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Thunderstorm power plants. Using lightning energy. Project (scientific and technical direction). The principle of operation of a lightning power plant

Everyone who has ever read about the huge values \u200b\u200bof voltages and currents in the channel of linear lightning, wondered: is it possible somehow to catch these lightning and forward it to power networks? To power refrigerators, light bulbs, toasters and other washing machines. Talk about such stations has been going on for many years, but it is possible that next year we will finally see a working model of the "lightning collector".


There are a lot of problems here. Lightning, alas, is too unreliable supplier of electricity. It is hardly possible to predict in advance where a thunderstorm will occur. And waiting for her in one place is a long time.

In addition, lightning is a voltage of the order of hundreds of millions of volts and a peak current of up to 200 kiloamperes. To "feed" on lightning, their energy clearly needs to be accumulated somewhere in the thousandths of a second that the main discharge phase lasts (a seemingly instantaneous lightning strike actually consists of several phases), and then slowly give it to the network, simultaneously transforming in standard 220 volts and 50 or 60 hertz AC.

During a lightning discharge, a rather complex process takes place. First, a leader discharge, formed by electron avalanches, rushes from the cloud to the ground, which merge into discharges, also called streamers. The leader creates a hot ionized channel through which the main lightning discharge, ripped from the Earth's surface by a strong electric field, runs in the opposite direction.

Further, all these stages can be repeated 2, 3, and 10 times - in the very fractions of a second that the lightning lasts. Imagine how difficult it is to catch this discharge and direct the current to the right place. As you can see, there are many problems. Is it worth it then to mess with lightning?

If you put such a station in an area where lightning strikes much more often than usual, it will probably be useful. In one severe thunderstorm, when lightning strikes continuously one after another, enough energy can be released that will be enough to provide electricity to all the United States for 20 minutes. Of course, no matter what lightning catching station we come up with, its efficiency when converting current will be far from 100%, and, apparently, not all the lightning striking in the vicinity of the lightning farm will be able to catch.

Thunderstorms happen very unevenly on Earth. Experts working with the American satellite "Tropical Storm Measurement Mission" have published a report on one of the latest achievements of this satellite. The world map of lightning frequency has been compiled. For example, in the central part of the African continent there is a rather large zone where more than 70 lightning strikes per year occur per square kilometer!

So far, such projects for the use of lightning energy are mainly represented by inventors from the United States. The American company Alternative Energy Holdings says it is going to make the world happy with an environmentally friendly power plant that generates electricity at a ridiculous price of $ 0.005 per kilowatt-hour. At different times, different inventors have proposed the most unusual storage devices - from underground reservoirs with metal that would melt from lightning entering the lightning rod and heat water, whose steam would rotate a turbine, to electrolyzers that decompose water into oxygen and hydrogen by lightning discharges. But the possible success lies in simpler systems.

Alternative Energy Holdings says it will build the first working prototype of such a lightning energy storage facility in 2007. The company intends to test its installation during the thunderstorm season next year, in one of the places where lightning strikes more often than usual. At the same time, the developers of the drive are optimistic that the power plant "on lightning" will pay off in 4-7 years.

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Did you know?

Eye and photons

The sensitivity of the retina of the eye can be checked by yourself by repeating a simple experiment staged at one time by the famous Soviet scientist SI Vavilov.

Between an ordinary incandescent lamp and your observation point, install a stroboscope - a cardboard disk 15-20 cm in diameter, with a cut-out sector of 60 degrees, mounted on an axis. Now, while rotating the stroboscope disc at about a revolution per second, look at the lamp with one eye through the disc.

This is what will happen in this case: while rotating, the disk will measure the proportions of light for the eye. The lamp shines unevenly, that is, its luminous flux pulsates, but since the disk rotates relatively slowly, the proportions of light will differ from each other by only a few photons. And this difference, available only to the most accurate instruments, can be easily caught by your eye - if you look closely, you will see a faint pulsation of light! It is easier to carry out this experiment if you put another one above the “measuring” lamp - a reference one. Its light will help you focus.

Thunderstorm energy Is a kind of alternative energy, which should "catch" lightning energy and send it to the power grid. Such a source is an endless resource that is constantly being restored. Lightning is a complex electrical process that is divided into several types: negative and positive. The first type of lightning accumulates in the lower part of the cloud, the other, on the contrary, collects in the upper part. In order to "catch" and keep the lightning energy, you need to use powerful and expensive capacitors, as well as a variety of oscillatory systems that have circuits of the second and third kind. This is necessary in order to match and evenly distribute the load with the external resistance of the working generator.

So far, thunderstorm energy is an unfinished and not fully formed project, although it is quite promising. Attractive is the ability to constantly recover resources. It is very important how much power comes from a single discharge, which contributes to the production of enough energy (about 5 billion Joules of clean energy, which is equal to 145 liters of gasoline).

The process of creating a lightning strike

The process of creating a lightning discharge is very complex and technical. First, a leader discharge is sent from the cloud to the ground, which is formed by electron avalanches. These avalanches are combined into discharges, which are called "streamers". The leader discharge creates a hot ionized channel through which the main lightning discharge moves in the opposite direction, which is ejected from the surface of our planet by an impulse of a strong electric field. Such systemic manipulations can be repeated several times in a row, although it may seem to us that only a few seconds have passed. Therefore, the process of "catching" lightning, converting its energy into current and subsequent storage is so complicated.

Problematic

There are the following aspects and disadvantages of lightning energy:

  • Unreliable energy source. Due to the fact that it is impossible to foresee in advance where and when lightning will occur, there may be problems with the creation and receipt of energy. The variability of such a phenomenon significantly affects the significance of the entire idea.
  • Low discharge duration. A lightning discharge occurs and acts in a matter of seconds, so it is very important to react quickly and "catch" it.
  • The need to use capacitors and oscillatory systems. Without the use of these devices and systems, it is impossible to fully receive and convert thunderstorm energy.
  • Side problems with "catching" charges. Due to the low density of charged ions, a large air resistance is created. You can "catch" lightning using an ionized electrode, which must be raised as much as possible above the earth's surface (it can "catch" energy only in the form of microcurrents). Raising the electrode too close to electrified clouds will trigger the creation of lightning. Such a short-term but powerful charge can lead to numerical breakdowns of a thunderstorm power plant.
  • Expensive cost of the entire system and equipment.Thunderstorm energy, through its specific structure and constant variability, involves the use of a variety of equipment, which is very expensive.
  • Conversion and distribution of current. Due to the variability of the power of the charges, problems with their distribution can arise. The average power of lightning is from 5 to 20 kA, however, there are flashes with amperage up to 200 kA. Any charge must be distributed at a lower power to the indicator of 220 V or 50-60 Hz of alternating current.

Experiments with the installation of thunderstorm power plants

On October 11, 2006, it was announced about the successful design of a prototype model of a thunderstorm power plant, which is capable of "catching" lightning and turning it into clean energy. Alternative Energy Holdings could boast of such achievements. The innovative manufacturer noted that such a plant could solve several environmental problems as well as significantly reduce the cost of energy production. The company assures that such a system will pay off within 4-7 years, and "thunderstorm farms" will be able to produce and sell electricity that differs from the cost of traditional energy sources ($ 0.005 per kW / year).

In 2013, researchers at the University of Saungthampt simulated an artificial lightning charge in laboratory conditions, which is identical in properties to lightning of natural origin. Using simple equipment, scientists were able to "catch" the charge and with its help to charge the cell phone battery.

Lightning activity studies, lightning frequency maps

NASA specialists who work with the Tropical Storm Measurement satellite in 2006 conducted studies of thunderstorm activity in different parts of our planet. Later, the data on the frequency of the origin of lightning and the creation of a corresponding map were announced. Such studies have reported that there are certain regions in which up to 70 lightning strikes (per square km of area) occur throughout the year.

A thunderstorm is a complex electrostatic atmospheric process accompanied by lightning and thunder. Thunderstorm energy is a promising alternative energy that can help humanity get rid of the energy crisis and provide it with constantly renewable resources. Despite all the advantages of this type of energy, there are many aspects and factors that prevent the active production, use and storage of electricity of this origin.

Scientists around the world are now studying this complex process and developing plans and projects to address related problems. Perhaps, over time, humanity will be able to tame the "obstinate" lightning energy and process it in the near future.

25.04.2018

This direction can still be called theoretical. Its essence is to capture the energy of lightning and then redirect it to the power grid. Such a source of energy is renewable, experts classify it as alternative, in other words, environmentally friendly.

As we remember from the school course, the formation of lightning is a rather complicated process. From the electrified clouds towards the ground, the main discharge rushes, formed by electron avalanches, combined into streamers (discharges). A hot ionized channel is formed behind this leader discharge. In turn, the main lightning discharge moves along this channel in the direction from the Earth, which breaks out from the surface under the action of a powerful electric field. The process proceeds with lightning speed, repeating itself several times in a split second. The main task is to catch this discharge and send it to the power grid.

Benefits

People became interested in heavenly electricity for a long time. It is worth remembering Benjamin Franklin, who in his experiments launched kites during a thunderstorm and as a result realized that they collect electrical charges.

If we talk about lightning energy, then in one discharge, five billion joules of the purest energy are collected, equivalent to 145 liters of gasoline. Scientists have calculated that one lightning strike can provide energy to the population of the United States for 20 minutes. And if we take into account that every year one and a half billion discharges (from 40 to 50 discharges per second) hit the entire Earth, then the prospects are truly amazing.

About experiments

Representatives of Alternative Energy Holdings in 2006 made a statement that they had successfully created a prototype of a structure with the help of which one can clearly show how lightning is captured and converted into energy for household needs. Alternative Energy Holdings said that the existing industrial analogue can pay for itself in 4-7 years if the retail price of energy is $ 0.005 per kilowatt / hour. But the series of experiments carried out, apparently, did not show impressive results, and the project managers closed it. After that, the energy of lightning and the energy of the atomic bomb were placed in one row (according to Martin A. Umani).

A few years later (in 2013), employees of the University of Saunghampton simulated an artificial charge in the laboratory, which coincides with the parameters of natural lightning. Using relatively simple equipment, scientists were able to capture the charge and use it to fully charge the smartphone's battery in a matter of minutes.

About prospects

Farms for "catching" lightning are still just a dream. They could endlessly receive cheap energy without harming the environment. The main problem hindering the development of this direction is the impossibility of predicting the place and time of the next thunderstorm. That is, even in places with a specified maximum number of lightning strikes, it is necessary to mount a large number of "traps".

There are still other problems, which are as follows:

  • lightnings are short-term energy bursts lasting a fraction of a second, which must be mastered very quickly. This problem can be solved with powerful capacitors. However, such devices have not yet been created, and if they are developed in the future, they will be very expensive. It is not excluded the use of various oscillating systems with the presence of circuits of the 2nd and 3rd kind, which allow matching the load with the internal resistance of the generators;
  • lightning can be generated from energy stored in the top and bottom of clouds. In the first case, they will be positive, in the second - negative. This must also be taken into account when equipping a lightning truss. In addition, additional energy is required to “catch” a charge with a plus sign, which is clearly demonstrated by the Chizhevsky chandelier;
  • the charges also differ greatly in their power. For most lightning strikes, this parameter ranges from 5 to 20 kA, however, for some flashes it can reach 200 kA. For domestic use, each of the discharges must be standardized (50-60 Hz, 220 V);
  • charged ions per cubic meter of atmosphere have a low density, while air resistance, on the contrary, is high. This suggests that in order to catch lightning, ionized electrodes are needed, raised above the ground to the maximum value, but they also capture energy only in the form of microcurrents. But if the electrode is located too high (i.e. close to the clouds), then spontaneous formation of lightning is possible, in other words, a powerful and short-term voltage surge will occur, creating a risk of equipment breakdown.

And yet, such problems do not stop people who dream of creating lightning farms. After all, the dream of taming nature and gaining access to renewable energy resources has existed for hundreds of years and is becoming more and more real.

Using the properties of lightning to be directed to tall objects, especially if they conduct electricity well, you can "catch" lightning. For this, in our Union, balloons were used that raised metal cables attached to the ground into thunderclouds. In these cases, the "caught" lightning was used only for scientific purposes.

It is possible to assess how profitable it is to use lightning energy for technical purposes by determining the work that a lightning discharge can produce. Since lightning lasts for a very short time, this energy is very small. It was calculated that one lightning can "work out" on average only a few rubles. With such a low efficiency of lightning, it is difficult to talk about the expediency of its technical use. The use of lightning as an energy source is also difficult because during one thunderstorm season, even in a very high lightning rod (400 - 800 meters above the ground), lightning strikes no more than 20-25 times.

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Rental block

Alternative energy - a set of promising methods of obtaining, transferring and using energy, which are not as widespread as traditional ones, but are of interest because of their advantageous use with, as a rule, a low risk of causing harm to the environment.

Solar energy

All kinds of solar power plants use solar radiation as an alternative source of energy. Radiation from the Sun can be used both for heating needs and for generating electricity (using photovoltaic cells).

The advantages of solar energy include the renewability of this energy source, noiselessness, absence of harmful emissions into the atmosphere when processing solar radiation into other types of energy.

The disadvantages of solar energy are the dependence of the intensity of solar radiation on the daily and seasonal rhythm, as well as the need for large areas for the construction of solar power plants. Also, a serious environmental problem is the use of poisonous and toxic substances in the manufacture of photovoltaic cells for solar systems, which creates a problem of their disposal.

Wind energy

Wind is one of the most promising energy sources. The principle of operation of a wind generator is elementary. The force of the wind is used to propel the wind wheel. This rotation is in turn transmitted to the rotor of the electric generator.

The advantage of a wind generator is, first of all, that in windy places, the wind can be considered an inexhaustible source of energy. In addition, wind generators, while producing energy, do not pollute the atmosphere with harmful emissions.

The disadvantages of devices for the production of wind energy include the inconstancy of the wind force and the low power of a single wind generator. Also, wind generators are known for making a lot of noise, as a result of which they try to build them far from where people live.

Geothermal energy

A huge amount of thermal energy is stored in the depths of the Earth. This is due to the fact that the temperature of the Earth's core is extremely high. In some parts of the world, high-temperature magma directly reaches the Earth's surface: volcanic areas, hot springs of water or steam. The energy of these geothermal sources is proposed to be used as an alternative source by supporters of geothermal energy.

Geothermal sources are used in different ways. Some sources are used for heat supply, others - for generating electricity from thermal energy.

The advantages of geothermal energy sources include inexhaustibility and independence from the time of day and season.

The negative aspects include the fact that thermal waters are highly mineralized, and often also saturated with toxic compounds. This makes it impossible to discharge waste thermal waters into surface water bodies. Therefore, the waste water must be pumped back into the underground aquifer. In addition, some seismologists oppose any interference in the deep layers of the Earth, arguing that it can provoke earthquakes.

Thunderstorm energy

Thunderstorm energy is a way of using energy by capturing and redirecting energy lightning into the power grid. Alternative Energy Holdings on October 11, 2006 announced the creation of a prototype model that can harness lightning energy. Lightning is clean energy, and its use will not only eliminate numerous environmental hazards, but will also significantly reduce the cost of energy production.

Problems in lightning energy

Lightning is a very unreliable source of energy, since it is impossible to predict in advance where and when a thunderstorm will occur.

Another problem of thunderstorm energy is that a lightning discharge lasts a fraction of a second and, as a result, its energy must be stored very quickly. This will require powerful and expensive capacitors. Various oscillatory systems with circuits of the second and third kind can also be used, where it is possible to match the load with the internal resistance of the generator.

Lightning is a complex electrical process and is divided into several types: negative - accumulating in the lower part of the cloud and positive - collecting in the upper part of the cloud. This should also be taken into account when creating a lightning farm.

The energy of the ebb and flow

A disproportionately more powerful source of water flows is the ebb and flow. It is estimated that the potential ebb and flow could give humanity an estimated 70 million billion kilowatt-hours per year. For comparison: this is about the same as the explored reserves of coal and brown coal taken together are capable of giving;

The projects of tidal hydroelectric power plants have been developed in detail in engineering terms, and have been experimentally tested in several countries, including ours, on the Kola Peninsula. Even a strategy for the optimal operation of the TPP has been thought out: to accumulate water in the reservoir behind the dam during high tides and use it to generate electricity when the “peak consumption” occurs in the unified power systems, thereby reducing the load on other power plants.

Biofuels

Liquid: bioethanol.

The development of technologies for the production of second-generation bioethanol opens up new prospects in the fuel markets made from cheap biological raw materials, and, in addition, allows solving the problems of waste disposal. Ethanol used as an additive contributes to a more complete combustion of gasoline and reduces emissions of carbon monoxide and toxic substances by 30%, and emissions of volatile organic compounds by 25%. Thus, its use reduces the man-made load on the environment. The advantage of biogas in comparison with natural gas is that it can be produced from local raw materials even in the most remote settlement, i.e. allows providing fuel to regions that are difficult to access and costly in terms of organizing gas transportation infrastructure. In addition, the release of biogas makes it possible to solve the problem of waste disposal, which is a serious problem for agricultural and food production, during the processing of which, in addition to biogas, heat and organic fertilizers are obtained. In addition, the use of biogas reduces greenhouse gas emissions

Solid: wood waste and biomass (wood chips, pellets (fuel pellets) from wood, husk, straw, etc., fuel briquettes) One of the most important advantages of pellets is a high and constant bulk density, regular shape and uniform consistency, allowing relatively easy use them for heating and transport them over long distances.

Gaseous: HYPERLINK "https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D0%B8%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%B0%D0%B7" \\ o "Biogas" biogas, synthesis gas.

The advantage of biogas compared to natural gas is that it can be produced from local raw materials even in the most remote settlement, i.e. allows to provide fuel to regions that are difficult to access and costly from the point of view of organizing gas transportation infrastructure. In addition, the release of biogas makes it possible to solve the problem of waste disposal, which is a serious problem for agricultural and food production, during the processing of which, in addition to biogas, heat and organic fertilizers are obtained. In addition, the use of biogas reduces greenhouse gas emissions.