5 billion joules in a flash..

By Lemuel Irabor

Let's explore the possibility of utilizing the gargantuan amount of electric power in lightning as a source of cheap renewable energy.






Being known to appear before a thunderclap (thus earning the moniker,’thunderbolt’);lightning has evolved from being known as a mystical wonder to being discovered to be a simple naturally-occurring electrical phenomenon.
Due to the great difference between the relative speeds of sound and light in air, the thunderclap is usually heard about 7 seconds after the flash of lightning with the flash itself normally lasting microseconds.The flash appears as a ‘long crack’ in clear skies and, in cloudy atmosphere, is not readily seen from the earth although the associated illumination is still noticed.
Lightning flashes usually appear white.Depending on local atmospheric conditions; flashes of colours such as yellow and blue-violet have also been reported.
An average of 100 occurrences of lightning are recorded worldwide, every second.

Myth or Science? Who explains it better?

Nordic mythology credits lightning as being the flash and thunder, the sound as Thor strikes his famed hammer, Mjölnir.Some more recent hedonistic factions believe it to be God using His camera to take a shot of the world to know what’s going on― this same faction believe rain to be the tears and urine of angels.African traditional worshippers in the Yoruba states of Nigeria believe lightning to be a striking tool for judgement, whose power was wielded by Sango,one of the regions lesser gods.
    However, scientists explain lightning as a natural, short-lived, high-current electrical discharge in the atmosphere.The length of the path of lightning could be up to several kilometers.

‘Energy, so much energy..’

 The whole process that produces lightning releases a massive amount of energy into the atmosphere, mainly heat and light energy.The Sun’s surface temperature is 5,778K (9,940.73°F) and since lightning is up to six times hotter, it can reach an incredible 30,000K (53,540°F).

But people have been reported to have experienced lightning strikes, why didn’t they vapourise?

           One theory postulates that as the bolt of lightning travels to the earth, energy is being lost at such a rapid rate that by the time it gets to the earth’s surface, it has lost up to 70% of its initial value as heat.This reduced temperature is still enough to set buildings and trees alight, cause power surges and even kill a man.
   People who have been struck by lightning often have severe 3rd degree burns because the air surrounding them has been heated up by the bolt of lightning around the point of contact.Fortunately, lightning strikes have a short duration so little heat is transferred before the bolt dies out. And since the human body is a better conductor of electricity than air, it offers little resistance to the bolt as it gets into the body (heat is proportional to resistance).This makes the body actually cooler than the heated air.
Lightning, most times does not ordinarily strike people.But a series of factors, mainly wearing or adorning oneself with super-conducting materials, increase the chances of an occurrence.
     What actually makes lightning strikes dangerous is the extensive damage done to nerves by electricity.

All this massive energy right above us, how do we tap it?

 Research has gone into finding a possible way to harvest lightning energy.According to discoveries; a single bolt of lightning carries a whooping five billion joules of energy―about the same as the energy contained in 145 litres of petrol!
Problems arise due to the fact that this energy is concentrated in a small location and lasts for a short period of time (microseconds).

Power is the rate of energy flow.Hence, a five billion joule energy source passed in one microsecond would yield an astounding 500 trillion watts of electrical power.Practically, an average of 10 billion watts would be obtained due to energy losses due to heat, light and sound; and the variance of current and voltage in lightning bolts.
To create a system that would harvest this energy, consideration has to be given to the rapidness to capture the short-lived power surge while remaining itself relatively unchanged and undamaged. It would also involve an adequate storage facility for the enormous input and be efficient despite the sporadic nature of lightning.
Conversion technology to step-down the high voltage to a lower voltage is also necessary.

By its nature, lightning is a sudden violent release of energy and would most likely destroy any device designed to trap or capture it.
  Dan Robinson, renowned storm chaser/photographer says that attempting to harvest lightning energy could be compared to “building a water turbine generator fom a dam that was about to burst.Even if the turbine survived the violent rush of water,only a few seconds of usable electricity would be obtained.”

…but there is hope.

    Despite all the current setbacks, with advancement in modern technology and research there is hope that soon, a suitable method could be developed for containing lightning energy.Point-of-use surge protection devices (SPDs) are normally used in homes to protect appliances from frequent power surges.These SPDs, combined with a good grounding system, divert and direct surges to the ground.
    With a little modification, these devices could act as a channel to detour lightning energy into grids well-modified to efficiently store the energy.
Also, using data collected from previous research, scientists are reporting increasing accuracy in predicting and preparing for major storms, which promise a myriad of that energy-rich lightning.
Controlled lightning strikes and artificial lightning techniques have also been developed, so we won’t have to worry about getting lightning during the dry season.
        So next time you see that lightning flash, think of all the cheap energy it could avail us someday.