In this article, I want to talk about ways to get energy from the earth's atmosphere. As you know, the potential between the earth and the ionosphere is huge and reaches 400 kV, and its potential energy is equal to millions of gigawatts. Due to natural processes that take place at the surface of the earth, the first capacitor plate is obtained.
The main component that forms the potential at the planet's surface is water. Due to the processes of transition to various states of aggregation (evaporation, condensation, etc.), a powerful blanket of negatively charged particles is formed, which are located over the entire surface of the planet. The upper plate of the condenser is the ionosphere. Positive particles are formed mainly due to impact ionization from cosmic radiation. Simply put - particles flying, for example, from the sun, hitting neutral particles of the atmosphere - transfer their energy to them. Thus, as a result of natural processes on our planet that have been taking place for billions of years, two opposite charges are formed, which are continuously saturated as a result of shock bombardment from space and due to natural processes at the earth's surface. The discharge of the capacitor plates also occurs, during the breakdown of the dielectric, this is lightning. In fact, lightning is nothing more than a short-term closure of two opposite potentials with the release of energy in the form of light and heat. There is so much energy that lightning strikes, which occur constantly and continuously for millions of years on the entire surface of the earth, affect the heating of the planet's atmosphere, along with solar radiation and the greenhouse effect of gases.
Figure: 1 Cycle of electric charges in the atmosphere.
At first glance, getting electricity from the atmosphere looks simple enough. We have two potentials to which we can connect, convert energy into electricity with the required characteristics, and we have a source of billions of gigawatts in our hands. For example, all the energy that is generated in the United States per year is approximately 1.5% of the energy contained in the planet's atmosphere. However, obtaining energy is associated with certain difficulties. In particular, the electrode for the collection of positive particles from the ionosphere should have a large surface area, as well as raised to a sufficiently large height. In addition, the difficulties are how to convert the received energy into voltage with the characteristics required by the consumer.
Figure: 2. Radiation balance and thermal energy density.
The pioneer in the field of generating electricity from the atmosphere was undoubtedly Nikola Tesla. He used a specific frequency of his power receiver, which was equal to the frequency of the earth. The so-called Schumann frequency, which is approximately 8Hz. It should be noted that the receiver must have a tunable oscillating circuit, since the frequency varies with weather, time and season. So, by 19 o'clock GMT - fluctuations reach a peak. In winter, due to drier air and strong winds, the potential is greater than in summer. However, on average, the difference is no more than 30% of the average. The current frequency of earth vibrations can be found on the Space Observing Systems website (https://sosrff.tsu.ru). Tesla also used an ionized channel to improve the conductivity of the atmosphere over the energy receiver. If you throw negatively charged particles into the atmosphere, for example, using the Tesla Coil. Then it is possible to achieve a local reduction in the dielectric layer and the formation of a conductive channel. This will help discharge the potential. In general terms, the famous Tesla Tower is, in fact, a buffer or, if you like, a container, where the master oscillator moves the charge from the ground and back. Tesla's tower is an antenna in which atmospheric electricity is induced after appropriate manipulations (creating oscillations resonating with the Schumann frequency by the master oscillator, providing grounding, etc.).a buffer or, if you like, a capacity, where the master oscillator moves the charge from the ground and back. Tesla's tower is an antenna in which atmospheric electricity is induced after appropriate manipulations (creating oscillations resonating with the Schumann frequency by the master oscillator, providing grounding, etc.).a buffer or, if you like, a capacity, where the master oscillator moves the charge from the ground and back. Tesla's tower is an antenna in which atmospheric electricity is induced after appropriate manipulations (creating oscillations resonating with the Schumann frequency by the master oscillator, providing grounding, etc.).
Figure: 3 illustration to the 1922 Plausson patent.
An energy utilizer based on Tesla's patents was also described in the works of Hermann Plausson, who in the 20s of the last century conducted tests with balloons-antennas, and on June 9, 1925, he patented his system for collecting atmospheric electricity. Patent number 1.540.998. Homemade balloons can be filled with hydrogen using a primitive reaction of copper sulfate and aluminum, when these two components come into contact, hydrogen is obtained with the release of heat. It should be noted. That such a method is applicable only for experiments, since hydrogen is extremely flammable. Using it in aerial antennas is unsafe. However, it is obvious that the receiver antenna should be raised as high as possible. High-quality grounding also plays a huge role. Tesla in his diaries spoke of the need for careful grounding of equipment. In particular, he talked about how to do it. You should take a large sheet of metal to which you connect the wire. The metal should be buried as deep as possible. Having previously covered it with salt to improve contact with the soil. Falling asleep a leaf - you should constantly compact the soil. Tesla also asked the assistant to periodically water the ground above the leaf with water to improve contact with the soil. Good grounding is just as important as the antenna. It should also be said that it is wrong to ground in apartment buildings on central heating pipes, since this is poor grounding. Even though the pipe goes underground. It goes all over the building as well. If we imagine the entire heating system without the building itself, we will receive an antenna array. Which will have a detrimental effect on energy intake. Furthermore. In some cases, the pipes are electrically connected to the structural reinforcement of the building. Perhaps my opinion can be challenged here, but I think that grounding is the best. When its very structure does not go beyond the surface of the earth.
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Fig 4. Work to obtain atmospheric electricity.
The received energy can be utilized in various ways. Most of them boil down to accumulation in an intermediate capacitor and release through an arrester into a transformer or directly. To the consumer. Unfortunately, the efficiency of such devices is rather low. This is due to the small size of the receiving antenna, as well as imperfect design. We'll talk more about ways to get energy from the earth.
And now it is worth mentioning the conversion method used in the Efimenko electrostatic motor. Structurally, the engine is a vertical axis on which an electret disk is mounted. A primitive electret can be filled with a mixture of paraffin and wood resin in a round container, and high voltage applied to the mixture. The resulting electret will retain its tension for a long time. You can read more about electrets on the Internet. An electret disc is mounted on the axle. Two metal plates are attached to both surfaces of the disc. Voltage is applied to the plates through the brushes from the antenna to one plate and from the ground to the other, respectively. Pay attention to the polarity of the disc electret and correctly distribute the polarity. More details about this are written in the chapter "Electret Motors" of the book by O. Efimenko "Electrostatic motors". When using additional energy storage devices such as a flywheel, battery or supercapacitor, it is possible to assemble a converter of atmospheric electricity into a mechanical movement of the rotor.
Fig 6. Engine Efimenko O. And the principle of its connection.
If you do not use the converter for mechanical work, but directly convert it into voltage with the required characteristics, then you should be guided by patent No. RU 2 245 606 by PA Kucher. and Kolomiets V. I. The patent describes in sufficient detail the construction of an electrode for receiving atmospheric electricity. Also, we should not forget the patents of Tesla and Plausson.
Fig 7. Schematic diagram of a utilizer of atmospheric electricity.
Summing up, I would like to say that at this stage in the development of science and technology, generating electricity, even on a small scale, is more than a real thing. Local energy receivers. Installed outside the city can become a real alternative to stand-alone generators. And the experiments carried out have shown their high efficiency in terms of lighting and powering mobile devices. Using modern element base, for example, LEDs for lighting, the use of Joulie Thief converters for energy conversion and modern antennas - you can achieve high efficiency rates for this kind of energy sources.
Sergey O.