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NEWSCIENCENEWSCIENCENEWSCIENCE PETER DAVEY'S SONIC RESONANCE BOILER Davey boil various quantities of water, took to raise the temperature of one gram of notes of the energy used and temperatures water by one Celsius degree. So if you reached. He left scratching his head. start with 250 millilitres of water at 25°C "I don't know enough about sound to (i.e., almost exactly 250 grams of it) and know whether you can transfer that amount need to raise it all to 100°C, you need 75 x of energy via soundwaves. I doubt it," said 250 = 18,750 calories, which is 78,450 Williamson. joules. A joule is a watt-second. So if His verdict? "It is an interesting you've got a 2400-watt heater that transfers gimmick, irrespective of how it works... I heat with perfect efficiency to water, you think more homework needs to be done.” must run it for 32.7 seconds to do this job. (Source: From an article by Yvonne Taking that into account, my electric jug is, Martin, The Press, Christchurch, New _ clearly, not that far from the theoretical Zealand, 30 January 2008, http://www. maximum water-heating efficiency. stuff.co.nz/thepress/4379593a6530.html. See Assuming its element could be fully video demonstration at web page submerged in only 250 mL of water, that http://video.google.com/videoplay? docid=- water would boil in about 40 seconds, 1527526922275986120&hl=en) which is only 1.22 times the "Physics Experiment Land" time for the job. Some other 2400-watt heater, built in such a way as to be less limited, could only possibly do the job in 82 per cent of the time, unless it was magically getting energy from nowhere. Peter Davey does not appear to be making any such claims... (Source: http://dansdata.blogsome.com/ 2008/0 1/3 1/revolutionary-sonic-boiler- probably-not-a-scam/) ae Va tee weet see by Yvonne Martin reached. He left scratching his head. [ees and saxophone player Peter "I don't know enough about sound to Davey has come up with a device that know whether you can transfer that amount he claims boils water inno time. He of energy via soundwaves. I doubt it," said calls it the "sonic boiler" because he claims Williamson. it uses the power of sound. How the heater His verdict? "It is an interesting actually works has confounded experts. gimmick, irrespective of how it works... I The device looks oddly like a bent desk _ think more homework needs to be done." lamp, with a metallic ball at the end instead (Source: From an article by Yvonne of a lightbulb. When plugged into the Martin, The Press, Christchurch, New power supply and the ball is lowered into Zealand, 30 January 2008, http://www. water, it boils the liquid—even as little as a__ stuff.co.nz/thepress/4379593a6530.html. See tablespoonful—within seconds. video demonstration at web page "Everybody boils twice the amount of _http://video.google.com/videoplay? docid=- water they need, so I decided I would finda — 1527526922275986120&hl=en) way to boil water and make steam more economically," said Davey, a former Spitfire pilot. "This boils exactly what you want to drink." Davey, who lives in a tumbledown two- storey historic homestead called Locksley in Dallington [Christchurch, NZ], has been using the boiler to make hot drinks for 30 years. He said he first came up with the concept 50 years ago, and it took him half of those years to figure out how to make the device. He has made a number of prototypes, including a steamer using the same principle. "The principle is beautiful. I have cashed in on a natural phenomenon and it's all about music," he said. "If I hadn't been playing the saxophone, I probably wouldn't have come up with the idea." Davey noticed as he played the saxophone at home that everything resonated at a - . different frequency. Inventor/musician Peter Davey displays his Sonic Resonance Boiler. (Photo © The Press, Christchurch, NZ) "The glasses will tinkle on one note. Knives and forks in the drawer will tinkle on another note, and I realised that everything has its point of vibration," he Comments on the Sonic Boiler said. "In the same way, a component in the e don't really know how quickly Peter ball is tuned to a certain frequency." Davey's "sonic boiler" is supposed to Davey, who turns 92 today [30 January], be working. The article says it boils the water is now looking for a manufacturer who will "within seconds"... I'd like to see exactly how buy the technology and make the devices _ fast it does boil it. for the mass market. Tf you want to transfer energy to a liquid, "Nowadays, with the economy of water _ hitting the resonant frequency of that amount and electricity, I think it could be even _ of liquid in that container...will just spray more important than when I conceived the _ water up the walls. idea," he said. "They could sell a million of The 2200-2400 W electric jug in my the things in China.” kitchen will bring half a litre of water to a He estimated that the boilers could be made —_ good enthusiastic boil in about 80 seconds, for as cheaply as NZ$9.00 each. and it draws as much power as you can get "I cannot wait to explain the principle to from the maximum 10-amp-per-socket somebody who wants to take it on," he said. current rating of 220-240-V countries like The Press invited a retired Canterbury Australia and New Zealand. University engineer, Professor Arthur The physics (rather than dietary) calorie Williamson, to look at the boiler. He watched is the amount of thermal energy necessary lhe photos shown to date reminded me of a website I found a couple of years ago describing a similar thing. Here are my notes from that find. ",..he found two tops from old bicycle bells, joined them together, tuned one of them to 50 Hz frequency, attached electricity wire to each one of them, and threw them - into water. Surprisingly, water started to . Inventor/musician Peter Davey boil extremely fast. So he made his first displays his Sonic Resonance Boiler. heater patent based on this observation. This (Photo © The Press, Christchurch, NZ) patent was already registered in 1944... Immediately after it was experimentally Comments on the Sonic Boiler confirmed that the device has unexplainably e don't really know how quickly Peter high efficiency, the heater and the inventor Davey's "sonic boiler" is supposed to _ fell into disfavour of various institutions that be working. The article says it boils the water _ are interested in selling electricity and that "within seconds"... I'd like to see exactly how _ protect the monopoly on electrical power. fast it does boil it. Mr Davey has been fighting for almost 50 Tf you want to transfer energy to a liquid, years to receive a permit for the industrial hitting the resonant frequency of that amount _ production of this heater... of liquid in that container...will just spray "I gather that the measurements carried water up the walls. out by New Zealand scientists suggested The 2200-2400 W electric jug in my _ that this heater may consume even less than kitchen will bring half a litre of water toa the equivalent for around 5% of the energy good enthusiastic boil in about 80 seconds, _ that it generates in the form of heat. This and it draws as much power as you can get would indicate that the electrical efficiency from the maximum 10-amp-per-socket _ of this heater is around 2,000%." current rating of 220-240-V countries like (Source: Esa Ruoho, 3 February 2008, via Australia and New Zealand. KeelyNet, http://www.keelynet.com; also see The physics (rather than dietary) calorie Rex Research, http://www.rexresearch.com/ is the amount of thermal energy necessary davey/davey.htm.) oo 52 * NEXUS JUNE — JULY 2008 www.nexusmagazine.com