Pre-1800s

1800s

• In 1827, Sir William Congreve tried a machine running on capillary action (many others failed in this attempt too).
• Britisher Henry Prince in 1866 described the first partially submerged perpetual motion machine.
• Mark Zimara of Italy had a huge air powered machine that never worked
• Horace Wickmam of the USA got a patent to a machine with many balls that just rotate around.
• Austrian Alois Drasch patented a unsuccessful machine in the US in 1868.
• George Andreas Bockler proposed 'self operating mills' using variants of Archimdes screws.
• Charles Redheffer in 1812 in Philadelphia made much money on a perpetual motion machine, tried to restrict scientific evaluation, but was eventually debunked. Afterwards, he still made money on similar scams.
• Scottish shoemaker Spence, designed a magnetic based machine which was debunked.
• E. P. Willis of Connecticut made money off a perpetual motion machine in 1870 - people eventually found out a secret source of power to it.
• John Worrel Keely of Philadelphia in 1872 fooled many scientists with a machine which appeared to run on water. He raised 5 million of investor money (more for the time than Dennis has raised). Keely tried to avoid being tested. The machine was based on hidden air pressure tubes. In spite of massive fraud being found - there are still believers in his 'technology' today.
• John Gamgee in 1881 got considerable support for a machine very similar to Dennis Lee's which used liquid ammonia (because it could operate at freezing) - it got vaporized from heat readily available, thus expanding it would drive a piston. Gamgee wrongly thought the vapor would condense to liquid to start the cycle over again. The Navy appeared to have been fooled and showed it to president Garfield - it never went anywhere. Tom Napier agrees that Dennis Lee may have resurrected Gamgee's bogus engine
• J. M. Aldrich was arrested for getting investors for his free energy machine in 1899 - he somehow was able to avoid conviction and conned many investors. One of whom was finally able to inspect the machine found a hidden spring.

1900 to 1950

• In 1917, John Andrews had a green powder which he claimed could transform water into gas. He reportedly convinced a Navy that it worked.
• Garabed T.K. Giragossian in 1917 claimed to have a free energy machine. He was one of the early frauds to hid behind conspiracy theory. Woodrow Wilson signed a resolution offering him protection from some kind of conspiracy. After much fanfare, and delaying tactics his machine turned out to be a giant flywheel which was charged up with energy slowly and put out a lot of energy for just a second. In spite of lack of proof of anything significant his followers still bothered the US congress for recognition.
• T.H. Moray in the 20's demonstated a "radient energy device" to many people who were unable to find a hidden power source. Some how, the secret was said to have been forgotten.
• Lester Hendershot in 1928 got an Army commandant to endorse his free energy machine - but it was later found to have a hidden power source in the motor. His sons believe Lester lost his notes and that maybe they can rediscover how to get it to work.
• Robert Johnson's permanent magnet motor got a patent but faded into oblivion.

1951 to 1975

• Viktor Schauberger Claimed to have discovered some special vortex energy in water. Since his death in 1958, people are still studying his works.
• Mr Papf in 1966 was a conspiracy believer alternative car engine got a few investors but killed someone during a demo. He tried to blame the problem on an investigating skeptic. He disappeared and became part of urban legend of scores of people which the big conspiracy has been silencing for generations.
• Guido Franch was convicted of fraud in 1954 and 1973 of selling rights to distribute little green pills that would convert water into gas. He hid behind conspiracy theory and secrecy to avoid fair testing. A number of people have run this scam and many people still believe there are pill repressed by the oil companies.
• Otis Carr in 1958 sold stock for a company to manufacture UFO's and free energy machines from Oklahoma. He claimed inspiration from Tesla, now his ideas are being used by Dennis Lee.
• Edgar Cayce describes "Motors with no Fuel".
• McClintock claimed to use air as a fuel and had a patent.
• The Evgray machine scammed many investors (who didn't know how to test 'depleted' batteries). The perpetrators refused to let a knowledgeable person test the device. And the DA had trouble charging them because investments weren't made as stock purchases. At least one skeptical investigator was denied permission to examine the device.
• Arnold Burke in 1977 collected $800,000 of investor money (again, mostly from bible believing farmers) for a 'self acting pump'. He tried to hid behind religion. He called his device Jeremiah 33:3' Finally, an open test was done in 1979 and found a hidden source of electricity. His believers (with an infinite supply of denial) still raised $250,000 to get out of a fraud conviction. He still went on making lots of claims with no evidence.
• Robert Adams in 1977 made all kinds of conspiracy and OU claims in New Zealand. Many still believe in the Adams Motor - He had the obligatory battles over patents, debates over theory, debates over power measurement and dabbling in other areas of alt physics. He's 80 years old and said to have a scientific education. He has a lot of theories about Aether.
• Robert Stewart in 1978 got over $3,000,000 of investment money (much from farmers) for a closed cycle engine using freon rather than water. This 'engine' used the same scheme John Gamgee tried to sell the navy in 1882. Eric Krieg thinks this is the same approach Dennis Lee's free energy machine works on.
• Rory Johnson of Elgin Illinois, claimed to have invented a cold fusion, laser activated, magnetic motor that produced 525 HP, weighed 475 lbs, and would propel a large truck or bus 100,000 miles on about 2 lbs of deuterium. After signing a number of deals, he moved all his equipment out of his labs, moved to CA and died. (to this day, folks say he was silenced by OPEC)
• RJeseph Maglich was a physicist and claimed to have a device in 1978 which harnessed fusion power from sea water. They say they put power in and get more power out.
• Howard Johnson got a patent for a device that claimed to make free energy from a motor like device. (Note: a patent doesn't mean something works). As of 11/02, Stephen was claiming he would soon mail out samples of working ones. By 12/12/02, Stephen dropped out of contact.
• Keith Kenyon had a device claimed to produce more energy than consumed. Calculations seemed to not take power factor (also known as phase angle) into account. It never openly had its output hooked up to its input. Even Dennis Lee tells his followers that all the over unity motors (claim to make more electricity than consumed) usually just fool people who can't measure power factor.
• Bill Muller and Carmen Muller of Germany raised money on an overunity motor and got a few followers, but never actually demonstrated a working model.

1976 to 1999

• Joseph Newman in 1984 claimed to have a free energy machine based on alternative physics. Like many perpetual motion inventors, he sued the US patent office. Many people wrongly measured the true power output of this machine, (they didn't realize you must specially calculate power for non sinusoidal current consumption). He now refuses to ship a unit for testing. Ten years ago, inventor Joseph Newman gave a open week-long demonstration in the Super dome in New Orleans. Over 9,000 people attended from across the country (including Dennis Lee who reportedly wanted to join his ideas with Newman. ) Newman is suing some former investors he claims are trying to steal his invention.
• Dennis Lee Since 1988 has been promising to demonstrate free electricity "in a month or two". He is much like Newman in his mixture of religion & extremist politics, evasion of qualified investigators, endless promises, threatening detractors, etc. He had a Fischer engine, a CRD device and now, and OU motor device. Dennis has invested in Searle and Stanley Meyer and joined Pantone in 2001 in a 50 state tour.
• Stanley Meyer 1996 claimed to have a water powered car and was also big on mixing Christianity and patriot politics in with fringe science. Meyer was found guilty of fraud after his Water Fuel Cell was tested before an Ohio judge. It is rare for an inventor to be prosecuted for an invention that does not work, but Meyer's problem was that he had been selling "dealerships", offering investors the "right to do business'' in Water Fuel Cell technology. Meyer refused to allow anyone else to measure his device. Dennis Lee invested in him. He died in early 1998. Stanley Meyers gets locked up for phony water powered cars.
• Bruce De Palma had a machine in 1986, which appeared to one Electrical Engineering professor to put out 4 times more power than consumed. Turned out it was just a measurement error. Bruce was a substance abuser living very high off investor money and unwilling to help investigators like PSITRON. A pathetic summary of the death of free energy claimant Bruce dePalma and a site dedicated to Bruce.
• Dr. Potapov sold a device that was claimed to produce more energy than consumed, there are claims that these didn't work and that people did not have refunds.
• John Bedini claims to have a free energy device, but seems closed to having competent independent people investigate John Bedini's claims.
• Mr. Finsrud is a Norwegian artist who made a sculpture where a metal ball moves for weeks apparently with no outside influence. more info
• Don Watts of Las Vegas in around 1990 had a patented CEACU. which stands for Centrifugal Energy Amplification and Conversion Unit - it turned out to be one more investment fraud.
• Troy Reed of Oklahoma, was ready to issue licences for manufacturing his permanent magnet motor etc. He's taking investment money for a device he claims puts out more heat energy than input energy. He claims he's dumped a few million into his designs over the last 10 years.
• Stephan Marinov claimed to have proven much alternative physics and to have contacted a strange cult that claims to have a Free Energy Machine. He committed suicide on July 15, 1997. more information, But he left behind some intense rants
• Greg Watson sold kits for a rolling ball and track that were thought to have over unity in 1997. Attempts of replication have failed. It may have been lack of proper level or measuring. People have reported being unable to get their money back. For other opinions, go to : smot2a failure to confirm
• Yule Brown scammed a lot of gullible investors in Austrailia for years with his Browns Gas claims. Eventually was picked up by Dennis Lee (who eventually declared him insane) and finally died in 1998.
• CETI These people have claimed to have a device that puts out anomalous yet small amounts of heat - maybe cold fusion. They raised millions. They have said, "we want people to think it doesn't work so we won't have competition". Perhaps the energy may have come from not accounting for friction effects from the cooling flow through the pellets. (Jed Rothwell a rational editor of Infinite Energy Magazine says "however, tests with CETI cells at Motorola, SRI and the French Atomic Energy Commission show no measurable friction).
• In Jan 98 Barbara Hickox allegedly has a patent dating from 1981 for a $7500 fusion powered free energy system.
• Paramahamsa Tewariof India claims to have a device that is 200% efficient (Some claim his measurement is questionable).
• Ted King is looking for people to buy stock for a car he plans to drive across the country using just 2 12 volt batteries. You can contact Ted if you want to buy shares.
• Bruce Perreault has claimed to have discovered a new element, the plasmatron, ion pump, radiant energy device, etc. He's said to be constantly trying to raise more money.
• Daniel Pomerleau of Canada claims to have something that works, but he isn't interested in releasing it (as 12/97)
• Brian Collin of Australia claims revelation from God (like most of these people) to make a free energy device. A Stephen Mark claimed he invented it. Investors are still out for around $80,000.
• Kawai and Takahashi - both of Japan claimed in the 90's to have overunity devices. - it did nothing more than drain batteries.
• In 1999, Sanjay Amin of Entropy Systems in Ohio got 1.6 million investment dollars for a device that would violate the 2nd law of thermodynamics.
• Carl Cella claimed to have one of the many cars said to run on water.
• Robert LeBreton in 1999 claimed to be making a 600 hp free energy machine He asks for funding, people say he is a mental case.
• Renzo Boscolio in 1999 in Italy claimed to have low-energy nuclear reactions but refused to supply real proof that he promised to people who came out from Infinite Energy Magazine. Dave Cappelletti is said to still be collecting money for this.

2000s

• Doug Konzen of Seattle says he has an overunity motor in Jan of 2000 that anyone can see.
• Kipper Motor. In 10/00, Steve Elswick thought it was overunity. But David Sligar who paid $175 for plans could not get it working.
• Ludwig Brits and Victor Christie in 2001, claim the Lutec free electricity over unity motor/generator will soon be in Australia. They have little evidence and are trying to get small time people to send in money. to an off shore account As of 7/13/01, they have not responded to numerous local requests for validation.
• Jasker in 2002,an Irish company has claimed to have free electricity. (some have said it is just a joke) info more info
• Gurbakhsh Singh Mann of India claims to have invented a gravity and buoyancy perpetual motion machines.
• Michael J. Marshall in Las Vegas has a device called QSFG which stands for quick start fuelless generator he says 64 nations have asked him to build factories They claim to have been offered billions for the technology. He is said to have gotten an American Indian tribe to finance his efforts. According to news reports, he was released from the slammer in 1998, after serving time for fraud and grand theft auto - he's failed to pay employees.
• Carl Tilley and Robert Kibbey in 6/2001 in Tennessee have claimed some over unity device and other stuff. Their demonstration failed in 9/02 and as of 11/02, they have been evading proper demonstations.
• Perendev promised to make some kind of free energy A Norwegian person claims to have been cheated out of $6000 by them.
• In 2002, the GWE Genesis World Energy group claimed to have 400 people who developed some device that sounds like it separates water into H2 and O2 using less energy than mainstream science says is possible. As of 2003, they have evaded independent confirmation.
• In February of 2003, Steven Greer announced he had discovered some real sources of Free energy which he promised to make sure get proven to the general public.
• In 2003, Bill Muller of Canada claimed to have some kind of OU device. Independent tests found it under unity.
• In 2003 the Greek company Energie promised a homopolar magnet (De Palma design) FE design by June of 2003. They actively seek investors.

External links and references