h a l f b a k e r y"Bun is such a sad word, is it not?" -- Watt, "Waiting for Godot"
add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, random
news, help, about, links, report a problem
browse anonymously,
or get an account
and write.
register,
|
|
|
An idea that I'd long ago thought about was the possibility of using lighning to generate electricity, or harness it directly.
One idea is using a flywheel connected to a cable. The other end of the cable is connected to an Electromagnetic rail (a la bullet-train) powered by the lightning (one
end grounded, the other in the air. The large discharge would rev up the flywheel, which would slowly be "discharged" by a generator. A the same idea could be done but with an electric motor attatched instead of the cable idea.
Direct harnessage could be done with a high-resistance circuit that would slow down the surge to a "usable speed".
Here's an article...
http://www.weatherw...lightningpower.html
[snarfyguy, Oct 17 2004]
Lots of resources here...
http://www.halfbake...ing_20Power_20Plant
[snarfyguy, Oct 17 2004]
Lightning, electricity and sex
http://www.geocitie...ctricityandSex.html
Huh? [snarfyguy, Oct 17 2004]
Harnessing Lightning
http://www.halfbake...nessing_20Lightning
[hippo, Oct 17 2004]
Lightning is Spanish
http://douglas.min.net/essay/
Lightning will knock down your soul [tiromancer, Feb 07 2005]
Please log in.
If you're not logged in,
you can see what this page
looks like, but you will
not be able to add anything.
Destination URL.
E.g., https://www.coffee.com/
Description (displayed with the short name and URL.)
|
| |
You might want to just read through the second (or fourth) link and post your ideas as a further annotation. |
|
| |
Using lightning to make electricity crossed my mind a few times before. I never thought of an idea that might actually work, though. |
|
| |
There are a world of problems here.
Typical lightning strike is 100,000,000 volts at 100,000 amps for a few milliSeconds or so.
To transfer that energy into movement it usually must be converted to magnetism. This involves channeling the strike through coils that will convert this energy into magnetic energy, these coils must be robust enough to survive the sever mechanical impulse and extreme strain on the insulation . The inertia of turning a flywheel over such a short duration will be huge. |
|
| |
This is a job for capacitors, big munty capacitors. |
|
| |
You might want to reconsider using metal, like some articles tell you to do. The true power can be accessed more easily. If a bassin of water would be charged by lightning, the electricity could elektrolyse it. If you were to light a spark it would return back to water only giving an explosion of power, which could drive a generator. |
|
| |