Hi DAB,

I did think of one drawback, once the system has taken on a charge, it will automaticaly attract an opposite charge which if collected would nutralise the already collected charge, this means the collected charge should be used as soon as possible. Nice to know about particle beam generators, I thought Gama rays were dangerous, I just didnt know how dangerous.

If we are going to look at fashing water to steam from the thermal energy of the lightning strike, then why not let the charge go to ground though heater elements to add to the water heating.

Thanks Kevin.

Hi DAB

Yes but I was thinking, if the tank can absorb the thermal and electrical charge, we can use the thermal energy to flash water into steam, as you said,
and use it to start a steam turbine generator, and since the lightning strike came down one of the particle beams, its likely that the ice
in the cloud will still be generating electricity and it will be at the same charge value as the tank, in effect while the particle beam
is in contact with the cloud it will be connected to the tank system and enlarge the overall size of the capacitor. this gives us a unique opportunity.

When the lightning struct the tank and flashed water into steam within the tank. sensors could be used to detect the rise in temperature and at that
location, using a very high voltage switch, turn on a high resistance ceramic heater to raise more steam and keep the steam turbine turning
but now it's not just the energy collected in the tank chain, its also the energy in the cloud, which is still being generated by the ice in the cloud.

Now knowing that the positive charge always collects at the top of the cloud, it would be easy to point the particle emmitters and gather
the correct polarty charges from all the clouds in the area. at the same time particle beams would be pointed at the base of the clouds and connect

the negative energy to the ground to complete the circuit and extract the full potential from the cloud.

It may be possible to do this automatically using radar, satalite images, and heat sensors.

I would love to see a green power generator like this work. we could even seed clouds with liquid air to make ice crystals where there are none,

though I dont know if that would or could be made cost effective.

Tell me what you think I would like to brain storm this problem, with many of us throwing in ideas we should be able to get somewhere.

Kevin.

Greetings...  I have actually been thinking about this from a different perspective.  But we won't go into that part.

1)a) A charged particle beam (+ or -) can be used to connect the 2 capacitive plates...the ground and the cloud.

2) Yes, that is a good idea that creating an effect to limit the  discharge to other areas by causing a discharge in a 'SafeZone'.

3) But if done in the wrong way, would essentially super-charge the cloud.

1)b) The beam would create an ion channel acting like a  conductor and directing the discharge.  In this case, you could use a  high energy laser, since this also

    ionizes the air in its path.

4)  Storage or energy conversion...   I envision a device like a  transformer that could electro-magnetically capture the charge and then  transfer it.   The only issue that you have to send it into a large  power grid.  Dividing up the current and /or the voltage levels.

Philip