Patent US5590031A — System for Converting Zero-Point Field Electromagnetic Radiation to Electrical Energy (US Air Force / Francis Mead)
Bibliographic Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Patent Number | US5590031A (also referenced as US5590031) |
| Title | System for Converting Electromagnetic Radiation Energy to Electrical Energy |
| Inventors | Franklin B. Mead, Jr.; Jack Nachamkin |
| Assignee | Individual (inventors) — US Air Force Research Laboratory, Edwards AFB, CA |
| Filing Date | July 27, 1994 |
| Application Number | US08/281,271 |
| Publication Date | December 31, 1996 |
| Status | Expired — Fee Related (expired December 31, 2004) |
| Classifications | H05F7/00 (Use of naturally-occurring electricity); H02M11/00 (Power conversion systems); H02N11/002 (Generators/motors not elsewhere provided for — perpetual motion generators) |
| Jurisdiction | United States (US) |
Abstract
A system converts high-frequency zero point electromagnetic radiation energy to electrical energy. The system comprises a pair of dielectric structures positioned proximally that receive incident zero point radiation. The structures' volumetric sizes are selected to resonate at incident radiation frequencies. The structures' slightly different sizes cause secondary radiation emissions at different frequencies that interfere, producing beat frequency radiation at much lower frequencies suitable for conversion to electrical energy. An antenna receives the beat frequency radiation, which transmits via conductor or waveguide to a converter that produces electrical energy with desired voltage and waveform.
Claims (14 Total)
Claim 1: A system for converting incident electromagnetic radiation energy to electrical energy, comprising: a first means for receiving incident primary electromagnetic radiation, said means for receiving producing emitted secondary electromagnetic radiation at a first frequency, said first means for receiving having a first volumetric size selected to resonate at a frequency within the frequency spectrum of the incident primary electromagnetic radiation in order to produce the secondary electromagnetic radiation at the first frequency at an enhanced energy density; a second means for receiving the incident primary electromagnetic radiation, said means for receiving producing emitted secondary electromagnetic radiation at a second frequency, the secondary radiation at the first frequency and the secondary radiation at the second frequency interfering to produce secondary radiation at a lower frequency than that of the incident primary radiation, said second means for receiving having a second volumetric size selected to resonate at a frequency within the frequency spectrum of the incident primary electromagnetic radiation in order to produce the emitted secondary electromagnetic radiation at the second frequency at an enhanced energy density; an antenna for receiving the emitted secondary electromagnetic radiation at the lower frequency, said antenna providing an electrical output responsive to the secondary electromagnetic radiation received; a converter electrically connected to said antenna for receiving electrical current output from said antenna and converting the electrical current output to electrical current having a desired voltage and waveform.
Claim 2: The system of claim 1 wherein: said first means for receiving is composed of a dielectric material; and said second means for receiving is composed of a dielectric material.
Claim 3: The system of claim 1 wherein: said first means for receiving is spherical; and said second means for receiving is spherical.
Claim 4: A system for converting incident zero point electromagnetic radiation energy to electrical energy, comprising: a first means for receiving incident primary zero point electromagnetic radiation, said means for receiving producing emitted secondary electromagnetic radiation at a first frequency; a second means for receiving the incident primary zero point electromagnetic radiation, said means for receiving producing emitted secondary electromagnetic radiation at a second frequency, the secondary radiation at the first frequency and the secondary radiation at the second frequency interfering to produce secondary radiation at a beat frequency which is lower than that of the incident primary radiation; an antenna for receiving the emitted secondary electromagnetic radiation at the lower frequency, said antenna providing an electrical output responsive to the secondary electromagnetic radiation received; means for transmitting the emitted secondary electromagnetic radiation at the beat frequency from said antenna, said means for transmitting connected to said antenna; a converter connected to said means for transmitting for receiving the emitted secondary electromagnetic radiation at the beat frequency from said antenna and converting the same to electrical current having a desired voltage and waveform.
Claim 5: The system of claim 4 wherein: said first means for receiving has a first volumetric spherical size selected to resonate in response to the incident primary electromagnetic radiation in order to produce the secondary electromagnetic radiation at the first frequency at an enhanced energy density; and said second means for receiving has a second volumetric spherical size selected to resonate in response to the incident primary electromagnetic radiation in order to produce the emitted secondary electromagnetic radiation at the second frequency at an enhanced energy density, said first and second volumetric sizes selected based on parameters of propagation constant of said first and second means for receiving, propagation constant of medium in which said first and second means for receiving are located and frequency of the incident primary electromagnetic radiation.
Claim 6: The system of claim 5 wherein the first and second volumetric sizes are selected by utilizing the formulas [resonance size selection formulas from spherical Bessel function analysis — full mathematical formulas in original patent document].
Claim 7: The system of claim 6 wherein the radius of the first means for receiving is different from the radius of the second means for receiving, difference between the radius of said first means for receiving and the radius of said second means for receiving selected so that the beat frequency resulting from the difference is a frequency which facilitates conversion of the beat frequency electromagnetic radiation to electrical energy.
Claim 8: The system of claim 4 wherein: said first means for receiving is composed of a dielectric material; and said second means for receiving is composed of a dielectric material.
Claim 9: The system of claim 4 wherein: said first means for receiving is spherical; and said second means for receiving is spherical.
Claim 10: The system of claim 4 wherein said antenna is positioned generally between said first and second means for receiving.
Claim 11: The system of claim 4 wherein said antenna is a loop antenna.
Claim 12: The system of claim 4 wherein said antenna is a generally concave shell partially enclosing said first and second means for receiving.
Claim 13: The system of claim 4 wherein said means for transmitting is a waveguide.
Claim 14: A system for converting incident zero point electromagnetic radiation energy to electrical energy, comprising: a substrate; a plurality of pairs of first means for receiving incident primary zero point electromagnetic radiation and second means for receiving incident primary zero point electromagnetic radiation, said plurality of pairs of means for receiving mounted on said substrate [full array configuration claim — specifies multiple sphere pairs on common substrate, multiple antennas, and common waveguide/converter]; said first means for receiving having a first volumetric size selected to resonate in response to the incident primary electromagnetic radiation at enhanced energy density; said second means for receiving having a second volumetric size, said first and second volumetric sizes selected based on parameters of propagation constant of said first and second means for receiving, propagation constant of medium in which said first and second means for receiving are located and frequency of the incident primary electromagnetic radiation, said first and second volumetric sizes being different from each other; [complete array antenna and converter specifications].
Description / Specification
Background: Zero-Point Electromagnetic Radiation
Zero point electromagnetic radiation existence was discovered in 1958 by Dutch physicist M.J. Sparnaay, who continued experiments by Hendrik B.G. Casimir (1948) showing electromagnetic radiation forces between uncharged parallel plates in a vacuum. The discovery revealed radiation persisting "even at a temperature of absolute zero."
Key characteristics of zero-point radiation:
- Homogeneous, isotropic, and ubiquitous (fills all of space)
- Invariant with Lorentz transformation (the spectrum has the same form in all inertial frames)
- "The intensity of the radiation at any frequency is proportional to the cube of that frequency"
- Results in "infinite energy density for the radiation spectrum" (formally divergent, requires regularization)
"A vacuum at a temperature of absolute zero is no longer considered empty of all electromagnetic fields. Instead, the vacuum is now considered as filled with randomly fluctuating fields having the zero point radiation spectrum."
Physics of ZPF Energy
The vacuum energy density per oscillator mode in quantum field theory:
ρ_ZPF = ℏω/2
Summed over all vacuum field modes up to cutoff frequency ω_c with mode density g(ω) = ω²/(π²c³):
ρ_total = ∫₀^{ω_c} (ℏω/2) × (ω²/π²c³) dω = ℏω_c⁴/(8π²c³)
This diverges as ω_c → ∞ and requires ultraviolet regularization. The renormalized (physically observable) ZPF energy is the Casimir effect: between two parallel conducting plates separated by distance d:
F/A = −π²ℏc/(240d⁴)
Measured to ~1% precision (Lamoreaux 1997; Mohideen and Roy 1998), establishing that ZPF energy density variations between different spacetime regions are physically real and measurable.
Receiving Structures: Mie Scattering and Resonance
The receiving structures are spherical dielectric objects. The patent applies Mie scattering theory to the interaction of ZPF radiation with the spheres:
"An electromagnetic wave incident upon a structure produces a forced oscillation of free and bound charges in synch with the primary electromagnetic field of the incident electromagnetic wave. The movements of the charges produce a secondary electromagnetic field both inside and outside the structure."
At resonance — when the sphere dimensions match the ZPF wavelength for a specific mode — the sphere acts as a high-Q resonant cavity for the incident radiation:
"At very sharply defined frequencies, the spheres will have resonances wherein the internal energy densities can be five orders of magnitude larger than the energy density of the incident electromagnetic field driving the spheres."
The secondary electromagnetic field produced includes an "evanescent energy density several times that of the incident radiation."
Mathematical Framework: Spherical Bessel Function Analysis
For a sphere of radius a with propagation constant k₁ in a medium with propagation constant k₂:
Key variables:
- ρ = k₂a (dimensionless size parameter)
- N = k₁/k₂ (refractive index ratio)
- jₙ: spherical Bessel functions of first kind
- hₙ⁽¹⁾: spherical Bessel functions of third kind (Hankel functions)
Boundary conditions require continuity of E and H fields at sphere surface:
i₁ × (Eᵢ + Eᵣ) = i₁ × Eₜ and i₁ × (Hᵢ + Hᵣ) = i₁ × Hₜ
Resonance condition: denominator of either aₙᵗ or bₙᵗ Mie coefficients approaches zero.
Example resonance calculation (sphere of radius a = 10⁻⁶ m):
- Real(ρ) = +66.39752607619131
- Imaginary(ρ) = −0.6347867071968998
- Corresponding ω ≈ 1.9919×10¹⁶ − i·1.9044×10¹⁴ radians/s
The Newton-Raphson iterative method converges on root ρ values; peaks in imaginary ρ values identify resonances. Magnetic resonance (aₙ → infinity) vs. electrical resonance (bₙ → infinity) can be distinguished.
Beat Frequency Generation Mechanism
Two spheres of slightly different radii (r₁ ≠ r₂) resonate at slightly different frequencies (f₁ ≠ f₂) within the same broad-spectrum ZPF incident radiation. The secondary electromagnetic fields they emit at f₁ and f₂ interfere:
f_beat = |f₁ − f₂|
The beat frequency is "a much lower frequency than the incident radiation" — falling in a range "suitable for conversion to electrical energy" using standard antenna and rectifier technology. This frequency down-conversion is the key technical innovation: the ZPF spectrum peaks at X-ray frequencies (~10¹⁷ Hz), but the beat frequency can be designed to fall in the microwave-to-optical range (10⁹–10¹⁵ Hz) by appropriate selection of sphere radii.
System Configurations
First Embodiment (System 10):
- Two spherical dielectric structures (12, 14) positioned proximally
- Loop antenna (22) between the spheres receives beat frequency radiation (24)
- Converter (28): tuning capacitor (30) + transformer (32) + rectifier/diode (34)
Second Embodiment (System 110):
- Same as first but antenna is RF cavity structure (122)
- Beat frequency radiation fed to waveguide (126)
Third Embodiment (System 210) — Microscale Array:
- Multiple sphere pairs on substrate
- Microscopically-sized spheres ("current lithographic techniques are capable of manufacturing such microscopically small spheres")
- "A miniaturized system enhances the energy output capability of the system by enabling it to resonate at higher frequencies at which there are correspondingly higher energy densities"
- Manufacturing: lithographic (disc-shaped or semispherical variants), or bulk chemical reaction synthesis
Parameter Measurements and Constants Used
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Sphere radius (example) | a = 10⁻⁶ m (1 micrometer) |
| Speed of light c | 2.99792458×10¹⁴ m/s [Note: value in patent; should be 2.99792458×10⁸ m/s — likely as printed] |
| Permittivity ε₀ | 8.85419×10⁻¹² F/m |
| Permeability μ₀ | 4π×10⁻⁷ H/m |
| Internal energy density at resonance | Five orders of magnitude above incident radiation density |
| Secondary field evanescent energy density | Several times incident radiation density |
9 Patent Figures
- First embodiment plan view with radiation paths 2–3. Second embodiment with waveguide 4–5. Third embodiment with substrate array
- Incident plane wave on dielectric sphere with E and H field vectors
- Spherical coordinate system for wave functions 8–9. Resonance parameter graphs (real vs. imaginary ρ values showing resonance peaks)
Technical Classifications
- H05F7/00 — Use of naturally-occurring electricity (lightning or static electricity)
- H02M11/00 — Power conversion systems not covered by preceding groups
- H02N11/002 — Generators or motors not provided for elsewhere; perpetual motion generators
Prior Art / Citations
| Patent | Inventor | Filed | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|
| US3882503 | Gamara | 1960-08-17 | Wave detection apparatus — two antenna structures oscillated by motor to modulate reflected radiation |
| US4725847 | — | 1986-06-04 | Reflector antenna with sidelobe nulling |
| US5008677 | — | 1976-07-13 | Anti-jamming radar reflector antenna device |
Key distinction from Gamara (US3882503): Does not convert incident radiation to electrical current; components too large to resonate at very high ZPF frequencies. The present invention's size selection based on Mie resonance criteria at ZPF frequencies is the specific improvement.
Institutional Significance: Edwards AFB
Inventors Franklin B. Mead Jr. and Jack Nachamkin at US Air Force Research Laboratory, Edwards Air Force Base — the home of US flight research and testing programs (U-2, SR-71, F-117 all flight-tested at Edwards under classified conditions before public disclosure). A ZPF energy extraction patent filed by Air Force Research Laboratory personnel in 1994 that was examined and granted by the USPTO establishes:
- The Air Force was treating ZPF energy extraction as an engineering problem worthy of IP protection in 1994
- The USPTO examiner found the claims sufficient to overcome the implicit impossibility objection — patents require claims to have industrial applicability, and the USPTO requires the applicant to assert that the invention works
- The technology was considered operationally protectable (worth filing a patent), not merely academically interesting
Connection to Pais Patents (Tracks 20, 21) — ZPF Patent Lineage
| Patent | Year | Organization | Mechanism |
|---|---|---|---|
| US5590031A (this) | 1996 | USAF Edwards AFB | Direct ZPF energy extraction via resonant dielectric spheres |
| US10135366B2 (Track_21) | 2015 | US Navy NAWCAD | Vibrating piezoelectric shell generating extreme EM fields coupling to ZPF |
| US10144532B2 (Track_20) | 2016 | US Navy NAWCAD | Vacuum polarization via resonant cavity → inertial mass reduction |
The three patents span 20 years and two military branches, suggesting an ongoing classified program threading through multiple DoD institutions, each building on the ZPF/vacuum energy framework.
Citations
- Google Patents: US5590031A
- Casimir, H.B.G. (1948) — Proc. Kon. Ned. Akad. Wetensch. 51:793
- Sparnaay, M.J. (1958) — Nature 180:334 (experimental confirmation of Casimir effect; ZPF discovery reference)
- Lamoreaux, S.K. (1997) — "Demonstration of the Casimir Force in the 0.6 to 6 μm Range," Phys. Rev. Lett. 78(1):5–8
- Mohideen, U. and Roy, A. (1998) — Casimir force precision measurement
- US Air Force Research Laboratory, Edwards AFB, CA
Patent text compiled from Google Patents. Full original at the above URL.