A Spark from the Past
Long before modern electronics, inventors like James Wimshurst were exploring how nature separates charge…
It was the heart of early X-ray experiments and high-voltage demonstrations—and an early example of what we might now call an open system, pulling energy dynamically from its surrounding electric field. In the 1860s, physicist Poggendorff went a step further, creating the first corona motor—a device that used ionized air, not mechanical brushes, to push a rotor. More than a century later, Oleg Jefimenko revived that work to show that electric fields themselves can do mechanical work directly, bypassing the conventional closed-circuit model of electricity. Those classic experiments are the foundation for much of today’s exploration into electrokinetic and open-energy systems.
That’s the legacy our students tapped into—literally by hand—at the fair.
Designing the Demonstration
I designed and built the demonstration system with assistance from the students, prepared the Wimshurst generators, and helped set up the components for the presentation. During the setup period I spoke with teachers, students, and visitors about how the devices operate and about their significance in exploring open-system physics—where charge, field, and motion interact continuously with the environment. I explained how the work of pioneers such as Oleg Jefimenko, John G. Trump, and later experimenters like Eric Dollard and Chris Carson helped extend this field of study. Carson’s self-sustaining high-voltage electrostatic rotary converter, inspired by Trump’s MIT research, demonstrated the same basic principle: energy can circulate through the electric field itself rather than being consumed. We also discussed the remarkable Testatika machine built by Paul Baumann of the Methernitha Christian Community in Switzerland—a large Wimshurst-type generator said to power their facilities through similar electrostatic processes.
While I handled much of the technical design and preparation, the students themselves conducted the official presentation before the judges, in keeping with the competition’s rules. Their confidence and understanding showed that they truly grasped what they were demonstrating.
Building the Machines
We used two Wimshurst generators: one commercial unit and one that I constructed from locally sourced materials—polycarbonate discs, aluminum sectors, brass combs, and Leyden jars made from plastic tubing and foil. Both produced visible sparks several centimeters long. For the second exhibit, we built a corona motor using an empty soda can as the rotor. The can’s rim had several tiny tangential holes sanded to bright aluminum, mounted on a stainless-steel marinade-injector needle pivot connected to one of the Wimshurst terminals. Opposite the can, a sharp sewing needle, connected to the other terminal, was aimed just off tangent to the can’s surface. When the Wimshurst machine spun up, faint bluish plumes of corona discharge arced from the sewing needle toward the can. The invisible ion wind pushed air along the can’s surface, producing pure electrostatic thrust. The can began to rotate—first hesitantly, then faster and smoother—powered entirely by electric-field interactions. No magnets. No moving coils. Just field, air, and geometry.
The Demonstration
During the judging, Emmanuel, Sheenaia, and Vivian operated the Wimshurst machines and demonstrated the corona motor to the panel. Two neon bulbs connected to the terminals flickered orange with each charge pulse, showing the potential difference across the Leyden jars. As the can rotated, they brought it near an aluminum backplate. Immediately, the can was attracted to the plate—a vivid display of electric-field interaction—and the corona brightened to a deep violet glow. The audience could see and hear electricity in motion. Teachers leaned in, students gasped, and judges nodded appreciatively. The excitement in the room was palpable as they witnessed a nineteenth-century principle come alive again through twenty-first-century craftsmanship.
Beyond the Sparks
What made the project stand out was that it revealed open-system behavior in a tangible, student-friendly form.
Unlike ordinary circuits that consume stored charge, the Wimshurst and corona motor are self-recharging systems that draw and separate charge directly from their surroundings. They invite students to think beyond conventional energy models—to ask where the “push” really comes from, and how fields themselves can store and exchange energy dynamically. Every hiss from the corona and every pulse from the Leyden jars reminded the students that the universe is not inert—it is an active electrical medium waiting to be understood.
Inspiring the Next Generation
When our team’s name was announced for 2nd Place, the students’ excitement said it all. Dozens of others gathered afterward to ask how to build their own machines. Teachers expressed interest in future workshops, and local officials congratulated the group for reviving curiosity about classic high-voltage experiments. For me, the real reward was watching young people realize that science is still full of mysteries worth exploring. You could see it in their expressions—the moment they recognized that even a simple hand-cranked machine could unlock questions about the nature of energy itself.
Looking Ahead
We plan to expand our work with larger electrostatic systems and explore continuous-operation versions powered by modern high-voltage supplies. There is a vast field of discovery waiting in the interplay between electrostatics, induction, and resonance—territory that pioneers like Jefimenko, Trump, Dollard, Carson, and Baumann have already begun to map. Alternative-energy research doesn’t always require exotic materials or expensive laboratories.
Sometimes it just needs a soda can, a crank, and the courage to look at electricity differently.
Epilogue
The Misamis Oriental Science Fair was more than a competition—it was proof that when curiosity meets craftsmanship, even century-old ideas can feel revolutionary again. Our students demonstrated that high-voltage electrostatics, far from being obsolete, can still capture imaginations and open minds to the broader possibilities of open-system energy research. As we packed up that day, a few last sparks jumped between the terminals of the Wimshurst machine—small, fleeting, and beautiful, like the moment of discovery that started them.
About the Author
Ed Becnel is a retired software engineer who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. He has been keenly interested and involved in alternative-energy and overunity research for many years. Originally from Louisiana, Ed relocated to the Philippines in 2021, where he continues to mentor young students in experimental science and engineering. He is currently collaborating with colleagues in the U.S. on various projects related to alternative energy production and utilizationr.
Author: Ed Becnel
Mentor, Misamis Oriental National High School
With students Emmanuel Bongcas, Sheenaia Cabanig, and Vivian Aboc
Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental – October 2025
