Faraday discovered that there is a voltage potential between the outer rim of his spinning disk and the axis. The below diagram is a picture of earth from one of the poles. The mass at the poles is moving very slowly compared to the mass at the equators. This relative angular momentum expresses itself electrically as voltage. The unipolar currents are generated by the Earth's spin and flow between the poles and the equator at varying intensities dependent on the ability of the mass to conduct them. The currents keep on flowing from the equator towards the opposite polar region because the disk is reversed in relationship to the cosmic magnetic field permeating the globe. The magnetic field produced by these currents is then stored in ferrous mass. The cosmic magnetic field is the propogator of this phenomenon and the currents the effect of the spin of the globe within this polarized magnetic field.
Theoretically a conductor could be run between the poles and equator and a pretty massive current then captured at a gap in this conductor. This conductor would have to be of less resistance than salt water. Pretty big piece of wire. :P
This would explain the aurora Borealis...but i don't think that it's two back to back. More like one, where 'brushes' are caused by the continuous light from the sun and the difference created by it's own shadow and the ionic charge. The equator is simply the difference between coming and going.
Our moon does very little rotating, yes? ..I see no aurora on it's poles :P
I recall the space tether, where a station was able to create massive amount of electric charge across a whip-like structure in space. There was a recent post on slashdot about the tendencies for plasma to form spindle like structures in space - i assume this is to expedite the dissipation of electricity / charge / heat. My guess is that the auroras do the same thing.
I think we should take up blasting on the moon and create a solar shield in orbit around the earth...but that's just my proposal to an oil-drunk society at this point.
Interesting idea!
But you also have to conclude the fact, that the wire which draws the current from the spinning earth is also rotating with the earth!
Strangly Wiki says the mode, when the magnet the conductor and the drawing circuit rotate is undetermined. But actually just some thoughts about that should easily tell, that it will not work...(this is at least my conclusion).
I would argue that very simply. When the drawing conductor also rotates with the earth. The same voltage is induced in the conductor itself, which means, you will not be able to get a circuit, with a potential diference. E.g. the same as if you have a circuit with two batteries and you connect + to + and - to -. No current will flow...
Well you could now state, if the central core of the earth is rotating faster than the crust, then it should be possible to draw a current, but then the current will already flow in the crust...As the crust is then the drawing circuit...
The conductor will be moving just like the Earth but represents just a short for the potential fields developed between the pole and the equator. It's current will be an eddy current which would normally cause whatever your prime mover is to load up. Take awhile to shed all the inertia of the rock?
QuoteIt's current will be an eddy current which would normally cause whatever your prime mover is to load up.
Well I think if your magnet is turning together with the conductor no eddy current will develop.
Otherwise the rotation of every normal magnet (as usually they are also conductors) should immediately incur eddy currents, which would decelerate the magnet...But as far as my personal experience with magnets goes, this doesn't happen...
But I wouldn't bet my hand on that ;) (these homopolar generators are really tricky...)
@Sparks,
If earth is a genny and causing all that liguid metal and rock to stay molten then it doesn´t appear to have much backdrag which is pretty cool! I can´t find a decent answer anywhere about what causes magma, it has to be electric in my mind, just a bit of tectonic moving from tidal forces cant generate all that power.
There´s alot about mother earth that we´re not told like she´s expanding :o:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kL7qDeI05U
The only rebuttals I´ve heard about the above vid involve people saying "i asked my professor and he said no" etc.
Quote from: Shanti on January 10, 2009, 12:16:27 PM
Well I think if your magnet is turning together with the conductor no eddy current will develop.
Otherwise the rotation of every normal magnet (as usually they are also conductors) should immediately incur eddy currents, which would decelerate the magnet...But as far as my personal experience with magnets goes, this doesn't happen...
But I wouldn't bet my hand on that ;) (these homopolar generators are really tricky...)
@Shanti
Yes, they´re fascinating things. Maybe this experiment would yield more info:
Magnet rotating (nickel coated neo).
Radial drawing conductor also rotating but shielded from the mag field.
To check for generated voltage could maybe use a small low leakage cap with a zero bias feed diode, the componets spinning in series with the shielded radial conductor line all epoxied in place and balanced, then meter the cap after a good spin.
@Sparks
"Theoretically a conductor could be run between the poles and equator and a pretty massive current then captured at a gap in this conductor. This conductor would have to be of less resistance than salt water. Pretty big piece of wire. Tongue"
- I think that all we really need is air and big stones - does the word Stonehenge ring any bells? How? By creating a standing wave between stones we can create a superconducting power line and it can be perfectly introduced in the environment - no pollution, no nothing, pure power.
Ancient civilizations were more clever than most of us today.
Peace
Dann
Standing waves are cool. You can use real low frequency standing waves to do all sorts of weird science. You want distance you dont mess around with much over a few hz. Like the blocks in the pyramids over the kings coffin. Whales can get the power out over thousands of miles because they use elf and the tympanic membrane they have is all around a huge resonant cavity to observe the intensity of the wave as it stretches out setting up nodes thousands of miles away. The dolphins use vlf radar like fields to hunt.
The earth battery, sorry, no link, comes to mind.
Perhaps hertzian conditions bolster the power of these devices through a homopolar differential as the periphery of the earth ( ground ) and whatever distance or configuration attached to the same.
I belive, that even if you had a wire sitting geostationary around earth, it would still generate electricity regardless of it motion due to relative motion around the sun. Yet another homopolar perhaps, our sun? The static electricity effect is strong in space, read my previous post above. Vacuums have potential.
Hi,
In choosing the conductor, the ground resistance is to be consider too. The resistance of the soil varies from 30 ohms to 3,000 ohms in the first 10 meters and then pretty much stays the same. I remember reading or being told that. So according to that recollection, the wire must have a resistance of less than 3,000 ohms.
Resistance implies heat in the ground is produce by the action of the Telluric currents. Long distance power lines must be affected too by the difference in potential.
Take care,
Michel
Edited.
P.S.: the string in space are Bikerland currents, see the Electric Universe http://www.thunderbolts.info/online_videos.htm (http://www.thunderbolts.info/online_videos.htm) for an overview of the theory.