Energy is all around us.
Wind, solar, hydro, tidal, geothermal – all of these alt-power sources are so promising because they are able to harness the energy created by the very forces of nature, rather than by consuming finite resources.
Now, perhaps we can add a new option to this list. Brazilian researchers say they have developed a way to extract electricity from the atmosphere. That’s right, just pull power from the air.
Everyone knows the skies are full of electricity – ever see a wild lightning storm? Now that’s a lot of energy!
But until now, nobody really knew how this power was generated. The key, it turns out, is water.
The old thinking was that water droplets in the air were electrically neutral, but scientists at Brazil’s University of Campinas have proven otherwise. In fact, water picks up charges from dust particles in the air, and the more humidity in the air, the more electricity is being stored. Makes sense, since lighting is usually accompanied by heavy rain.
Fernando Galembeck, lead researcher on the project, found “clear evidence that water in the atmosphere can accumulate electrical charges and transfer them to other materials it comes into contact with.
Galembeck calls this effect “hygroelectricity,” or “humidity electricity.”
Though this is still just a lab project, Galembeck says it could be possible to commercialize the concept and create hygroelectricity collectors that would draw electricity from the air that could be routed to homes or businesses. These would be most effective in regions with high-humidity, including many developing countries.
One extra benefit: siphoning off power from the air would electricity from accumulating in the air, and perhaps head off any damage caused by lighting strikes. Though we might miss watching those really dramatic lighting storms.
