Expand balloon with static electricity

[smiddleton26]

TL;DR

Hey guys, I’m trying a weird project. I could use some help confirming the theory before I start.

I want to see if I can expand an inflated balloon using static electricity.

The idea is to wrap a balloon in several layers of material, similar to that used in electrostatic adhesion wall climbing robots, and run power through the layers. The electrostatic charge on the layers outside the balloon will build up and the air inside the balloon will begin to become polarized and begin to cause the balloon to expand.

Any thoughts about this theory would be great! Thanks for the feedback!
Steve

 

[PeroK]

 

[berkeman]

Welcome to PF.

I want to see if I can expand an inflated balloon using static electricity.

similar to that used in electrostatic adhesion wall climbing robots

Can you post a link to that? I'm not familar with it. Thanks.

One problem with using electrostatic forces to expand a balloon is that the electrostatic force falls off quickly with distance. So to get the best effect, it would be better to use two parallel planes of material separated by a small distance. Can you alter your setup somehow to make that optimization?

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/elefor.html

 

[Tom.G]

Summary: Hey guys, I’m trying a weird project. I could use some help confirming the theory before I start.

I want to see if I can expand an inflated balloon using static electricity.

The idea is to wrap a balloon in several layers of material, similar to that used in electrostatic adhesion wall climbing robots, and run power through the layers. The electrostatic charge on the layers outside the balloon will build up and the air inside the balloon will begin to become polarized and begin to cause the balloon to expand.

Any thoughts about this theory would be great! Thanks for the feedback!
Steve

Sorry, won't work. The charge inside a conducting enclosure is uniform, being uniform there can be no potential difference inside the enclosure.

reference: Gauss's Law; Faraday Shield (Gauss's Law being the main one)

https://www.google.com/search?&q=field+strength+inside+charged+sphere
(at least some of the Utube videos are garbage, stick to the mathematical ones if you are up to it)

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Rive]

I want to see if I can expand an inflated balloon using static electricity.
...
The electrostatic charge on the layers outside the balloon will build up and the air inside the balloon will begin to become polarized and begin to cause the balloon to expand.

Those crossed over parts turns that sentence to technobabble.
The charge itself has some effect on the balloon, but the forces involved (=> volume change of the balloon) are just minuscule at any practical voltage level.