Space Elevator to Solve World's Energy Shortage

[WarrenPlatts]

If carbon nanotubes are great conductors, and if a wire moved through a magnetic field generates electricity, then a space elevator constructed out of carbon nanotubes should be able to generate a lot of electricity.

Maybe too much. I think the carbon nanotubes would melt. Indeed, if there is a "showstopper" for the space elevator concept, this is probably it.:grumpy:

 

[scott1]

Carbon nanotubes are 6x times stronger then Iron I don't think they'll melt too easily anyway we should be able to control the amount of eletricty that goes though them.

 

[Pengwuino]

... the Earth doesn't exactly have a large magnetic flux density...

 

[WarrenPlatts]

... the Earth doesn't exactly have a large magnetic flux density...

Well, I'm thinking of the NASA tether experiment where they extended a tether from a space shuttle and it burned up because the current was too much. If a tether a few hundred yards can't handle all those amps out there, how can we expect a 50,000 mile tether to handle it?

 

[Pengwuino]

What are you talking about?

 

[GENIERE]

http://www-istp.gsfc.nasa.gov/Education/wtether.html

 

[Pengwuino]

Well I guess I am once against amazed at the power of this planet.

 

[DuncanM]

They may have already considered that; I know they have considered how to deal with lightning strikes.
In case you haven't checked out these sites already (relevant to the space elevator), you might find them interesting:
http://www.spaceelevator.com/
http://liftport.com/
Regards,
DuncanM
http://www.rocketscientists.ca/