Hygroelectricity - Electricity Collected From the Air

[68Charger]

Seems like dissolving thunder storms before they can get rid of their energy naturally could be a pretty bad thing.

why?

lightning rods do this, they send/receive ions to prevent a static charge from building up to a point where it can jump to/from the clouds as a lightning bolt.

[TFOGGER]

why?

lightning rods do this, they send/receive ions to prevent a static charge from building up to a point where it can jump to/from the clouds as a lightning bolt.

Actually, lighting rods are designed to attract and direct strikes so as to prevent damage (by providing a clear path to ground). A company here in Colorado designs and implements "dissipation arrays" that are designed to disperse and discharge atmospheric charge buildups BEFORE there is enough energy potential to initiate a lightning strike. The company is LEC, and their arrays are in use at the majority of refineries and oil storage facilities world wide. One of my good friends worked for them as an engineer several years ago.

[68Charger]

Actually, lighting rods are designed to attract and direct strikes so as to prevent damage (by providing a clear path to ground). A company here in Colorado designs and implements "dissipation arrays" that are designed to disperse and discharge atmospheric charge buildups BEFORE there is enough energy potential to initiate a lightning strike. The company is LEC, and their arrays are in use at the majority of refineries and oil storage facilities world wide. One of my good friends worked for them as an engineer several years ago.

I'm not inclined to enter a lengthy debate on this, but I'd submit that a "dissipation array" is made up of an array of lightning rods... it's all in how they're deployed for a particular environment... each rod can only dissipate so much energy, only for a cone of area, and only to devices that they are electrically copuled... by making an array, you create an area that's protected...

if you size/configure the lightning rod in such a way that it can't dissipate the energy fast enough to prevent a strike, then it will certainly attract it, and your conductors to ground will have to be orders of magnitude larger to carry the extreme currents present in a lightning event without damage.

[rondog]

I wonder if there's ever been any research on using ocean currents to drive turbine generators......helluva lot of power in the oceans, waiting to be tapped.

[68Charger]

I wonder if there's ever been any research on using ocean currents to drive turbine generators......helluva lot of power in the oceans, waiting to be tapped.

you'll chop those fish into little bits!!!!

[BigBear]

you'll chop those fish into little bits!!!!

Ban oceans!!! It's for the fish!

[Epyon]

rondog, there is a way to harness tidal energy, but it's not as feasible because they are very expensive compared to other forms of energy, and they are more successful with steady and strong tidal pull. Their use is limited. However, I do feel that if we mastered nuclear fusion it would help as far as being on a grid goes. Truth be told I'd rather have a house that can draw most of its own power on site and very little to none from the grid. Either way, oil and coal are like heroin and and crack; this country needs a detox and get away from it.

[sniper7]

I think we should tell liberals that wearing a lightning rod hat during thunderstorms will help clean up the environment and cut down on emissions.

what? it is true

[funkfool]

you'll chop those fish into little bits!!!!

Now, now, those little fishies will be fine...

[Irving]

why?

lightning rods do this, they send/receive ions to prevent a static charge from building up to a point where it can jump to/from the clouds as a lightning bolt.

I'm honestly not sure. I only ever took one class about weather. I guess it depends on how dissipating the lightning would effect the storm over all.