"but permanent magnets have fields that don't extend very far, at least not with much force"
But what about those rare earth magnets in my computer/screen. The one that I have here seems strong enough to reach into my heart and suck all the iron out of my blood. THAT'S why I NEVER carry it around in the pocket of my t-shirt.
They really do seem strong enough to be put to an esoteric use. Suspending something above something or between two whatevers. Then there are always electro magnets with switching polarity. Maybe not perpetual or free energy, but as part of a device to provide additional energy.
Maybe a single piston engine with low friction bearings or magnetic shells. Crank is polarized plus, bearing shells negative, piston rod is ceramic or plastic, piston is plastic with thin copper plate on top. Plastic plate replacing cylinder head with similar copper plate on top connected to electromagnetic. (Right about now I'm envisioning the model of The Invisible Engine that I made as a kid. 'Cept this is the lawn mower version.)
Piston comes up, is repelled downwards, flywheel takes it through a revolution, bringing the piston up to be repelled downwards and the flywheel takes it through the revolution. As the momentum eventually slows, a lever/ratchet/whatever device is triggered to engage the flywheel and give the little "engine" a push start to begin the actions once again. (Did I ACTUALLY just use the words "push start" . . . ?)
A series of reduction gears/windings/armatures/etc. are attached and inline with the two ends of the crank shaft to provide energy at variable rates. (Whatever THAT means. I'll save that paragraph for the investors sales pitch.)
Maybe. or maybe not, depending upon how much energy is produced vs how much is needed to power the electro magnets/trigger the push-start device. (Surely doomed to failure on any number of levels.)
But it's fun to think about these things. Like my idea for a diesel powered computer, or that steam driven home security system.
Unfortunately, the solution is something that is NEW and not built upon anything that we know of already. UHF/VHF transmissions weren't just telegraphs without the wires. Television wasn't a radio with a visa-screen. If we can think of it, it probably won't work. It's gonna take a young mind with a vision, not an old man with variation on an idea from College. Ratchets, flywheels, plates . . . sounds like we're talking about the Industrial Revolution.