Theoretical evaluation of dielectric materials for lightning energy harvesting system

Abstract

This study describes the hypothetical approach to system design to collect and store electrical energy present in a flash of lightning. The system's operations include the attraction and handling of the electrical charge obtained from lightning flashes. Performance differences arise from three different dielectric materials (rutile, mica and quartz) and the results define the estimated response of the storage system, including charge storage. All the results in this article were obtained through simulation or demonstrated mathematically showing the estimated outcomes of the system. The findings demonstrate that each dielectric material has its own advantages and disadvantages that influence the efficiency of the storage system. Through analysing the distinction of the three materials, it is observed that mica is the most suitable dielectric material, as it has the greatest dielectric strength, which is the main factor in the handling of charge.