When I wrote about a “revolutionary” energy-making machine being developed in Massachusetts that seems to conveniently sidestep certain laws of physics (here’s the story from last week) one reader mused about 1970s memories of a New Hampshire man who developed an equally miraculous heater involving spinning drums. Well, this is the internet age and nothing really disappears: Another reader found this 1978 article from Farm Show magazine all about it! A few details:
Frenette installed his prototype friction heater in a 10-year-old washing machine. It’s made up of two cylinders spinning in opposite directions. There is a clearance of 1/s in. between the two cylinders which are lubricated by a quart of light motor oil. Spinning action of the cylinders and resulting friction produces the heat, according to Frenette. He claims franchised models will be odorless (they don’t require any chimney since no fuel is burned and there is no flame, soot or odor) and are as quiet as a refrigerator. All models will plug into a regular 110 volt outlet
And, of course, the all-important financial angle:
Others, including a host of small manufacturers and distributors have jumped at the chance to get in on the ground floor of a “breakthrough” development they feel can help solve the energy crisis. They have invested in franchises and hope to be taking orders for Eugene Frenette’s fuelless furnace early next year.
The lack of spinning-drum heaters in today’s world implies that the miraculous device proved less miraculous in reality.
Somebody with the same name (a relative?) is currently selling a “revolutionary” oil burner that, judging from the website, operates like a carburetor, using air to “atomize” the oil so it burns more efficiently.
Return to the Concord Monitor
I’ll bet if they add a turboencabulator to that atomizer system, that heater would burn at 110% efficiency!
For those who are puzzled: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turboencabulator
skeptics love to denigrate new ideas as an ego validation exercise since they are addicted to status quo knowledge. hate to break it to you but qhydrogen is real, so are SETI graphene supercapacitors, and water powered batteries at umass amherst and graphene hematene water batteries as well.
That may or may not be true – but none of those are mentioned in this article.
I had a boss, owner of a relatively high tech company who was about to dump a bunch of money into this sure thing investment. Fortunately, I was able to talk him out of it. These things seem to go through a regular cycle. It takes about 20 years before the first losers either forget or die off so the next generation is ready for a fresh fleecing. Being involved in the alternative energy industry for many years, I saw a lot of these schemes being presented as “saving the world, just needing a little seed money.
Nice surprise that someone found an article about the wonderous washing machine that would heat our houses at low cost. Splendid that this invention has been preserved somewhere other than in my mind. Thanks for looking into this and finding the Farm Show Magazine story.