The Earth-Field Corona Motor

Another kind of perpetual motion machine

At the beginning of this series on electrostatic devices, I said that I would discuss two real-world perpetual motion machines working on electrostatic principles. I've already discused one, the Thesta Distatica, on 27 June. I'll now deal with the other one; i.e. exploiting the terrestrial electric field with suitable electrostatic motors.

The Earth's natural electric field

A perpetually available naturally-occurring electric field of about 150V/m exists near the Earth's surface, reducing somewhat in magnitude at higher altitudes. More on this can be found at https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Natural_electric_field_of_the_Earth

Electrostatic motors of various kinds can be powered by this electric field, such as the corona motor shown below.

A corona motor developed under the direction of Oleg Jefimenko, University of West Virginia. The Plexiglas cylinder, lined with conducting foil, is driven by slanted corona blades having alternative polarities. The motor is about 5 inches long, and can produce 0.1 horsepower (74.6 watts). It operates from a 6kV power supply or from an earth-field antenna.
Image from Electrostatics and its Applications, A. D. Moore, p144.

Accessing the Earth's electric field effectively

The difficulties associated with exploiting the terrestrial electric field lie not so much with the motors themselves, but with accessing the field effectively, in order to gain useful amounts of power from it. The following is quoted from p145 of Electrostatics and its Applications, by A. D. Moore:—

"Finally, a very interesting source of power for electrostatic motors is the atmospheric electric field. Experiments on operating motors from this source have been conducted by the author... In the initial experiments an electret motor and a corona motor were used; the electricity was extracted from the atmosphere by means of earth-field antennas. The corona motor was the one shown in Fig. 7.4. [i.e. above]. These experiments indicate that it is entirely possible to operate small electrostatic motors directly from atmospheric electricity. Whether it will be possible to operate large motors in this manner depends on how successful we are in designing and building earth-field antennas capable of extracting appreciable power from the atmospheric electric field."

Popular Science article

For more on Jefimenko's work on electrostatic motors, earth-field antennae, etc, see "The Amazing Motor That Draws Power From the Air," by C.P. Gilmore & William J. Hawkins, Popular Science magazine April 1971 p80. This article can be found in the Popular Science archives at http://www.popsci.com/archives (Search e.g. for "amazing motor draws power" — it should be the first result presented). From the last two paragraphs of this article:—

"The earth's field is greatest on mountaintops. Jefimenko would like to set up a large antenna in such a spot, then aim an ultraviolet laser beam at a receiving site miles away at ground level. The laser beam would ionize the air, creating an invisible conductor through apparently empty space.

To be sure, many difficulties exist; and no one knows for sure whether we'll ever get useful amounts of power out of the air. But with thinking like that, Jefimenko's a hard man to ignore."

A dearth of innovative thinking

From my own observations over the years, not least of the dysgenic trends now firmly established in the West, I find that (despite their own opinions of their abilities) fewer and fewer people are really able to think innovatively — or even independently — these days. There's also the question of whether the handful that still can may be "targeted," not necessarily in a good way. I've decided, possibly against my better judgement, to take a look at that topic next.