News World's first drone system for fighting lightning protects cities and infrastructure

[Admin]

Japan's NTT boasts that it has designed the world’s first lightning triggering and guidance system that leverages flying drones.

World's first drone system for fighting lightning protects cities and infrastructure : Read more

 

[mlindefar]

How about a helium balloon, and a copper wire?

Why overcomplicate matters. This sounds like a waste of money

 

[chaz_music]

I thought someone did this many years ago with a dirigible. And there has been a group in Florida researching diverting lightning for years, starting with launching rockets with a wire attached going into clouds. The Faraday cage idea is a good one, though.

There isn't as much energy that you can store as most people think. A single one MJ blast would only run the typical house for less than 10 minutes, considering 2KW average power usage. Given the cost of the energy storage system, is that cost effective? How many lightning strikes would you need to recoup the installation cost?

 

[JRStern]

I thought someone did this many years ago with a dirigible. And there has been a group in Florida researching diverting lightning for years, starting with launching rockets with a wire attached going into clouds. The Faraday cage idea is a good one, though.

There isn't as much energy that you can store as most people think. A single one MJ blast would only run the typical house for less than 10 minutes, considering 2KW average power usage. Given the cost of the energy storage system, is that cost effective? How many lightning strikes would you need to recoup the installation cost?

I get this from Google:
A typical lightning strike releases between 200 and 7,000 megajoules (MJ) of energy. An average negative lightning bolt, for instance, might transfer about 450 MJ. Larger, positive lightning strikes can release even more, reaching 42 gigajoules (42,000 MJ).

I don't think they can story anything if it comes in as a standard strike, they must be thinking they can drain it under controlled circumstances ... somehow. After all the potential is there, on the ground, before the strike. That just might work and be super-clever.

The wire they drag into the sky must be super-thin and can't carry any real power, but if it attracts more potential, ... somehow ... it's a brave and crazy experiment, the Japanese tend to go for stuff like this.

 

[AngelusF]

Why not just a guy flying a kite? Seemed to work back in the day. ⚡

 

[Notton]

How about a helium balloon, and a copper wire?

Why overcomplicate matters. This sounds like a waste of money

because thunderstorms bring unpredictable turbulent wind, and rain will soak and add weight to the balloon, making it not as buoyant.

Not that I'm convinced a drone is suitable for such weather either.
IDK if the drone is intended to fly into the clouds, but there is potential rotor icing if so. Even if not flying into clouds, heavy rain, micro-bursts, and/or hail can still bring the drone down.

 

[wakuwaku]

How about a helium balloon, and a copper wire?

Why overcomplicate matters. This sounds like a waste of money

How about going to school and using your brains to waste less money?

Because helium is an even more waste of money?

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250331-why-helium-shortages-are-worrying-the-world

Helium is low in supply high in demand, making it expensive and supplied/acquired based on priority. I doubt these guys will get any helium at decent pricing, if they managed to get any at all.

Helium balloons cannot be controlled. These guys are aiming to cover a specific area asap. Can your helium balloon fly as near as possible to where you want it to be as fast as possible?

Drones can also be autonomous. With Japan's shrinking population, making AI do all these ---- is the only option they might have. Are you gonna volunteer yourself to go to Japan, sit in a store room, stare at the sky and operate all the balloons there?

If you are going to equip them balloons with motors and propellers and brains and batteries to power them, you are already making a drone....just don't waste money and time waiting for your turn to get your share of helium, if you will ever get it, and use a drone?

 

[TryRebooting]

I get this from Google:
A typical lightning strike releases between 200 and 7,000 megajoules (MJ) of energy. An average negative lightning bolt, for instance, might transfer about 450 MJ. Larger, positive lightning strikes can release even more, reaching 42 gigajoules (42,000 MJ).

I don't think they can story anything if it comes in as a standard strike, they must be thinking they can drain it under controlled circumstances ... somehow. After all the potential is there, on the ground, before the strike. That just might work and be super-clever.

The wire they drag into the sky must be super-thin and can't carry any real power, but if it attracts more potential, ... somehow ... it's a brave and crazy experiment, the Japanese tend to go for stuff like this.

The wire just needs to last long enough for plasma(which is very conductive) to form, and I believe a thin wire would work for that. You can make plasma in a microwave by slicing a grape almost in half just leaving a small part of the skin between the 2 halves.

 

[newtechldtech]

Why not just a guy flying a kite? Seemed to work back in the day. ⚡

You can call it a Robotic Kite if you wish .. or Kite drone

 

[Amdlova]

The wire just needs to last long enough for plasma(which is very conductive) to form, and I believe a thin wire would work for that. You can make plasma in a microwave by slicing a grape almost in half just leaving a small part of the skin between the 2 halves.

on you tube see some one using super mega high capacitor to make a perfect thunder rail gun lol

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lix-vr_AF38

 

[JRStern]

on you tube see some one using super mega high capacitor to make a perfect thunder rail gun lol

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lix-vr_AF38

Yes I saw that, but note it only has a range of thirty feet.

 

[Amdlova]

Yes I saw that, but note it only has a range of thirty feet.

It's not easy to make a thunder...
A small wire on a drone will make the plasma channel to the earth and the real thunder don't have to worry about voltage, amps or blow a huge cap on the face

 

[Giroro]

How about going to school and using your brains to waste less money?

Because helium is an even more waste of money?

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250331-why-helium-shortages-are-worrying-the-world

Helium is low in supply high in demand, making it expensive and supplied/acquired based on priority. I doubt these guys will get any helium at decent pricing, if they managed to get any at all.

Helium balloons cannot be controlled. These guys are aiming to cover a specific area asap. Can your helium balloon fly as near as possible to where you want it to be as fast as possible?

Drones can also be autonomous. With Japan's shrinking population, making AI do all these ---- is the only option they might have. Are you gonna volunteer yourself to go to Japan, sit in a store room, stare at the sky and operate all the balloons there?

If you are going to equip them balloons with motors and propellers and brains and batteries to power them, you are already making a drone....just don't waste money and time waiting for your turn to get your share of helium, if you will ever get it, and use a drone?

Ok, fine. Hydrogen balloon.

 

[jp7189]

Helium is low in supply high in demand, making it expensive and supplied/acquired based on priority. I doubt these guys will get any helium at decent pricing, if they managed to get any at all.

It's not that hard to get. There are tanks setting on the shelf of any party supply store that any schmoe can buy for their kid's birthday balloons.