Transient Energy Capture Arrays for Lightning Surge Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems fail to effectively harness and manage transient high energy sources such as lightning and ionizing radiation, leading to wasted energy and safety risks, while the need for renewable energy solutions increases.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising energy receptor arrays, surge control arrays, absorption arrays, and storage arrays to collect, manage, and store transient high energy from environmental and man-made sources, including lightning rods, electromagnetic receivers, and supercapacitors for efficient energy absorption and distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If standard lightning protection systems are used to direct lightning to ground, then safety is improved, but energy waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful high-voltage lightning energy into a beneficial resource by capturing it through receptor arrays and storing it in capacitor banks and batteries. The system transforms what was previously wasted energy (directed to ground and dissipated) into storable electrical energy that can be used to power devices, thereby eliminating energy waste while maintaining safety through controlled reception and storage.
2Reliability
If transient high energy sources are avoided, then safety is improved, but energy availability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of avoiding transient high energy sources like lightning, the patent actively seeks them out using sensor arrays that detect incoming lightning strikes. The system positions receptor arrays to capture these energy events, converting the previously harmful and avoided phenomenon into a useful energy source that can be stored and utilized, thereby improving energy availability while maintaining safety through controlled reception.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by using sensor arrays to detect and predict incoming lightning strikes before they occur. This allows the system to be pre-positioned and ready to capture the energy when it arrives, ensuring that the energy is captured efficiently rather than lost or avoided, thus improving energy availability from transient sources.
3Quantity of substance
If energy is stored in high density batteries and supercapacitors, then energy density is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple energy storage technologies into a hybrid system, combining high-density batteries with supercapacitor banks. This combination allows the system to utilize the high energy density of batteries for long-term storage while leveraging the high power density and rapid charge/discharge capabilities of supercapacitors for transient energy capture, thereby achieving both high energy density and cost-effectiveness by utilizing the strengths of each technology.
Solution Approach 2:
The energy storage system is designed to serve multiple functions: capturing transient high-voltage lightning energy, storing energy for long-term use, and providing rapid discharge capability. By creating a multi-functional storage system that combines different technologies, the patent achieves high energy density while distributing costs across various components that serve overlapping purposes, improving overall cost-effectiveness.
4Adaptability or versatility
If environmental energy sources are captured, then energy sustainability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the energy capture and storage system into distinct functional modules: receptor arrays for energy reception, sensor arrays for detection, capacitor banks for transient storage, and batteries for long-term storage. This modular segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies the overall system design by breaking down the complex task of capturing and storing transient high energy into manageable, interchangeable modules that can be scaled and configured based on specific needs.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient collection, management, and storage of transient high energy, reducing energy waste and safety hazards, and providing a sustainable energy source for various applications.
Implementation Method 1
an energy absorption array configured to absorb energy from the energy surge control array
Implementation Method 2
supercapacitors for efficient energy absorption and distribution
Data Source
AI summary
An energy absorption and distribution system, comprises an environmental energy collection system and a transient high energy management system, wherein the environmental energy collection system includes an energy receptor array configured to receive energy from an environment, an energy source sensor array configured to monitor the environment for a source of energy, and an energy channeling array configured to guide the energy from the source to the energy receptor array; and wherein the transient high energy management system includes an energy surge control array configured to control the flow of energy received from the energy receptor array, an energy absorption array configured to absorb energy from the energy surge control array, and an energy storage array configured to store energy from the energy absorption array.