It has been said that there is no such thing as free energy.  That statement is true to the extent that an investment in time and capital is required to extract energy from the environment, whether in the form of fossil or nuclear fuels, or direct energy conversion from the sun or wind.  In the case of direct energy conversion, once an investment is made the business of useful energy production can be accomplished free of fuel costs.  From that perspective the actual energy is free while the mechanics of extracting or converting that energy to a useful form is not.

The greatest cost of energy production from non-renewable resources is the fuel itself.  Although construction of conventional and nuclear power plants require very large investments, the greatest cost over the life of those power plants is the fuel.  The costs of fossil fuels can and do fluctuate wildly, affected by political, environmental, supply and depletion issues.  As a commodity the prices of these fuels have become artificially controlled by brokers and investors; an unfortunate situation for consumers.  Expenses related to environmental pollution from the consumption of these fuels cannot be ignored.  The cost of nuclear fuel continues to rise.  The related expense of handling and storage of hazardous nuclear waste (the depleted fuel and materials contaminated by the fuel) can easily exceed the initial procurement cost of the fuel.

Today solar and wind energy systems operating from free energy sources are maturing and contributing significantly to the overall energy demands of our planet.  Other systems based upon geothermal and tidal energy are also developing.  All of these systems rely on free and renewable sources of energy.  Each has a place in a world economy based upon clean, abundant, "free" energy.  These systems are free of fuel and cleanup costs.

Since the beginning of the Industrial Age and throughout the Twentieth Century all aspects of life on this planet have become increasingly complex.  Within the disciplines of science and engineering we can look back today and marvel at human accomplishments over the past one hundred plus years.  The electric light bulb, the phonograph, the telephone, the automobile and the flying machine have evolved far beyond the imagination of their creators.  Even H.G. Wells would be amazed if he could witness what we consider commonplace today.

The basic material resources have not changed since man invented the simplest machines.  We still obtain all of the necessary elements from the earth and atmosphere in much the same fashion as we have for centuries. The difference is in the knowledge base we have at our disposal as a result of the cumulative inspiration, creativity and dedication of individuals throughout generations; each standing on the shoulders of the ones who came before.  From that knowledge base we have created an industrial complex capable of producing materials with properties never before available to engineers and inventors.  With these new materials in our inventory we can re-visit and re-invent ideas of the past century that may have been considered impractical.

The basic laws of science, as they apply to the everyday physical world, have not changed since man quantified gravity or built the simplest structures.  Those laws apply and are as useful now as they were then, although on a much grander scale.  Again, the difference is the knowledge base and available materials.  That combination allows us to produce stronger, lighter, more efficient and simpler structures and machines than have been possible even a decade ago.

There are a growing number who believe simpler is better.  There is a need in our complex world to rethink our options in light of the new materials and information available to us.  Some of the day's most pressing problems can be met and overcome using this approach.  One of the most critical issues is the reversal of the world dependency upon non-renewable resources in the production of energy to sustain growth and achieve an acceptable quality of life for the entire global community. 

This discussion examines energy production in a new light.  New applications using existing technologies are needed to accomplish the critical task of saving the planet.  We no longer have the luxury of decades to develop complex solutions.  Applications based upon simple and well understood principles, requiring minimal development, are needed today.  One such application that can be quickly developed and scaled to meet local, regional or national energy needs is based upon work published over thirty years ago and physical laws discovered well over one hundred years ago.

The Industrial Revolution was made possible by understanding and applying the laws of thermodynamics.  These basic principles are even more firmly established today than they were at the beginning of the last century and poised to take civilization to the next level; a world with access to virtually unlimited, non-polluting, non-depleting energy on a local, national and global scale.  We have the ability today to achieve this goal with existing technologies and materials.  The challenge is being met on many fronts; direct and passive solar energy, wind energy, tidal energy, geothermal energy, and new applications that are being invented or re-discovered daily.

In the early 1970's Wallace Minto developed an engine for the conversion of low grade heat into useful work.  Aside from a few published articles the technology was largely ignored.  Minto called his invention the Minto Wheel.  Minto was a true visionary, more than thirty years ahead of his time.  The basic principles behind the Minto Wheel are sound.  Prototypes and subsequent field units performed as he expected, although their shear size limited them to applications commonly found in third world environments.  Pumping water and grinding grain were some of the tasks that Minto identified as appropriate for his invention.  What was needed was a more compact version of his engine.

In 2003, work was begun to downsize and improve upon the Minto Wheel.  As various versions of the wheel were investigated it became clear that a new and unique mechanical design would be necessary to achieve the optimum combination of reduced size and improved performance.  Keeping it simple was high on the list of priorities.         

With simplicity driving design the Thermodynamic Free Walking Beam Engine was born.  Although the wheel is considered to be one of mankind's most important discoveries, the lever is equally important and the simplest machine.  As the first prototype was being fabricated the many advantages of the free walking beam design compared to the Minto Wheel became apparent.

The dimensions of the engine were greatly reduced while producing the same power.  The free aspect of the walking beam made maintenance and upgrading easier.  Ganging of walking beams on the same output shaft facilitated expansion of power output.  The use of high density solid materials for the power transfer medium also improved output.  Smaller volume of working fluid meant more rapid transformation and higher efficiency.  All of these advantages came with no degrading of the benefits of the Minto wheel design; continuous, low maintenance, low temperature, high torque, high mechanical efficiency operation.

There are significant advantages of the Free Walking Beam Engine (FWBE) compared to other forms of energy conversion.  The FWBE is non-polluting.  The FWBE can operate twenty four hours a day three hundred sixty five days per year for many years with low maintenance.  The FWBE can operate on temperature differentials as low as twenty degrees Fahrenheit, in most of the Earth's naturally occurring environments, making it especially useful for converting low grade waste heat to work.  The FWBE is compatible with other forms of green energy producers and can be placed between existing wind turbines or solar arrays with no further investment in land.   

The new design was submitted to the U.S. patent office October 2003.

November 2005, Free Energy Systems, LLC was formed to continue development of the Thermodynamic Free Walking Beam Engine and to encourage its adoption as a viable resource in the business of achieving energy independence.

We recognize a need for energy independence at all levels.  A key feature of the FWBE is its scalability.  It can be scaled up to produce useful mechanical or electrical power for off grid applications or for very large commercial units and arrays supporting local, regional and national power grids.