DELIVERED TO THE LOAD THE GREATER THESE

COMPLEMENTARY FORCES ARE AND THE LESS POWER MUST BE SUPPLIED BY THE

EXTERNAL SOURCE.

INITIALLY WHEN THE FIRST ROTOR

MAGNET APPROACHES THE ReGen-

X COIL WHICH IS CONNECTED TO

THE LOAD, NO CURRENT FLOWS IN

THE COIL BECAUSE THE HIGH COIL

IMPEDANCE PREVENTS IT. THE

GENERATOR COIL IS NEUTRAL AND

DOES NOT PRODUCE EITHER A

REPELLING MAGNETIC FIELD OR AN

ATTRACTING ONE.

ReGen-X COIL OPERATION WITH REGARDS TO GENERATOR COIL INDUCED

COMPLEMENTARY-ELECTROMOTIVE ARMATURE REACTION

/EV REGENERATIVE ACCELERATION

THE ReGen-X GENERATOR COIL ATTRACTS THE

APPROACHING SOUTH POLE ROTOR

MAGNETIC FIELD WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY

REPELLING THE NORTH POLE MAGNETIC FIELD

AS IT MOVES AWAY FROM TDC.

ALL FORCES IN THE ReGen-X SYSTEM PROVIDE

KINETIC ENERGY IN THE SAME DIRECTION

AND ARE CUMULATIVE.

Regenerative acceleration has much broader application possibilities because it can be applied to all electric

motors – including those that are not part of a moving vehicle requiring braking. This technology development is

currently being evaluated, tested, scrutinized and considered for wide scale deployment in numerous sectors

including electric motors mounted in stationary applications including, but not limited to those such as hydro-

power plant generators, large industrial motors in process and manufacturing plants, small motors in

compressors and refrigeration, wind and diesel generators, and even solar power systems.

Premise: Thane Heins has developed a series of electro-mechanical prototypes to demonstrate the electro-

magnetic characteristics of regenerative acceleration to prove a stance that is seen as virtually impossible,

because the process, as represented, appears to violate basic laws of energy or thermodynamics, and motion.

This paper attempts to explain the counter-intuitive results that have been gathered (and 3rd

-party verified) by

arguing on a conventional platform that known laws of physics are not violated, but perhaps re-directed.

Definitions, Rules and Evaluation:

1) Supporting equations, including common classical theorems, are not used nor the scope of this paper.

2) Regenerative Braking: A regenerative brake is an apparatus, device or system which allows a vehicle

to recapture and store part of the kinetic energy that would otherwise be 'lost' to heat when braking.

3) Laws of Physics and Thermodynamics:

a. Laws of Thermodynamics: The four laws of thermodynamics define fundamental physical

quantities (temperature, energy, and entropy) that characterize thermodynamic systems. The

laws describe how these quantities behave under various circumstances, and forbid certain

phenomena (such as perpetual motion).

i. First Law of Thermodynamics: According to the First Law of Thermodynamics,

the internal energy of a closed thermodynamic system increases or decreases only by

the amount of heat supplied to (or removed from) the system and the amount of

work done by (or to) the system. Hence, the internal energy of a closed system only

changes precisely as heat and work are transferred in or out of it. As a result, perpetual

motion machines of the first kind (see below) are impossible.

ii. Second law of thermodynamics: The second law of thermodynamics resolves that

differences in temperature, pressure, and chemistry balance over time at equilibrium in

any isolated physical system. The second law declares that it is impossible for

machines to generate usable energy from the abundant internal energy of nature by

processes called perpetual motion of the second kind.

b. Laws of Energy:

i. Law of Conservation of Energy: The nineteenth century law of conservation of energy

is a law of physics. It states that the total amount of energy in an isolated system

remains constant over time. The total energy is said to be conserved over time. For an

isolated system, this law means that energy can change its location within the system,

and that it can change form within the system, for instance chemical energy can

become kinetic energy, but that energy can be neither created nor destroyed.

c. Laws of Motion:

i. First law of motion: The velocity of a body remains constant unless the body is acted

upon by an external force.

ii. Second law of motion: The acceleration, a of a body is parallel and directly

proportional to the net force F and inversely proportional to the mass m, i.e., F = ma.

iii. Third law of motion: The mutual forces of action and reaction between two bodies are

equal, opposite and collinear.

4) Perpetual Motion Machine: Perpetual motion describes a hypothetical situation in which machines

might operate indefinitely and/or produce more useful work or energy than they consume, whether they

might operate indefinitely or not.

The traditional broad argument within the scientific community is that perpetual motion in an isolated

system would violate the first and/or the second laws of thermodynamics.

On the other hand, such machines clearly exist and are capable of operating indefinitely from sources

within nature such as geothermal, wave or tidal power systems which extract energy from seemingly

perpetual sources—such as massive natural heat sinks which are capable of indefinitely supplying

energy as long as the source remains available. These are not considered to be perpetual motion

machines, because they are consuming energy from an external source in isolated systems.

The interesting caveat is that though successful isolated system ‘perpetual motion’ devices are

physically impossible in terms of our current understanding of the laws of physics, the pursuit of

perpetual motion remains popular. Regenerative acceleration is not such a system and does not fall into

any of the ‘perpetual motion’ categories described below:

a. Perpetual Motion Machines of the First Kind: A machine that produces work without the input of

energy. It thus violates the first law of thermodynamics: the law of conservation of energy. Note

that Regenerative Acceleration operates based on magnetic field moving through inductive coil

creating electrical current, a common phenomenon.

b. Perpetual Motion Machines of the Second Kind: A perpetual motion machine that can

spontaneously convert thermal energy into mechanical work. Thermal energy can be converted

to work without violating the law of conservation of energy, however it does violate the second

law of thermodynamics because there is only one heat reservoir involved, which is being

spontaneously cooled without involving a transfer of heat to a cooler reservoir. This conversion

of heat into useful work, without any side effect, is impossible, according to the second law of

thermodynamics. Regenerative acceleration is not a process or product of a perpetual motion

machine of the second kind and does not violate the second law of thermodynamics.

Regenerative acceleration is not dependent on converting heat to work.

5) Regenerative Acceleration utilizes a specially wound thin wire coil to store potential energy as voltage

as magnets mounted on a flywheel cause the magnetic field to approach the coil, and releases the

energy in the coil as the magnet moves away. The potential energy is dissipated through the coils via

current flow which creates a delayed magnetic field having the same polarity as the receding magnetic

field.

Results of Findings of Demonstration:

During the demonstrations on March 11 – 12, 2012 in Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada, several iterations of

regenerative braking, normal operation, and regenerative acceleration were conducted. All leads and power

supplies were checked for connectivity, including instrumentation and power meters. The motor and system

were run in normal operation during each test, demonstrating normal, anticipated results as a baseline prior to

initiating regenerative braking or regenerative acceleration.

In each case, regenerative braking showed results as expected where current returned power to the system

when regenerative braking was applied, and the motor slowed.

Also, more importantly in each case regenerative acceleration was also subsequently applied and

instrumentation verified invariably an increase in the amperage to the battery system while the motor speed

increased. This is difficult to grasp at first look and the demonstration makes more sense after reflection of the

above explanation about the storage and release of ‘power’ as the flywheel moves the magnets and magnetic

field toward and away from the coil.

Recommendations:

1) Detailed recording of data including current versus torque during normal operation, regenerative

braking, and regenerative acceleration through multiple demonstrations;

2) Motorize the prototype system to demonstrate how, with a fixed amount of input energy, at a

given RPM;

a. The system runs longer while utilizing regenerative acceleration coils than it does with

conventional coils;

b. The system re-charges a rechargeable battery more completely while utilizing

regenerative acceleration coils than it does with conventional coils;

3) Design, assembly, installation and testing of two new regenerative acceleration systems for:

a. A 12 kw diesel generator and a 40 or 250 kw diesel generator;

b. These regenerative acceleration systems will be installed and tested on FG

Willson/Caterpillar diesel generators at Technomoteur S.A. in Haiti;

Conclusion:

Regenerative acceleration appears to be a viable motor enhancement technology significantly impacting motor

efficiency based design which incorporates positive effects of magnetic field captured, stored and released in

inductive motor coils.

References:

Holman, Jack P. (1980). Thermodynamics. New York: McGraw-Hill. pp. 217. ISBN 0-07-029625-1.

Where does the energy go?". Advanced technologies and energy efficiency, Fuel Economy Guide. US Dept. of

Energy. 2009. Retrieved 23 March 2012.

Journal/Proceedings of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, Volume 38: 1906–1907 page 374-398. Institution

of Electrical Engineers. 7 February 1907. Regenerative Control of Electric Tramcars and Locomotives. Alfred

Raworth, November 22, 1906. Retrieved 23 March 2012.

Straun Jno, T Robertson, John Markham (19 February 2007). "The Regenerative Braking Story: 2007". Venture

Publications. Retrieved 23 March 2012.

GM patent 5775467 – Floating electromagnetic brake system.

Roger Ford (July 2, 2007). "Regenerative braking boosts green credentials". Railway Gazette International.

Retrieved 23 March 2012.

Serway, Raymond A.; Jewett, John W. (2004). Physics for Scientists and Engineers (6th ed.). Brooks/Cole. ISBN

0-534-40842-7.

MISN-0-158 The First Law of Thermodynamics by Jerzy Borysowicz for Project PHYSNET.

ReGen-X Demonstration Videos

Liberty e-cars Toronto Demo:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkH1zLdXy1Sw5CvDRDLh70mMmDbmKn0SN&feature=plcp

HERO Electric CEO Toronto Demo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0-5QNrT7lA&list=PL24ABC533E6537D68&index=1&feature=plpp_video

Toronto EV Transportation Industry Demo and 3D Film Shoot:

http://www.youtube.com/user/PDiCanada1

ADDENDUM: Supplemental ReGen-X Information

1)

In the conventional generator torque paradigm the prime mover torque (Tt) rotates the

generator in the clockwise direction. The generator responds by creating a counter-

electromotive-counter-clockwise torque (Tg) which opposes the original torque

supplied by the prime mover and the system decelerates under load.

2)

In the ReGen-X innovation developed by Potential Difference Inc. the generator and

creates a complimentary-clockwise-electromotive torque (Tg) which adds to the

original torque supplied by the prime mover (Tt) and the system accelerates under

load.

EV WORLD REGEN-X REVIEW:

Mike Brace, Professional Mechanical Engineer, Technical Editor at EV World

"Mike Brace" techeditor@evworld.com

http://www.slideshare.net/ThaneCHeins/heins-effect-gaining-credibility-ev-world

NRC Scientist Test Data shows:

1. The on-load conventional generator coil decelerating the system, requiring a 12% prime mover input increase to sustain power to the load.

2. The on-load ReGen-X coil accelerating the system, requiring a 40% prime mover input decrease while delivering over 200% more power to the load than #1 above.

https://www.box.net/s/kqo8knpgk7femc0jldnz

For more information please contact:

Thane C. Heins

President & CEO

Potential +/- Difference Inc. R & D

"Using our potential to make a difference"

Email: thaneh@potentialdifference.ca

Cell: 613.795.1602

YOUTUBE http://www.youtube.com/user/pdicanada1

Linkedin http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=107557432&trk=tab_pro