Thomas Henry Moray’s “radiant energy” device was designed to pull in ambient electromagnetic energy from the environment and amplify it in a novel way to produce significant power output. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how Moray’s device likely operated based on the information you shared:
1. Capturing Ambient Electromagnetic Waves
- Antenna: The device used a large antenna to capture a range of ambient electromagnetic waves, including radio waves and other environmental frequencies.
- Dielectric Resonator: Moray incorporated a special resonator, similar to modern dielectric resonators, which allowed only one specific frequency to pass through. This single frequency provided the necessary energy input for his device to work consistently, eliminating interference from other frequencies that would disrupt the resonance.
2. Amplifying the Frequency with Vacuum Tubes
- Cold Cathode Vacuum Tubes: Moray’s device used cold cathode vacuum tubes filled with argon gas. The tubes had an unusual configuration, relying on secondary electron emission: when high-energy electrons struck the cathode, they knocked additional electrons free, effectively amplifying the current.
- Negative Resistance and Plasma State: Moray’s tubes exhibited “negative resistance.” Unlike typical resistors, where resistance increases as current rises, these tubes allowed current to increase as voltage rose, reaching a plasma state. The more current flowed, the more electrons were freed in a chain reaction, known as a Townsend Avalanche.
3. Using Radioactive Material for Initial Ionization
- Radioactive Lining: To avoid needing an external power source to “kickstart” the ionization of argon, Moray lined his tubes with a low-level radioactive material. This material emitted beta particles, providing a constant low-level ionization of the argon gas inside. This small amount of ionization was enough to get the device started.
- Argon Gas Ionization: Once a weak radio signal passed through the resonator and entered the tube, it interacted with the already ionized argon gas. This initial ionization allowed the frequency from the resonator to sustain and gradually intensify the plasma state in the tube.
4. Achieving “Over-Unity” with the Townsend Avalanche
- Townsend Avalanche Effect: Over time, the ionization in the tube intensified as the argon gas entered a plasma state. Each cycle increased the ionization, resulting in what’s known as a Townsend Avalanche. In this state, the device drew more power than the initial energy input.
- Oscillations and Resonance: The tube oscillated at the captured frequency, allowing Moray’s device to maintain a consistent energy cycle. The resonator’s tuning ensured that only the needed frequency sustained the oscillation, similar to keeping a swing in motion with well-timed pushes.
5. Outputting Power via Capacitors
- Storing and Outputting Energy: As the plasma state intensified, Moray used capacitors to store the accumulated energy, which could then be accessed as a direct power output. These capacitors stabilized and stored the energy generated from the avalanche effect, resulting in a significant energy surplus.
Key Points of Innovation:
- Radioactive Material: This was a creative solution to avoid needing external power to start the ionization process, something unique in energy devices at the time.
- Cold Cathode and Negative Resistance: By using a cold cathode tube and leveraging the negative resistance phenomenon, Moray’s device harnessed the runaway current in a controlled plasma state.
- Dielectric Resonator for Frequency Isolation: By isolating a single frequency from the environment, Moray achieved resonance and amplified the weak ambient energy into usable power.
Summary
Moray’s device was an innovative combination of early solid-state physics, vacuum tube technology, and resonance engineering. It managed to amplify a small amount of ambient energy into a much larger output without needing an external power source, reportedly achieving “over-unity” through the Townsend Avalanche effect in the plasma state.
