Posted again, as it keeps disappearing.....

Kohei Minato and the Japan Magnetic Fan Company

by John Dodd

A maverick inventor's breakthrough electric motor uses permanent magnets to
make power  -- and has investors salivating

When we first got the call from an excited colleague that he'd just seen the
most amazing invention -- a magnetic motor that consumed almost no
electricity -- we were so skeptical that we declined an invitation to go see
it. If the technology was so good, we thought, how come they didn't have any
customers yet?

We forgot about the invitation and the company until several months later,
when our friend called again.

"OK," he said. "They've just sold 40,000 units to a major convenience store
chain. Now will you see it?"

In Japan, no one pays for 40,000 convenience store cooling fans without
being reasonably sure that they are going to work.

Nobue then takes us through the functions and operations of each of the
machines, starting off with a simple explanation of the laws of magnetism
and repulsion. She demonstrates the "Minato Wheel" by kicking a magnet-lined
rotor into action with a magnetic wand.

Looking carefully at the rotor, we see that it has over 16 magnets embedded
on a slant -- apparently to make Minato's machines work, the positioning and
angle of the magnets is critical. After she kicks the wheel into life, it
keeps spinning, proving at least that the design doesn't suffer from
magnetic lockup.

She then moves us to the next device, a weighty machine connected to a tiny
battery. Apparently the load on the machine is a 35kg rotor, which could
easily be used in a washing machine. After she flicks the switch, the huge
rotor spins at over 1,500 rpms effortlessly and silently. Meters show the
power in and power out. Suddenly, a power source of 16 watt or so is driving
a device that should be drawing at least 200 to 300 watts.

Nobue explains to us that this and all the other devices only use electrical
power for the two electromagnetic stators at either side of each rotor,
which are used to kick the rotor past its lockup point then on to the next
arc of magnets. Apparently the angle and spacing of the magnets is such that
once the rotor is moving, repulsion between the stators and the rotor poles
keeps the rotor moving smoothly in a counterclockwise direction. Either way,
it's impressive.

Next we move to a unit with its motor connected to a generator. What we see
is striking. The meters showed an input to the stator electromagnets of
approximately 1.8 volts and 150mA input, and from the generator, 9.144 volts
and 192mA output. 1.8 x 0.15 x 2 = 540mW input and 9.144 x 0.192 = 1.755W
out.

But according to the laws of physics, you can't get more out of a device
than you put into it. We mention this to Kohei Minato while looking under
the workbench to make sure there aren't any hidden wires.

Minato assures us that he hasn't transcended the laws of physics. The force
supplying the unexplained extra power out is generated by the magnetic
strength of the permanent magnets embedded in the rotor. "I'm simply
harnessing one of the four fundamental forces of nature," he says.

Although we learned in school that magnets were always bipolar and so
magnetically induced motion would always end in a locked state of
equilibrium, Minato explains that he has fine-tuned the positioning of the
magnets and the timing of pulses to the stators to the point where the
repulsion between the rotor and the stator (the fixed outer magnetic ring)
is transitory. This creates further motion -- rather than a lockup. (See the
sidebar on page 41 for a full explanation).

Implications

Minato's motors consume just 20 percent or less of the power of conventional
motors with the same torque and horse power. They run cool to the touch and
produce almost no acoustic or electrical noise. They are significantly safer
and cheaper (in terms of power consumed), and they are sounder
environmentally.

The implications are enormous. In the US alone, almost 55 percent of the
nation's electricity is consumed by electric motors. While most factory
operators buy the cheapest motors possible, they are steadily being educated
by bodies like NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) that the
costs of running a motor over a typical 20-year lifespan comprise a purchase
price of just 3 percent of the total, and electricity costs of 97 percent.
It is not unusual for a $2,000 motor to consume $80,000 of electricity (at a
price of 6 cents per kilowatt hour).

Since 1992, when efficiency legislation was put into place at the US federal
level, motor efficiency has been a high priority -- and motors saving 20
percent or so on electrical bills are considered highly efficient. Minato is
about to introduce a motor which saves 80 percent, putting it into an
entirely new class: The $80,000 running cost will drop to just $16,000. This
is a significant savings when multiplied by the millions of motors used
throughout the USA and Japan -- and eventually, throughout the world.

The devices

Minato's invention and its ability to use remarkably less power and run
without heat or noise make it perfect for home appliances, personal
computers, cellphones (a miniature generator is in the works) and other
consumer products.

The magnetic motor will be cheaper than a standard motor to make, as the
rotor and stator assemblies can be set into plastic housings, due to the
fact that the system creates very little heat. Further, with the motor's
energy efficiency, it will be well suited for any application where a motor
has limited energy to drive it. While development is still focused on
replacing existing devices, Minato says that his motor has sufficient torque
to power a vehicle.

With the help of magnetic propulsion, it is feasible to attach a generator
to the motor and produce more electric power than was put into the device.
Minato says that average efficiency on his motors is about 330 percent.

Mention of Over Unity devices in many scientific circles will draw icy
skepticism. But if you can accept the idea that Minato's device is able to
create motion and torque through its unique, sustainable permanent magnet
propulsion system, then it makes sense that he is able to get more out of
the unit than he puts in in terms of elctrical power. Indeed, if the device
can produce a surplus of power for longer periods, every household in the
land will want one.

"I am not in this for the money," Minato says. "I have done well in my
musical career, but I want to make a contribution to society -- helping the
backstreet manufacturers here in Japan and elsewhere. I want to reverse the
trends caused by major multinationals. There is a place for corporations.
But as the oil industry has taught us, energy is one area where a
breakthrough invention like this cannot be trusted to large companies."

Minato was once close to making a deal with Enron. But today, he is firmly
on a mission to support the small and the independent -- and to go worldwide
with them and his amazing machine. "Our plan is to rally smaller companies
and pool their talent, and to one day produce the technology across a wide
range of fields."


Guest Commentary to Minato article added by Integrity Research Institute
(thanks to ZPEnergy.com)

Kohei Minato has been working in this field for many years. I have no reason
to doubt the facts presented in this story, which appeared March 12, 2004.
It is a remarkable and important achievement.

First, it will begin to overcome doubt that such technology is possible. His
success brings a degree of credibility. Second, it insures that this type of
technology cannot be surpressed. His patents have long been in print in many
countries, including the U.S. (See #5,594,289, and #4,751,486*). Third, it
will draw attention. He is a consummate showman as well as a brilliant
inventor.

Some will object that since the motors are not self-powered, the system is
not over unity. Obviously, self-powered devices leave no room for that
argument, and are therefore the ultimate proof. However, Minato is not an
engineer by training. Self-powering such a device is much more complex an
engineering challenge than it seems to those unfamiliar with the
complexities involved.

He believes the magnets are the source of the energy in his system. In
reality, he is probably tapping Zero Point (Vacuum) Energy and this
renewable, inexhaustible, resource prevents demagnetization.

No less a physicist than Werner Heisenberg once stated he believed: "We
could utilize magnetism as an energy source".

Although at first it is likely to be ridiculed by most scientists and
engineers, it seems to me likely that in time Minato's achievement will be
widely accepted.