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Aspiring Lightning Wrangler
More information from Todd Livingstone regarding his plans to rope in
the power of lightning. Phone interview.
Follow-up from
 BLAM-O!!
Power from Lightning - Having demonstrated a smaller prototype using
artificial lightning, Todd Livingstone is now waiting for the next lightning
storm to test his full-scale prototype for harnessing the energy of a
lightning strike. Technology is a reverse of directed energy weapons. (PESN;
July 10, 2005)
Phone Interview
- Listen
Lightning Wrangler (high) / (low)
- OSEN's Matthew L. Carson interviews inventor Todd
Livingstone. Gets more information about how Livingstone plans to tame
the massive energy contained in a lightning strike. 20 mins. (July 12, 2005)
Additional Information
by Sterling
D. Allan
Pure Energy Systems News
Copyright © 2005
ANDERSON, IN, USA -- After composing the July 10th story
about Todd Livingstone's proof-of-concept prototype that has successfully
demonstrated the capturing of some of the energy from artificial lightning, and
about his yet-untested, larger prototype for harnessing the power of actual
lightning, I was able to have yet another phone conversation with Todd. Matthew
Carson of OSEN has conducted an interview
as well, available at the link above. We present now the additional information
was obtained, along with an update of status.
In the story we published on July 10, we reported that Todd is waiting for the
next storm to roll around to test his device out on the real thing. It
turns out that on July 9, he did go out "storm chasing" with a friend,
but did not get close enough to rope anything in. When he interviewed with
Matthew on July 12, he wasn't quite so sure of himself, mentioning that there
are several additional modifications he would like to make before trying it out
on the real thing.
Presently, his prototype is designed to instantaneously electrolyze water into
hydrogen and oxygen with the incoming bolt of lightning. With the mention
of hydrogen and lightning in the same breath, in physical vicinity to one
another, obviously the question of ignition becomes relevant. The
mind conjures images of the next Darwin
Award Hall of Fame recipient (post mortem, of course).
Remember, though, that Todd plans on being stationed about a mile away, guiding
his apparatus via remote control. He also plans to shunt most of the
energy to ground. He only needs a little to prove the concept of
harnessing the power of lightning. Also, Todd said that his trigger point,
which attracts in the lightning strike is about 25 feet away from the
electrolysis chamber. That still seems pretty close, but with a little
luck he might pull off a successful test. However, statistics would
probably not be in his favor for numerous repeated results without
'complications', if he can get it to work in the first place.
To collect the hydrogen and oxygen gasses created, Todd will be using a plastic
"storm chaser balloon", which has about a 15-foot radius when
inflated.
From left to right: Leiden jar, Vandergraph
generator, laser, coil, electrolysis. |
|
We did finally get some photos from Todd of his smaller proof-of-concept,
artificial-lightning-harnessing prototype, comprised of a Leiden jar, a
Vandergraph generator, a nitro laser trigger, a coil (for the 'breakwater'
effect), and an electrolysis chamber.
The nitro laser in that set-up is a 35 kV laser, while the laser in the larger
prototype is 100 kV. We don't have a photo of that set-up yet.
Using his small proof-of-concept set-up for an actual lightning strike would be
like a pin-wheel being powered by a squirt gun, and the next step would be the
equivalent of trying to turn it with a fire hydrant full bore. The fire
hydrant wins, the pin wheel is smashed against a wall somewhere and completely
destroyed.
Of course he does not plan on using the small prototype with an actual lightning
strike. That prototype will be larger and will include additional
contingencies to hopefully avert the destruction of the apparatus by the
lightning strike.
I would think that in addition to shunting the strike to ground that he would
also somehow need to keep the lightning from following the wires that extend
from his trigger/target mechanism over to the electrolysis unit.
He has made his career in high voltage, so I'm sure he is as aware as anyone as
to what he is up against here.
# # #
Highlights from July 12 Interview
UV range of nitro laser photo-ionizes the air. "I thought, Oh, my
gosh, you can use that as a laser lightning rod." He's not first one to do
that." Then came the idea of harnessing.
"Took a terminal attached to front end of the laser; ran it through an
inductor-capacitor array to act like an electrical breakwater."
"What is electrical equivalent of breakwater? Capacitor/inductor
array."
Capture? Could use capacitor -- or electrolyzer.
Other Notes from Todd
From: "Todd Livingstone"
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2005 9:09 AM
[...]
I should not have invented three things at the same time.
- Plasma rifle
- Harnessed lightning
and
- LED fluorescent retrofit.
It all has spread me a little thin.
Best regards,
Todd
See also
Page composed by Sterling
D. Allan May 13, 2005
Last updated July 23, 2005
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