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Several times at this site people have been fascinated with the possibility of using lightning for power but since no one could depend on where it would strike it would be difficult to induce it to supply reasonable power. An item in the news today at http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-04/osoa-lte041008.php indicates that a powerful laser could control where a strike would take place. There is tremendous energy in a thunderstorm and if the laser system could direct the lightning the storm might be able to be milked for power. Obviously a hell of a lot of energy would require a tremendous target that would not be obliterated by the power intake.
sand, Apr 14 2008
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Sand, the way I read the article, they were able to 'trigger', that is, make lighting happen, not controlling where it struck.
PBS did a "Nova" on lightning some years ago where the researchers would moniter some number related to static charge during a thunderstorm, then when it was high-enough, they would launch a really big model rocket towing a wire into the sky. They were able to reliably get lighting to strike the rocket a number of times.
The purpose of the show was to study the glass-underground-tenticles that form when lightning strikes sand (no pun) in the desert.
Also, if you want repeated lightning strikes, I understand that it strikes the Empire State Building many times a year.
Still a problem getting power. Like drinking from a firehose.
Big Capacitor batteries? I don't know if people are working on it; it seems reasonable but crazy. I'd be too afraid.
The laser apparently created an ionized path for the stroke to follow. That appears to me to be a path control. Enough strikes on a heat sink might be able to provide some sort of power.
I apologize for not having the patience to read the whole article. I see also they have that bit about the rockets toward the end.
It sure would change the look of a thunderstorm if all of the strikes in a given area struck the same building.
Yes, I agree trying to get actual electricity seems optimistic, but getting heat is unavoidable. Hence the fulgurites (glass lightning sand).
i found a co. that sells giant ind power supply that harneses lightning strikes also smaller farm types!(but its lost in all the crappy stuff, i cant find it again)this was a real thing 250k $$$ and up did'nt pay much mind to it then (5 years ago)internatinal co.(i think),farm style looked like semi trailer with a giant pole to catch ligtning strikes(showed actual images)big capacitors to hold and slowly give it back(230 mega jewels)(whatever that is) it was cool to think back then they had this stuff but cant find it now though all the other stuff!
One of my lab instructors who was from vietnam, told me that they used to power their isolated home using a giant capacitor to store power from common lightning strikes. This would last them a few months. However, he did say that eventually the capacitor exploded when it absorbed too much energy.
Yes, most of people who use lighting as the source of energy can trigger it, but they have difficulty in controlling. I guess they have to make some kind of device to store the lighting power and use it in control. It's like a movie project, but I think it's doable.
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