6 ms·

so with a lot of these flying about we can use ozone-depleting substances (ODS and CFCs) once again?

detritus 8y ago
At the very least, it seems like there might be some prospect of combining the battery and voltage upticking tech here with the likes of the solar-powered Zephyr [1] which can fly at about 20km, which is apparently about the denser part of the ozone layer [2] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qinetiq_Zephyr https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qinetiq_Zephyr [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_layer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_layer , in particular: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Ozone_altitude_UV_graph.svg/300px-Ozone_altitude_UV_graph.svg.png https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Oz... - ed I suppose it would make more sense to pair the battery and voltage conversion tech with a high altitude balloon covered in thin film PV, so there's less competition between 'ozone generation' and the 'lift generation'.
btilly 8y ago
No. Per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropospheric_ozone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropospheric_ozone you see that ozone in the lower atmosphere is a pollutant. We want lots of ozone up in the stratosphere. Blocking UV, well away from us.
- LeifCarrotson 8y ago
  Can we send a bunch of these ion-powered planes to fly on solar power in the stratosphere, more efficiently and rapidly generating ozone than the natural process?
  - detritus 8y ago
    That's exactly what I wrote in a response to the parent an hour or so ago! :(
  - marcosdumay 8y ago
    You won't be able to get to the stratosphere with low efficiency propellers. And you would need an absurd number of them to make any difference.
    - deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]
    - gpm 8y ago
      As someone else suggested before this comment was posted, use a balloon for lift? Maybe combine the whole thing with project loon like internet relays. With a source of thrust like this it would be much easier to keep them where you want them.

At the very least, it seems like there might be some prospect of combining the battery and voltage upticking tech here with the likes of the solar-powered Zephyr [1] which can fly at about 20km, which is apparently about the denser part of the ozone layer [2] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qinetiq_Zephyr https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qinetiq_Zephyr [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_layer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_layer , in particular: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Ozone_altitude_UV_graph.svg/300px-Ozone_altitude_UV_graph.svg.png https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Oz... - ed I suppose it would make more sense to pair the battery and voltage conversion tech with a high altitude balloon covered in thin film PV, so there's less competition between 'ozone generation' and the 'lift generation'.

btilly 8y ago

No. Per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropospheric_ozone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropospheric_ozone you see that ozone in the lower atmosphere is a pollutant. We want lots of ozone up in the stratosphere. Blocking UV, well away from us.

LeifCarrotson 8y ago
Can we send a bunch of these ion-powered planes to fly on solar power in the stratosphere, more efficiently and rapidly generating ozone than the natural process?
- detritus 8y ago
  That's exactly what I wrote in a response to the parent an hour or so ago! :(
- marcosdumay 8y ago
  You won't be able to get to the stratosphere with low efficiency propellers. And you would need an absurd number of them to make any difference.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
  - gpm 8y ago
    As someone else suggested before this comment was posted, use a balloon for lift? Maybe combine the whole thing with project loon like internet relays. With a source of thrust like this it would be much easier to keep them where you want them.