Energy Efficiency of Lightning

1
Energy Efficiency of Lightning

• Leah Holleman
• Brooke Perry
• APES Pd 1st

2
What are its main goals?

• To provide adequate energy from a natural source
• To not harm the Earth with unintended effects

http//www.personal-computer-services.co.uk/Images
/lightning.jpg
3
What is its overall potential in making a
difference?

• It is a free source and can be sold for much
  cheaper than current market energy
• Lightning strikes the earth 100 times per second,
  so there is a huge channel of energy always
  flowing from Earth
• One storm can discharge enough energy to supply
  the entire U.S. with electricity for 20 minutes

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How does it work?

• A prototype collects power from ground area
  during a strike
• Converted into electricity and sold through
  existing power grids
• Mobile lightning farm
• A lightning bolt carries one million kilowatts of
  electrical energy

http//images.machinedesign.com/images/archive/708
67whenlightn_00000047536.jpg
5
What technological obstacles might disrupt/stall
mass implementation?

• Strikes random, inconsistent and highly
  unpredictable, thus difficult to set up lightning
  power system
• Little research fully completed
• Uses energy at once, requiring huge batteries and
  capacitors at facilities
• Powerful that it could easily overload all but
  the most sophisticated and heavy-duty systems

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What political/economical obstacles might
disrupt/stall mass implementation?

• Huge cost factor, even only considering the
  research
• Federal budgets for alternative energy sources

http//www.miqel.com/images_1/reading_library/ligh
tning-shaman.jpg
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What are some of the negative environmental
impacts?

• There are few, if any, because lightning itself
  is a natural occurrence of the Earth
• Possibilities are
• 1. an explosion
• 2. striking a fire
• 3. large portion of land used for lightning
  farms

http//www.stormscapesdarwin.com/userimages/swaw06
_lightning.jpg
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Bibliography

• http//www.treehugger.com/files/2006/10/alternativ
  e_ene_2.php
• http//www.greenideal.com/alternative-energy/can-l
  ightning-be-harnessed-as-an-energy-source/
• http//www.wisegeek.com/can-we-store-electricity-f
  rom-lightning.htm
• http//www.nasa.gov/images/content/150599main_ligh
  tning_photo.jpg (background photo)

http//lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/discoverthis/lightn
ing-lab-a.gif