Electricity collected from the air could become the newest alternative energy source

Imagine devices that capture electricity from the air ― much
like solar cells capture sunlight ― and using them to light a house or
recharge an electric car. Imagine using similar panels on the rooftops of buildings to prevent lightning before it forms. Strange as it may
sound, scientists already are in the early stages of developing such
devices, according to a report presented today at the 240th National
Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

"Our research could pave the way for turning electricity from the
atmosphere into an alternative energy source for the future," said study
leader Fernando Galembeck, Ph.D. His research may help explain a
200-year-old scientific riddle about how electricity is produced and
discharged in the atmosphere. "Just as solar energy could free some
households from paying electric bills, this promising new energy source
could have a similar effect," he maintained.
"If we know how electricity builds up and spreads in the atmosphere,
we can also prevent death and damage caused by lightning strikes,"
Galembeck said, noting that lightning causes thousands of deaths and
injuries worldwide and millions of dollars in property damage.
The notion of harnessing the power of electricity formed naturally
has tantalized scientists for centuries. They noticed that sparks of
static electricity formed as steam escaped from boilers. Workers who
touched the steam even got painful electrical shocks. Famed inventor
Nikola Tesla, for example, was among those who dreamed of capturing and
using electricity from the air. It's the electricity formed, for
instance, when water vapor collects on microscopic particles of dust and
other material in the air. But until now, scientists lacked adequate
knowledge about the processes involved in formation and release of
electricity from water in the atmosphere, Galembeck said. He is with the
University of Campinas in Campinas, SP, Brazil.
Scientists once believed that water droplets in the atmosphere were
electrically neutral, and remained so even after coming into contact
with the electrical charges on dust particles and droplets of other
liquids. But new evidence suggested that water in the atmosphere really
does pick up an electrical charge.

Galembeck and colleagues confirmed that idea, using laboratory
experiments that simulated water's contact with dust particles in the
air. They used tiny particles of silica and aluminum phosphate, both
common airborne substances, showing that silica became more negatively
charged in the presence of high humidity and aluminum phosphate became
more positively charged. High humidity means high levels of water vapor
in the air ― the vapor that condenses and becomes visible as "fog" on
windows of air-conditioned cars and buildings on steamy summer days.
"This was clear evidence that water in the atmosphere can accumulate
electrical charges and transfer them to other materials it comes into
contact with," Galembeck explained. "We are calling this
'hygroelectricity,' meaning 'humidity electricity'."
In the future, he added, it may be possible to develop collectors,
similar to the solar cells that collect the sunlight to produce
electricity, to capture hygroelectricity and route it to homes and
businesses. Just as solar cells work best in sunny areas of the world,
hygroelectrical panels would work more efficiently in areas with high
humidity, such as the northeastern and southeastern United States and
the humid tropics.

Galembeck said that a similar approach might help prevent lightning
from forming and striking. He envisioned placing hygroelectrical panels
on top of buildings in regions that experience frequent thunderstorms.
The panels would drain electricity out of the air, and prevent the
building of electrical charge that is released in lightning. His
research group already is testing metals to identify those with the
greatest potential for use in capturing atmospheric electricity and preventing lightning strikes.
"These are fascinating ideas that new studies by ourselves and by
other scientific teams suggest are now possible," Galembeck said. "We
certainly have a long way to go. But the benefits in the long range of
harnessing hygroelectricity could be substantial."

http://www.physorg.com/news201958072.html