Magnetic Gears Reduce Friction

Friction between moving parts in the engine and transmission consumes a considerable percentage of all fuel used by a vehicle. Any technique for reducing this friction gives an increase in fuel economy. Here is a demonstration of two magnetic gears which use magnetic fields to transfer force instead of gear pins in physical contact. Avoiding metal on metal contact leads to much, much less friction in the system. Of course, generating magnetic fields strong enough to support the loads experienced by transmissions in contact with a couple of hundred horsepower engine is more than challenging. But it is always good to keep an eye out for possible future technologies that could help us save on gas.