Re: The gyrogenerator

[Brian Whatcott <betwys1@SBCGLOBAL.NET>]

At 06:35 PM 12/24/2003,  Leigh, you wrote:
> //
> > Consider an electric generator to be mounted solidly to the Earth with
> > its rotor axis parallel to Earth's axis of rotation. //
> A gyroscope with a large rotor is now attached by its cage to
> > the shaft of the generator, its rotational axis being perpendicular to
> > that of the generator,//
> > The gyroscope is set spinning.
>  It is important to recognize that the angular
> momentum of this system is not parallel to the angular momentum of the
> Earth. That means it is not parallel to the axis of the generator. As
> seen from an inertial frame, the Earth's angular momentum remains
> constant, unaffected by the gyro.//

I take it that you can assert that the Earth's angular momentum is
 unchanged because you ignored the effect of spinning up the gyro?

> At this load there will be components of the torques in the plane of
> the two angular momenta, and perpendicular to the gyro axis. The
> magnitude of the gyro's angular momentum will not change, but that of
> the Earth will change slightly, as will the angle it makes with respect
> to the gyro's axis.

If you account for changing the Earth's momentum at this point,
then can I ask with reference to what does the momentum change:
the Earth-Moon system, the Solar system - or the integrated
effect of the distant stars?

> > (The comment on the tides is somewhat misleading in this sense because
> > the tidal forces do exert external torque on Earth.)
> >///
> Leigh


Brian Whatcott    Altus OK    Eureka!