Re: Newbie: Lightning/plasma question


"ker_01" <ker_01@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:Xns9B23D019CD748ker01@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I'm hoping someone can either explain this in layman's terms, or point me
to some resources that explain it. I'm not slow, I just don't have a
physics background.

I understand (in a general sense) that lightning is a release of a
built-up
electrical charge, and that the discharge path (either due to the
electrical field, or the resulting heat, I'm not sure) becomes plasma.

I also understand that it is difficult to capture any of that energy
because it is too large a discharge, too fast- beyond the current
capability of capacitors or other collection devices.

What is/are the reason(s) why controlled discharges (lightning rod-type
collection) can't be used to capture some of that energy in chemical form?
Maybe not to separate water into Hydrogen and Oxygen (because the heat of
the plasma would just ignite it and turn it back into water) but maybe
some
other form of chemical capture?

Is it an issue with the basic physics principles, or just the level of our
technology?

Thanks for any explanation!
Keith

Quite simply -- it's not worth doing.
In layman terms lightning can split a tree in half, but a sawmill will split
a million trees in half. It's a lot of energy for one tree but not enough to
keep a sawmill running for even a day. Add to that the randomness of
thunderstorms and the cost of installing and maintaining plant to store
the energy and the entire concept becomes ludicrous. It's an economic
issue.



.

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