- #1
MrSponge
- 20
- 0
I am studying Mechanical Engineering at college, so please forgive me for any assumptions I make.
I know (been told) that magnets are used to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. And have no energy of their own. I have been thinking why a magnetic generator powering it self will not work.
I know that over time the alignment of the magnetic domains will become less aligned over time as it is heated and affected by other magnetic fields.
So in order to re- align it will take energy to produce another magnetic field to align it. So am I right in thinking that magnets store energy. And if so how much energy is needed (not specific quantities) to create such magnetic fields. And how much potential energy will a spinning magnet have, in a generator (any, such as a wind turbine) before it becomes de-magnetized.
I can understand if it is less than the amount is needed to magnetize it. However if this is so, how do wind turbines generate surplus amounts of energy from the wind, if the same amount of energy would be needed when the magnets in it have become demagnetized.
Thanks for reading and answering.
Louis Hughes
I know (been told) that magnets are used to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. And have no energy of their own. I have been thinking why a magnetic generator powering it self will not work.
I know that over time the alignment of the magnetic domains will become less aligned over time as it is heated and affected by other magnetic fields.
So in order to re- align it will take energy to produce another magnetic field to align it. So am I right in thinking that magnets store energy. And if so how much energy is needed (not specific quantities) to create such magnetic fields. And how much potential energy will a spinning magnet have, in a generator (any, such as a wind turbine) before it becomes de-magnetized.
I can understand if it is less than the amount is needed to magnetize it. However if this is so, how do wind turbines generate surplus amounts of energy from the wind, if the same amount of energy would be needed when the magnets in it have become demagnetized.
Thanks for reading and answering.
Louis Hughes