5 ms·

I think someone could build an innovative electrical power plant using this technology at Relampago del Catatumbo (Venezuela's everlasting lightning storm): htt

• craigds 6y ago
  This was my first thought while reading the article - surely if we can intentionally get hit by lightning, we can find a way to harness that energy. https://engineering.mit.edu/engage/ask-an-engineer/is-there-a-way-to-harness-electricity-from-lightning/ https://engineering.mit.edu/engage/ask-an-engineer/is-there-... discusses the idea a bit. TLDR is: it probably isn't worth it :/
  • moneytide1 6y ago
    An electrolaser is designed to briefly pulse a high power beam that creates a conductive plasma channel (atmospheric conduit). If natural lightening is being coaxed, then we are essentially redirecting natural electrostatic balance into some focused work (Wardenclyffe?). The only "capacitor" I know of large enough to handle this amount of instant power is the one used to "spark" JET tokamak fusion [1]. There are two 775 ton flywheels that can dispense over 3 GJ instantly and "charge" via grid feed rate of around 8MW. [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_European_Torus https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_European_Torus
• MauranKilom 6y ago
  Lightning does not actually transmit that much energy. Primarily because it's so brief.