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Static electricity is high voltage (HV) at low current. That unexpected ZAP! occurring when you walk across a carpet and touch a metal object demonstrates HV conduction by ionized air particles. Ion wind turbines use electrostatic forces acting between these particles to produce mechanical movement.
I decided to go green by making this desk-top project from mostly dollar-store hardware; re-purposed plastic, cardboard and aluminum disposables from my kitchen recycling bin as well as some curbside junk from the neighbors. The turbine uses foil electrodes that encircle a plastic, tubular rotor. Each electrode has a sharp edge that sprays a wind of positive or negative ions on the rotor's surface. When these electrodes are arranged so they alternate in polarity around the rotor, each electrode repels a rotor segment carrying the same charge and simultaneously attracts that rotor segment carrying charges deposited by the preceding electrode.
Many sources of static electricity--from old CRT screens that "crackle and pop" when powered up, to room air ionizers--will spin a reasonably well constructed turbine. You can view an enhanced version of my project in operation here:
I decided to go green by making this desk-top project from mostly dollar-store hardware; re-purposed plastic, cardboard and aluminum disposables from my kitchen recycling bin as well as some curbside junk from the neighbors. The turbine uses foil electrodes that encircle a plastic, tubular rotor. Each electrode has a sharp edge that sprays a wind of positive or negative ions on the rotor's surface. When these electrodes are arranged so they alternate in polarity around the rotor, each electrode repels a rotor segment carrying the same charge and simultaneously attracts that rotor segment carrying charges deposited by the preceding electrode.
Many sources of static electricity--from old CRT screens that "crackle and pop" when powered up, to room air ionizers--will spin a reasonably well constructed turbine. You can view an enhanced version of my project in operation here:
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Check out the Oxford Bell
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_Electric_Bell
Also check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_electricity
Just like a hydro electric dam taps into the energy produced by the condensation cycle and gravity we can tap into the electric field potential and drive a capacitor motor or a Tank Circuit coupled to a motor which drives a gen set, or think piezoelectric transformer.
The biggest challenge to make it practical is new materials. Air is a great conductor at high voltages.
A neat idea would to build off the ideas using modern materials and thinking.
For example: Harvest the potential and use it to oscillate a piezoelectric stack inside a tubed ring with a pressurized gas such as helium, and then embed heat pipes in a porous stack which has pyroelectric sensors or you could go the magnetostrictive route and use terfenol D. This would work much like the accoustic refrigeration. The vibration would cause changes in temperature and if you also had small slat plate heat exchangers connected to the thermal stacks which have the pyroelectric sensors embeded in them. Then you could have a small package which harvested both the electric field and thermal variations simultaneously. You want it in a ring so the resonance synchronizes all the thermal stacks with the pyroelectric sensors.
Try it out and you will be surprised.
Like any type of Stirling engine the higher the pressure the more mechanical energy per stroke, the temp difference sets how many strokes in a given time.
So whereas with piezoelectric we want to be in the ultrasound region for best power harvesting, with terfenol D you will want higher pressure and a bit lower frequency. If you had a constant source of temperature say the ground at 60 feet then you could couple a heat pipe to the ground and insulate it to an insulated container with a thermal fluid and attache a heat pipe from there to your ring. Then use a refrigerant like ethane and have it at rest at the pressure and temp where one K condense or vaporizes it. This would set you up for the greatest changes in pressure and frequency and rate changes in temperature.
Pyroelectric like piezo electric want high rates of change. Where as the Seebeck effect wants a large temp differential. With conventional stirling engines we want the highest pressure which yields the greatest mechanical force per stroke and aids in the speed of thermal transport through the gas, and the greatest temp differential so we can have a high number of strokes in a given time period.
http://www.rexresearch.com/jefimenko/jefimenko.htm
Jefimenko achieved 1/4 hp it would be interesting to see what you or others achieve using modern materials and different approaches to harvesting the same field.
As Feynman used to say, attack the problem from a different angle!
Thanks for the Electrostatic Turbine info, I am from the Pacific Islands and am building one following your instructions. Could you give me some instructions on your power supply to drive the motor?
Consider what it has already done
such as
inspired thought and communitation
questions w/wo answers
entertainment yes and even dissapointment
Bill K
The consequence of commercial science is that it has become political.
It has become too easy for some to dismiss new ideas, rather than to examine them from a scientific and experimental standpoint.
Nano materials today would make Dr. Jefimenko's motors that much better.
I think any one who builds upon his work using materials science has an exciting future ahead of them.
He demonstrated .24 HP electrostatic motor, from the air and the ground.
Think of the potential using todays material science?
One should be able to do even more.
Dr. Jefimenko's work will live on with all those whom he inspired, and his generosity which touched so many.
http://faz-voce-mesmo.blogspot.com/2011/07/turbina-estatiica-e-minerio-pronto.html
It's a good deal of work, to take an image and turn it into something that works..
Alternative power sources can be used. The rotor will move (slightly) from static electricity produced by walking across a carpet and touching one of the input terminals when the other terminal is grounded. Van de Graaffs, Wimshursts, etc. would be much better power sources.
http://f3wm.free.fr/sciences/jefimenko.html
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleg_D._Jefimenko).
Thanks for the stars :)
Is this process reversible? In other words, can a 'bine generate static electricity from the wind? I tried spinning the blade by hand as fast as possible (to imitate a strong breeze) when the 'bine's inputs were connected to a sensitive ammeter nothing happened... There are better ways to generate HV static anyway.
I am curious if one or more of these electrostatic air filters could be modified to produce a power input to your turbine when exposed to the wind. One could, for example, replace the panels in the back fence with a grid of the appropriate materials and use the accumulated power to run a bug zapper.
people... take it easy !!!
HAHAHAHa, take this:
after i red ur commentz, i well sheck mi sbelling nd make shore (( IT IS THE )) write sbelling.
:P
just kidding
I would like to see you'res in action, a video would be nice :)