ESD as source of electricity

Hi,

I am new to this group and would like to have your comments posted.

I have a great ( or probably crazy ) idea of using static electricity as source of energy. I am working on a semiconductor company and I am wondering if I can use the static discharges generated accross the floor as source of electricity for other facilites like offices, canteen, etc. It looks like I would be having a very difficult time collecting these static discharges. The goal actually is to lessen the use of enrgy from electric companies therefore also helping to reduce oil usage that will help the world interms of global warming.

I am ready to face your judgements. :). I know the idea sounds crazy but it is where our technology begis right? Every technology begun from crazy and impossible ideas, that I believe.

God bless!

Reply to
avataruser
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I suggest you start by calculating the amount of energy you can expect in a typical static discharge. While the voltage is high the capacitances are very low; there's enough energy there to blow out a semiconductor junction, but I don't think there's enough there to light a monitor for very long.

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Tim Wescott
Control systems and communications consulting
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Reply to
Tim Wescott

There's a very, very, very, small amount of energy in static electricity (unless you're talking about lightening from a thunderstorm).

No. You can't.

A worthy goal, but static electricty isn't going to help.

No, not really.

No, they don't.

That I don't believe.

--
Grant
Reply to
Grant Edwards

---snip---

Hi I would say that new technologies come more from correcting misunderstandings or complete ignorance of subjects. Once the subject is understood, the new technology becomes obvious. In a few cases, it is the technology that drives the understanding. We do understand balance of energy. We know of the sources of energy well enough to know that one can't light a light bulb from a wheel spinning with magnets that will run for ever with no additional input( perpetual motion machines ). There are new technologies involved with what is called casual energy sources. These would be used for various sensors. As an example, a people counter could be powered by the foot steps on a piezo floor mat. There are small chips that run on so little power that it is practical to do this kind of application. These types of applications still have to deal with energy balances. You can't get out more than you put in. In the case of using static electricity, the problem might be more of not having a consistant source. With high humidity, there might not be enough charge generated to do anything with. The problem with most of these casual energy sources is that the amount of energy saved is so small as to not have significant net effect. The reasons for using casual energy sources is more related to location or portability( stealth for military applications). We really need to attack the bigger energy users and more significant energy source. Dwight

Reply to
dkelvey

Hi,

Thanks for all your posts. I am grateful hearing from you and it is an honor for me that you took some of your time posting.

This was the only time I actually read your posts. And to tell you, I currently stopped the project because I could not really have a significant amount of energy measured across the entire floor. It would have been a "Lazarus project" (When Jesus brought Lazarus back to life) 'cause it would mean taking back a "dead" energy back to life which is way too big for me to think over for now.

I still believe that new technologies begun with crazy ideas. When Peter actually wrote that steel (irons) will fly 2000 years ago, people by that time thought that the idea was crazy. But then, time has proven them wrong. Steel now do flies. Viola! we have an airplane.

Now that there were no new emerging technologies that consumers can work on, semiconductor industry is on the brink of facing a bad (or worst)situation. And now we are in a time that is almost the same as the time of the Great depression, I believe someone would think of the impossible ( crazy for some), where a new technology might and could be born.

Reply to
avataruser

A lot of good ideas sounded crazy when first suggested. But the converse is not true! The huge majority of crazy ideas are just that -

*crazy*.
Reply to
David Brown

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