High Voltage Power Lines: Drone Super Highways

[Nink]

I posted on another forum (DJI) about using induction from powerlines to provide power to drones and charge them. 
http://forum.dji.com/thread-47239-1-1.html

I had various responses from it just wouldn't work to power lines are DC not AC ??, only harvest enough power for a fluorescent lamp etc.  So I figured I would move the idea over here to get some feedback from people who actually understand wireless transfer of power and how induction works. 

Essentially my idea is a drone that has a copper coil that acts as an induction antenna on the bottom of the drone. The drone flies along the high voltage power lines and harvests power and charges the battery as it goes.  A commercial drone running on battery only gets from 20m to an hour or so of power so using this idea if drone wanted to travel from New York to Detroit the drone flies over the HV lines and harvests power and charges it's batteries.  It may land on a platform on the power lines for a longer stationary charge before it flies off and leaves the power lines.   I am thinking it may need to be enhanced by using some clip on induction coils that attach to the power lines as well that collect and just do a quick transfer using magnetic induction or microwaves from Capacity to Capacitor as this could build up over time charge on board caps and then transfer to drone when it gets a magnetic induction lock as it flies over top of it. 

[fritznien]

what is the lifetime range for the drone?
why would i want to send it across the country?

[lumen]

what is the lifetime range for the drone?
why would i want to send it across the country?

To pick up your weed?

[Pirate88179]

I posted on another forum (DJI) about using induction from powerlines to provide power to drones and charge them. 
http://forum.dji.com/thread-47239-1-1.html

I had various responses from it just wouldn't work to power lines are DC not AC ??, only harvest enough power for a fluorescent lamp etc.  So I figured I would move the idea over here to get some feedback from people who actually understand wireless transfer of power and how induction works. 

Essentially my idea is a drone that has a copper coil that acts as an induction antenna on the bottom of the drone. The drone flies along the high voltage power lines and harvests power and charges the battery as it goes.  A commercial drone running on battery only gets from 20m to an hour or so of power so using this idea if drone wanted to travel from New York to Detroit the drone flies over the HV lines and harvests power and charges it's batteries.  It may land on a platform on the power lines for a longer stationary charge before it flies off and leaves the power lines.   I am thinking it may need to be enhanced by using some clip on induction coils that attach to the power lines as well that collect and just do a quick transfer using magnetic induction or microwaves from Capacity to Capacitor as this could build up over time charge on board caps and then transfer to drone when it gets a magnetic induction lock as it flies over top of it.

Intersting and creative idea...however since I just looked up how many volts are usually in those power lines (765,000 volts +) it makes me think that the magnetic field around them would wipe out any electronics on your drone if it got anywhere near them.

Maybe there is a sweet spot somewhere like 100 feet or 500 feet away where your idea might work?  I don't know.

Bill

[Nink]

what is the lifetime range for the drone?
why would i want to send it across the country?

Drone is a circuit board some DC motors and a battery. Battery is usually first part to go they use LIPO's with 50 to 100 hours of flight time depending on how well you take care of it.
Commercial Drones can be made fully redundant example lose one rotor continue to fly, redundant controllers, redundant batteries etc

Urgent deliveries is a simple use case, but drones can provide a range of functions from inspection drones inspecting the power lines they traverse to security patrolling an area. Once technology is pervasive you would be amazed at the number of use cases people will come up with.