Harnassing Static Electricity

[Nitack]

I did a few more tests and was actually able to appreciably light up my CFL even when it was not screwed into any lamp. The energy for that to happen did not come from the wires of the lap, which has been suggested. Obviously we are not going to power a house off of our static electricity, but it would be interesting to see if we could power conventional batteries this way. Every little bit helps when compounded over time.

[logy]

Originally Posted by Nitack

I did a few more tests and was actually able to appreciably light up my CFL even when it was not screwed into any lamp. The energy for that to happen did not come from the wires of the lap, which has been suggested. Obviously we are not going to power a house off of our static electricity, but it would be interesting to see if we could power conventional batteries this way. Every little bit helps when compounded over time.

I am wondering something, can you get the CFL to glow once again when you move the charged plasic away from the CFL? is the answer is yes i think i may have an explanation.

[Nitack]

Originally Posted by logy

I am wondering something, can you get the CFL to glow once again when you move the charged plasic away from the CFL? is the answer is yes i think i may have an explanation.

The only plastic there is the casing that is part of the bulb. Not sure how to remove it safely and I don't want to try given the mercury in the light.

[logy]

Originally Posted by Nitack

The only plastic there is the casing that is part of the bulb. Not sure how to remove it safely and I don't want to try given the mercury in the light.

i re-read your original post and realised that you are talking about static built in your body... and i assume the CFL glows when you touch it, in which case the electricity is coming from your body, i apologise for my mistake

[Nitack]

Nope, just my hand. Held it by both the base and the plastic casing in one hand, touched the tube with the other. I felt like a diety

And Nitack said let there be light, and there was, and he saw that it was good.

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Nitack

Nope, just my hand. Held it by both the base and the plastic casing in one hand, touched the tube with the other. I felt like a diety

I hear you can take a fluorescent bulb under high-voltage transmission lines and it lights up. If you're gonna try it, do it at night so no one will see you & think you're up to no good.

[Nitack]

Originally Posted by Turtle

I hear you can take a fluorescent bulb under high-voltage transmission lines and it lights up. If you're gonna try it, do it at night so no one will see you & think you're up to no good.

Um... if you do it at night are they not sure to see you? You know, standing there with a light, in the dark...

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Nitack

Um... if you do it at night are they not sure to see you? You know, standing there with a light, in the dark...

Yes of course. Just tuggin' your bulb Nitack.

[Nitack]

Originally Posted by Turtle

Yes of course. Just tuggin' your bulb Nitack.

I am definately not comfortable with that wording!

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Nitack

I am definately not comfortable with that wording!

That's what they pay me for.

Other than having just a little bit of juice available, though I agree you could store it in a capacitor to trickle charge a battery, there is the matter of the dry weather conditions necessary to create the static in the first place. It seems to me this is an infrequent occurance and investing in equipment to harness the static is not worth the gain.

Do you have a multi-meter and any little capacitors around?

To get this clear in my mind, if you were to charge a capacitor with static electricity from your body, would you have to be connected to it while you're rubbing up a charge, or only after you're charged? Would one side of the capacitor need to be grounded while charging it?