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Energy: Lightning

Using Blimps as giant Lightning-rods
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>> Aren't most "lightning" strikes from Earth to Sky, not actually from Sky to Earth? I believe it has something to do with the Earth balancing its energy by expelling (static energy from the Sun?) energy from itself out into space. If most lightning occurs from cloud to cloud, then why not have a divice (hot-air balloon, blimp, etc.) that would navigate itself (by remote control?) into a storm, the way planes fly into lightning storms and active hurricanes? And then by allowing itself to be "struck", it would "redirect/conduct" this energy down to the surface where it would be collected or redirected to energy collectors (this would be the same as having giant Solar collectors in fixed orbit in space transmitting Solar energy down to the Earth as microwaves that would be collected in giant Microwave Energy Farms - I saw this on a G.I. Joe cartoon episode once). The blimps, or balloons, would be covered in metal strips, or whatnot, and by this way conduct this energy to the ground like a giant floating lighting-rod. Perhaps these blimps could have conducting cables attached to their undersides between the blimp and the ground which would allow the energy to be more uniformally conducted (is there a way to harness the Earth's magnetic-field for energy? I wonder if satelites positioned within the Van Allen Belts could by used to harness this energy field and re-transmit the energy back towards Earth). I suggested using blimps that travel within the Earth's jet-streams harnessing wind power and then transmitting this energy to power stations on the ground. The blimps would have wind turbines attached to them. Their attempting to use unmanned floating blimps as floating computer relay terminals, in fixed low-Earth orbits. <<
HALOBERON2000, Nov 14 2005

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       a) there really isn't enough power in lightning strikes to be worth the effort. (See the many other lightning power ideas posted here for more information.)
b) reposting ideas you saw on a GI Joe cartoon (or anywhere else) is against the rules, so you might want to strike that reference.
c) stream-of-consciousness postings are also not a good idea, although not actually against the rules. People *really* like paragraphs.
d) satellites in the Van Allen belt really looks like it should be a separate idea.
e) And that last non-paragraph about wind power should also be a separate idea.
  

       P.S. Welcome to the Halfbakery!
DrCurry, Nov 14 2005
  

       //there really isn't enough power in lightning strikes to be worth the effort.//   

       One point twenny - one Giga Watts! Great Scott! Marty - it's your kids...
Jinbish, Nov 14 2005
  

       Paragraphs, dude.   

       Lightning power plants have been discussed before here, and there's some good reading in the annotations.   

       I suggest that you refer to those if the subject titillates you (search: lightning).
Texticle, Nov 14 2005
  

       Indeed - a whole category devote to the discussion of such schemes. I believe a variation on your idea appears in one of the annos. Feel free to expand on what you find there.   

       I like the bit about the Van Allen belt. This is different enough to stand on its own, so if you want to scrap the lightning part of this and repost as a Van Allen Belt harvester, I would like to read about it. Hopefully it will have some edification about what exactly is in the Van Allen Belt.
bungston, Nov 14 2005
  

       An accessory to go with your Van Heusen shirt and pants?
DrCurry, Nov 14 2005
  


 

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