Comments on: Could you Power a City with a Single Bolt of Lightning? http://sashaonthestreet.com/2009/08/13/could-you-power-a-city-with-a-single-bolt-of-lightning/ A civil engineer's perspective on transportation and sustainable infrastructure Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:27:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: avaissaps http://sashaonthestreet.com/2009/08/13/could-you-power-a-city-with-a-single-bolt-of-lightning/comment-page-1/#comment-133 avaissaps Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:38:37 +0000 http://www.sashaonthestreet.com/?p=1488#comment-133 Great blogpost, did not thought reading this would be so stunning when I klicked at the link. Great blogpost, did not thought reading this would be so stunning when I klicked at the link.

]]> By: Ian http://sashaonthestreet.com/2009/08/13/could-you-power-a-city-with-a-single-bolt-of-lightning/comment-page-1/#comment-132 Ian Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:58:31 +0000 http://www.sashaonthestreet.com/?p=1488#comment-132 "But the battery/storage system could be significantly smaller if the energy was fed into the grid within minutes/hours of it hitting the tower as opposed to having to be stored long term." Specifically where would the energy be put for these minutes/hours before being fed into the grid if not some kind of storage system? This isn't addressing the fundamental problem previously stated. Whether you store the energy for two minutes, two days or two weeks before using it is relatively minor to that initial capturing & storage problem. “But the battery/storage system could be significantly smaller if the energy was fed into the grid within minutes/hours of it hitting the tower as opposed to having to be stored long term.”

Specifically where would the energy be put for these minutes/hours before being fed into the grid if not some kind of storage system?

This isn’t addressing the fundamental problem previously stated. Whether you store the energy for two minutes, two days or two weeks before using it is relatively minor to that initial capturing & storage problem.

]]> By: Sasha http://sashaonthestreet.com/2009/08/13/could-you-power-a-city-with-a-single-bolt-of-lightning/comment-page-1/#comment-131 Sasha Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:05:56 +0000 http://www.sashaonthestreet.com/?p=1488#comment-131 you're right you would need a 'system' to capture and store the energy. I know there is research being done on this in Florida, since they also get many, many electrical storms too. But the battery/storage system could be significantly smaller if the energy was fed into the grid within minutes/hours of it hitting the tower as opposed to having to be stored long term. you’re right you would need a ‘system’ to capture and store the energy. I know there is research being done on this in Florida, since they also get many, many electrical storms too.
But the battery/storage system could be significantly smaller if the energy was fed into the grid within minutes/hours of it hitting the tower as opposed to having to be stored long term.

]]> By: Ian http://sashaonthestreet.com/2009/08/13/could-you-power-a-city-with-a-single-bolt-of-lightning/comment-page-1/#comment-130 Ian Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:56:18 +0000 http://www.sashaonthestreet.com/?p=1488#comment-130 What do you mean by 'energy trade with adjacent buildings'? The fundamental problem is you have the near-instantaneous delivery of a substantial amount of energy that you need to be able to capture and store. I don't know if that technology or capability yet exists. What do you mean by ‘energy trade with adjacent buildings’?

The fundamental problem is you have the near-instantaneous delivery of a substantial amount of energy that you need to be able to capture and store. I don’t know if that technology or capability yet exists.

]]> By: Sasha http://sashaonthestreet.com/2009/08/13/could-you-power-a-city-with-a-single-bolt-of-lightning/comment-page-1/#comment-129 Sasha Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:22:34 +0000 http://www.sashaonthestreet.com/?p=1488#comment-129 it would require extensive battery systems plus very sophisticated surge protection. What if instead there was an energy trade with adjacent buildings? This would eliminate the necessary batteries and the other buildings could deliver power over a period of time. it would require extensive battery systems plus very sophisticated surge protection.
What if instead there was an energy trade with adjacent buildings? This would eliminate the necessary batteries and the other buildings could deliver power over a period of time.

]]> By: Ian http://sashaonthestreet.com/2009/08/13/could-you-power-a-city-with-a-single-bolt-of-lightning/comment-page-1/#comment-128 Ian Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:52:56 +0000 http://www.sashaonthestreet.com/?p=1488#comment-128 How would you suggest the energy the bolt delivers in a fraction of a second be stored for gradual dissemination over the succeeding days/weeks/months? Wouldn't that entail extensive battery systems with the ability to completely charge near-instantaneously? How would you suggest the energy the bolt delivers in a fraction of a second be stored for gradual dissemination over the succeeding days/weeks/months?

Wouldn’t that entail extensive battery systems with the ability to completely charge near-instantaneously?

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