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Danger said:Just how big is that thing supposed to be? Unless those windings are about 6" diameter cable, I think it would melt. Even then, the core might.
Looks like you could make one heck of a nature-powered rail gun like that. Maybe PF could hold a forum competition for the world record longest shot by a naturally-powered rail gun...Intuitive said:What kind of Magnetic flux do you think we could harness with a scheme like this Lightning Powered Electromagnet.
Danger said:The fluid-filled tubing sounds like a pretty good idea, if it doesn't explode from steam pressure. I'm curious about how you'd insulate the windings themselves, though. You'd need some pretty heavy jacketing around the coils, or cables, or whatever to avoid just arcing across the thing.
I remember a Nova episode or other science channel show that showed an outdoor laboratory that did a lot of experimenting with lightning. They were located in some area with lots of thunderstorm activity, and they used small rockets to seed paths for the lightning to strike down to their sensors on the ground. Maybe I'll see if I can find a link to them...Danger said:Replace the lightning rod with a golfer.
Actually, I wonder whether or not a balloon could carry a heavy enough input cable into a cloud. That should increase the odds of a hit.
One year ago, Clancy and Brown began conducting safety measurements at Livermore's Site 300 near Tracy, Calif., on buildings that store high explosives to assure that the explosives, buildings and personnel would be safe in a lightning storm.
"In every facility that houses high explosives we were doing the number crunching to figure out what would happen if it got struck by lightning," Clancy said.
zoobyshoe said:Here is a link to an article about one of the most powerful electromagnets, if not the most powerful, yet devised, which I snagged from a thread started by Astronuc a couple weeks ago.
http://www.magnet.fsu.edu/focus/operation.html
The magnet is powered by one single megajoule, and that can only be pulsed for a very brief amount of time from a capacitor bank. They have to set off explosives all around the magnet to contain it when it's pulsed in order to create the brief magnetic field. If not, the thing will simply rip itself apart from the magnetic forces.
Now your attachment is talking about trying to put FIVE HUNDRED megajoule bolt of lightning through a coil.
I know. The whole thing is mindblowing. Cooling the coils is not the problem at all, it's the fact that, after a point, no coil materials can withstand the magnetic field.Danger said:Wow, Zoob... that's amazing. I'm glad that you reposted that, because I never saw it the first time around.
Averagesupernova said:I think it you'd have less flux built up than first assumed. A lightning strike contains a large amount of high frequencies. So much that it doesn't even like to turn corners. It would most likely arc from one turn to the next to the next to the next and etc. in the coil. Once the air is broken down, it is easy for the DC component to travel through the arc as well.
I'm not sure what high frequency has to do with turning corners. Wouldn't that be tied more closely to the voltage? The higher the voltage the greater it's ability to break down insulation?Averagesupernova said:A lightning strike contains a large amount of high frequencies. So much that it doesn't even like to turn corners.
Averagesupernova said:^^^^^^^^^^Yeah sure, you go ahead and bend the laws of physics.
zoobyshoe said:I'm not sure what high frequency has to do with turning corners. Wouldn't that be tied more closely to the voltage? The higher the voltage the greater it's ability to break down insulation?
Intuitive said:Adding a good amount of insulation grade ceramic to fully encase a two turn coil would suffice, Whether using an Iron core, Solid or Hollow would make for some good induction, there are a variety of Coil forms at our disposal for testing, We would probably need some distance between us and our coil before the Iron core rail guns out of the Coil.
Testing devices set on the coil equipment can give us information and results. The devices would need to be encased in Black boxes to survive the intense energy. Make sure the black boxes have beacons on them.
I know pancake coils are used to launch Aluminum rings pretty high in the sky, I wonder if a 500 megajoule pancake coil could launch a ring into space.
Space Needle anyone!
We need a grant!
Averagesupernova said:You mention good induction. This implies a high impedance to AC. I have already posted what happens. I don't think that the voltage in a lightning strike will be confined in ANY material that we wrap around the turns considering it arcs many miles through air.
I still don't understand why you are attributing shorting between turns to frequency rather than voltage breaking the insulation down. Tesla coils have pretty tight turns and yet handle the frequencies generated by a current jumping a spark gap: herz in the millions I understand.Averagesupernova said:The inductance of a corner is enough to make the current arc away from the conductor and find an easier path to ground. Hard to believe, I know, but arcing between turns of an inductor (yes, single turns) is not at all unheard of.
OK, I see what you're saying now: without the resistance created by the high frequency the current has no reason to jump to another coil.Averagesupernova said:Zooby, naturally the insulation has to break down in order for there to be arcing between turns. But the inductance of the coil will prevent any high frequency currents from discharging THROUGH the turns of the coil. An easier path is to arc around it, or from one turn to the next to the next to the next and so on. I realize tesla coils generate high frequencies. Usually nothing above several Mhz. Lightning will generate frequencies much higher than this.
A lightning powered electromagnet works by utilizing the powerful energy of a lightning bolt to create a strong magnetic field. When lightning strikes, it releases a large amount of electrical energy which is harnessed by the electromagnet. This energy is then used to power the electromagnet, causing it to generate a strong magnetic field.
Lightning powered electromagnets have a variety of applications, including in medical devices, particle accelerators, and industrial machinery. They are also commonly used in research and scientific experiments, such as in the study of plasma and magnetic fields.
Like any powerful electrical device, lightning powered electromagnets can be dangerous if not used properly. It is important to follow safety protocols and handle them with caution. Additionally, the intense magnetic fields they generate can interfere with electronic devices and may pose a risk to individuals with pacemakers or other medical implants.
The strength of a lightning powered electromagnet depends on a variety of factors, including the amount of energy from the lightning bolt and the design of the electromagnet. In general, they can generate very strong magnetic fields, with some reaching strengths of over 1,000 Tesla.
While lightning powered electromagnets themselves do not produce any emissions or waste, the process of harnessing lightning energy can have potential environmental impacts. For example, large-scale use of lightning powered electromagnets could potentially disrupt natural lightning patterns and could also require the use of materials that are harmful to the environment. It is important to carefully consider and mitigate these potential impacts when using lightning powered electromagnets.