Will it ever be possible to use lightning as an energy source?
Answer:
Well, there is one key way we'll ever be able to harness electricity, and that is having the ability to store the charge. That is the looming problem for solar power for the future and once we are able to efficiently be able to store energy (and cost effective too) we'll be able to see more of a strive in the sector. So if the ability to create these cells happen, perhaps? But then you have to get to the fact that you have this large amount of energy being dumped extremely fast and up to temperatures of 50,000 degrees F.
Oh, and don't forget the randomness of storms and lightning not striking regularly and at the same location.
So in my opinion as an Engineer, I say that perhaps someday we might be able to harvest it, but not to the degree you might have in your mind. I'd say that if anything it might be for research if even then. Lightning will not solve our looming energy crisis, but it's a great thought. Who knows, maybe we might be able to get some juice out of it in the near future. Think about how awesome it would be to fill your electric car up with lightning!
We do use the EMF from them right?
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guess it may be possible if we cud have some air born station to catch the lightning before it strikes the ground, but the major problem is that one never knows when / where the lightning will strike and also how to store this immense energy and how to channelize it to a particular point and moreover it is seasonal. May be if we can reap the solar energy and actually use it in a widespread manner it will be more of a viable source of energy.
It has been estimated that one bolt of lightning if it could be stored would keep a city the size of New York going for a year. Amagine the size of a capacitor capable of storing that much energy.
It would be hard to regulate and what do we do with the intermittent flashes...and when there is no thunderstorm...?
Theoretically possible. Their are "lightning strike study stations" (for lack of a better term) set up on mountain ranges because the strikes are consistant. It is the distribution and storage of the energy that is expensive. Lightning is just too concentrated to collect economically. But a grid of lightweight wires strung between mountains to collect the static electricity before the lightning occurs is conceivable, just not economically viable.
I remember seeing a documentary on this years ago but I forget the name of the program. Probably something like Popular Science or the Nature of Things.
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