Earth as a armature in a selonoid 3

[carlip]

I was just wondering if anyone would be able to confirm or not this idea.
If earth was wrapped in a large copper coil, would the rotation of earth produce an endless supply of electromagnetic energy? Of course you'd have to ignore the immense engineering problems and costs, i'm wondering purely theoretically. I got the idea after i got one of those flashlights that you have to shake to power. So my idea is just on a larger scale.

 

[alehman]

I suppose so as long as the magnetic poles do not coincide with the rotational axis. How are going to hold the coil "stationary" relative to the rotating earth?

 

[carlip]

I suppose you'd have to build large towers, something like 30,000 ft tall at each pole and construct a ring connecting them... of course impossible but it would be awesome.

 

[roydm]

Yea, but the earth might stop rotating, then where would we be?
Roy

 

[waross]

Although the term "Cutting Lines of Force" has been used for generations, what is actually happening, (and what you must consider when evaluating unique magnetic coil arrangements) is the conductor must move to either a stronger magnetic field or a weaker magnetic field. It is hard to visualize the position of a coil that will be in such a position that the magnetic field strength will be continually changing.

Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter

 

[PHovnanian]

It would probably be easier to attach a large generator to Michael Faraday and harness the energy of him spinning in his grave.

 

[Skogsgurra]

A star for PH! Best comment for quite a while. Bill has a very valid point, too. Earth's rotation is not perpendicular to the magnetic field.

Gunnar Englund

http://www.gke.org

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100 % recycled posting: Electrons, ideas, finger-tips have been used over and over again...

 

[alehman]

I think the coil will have to be in space. Then as the earth rotates the wobble of the magnetic pole locations will cause oscillating flux in the coil. Might be a few engineering challenges...

 

[WhyDoYouAsk]

I've already done that, but in an alternate universe.

 

[alehman]

A universe where things in space stay where you put them despite forces applied and without anything to hold them there, and where you can magically transmit the power to a rotating planet below?

 

[WhyDoYouAsk]

A universe where things in space stay where you put them despite forces applied and without anything to hold them there, and where you can magically transmit the power to a rotating planet below?

Of course! I wouldn't settle for less. . .

 

[pwrengrds]

This is actually a problem in some areas. I ran into it in Northern BC, Canada at the end of a 200 mile 240kV line. It turns out that on long lines running N-S during high sun spot activity DC is induced into the line when the magnetic field of the earth shifts. If both side are grounded this produces current which can saturate the transformer. We had to ground the transformer through a capacitor bank to isolate it.

David

 

[cranky108]

If you consiter that the coil would have to rotate 90 degrees from pole to pole, and the frequency output would be at the rotational speed of the orbit. This would be simular to the effects on the long lines of the north and south regons, which is about a 0.5 Hertz AC signal, which would be very hard to capture and use because of the capacity to load factor of the battery.

If you were in space it would be easer to just string a mile long wire to capture electrons from space.

 

[Skogsgurra]

More like 12 microhertz. Not even useful as a DC, since it will change polarity. And not of much use as an AC voltage either.

Gunnar Englund

http://www.gke.org

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100 % recycled posting: Electrons, ideas, finger-tips have been used over and over again...

 

[MagneticFlux]

Why leave make the coil stationary? All that is need is to pass a conductor through a magnetic field at a preferred right degree angle. Both can be moving so long as there is a offset in speed and/or direction.

Not sure what publication it was in (Scientific American I think, i will do some digging), but NASA conducted an experiment where they "dangled" a long copper conductor from the shuttle while in orbit. It produce voltages that exceeded the limits of the test platform (400+ volts if memory serves me) that ultimately shorted out putting an end to the experiment. I believe the idea was to test the viability of using such a method to power satellites eliminating the need for solar panels.

I know this is not exactly what you where are describing, but it is in principle...

 

[BJC]

I remember a home work problem that required calculatiing the voltage induced wingtip to wingtip of a plane flying east to west.

 

[MagneticFlux]

PH,

That was the most I have laughed in at least a month... All i can offer in return is a star...

Thanks