JP2011529332A - Apparatus and related methods for weather control by electrical processes in the atmosphere - Google Patents

Abstract

  Providing equipment for weather control. The apparatus comprises an emitter electrode (21), means for providing a charge to the emitter electrode (21) electrically coupled to the emitter electrode (21), and for supporting the emitter electrode (21) at a predetermined height. Insulating support and means for grounding the device. The emitter electrode (21) includes a Malter film. According to another aspect, the apparatus comprises a light aircraft carrying an emitter electrode (21), means for applying charge to the emitter electrode (21) electrically coupled to the emitter electrode (21), and means for grounding the apparatus. With. According to yet another aspect, a method for increasing precipitation in a target area is provided. The method includes providing an emitter electrode (21), analyzing a weather condition in and / or near the target area, and applying a charge to the emitter electrode (21) in response to the weather analysis. (21) includes ionizing the vicinity of the emitter electrode.

Description

  The present invention relates to atmospheric particles, known in this context as weather regulation, by the enhancement of electric forces on atmospheric air particles and particles such as water particles, aerosols, molecular clusters, and water molecules with their own electric dipole moment. It relates to a method and a device for adjusting the conditions.

  Certain applications of weather control require methods and devices that are specific to their implementation. For example, some embodiments relate to controlling, increasing or decreasing precipitation. The term "precipitation" means that any product from the atmospheric water vapor phase change accumulates on the Earth's surface due to gravity, such as rain, drizzle, snow, snow hail, etc. , May take on any form. Electrical methods of climate control include dispersion of fog, which is clouds on or near the Earth's surface, increased cloud coverage over selected areas, especially the ocean, and increased inflow of ocean moisture into the inland When used for other purposes, the methods and parameters specific to the embodiments are generally required.

  In the present invention, the device and method are described for a specific weather control application of increasing or decreasing precipitation within a target area. The term “target area” means an area where it may be desirable to change local atmospheric conditions, which means controlling precipitation in the context of the present application. Unless otherwise stated, controlling precipitation means increasing precipitation thereafter. It is also contemplated to use the described device for several other weather control applications, thereby providing a method specific to a particular weather control and optimizing device parameters for the specific weather control. .

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method and device for weather control applications in which microphysical processes in the atmosphere are thereby affected by electrical effects. Based on recent advances in atmospheric physics and a deeper understanding of how ambient atmospheric electricity naturally affects weather and climate in a non-thunderstorm environment, The concept of climate regulation is introduced by enhancing (remote cloud charging) or RCC) and / or by locally increasing atmospheric instability through an electrical process of relocating atmospheric moisture. Based on this concept, several improved new embodiments are proposed. Compared to the prior art embodiments, the proposed embodiment is superior in performance, scalability, mobility, and ease of use and maintenance.

  In essence, the microphysical processes of precipitation formation from gaseous water, or water vapor, can be roughly classified into two groups. The first group is a gas-to-solid thermodynamic phase change process, known as condensation, and a gas-to-solid thermodynamic process, known as vapor deposition or sublimation. Includes phase change process. A liquid drop is when the actual amount of gaseous water contained in an air volume exceeds the maximum amount of gaseous water that the air can hold at a given temperature, i.e. the air is vapor. When supersaturated, it can grow by condensation from small atmospheric (aerosol) particles with appropriate (wettable) surfaces called condensation nuclei (CN). The amount of steam in the air can be expressed by the (partial) pressure of the steam. Thus, air becomes supersaturated when the vapor pressure exceeds its saturation pressure. Since steam saturation pressure decreases with temperature, wet air becomes supersaturated when fully cooled. At temperatures below freezing, ice particles in supersaturated air can grow by vapor condensation from frozen droplets and aerosol particles with appropriate surfaces called ice crystal nuclei (IN). Areas of atmospheric air containing droplets and ice particles appear as clouds.

  The second group of processes is a cloud particle coalescence process. At some stage of droplet growth in the cloud, collisions cause the droplets to coalesce into larger droplets, known as a collision-merge process, or simply merger, more efficiently than condensation growth . Due to gravity and air viscosity, larger grown droplets descend faster than smaller droplets. As they drop, larger droplets, called collectors in this context, collide with smaller droplets. Ice particles and liquid particles can be combined in the same way. Merging is a fairly simple model of the actual droplet coalescence process in the atmosphere, in its classical definition where only gravity governs droplet motion. The droplets can move at different speeds in different directions by turbulent air motion. Under such conditions, droplets of similar size can be merged. However, as with classical merging, the presence of large droplets even at low number concentrations can greatly enhance merging in a turbulent environment, also known as turbulent aggregation ( Riemer and Wexler, 2005).

  Currently used cloud conditioning methods are generally based on enhancing the cloud-targeting mechanism by introducing particles from a specific medium (seeding) into the cloud. Such a method is known as a cloud seeding method. The seeding medium is typically supplied to the clouds by a transport aircraft such as an airplane or rocket. Under certain conditions, the floating seeding medium can also be supplied by the rise of air caused by the wind hitting the mountain slope. This technique is known as oromorphic seeding.

  One of the processes that can be enhanced by cloud seeding is the Bercheron process of ice particle growth by vapor condensation. In a cold cloud, that is, in a cloud having a temperature below the freezing point, pure water droplets remain in a liquid (supercooled state) even when the temperature drops to a temperature near −42 ° C., and thus can coexist with ice particles. it can. The vapor saturation pressure for ice is lower than the vapor saturation pressure for liquid water (Bergeron, 1935, 1939). As water vapor is consumed by growing cloud droplets, its partial pressure decreases. When the vapor partial pressure drops below the vapor saturation pressure for the droplet, the air becomes unsaturated for the droplet but is still supersaturated for the ice particles. At this point, ice particles continue to grow at the expense of evaporating droplets. This process, which is more efficient than condensation, can potentially convert more of the available steam into precipitation. However, in cold clouds, the natural IN number concentration decreases quasi-exponentially with the temperature to freezing, thereby slowing this process at temperatures just a few degrees below freezing. Under such conditions, the formation of ice, and hence precipitation, will cause artificial ice crystal nuclei such as silver iodide (AgI) crystals, whose surface properties are similar to those of ice crystals, to cloud. This is achieved by sowing. This method is currently the most common in weather regulation.

  Particles of matter that evaporate at a temperature much lower than that of atmospheric air are another type of seeding medium. Solid carbon dioxide pellets, known as dry ice, and small droplets of liquid nitrogen, which take heat away from the ambient air during evaporation and thus cool it, are examples of such seeding media. . In cold clouds, a higher degree of supersaturation and supercooling around those particles can lead to a higher initial growth rate of droplets and ice particles, and an increase in the number concentration of IN due to enhanced droplet freezing. it can. In warm clouds, the higher degree of supersaturation achieved in the vicinity of the cooling particles, and thus the enhanced condensation, can lead to the formation of larger droplets. On the other hand, such droplets can enhance merging by acting as a more efficient collector in the process.

  Another method is based on seeding fine particles of salt into the cloud, where the vapor saturation pressure for the aqueous solute is low compared to the vapor saturation pressure of pure water. Solute droplets grown by condensation from such CN or from droplets that have acquired salt particles by deposition can achieve a larger size than water droplets and thus can enhance merging as described above. . This method is known as hygroscopic seeding.

  The presence of a strong magnetic field, a sufficiently high charge on the cloud particle, or a combination of both can greatly affect multiple microphysical processes of cloud development, including processes that are directly or indirectly responsible for precipitation formation. There is a lot of evidence to suggest. One effect of charge is enhanced capture (ie, acquisition by attachment) of charged aerosol particles by charged and neutral cloud particles. Although not obvious, the net electrical force at short distances between cloud particles with exactly the same sign of charge is always attractive due to the electrostatic mirror image force (Tinsley et al., 2000). For such particles with similar charges, there is a long range repulsion, but the air flow force can carry the particles within the range of the dominant mirror image force. If the two cloud particles under consideration are aerosol particles and droplets, the effect of attractive net electrical forces can result in successful capture of aerosol particles by droplets, which is otherwise not geometrically possible Can do.

  If the aerosol particles are ice nuclei, their capture by the droplets will cause the droplets to snap freeze. Such a mechanism of ice particle formation, known as contact freezing, has proven to be a particularly efficient mechanism against the Bercheron process (Sasty, 2005). In contrast to the Bercheron process, ice particles can be formed instantaneously from droplets by contact freezing, bypassing the relatively slow nuclei of Bercheron growth, which involves the “reprocessing” of droplets by evaporation. it can. On the other hand, the generated ice particles can continue to grow, such as by vapor condensation or further coalescence with the next supercooled droplet to freeze it.

  Seeding artificial ice nuclei into cold clouds enhances both the Bercheron process and the contact cooling process. The enhancement of the contact cooling process is due to an increase in the probability of capturing ice nuclei due to an increase in the number concentration of ice nuclei. However, the introduction of too many ice crystal nuclei can result in the formation of too many small ice particles because they compete for the available vapor. This problem is known as over-seeding. In contrast, the enhancement of contact freezing by electric trapping of natural ice nuclei is the more efficient use of natural ice nuclei and, ultimately, fewer but larger ice particles that can be precipitated. This can be advantageous.

  Another effect of attractive electrical force is the increased collection efficiency of droplet merging, which is particularly important for rain formation without ice processes in warm clouds . During a merge event, if the charged droplet is to be collected by a larger neutral droplet or a larger droplet charged with either sign, the latter is geometrically ineffective without an attractive electrical force. It can be successful if possible. Another aspect of electrically enhanced merging resulted in merging efficiency, i.e., permanent collection as well as droplet collision during merging (this is due to the collision of droplets being deflected by air currents). Is an increase in the probability (which means that it has temporarily merged and then separated and possibly separated into several smaller droplets). Strengthening the merger by electric force is also experimental (Sartor, 1954; Goyer et al., 1960; Abbott, 1975; Dayan and Gallilly, 1975; Smith, 1972; Smith, 1976; Ochs and Czys, 1987; Czys and Ochs, 1988. ), Theoretically / modelling (Sartor, 1960; Lindblad and Semonin, 1963; Plumelee and Semonin, 1965; Palut, 1970; Schlamp et al., 1976; Tag, 1976; Tagre, 1977; Freire et al., 1979; Khain et al., 2004. ) Has been investigated in many studies.

  The effect of charge on small droplets is similar to the hygroscopic effect of salt. Less supersaturation is required for droplets that are charged to a certain degree, like salt solution droplets, to grow by condensation (Harrison and Ambau, 2008). The electric field of a subcooled, fully charged droplet can directly promote freezing of the droplet. Since water molecules have their own electric dipole moment, they tend to align with the electric field, which favors freezing of supercooled water at higher temperatures. The effect of this direct electrical freezing has not yet been investigated in detail, but has been demonstrated by experiments by Wei et al. (2008).

  The idea of developing a cloud adjustment method based on cloud particle charge is not new. Such a method is an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical cloud sowing. Another advantage of electrical methods is that specific seeding methods that target a certain mechanism can be implemented for a specific medium to be seeded within a range of number concentrations in a cloudy air. On the other hand, it is possible to enhance several precipitation formation mechanisms at once by the charge of cloud droplets. For example, an increase in precipitation is achieved in warm clouds by an electrically enhanced hygroscopic effect on the droplets and an electrically enhanced merger. In mixed clouds, i.e., clouds with a cold upper part and a warm lower part, ice formation enhanced by electro-freezing droplets in the upper cloud area also contributes to this effect. Furthermore, falling ice particles can act as an efficient merging collector in the warm cloud area (so-called seeder feeder effect).

  In order to be effective, enhancement of certain processes of cloud development requires a certain minimum charge per electrically active cloud particle. For example, to enhance the merging collision efficiency, at least several hundred elementary (electron) charges are required on a droplet having a radius of 10-20 μm (Khain et al., 2004). Effective electrical freezing (Tinsley et al., 2000) and enhancement of the hygroscopicity of small droplets (Harrison and Abaum, 2008) require a similar charge per particle of the same size. Cloud particles that are sufficiently charged to greatly regulate the cloud development process are hereinafter referred to as supercharged particles.

  The first approach to overcharging cloud droplets has focused on direct charging by generated ions with predominantly the same sign (ie, unipolar). The prior art has proposed several designs of devices that typically comprise a monopolar ionizer, such as a direct current (DC) corona discharge, hereinafter referred to as a corona discharge, and other elements contained within the body. In such devices, the particles to be charged, taken from the clouds or artificially generated in the form of water drops, pass near the corona discharge emitter electrode (EECD) and are therefore charged by ion attachment. To get. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the particles acquire charge through contact with a charged electrode. Next, the generated charged particles are introduced (seeded) into the cloud. Such a method is described, for example, in the patent application (2003) of Khain et al. In practice, however, the implementation of a method for directly overcharging cloud particles in a large amount of cloudy air faces severe engineering difficulties.

  The average charge on the particles that can be achieved by ion attachment is proportional to the logarithm of the so-called unipolarity factor, which is the ratio of the number concentration of the dominant sign ion to its concentration of the opposite sign ion. (Clement et al., 1991). In order to overcharge cloud particles, especially small cloud particles, the corresponding unipolarity must also be large enough. Since ions with a sign opposite to that of corona ions are always present in the air, the required unipolarity can only be maintained in a limited charging zone around the emitter electrode.

  Other factors that limit the ability of the charged device to generate are the time required for particle charging and the strong electric field of the generated space charge that can reduce the ion generating ability of the corona discharge (Smith, 1972; Loveland). Et al., 1972). Overcharging the particles in contact with the electrodes is also problematic because in practice only a small part of such particles can be achieved.

  After being moved out of the charge zone, the particles remain overcharged for only a short time due to the non-equilibrium charge decay of the particles whose velocity is proportional to the particle charge. This presents the difficult task of dispersing such particles over a large amount of cloudy atmosphere within a limited time. Cloud topographic seeding with short-lived overcharged particles is unlikely to be efficient, so such unstable seeding media should be generated and seeded at cloud altitude, This necessitates costly use of some air transports such as aircraft or unmanned aircraft. Utilizing chimney-like conduits, as proposed in the prior art, to supply overcharged particles into the cloud also faces engineering difficulties and high costs.

  The method based on the direct overcharge of cloud particles by the technical means proposed in the prior art is in fact clearly difficult to implement and therefore not comparable to existing cloud seeding methods.

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  Accordingly, it is an object of the present application to provide an improved device for weather control that overcomes the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art. It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved method of increasing precipitation in a target area that avoids the drawbacks of the prior art and is more efficient and less costly. It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for increasing precipitation in a target area that is easy to control and increases the success rate. These objects are achieved by the features of the independent claims. The dependent claims describe preferred embodiments of the invention.

The present invention provides an apparatus for weather control. The apparatus comprises an emitter electrode, means for providing a charge to the emitter electrode, electrically coupled to the emitter electrode, an insulating support for supporting the emitter electrode at a predetermined height, and means for grounding the apparatus. Is provided. The emitter electrode includes a Malter film. The Malter film preferably comprises a thin film made of one or more kinds of non-conductive materials. Particularly preferred materials for the Malter film are one or a combination of the following materials: Al ₂ O ₃ , Zn ₂ SiO ₃ , SiO ₂ , ZrO ₂ , CaCO ₃ , Ta ₂ O ₅ .

  In a preferred embodiment, the emitter electrode is a capacitor having a conductive surface. The capacitor is preferably approximately spherical. A “substantially spherical” capacitor is to be understood as a capacitor having a somewhat spherical shape. The shape can comprise several planes or planar structures configured, for example, in a polygon similar to a spherical shape. For example, several pentagons and hexagons can be configured as on a soccer ball.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the device of the invention, the emitter electrode comprises one or more corona discharge emitter electrode assemblies, which are mechanically and / or electrically coupled to each other.

  The support of the device preferably has a height of 6 m to 30 m, particularly preferably 8 m to 15 m. More preferably, the support comprises an insulating layer. Alternatively, the support may be formed from an insulating material. The support can further have a rigid structure. For example, the emitter electrode can be supported by a planar polygonal frame having a surface.

  In one embodiment, the emitter electrode comprises two or more electrically coupled parallel wire segments that are separated by a distance across the surface of the frame.

  The means for applying charge to the emitter electrode can be any means suitable for applying a large charge density and / or high voltage. A preferred example of this means is a charging engine of a van der graph machine.

  According to a preferred embodiment, the emitter electrode comprises two or more Malter electrodes, preferably in the form of a solid or tubular wire, preferably further comprising one or more corona discharge initiating wires. The diameter of the Malter electrode is preferably larger than the diameter of the corona discharge starting wire. The corona discharge initiating wire is preferably located near the malter electrode and is mechanically and / or electrically coupled to the malter electrode. According to one embodiment, the Malter electrodes are configured in the form of parallel segments that are separated by a distance across the surface of the frame.

  In one alternative embodiment, the emitter electrode comprises two or more Malter electrodes in the form of a foil strip. The emitter electrode can further comprise a wire mesh. Alternatively or additionally, the emitter electrode can comprise a Malter electrode mesh.

  According to another embodiment, the apparatus comprises a high frequency electromagnetic wave generator suitable for non-contact heating of the wire loop of the emitter electrode.

  More preferably, the apparatus comprises one or more ground electrodes, the ground electrodes being below the one or more emitter electrode assemblies and electrically coupled to the grounding means. The apparatus can further comprise one or more collector electrodes.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the device further comprises a reservoir for containing the conductive electrolyte solution. Further, an aerosol generator can be provided, and the aerosol generator preferably comprises one or more devices for spreading the electrolyte solution.

  In another preferred embodiment, the apparatus further comprises one or more means for generating an updraft. This means may comprise, for example, a heat source. A simple example of such a heat source is a black material that absorbs solar radiation, placed below or around the device.

  In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for weather control is provided, the apparatus comprising: a light aircraft suitable for carrying an emitter electrode; and a charge on the emitter electrode electrically coupled to the emitter electrode. And means for grounding the device. The operating height of the device according to the first aspect of the present invention is limited by the height of the insulating support, but the operating height of the device according to the second aspect of the present invention is not limited by any light aircraft. Since it can be transported to the working height, it is basically unlimited. Thus, the device according to the present invention can be raised to a predetermined height depending on the specific application of the device. For example, the height of the device according to the invention can be adjusted according to the height of the clouds present in the target area. Thereby, the effectiveness and success rate of the device according to the invention can be dramatically increased compared to the prior art.

  Preferably, the light aircraft is connected via a mooring rope to means for applying a charge to the emitter electrode. According to a preferred embodiment, the light aircraft is a light-tan-air capacitor having a surface. In other words, a light aircraft is basically formed from components that form a capacitor or can also be used as a capacitor. Preferably, a plurality of emitter electrode assemblies are configured around the surface of the light aviation capacitor and are fixed thereto uniformly, for example using a plurality of support rods of variable length. The support rod can have legs that provide a stress support mechanism that contacts the surface of the capacitor.

  According to one alternative embodiment, the emitter electrode comprises a hollow capacitor having a spherical or quasi-spherical surface, and the light aircraft is configured inside the capacitor. Preferably, one or more emitter electrode assemblies are configured around the capacitor and electrically coupled to the capacitor. More preferably, the emitter electrode assembly is a wire mesh that surrounds the surface of the light aircraft. In a preferred example, the emitter electrode assembly is supported by a sphere disposed between the surface of the light aircraft and the mesh, and the sphere is uniformly disposed around the light aircraft.

  One skilled in the art will appreciate that the preferred features described with respect to the device according to the first aspect (mounted on a support) can also be used to improve the device according to the second aspect (light aircraft).

  According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method for increasing precipitation in a target area is provided. The method includes providing an emitter electrode, analyzing a weather condition in and / or near the target area, and charging the emitter electrode in response to the weather analysis, thereby providing the emitter electrode with an emitter electrode. And ionizing the vicinity of.

  According to a preferred embodiment, the method further comprises raising the emitter electrode to a predetermined height. According to a first alternative, the predetermined height is 6 m to 30 m, preferably 8 m to 15 m. According to the second aspect of the invention, the predetermined height is above 100 m, preferably above 500 m.

  It is generally preferred that the predetermined height is determined based on weather conditions within and / or near the target area. It is particularly preferred that the predetermined height is determined based on the altitude of the clouds in and / or near the target area. According to one preferred embodiment of the method, the predetermined height is at least 50%, preferably at least 65% of the altitude of the clouds in and / or near the target area.

  According to the first aspect, preferably the step of providing the emitter electrode includes mounting the emitter electrode on an insulating support. According to the second aspect, providing the emitter electrode preferably includes raising the emitter electrode using a light aircraft.

More preferably, the emitter electrode comprises a Malter film. The Malter film is a thin film made of one or a plurality of non-conductive materials, preferably one of the following materials: Al ₂ O ₃ , Zn ₂ SiO ₃ , SiO ₂ , ZrO ₂ , CaCO ₃ , Ta ₂ O ₅ . One or a combination of thin films.

  According to another preferred embodiment, the method of the present invention comprises the step of humidifying the soil below the emitter electrode with water or an aqueous conductive electrolyte solution.

  Preferably, one or more collector electrodes comprising a sheet of metal or wire mesh are disposed on the earth surface below the emitter electrode and electrically coupled to the one or more ground electrodes. In general, the method of the present invention can include providing one or more ground electrodes. Furthermore, a heat source can be disposed below the emitter electrode. The heat source can be achieved by a material that absorbs solar radiation distributed below the emitter electrode.

  According to one particular embodiment, a reservoir containing a conductive electrolyte solution may be provided, the reservoir being disposed on the earth surface below the emitter electrode and electrically coupled to one or more ground electrodes. Is done. In addition, a layer of conductive carbon grains can be provided on the surface of the earth, the layer being below the emitter electrode and electrically coupled to one or more ground electrodes.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the method of the invention, several emitter electrodes are provided and are configured as an emitter electrode assembly. Preferably several emitter electrode assemblies are provided. Some emitter electrode assemblies are preferably supported by, for example, a planar frame. Preferably, the emitter electrode assemblies are electrically coupled to each other and mechanically coupled to each other and to the sides of the frame using flexible joints. The frame is preferably arranged at an angle with the earth surface. The angle is preferably about 20 to about 70 degrees.

  In a preferred embodiment, the emitter electrode comprises two or more electrically coupled parallel wire segments that are separated by a distance across the surface of the frame. In a preferred example, the frame is triangular and both wire segment ends are held in place by a number of flexible supports fixed in pairs on each of the two sides of the frame. The flexible support provides a stress support mechanism for the wire segment. Preferably, the frame is triangular and the wire is wrapped around the frame in the form of a single strand through notches on the two sides of the frame, the notches being paired on those sides of the frame It is provided.

  The emitter electrode assembly is preferably isosceles triangular and is configured in one or more pyramids. The bottom surface of the pyramid preferably does not include the emitter electrode and is arranged parallel to the earth surface. Preferably, the apexes of adjacent pyramids face different directions.

  One skilled in the art will appreciate that the apparatus according to the first and second aspects of the present invention can be utilized to perform the methods described above. According to one particularly preferred embodiment of the method of the invention, two or more devices can be arranged in a row, in particular in the same direction as the prevailing wind. Thus, the effects to be achieved by the method according to the invention can be increased and even doubled. In addition or alternatively, two or more parallel rows of the devices described above are arranged in the form of a grid. The distance between the grid and in particular adjacent devices is preferably determined based on weather conditions in and / or near the target area.

  According to another aspect of the invention, the method described above can be utilized to achieve the opposite effect. Accordingly, a method for reducing precipitation within a first target area is provided. The method includes selecting a second target region for increasing precipitation and increasing the precipitation in the second target region by the method described above. Thereby, a decrease in precipitation occurs in the first target area. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any of the preferred features described above with respect to methods of increasing precipitation can be used in methods of decreasing precipitation.

  It should be further understood that any feature described with respect to the apparatus can be used to improve the method described above and vice versa.

  The methods and apparatus described above can be utilized in several applications of the present invention. According to a first aspect, the present invention is directed to the use of the apparatus and / or method described above for dissipating fog in a target area. One skilled in the art will appreciate that increased precipitation in a target area using the apparatus and / or method described above essentially dissipates any fog present in the target area.

  According to a second aspect, the present invention is directed to the use of the above-described apparatus and / or method for increasing cloud coverage within a target area. Thereby, the temperature of the earth surface in the target area is reduced.

  According to a third aspect, the present invention is directed to the use of the apparatus and / or method described above for the reduction of its formation probability and intensity at an early stage of cyclone development.

  According to a fourth aspect, the present invention is directed to the use of the above-described apparatus and / or method for inland marine water inflow and enhanced water recirculation in land.

  According to a fifth aspect, the present invention is directed to the use of the above-described apparatus and / or method for reforestation within a target area.

  Further aspects, objects and advantages of the present invention will now be described with reference to the figures.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1 is a sketch of a preferred embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention. 3 is a sketch of another preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention. FIG. 3 shows another preferred embodiment of the device of the present invention. FIG. 4 shows another preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention. FIG. 6 shows the configuration of several emitter electrode assemblies on a pyramid frame according to a preferred embodiment. It is a figure which shows the detail of a structure shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the detail of a structure shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the detail of a structure shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the detail of a structure shown in FIG. FIG. 3 shows a triangular embodiment of a basic emitter electrode assembly according to the present invention. FIG. 3 shows a triangular embodiment of a basic emitter electrode assembly according to the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a triangular basic emitter electrode assembly. FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of a triangular basic emitter electrode assembly. FIG. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the quasi-spherical capacitor | condenser by this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the light aircraft used for this invention. It is a figure which shows the Malter electrode by this invention. It is a figure which shows the Malter mesh by this invention. It is a figure which shows the Malter mesh by this invention. It is a figure which shows the Malter foil strip by this invention. It is a figure which shows the trajectory while a water molecule collides with ion.

  In the general method and its implementation described herein, artificial cloud charging is accomplished indirectly and remotely using terrestrial devices to seed electrically unstable overcharged droplets into the cloud. No technique is needed to do that. The basis of this method is to control the natural process of cloud charging in a controllable manner using the designed means, not to try to design it as an alternative. Some specific non-limiting embodiments primarily deal with increased precipitation within the target area. Increased precipitation in the ground area, in various embodiments, introduces additional charges to cloud particles in the target area of the atmosphere that are meteorologically related to the target ground area, which is later introduced into the target ground area. Implemented by causing precipitation on top.

Essentially every cloud is charged, i.e. contains some charged particles. In thunderstorm clouds, multiple mechanisms of strong internal charge are associated with precipitation formation, particularly ice formation, and thus form positive feedback between cloud charge and precipitation (MacGorman and Rust, 1988). Global thunderstorm activity is considered to be the dominant charge separator in the global electric circuit model (Wilson, 1929), in which the negatively charged Earth and positively charged A potential of about 250-300 kV is maintained between the ionosphere. Air ion (bipolar ionization) pairs of opposite polarity are continually generated by natural high-energy particles, primarily cosmic rays, in atmospheric air. In the clear sky region, those ions are driven by a so-called clear sky electric field, ie, a potential gradient from the ionosphere to the earth, and thus about 1 to 4 pAm ^{−2 of} atmospheric column, known as clear sky current or ambient current. Leakage current flowing at a density of

  Non-thunderstorm clouds with no internal charge or relatively weakness produce the majority of total precipitation on Earth. Such clouds are susceptible to external charging due to clear sky current. This is because the conductivity of the cloudy atmosphere is typically a fraction of the conductivity of the clear air at the same altitude, mainly due to the deposition of ions, which are mainly carriers of clear sky current, on the cloud particles. This is because it becomes small (Zhou and Tinsley, 2007). When an almost downward clear sky current flows through the clear-air to cloudy-air interface with high gradient conductivity, charge accumulates on the particles at the cloud boundary, i.e., positive charge is at the top and negative charge. Accumulates at the bottom.

  Charge separation in external cloud charging occurs as follows. When ion pairs are formed by high energy particles, initial charge separation on a microscopic scale occurs. The electric force in the clear electric field then pulls ions of opposite polarity in the opposite direction, i.e. positive ions downward and negative ions upward. Eventually, some of these ions will attach to the cloud, thus charging the cloud positively at the top of the cloud boundary and negatively at the bottom. Any charge separation requires energy input. The initial energy input for forming ion pairs is provided by high energy particles. The energy input required to separate the opposite sign ions to the macroscopic distance is provided by a global circuit that acts as a generator in this process.

  The average charge achieved on the cloud by external charge is proportional to the clear sky current density and is typically near the overcharge threshold (Zhou and Tinsley, 2007; Harrison and Ambum, 2008), which It suggests that the overcharged part of the grain can affect the cloud development. On the other hand, observations provide a lot of evidence that meteorological variables are strongly correlated with clear sky currents. Periodic and irregular fluctuations in solar activity modulate atmospheric ionization in the lower atmosphere and hence clear-air currents. Recent studies based on observations of the susceptibility of weather variables to solar activity strongly indicate that cosmic ray incidence cannot be ignored (Tinsley, 2000; Carslaw et al., 2002; Tinsley and Yu, 2002). Palle et al., 2004; Harrison and Ambum, 2008). Evidence for a statistical relationship between precipitation and cosmic ray flux was first presented by Kniveton and Todd (2001) and later by Zhao et al. (2004). A comparative analysis of correlations with heavy rain cosmic rays that differ at different locations around the Mediterranean coast was performed by Mavrakis and Lykoudis (2006).

  In principle, weather control can be achieved by controlling the density of clear-sky currents to which the external charge of non-thunderstorm clouds is affected. Because it is technically difficult to generate artificial bipolar ionization in large amounts of atmospheric air, increasing the clear field at cloud altitude is an option if possible. This can be achieved locally by the accumulation of charge on an object that acts as a charge capacitor below the cloud. Since the direction of the electric field of this capacitor is the same as the direction of the clear sky electric field (downward), a negative charge is preferable. The greater the rise of the capacitor on the ground, the greater the electric field strength at the cloud altitude. This is because the electric field of the opposite sign mirror image charge caused by the earth, which is conductive in this context, decreases with increasing capacitor at cloud altitude.

  When the capacitor in the above configuration is a sphere with a conductive surface of radius R, a common type of charge capacitor, raised to a height h above the ground and maintained at the potential U with respect to the ground The electric field E at cloud altitude H is given by:

  Equation (1) taking into account the effect of the aforementioned mirror image charge makes it possible to evaluate the practical requirements of the parameters R, U and h. To achieve E = 120 V / m at cloud bottom H = 600 m, which is a moderate electric field enhancement for clouds at that altitude and results in a several-fold increase in cloud charge current, R = 3 m at h = 300 m Should be set to a voltage of about U = 3.5 MeV.

  As a non-limiting example, the requirement to achieve the above-mentioned parameter value with a single digit opening is that the charged engine is grounded and the spherical capacitor electrically coupled to the charged engine is It can be technically fulfilled with a Van de Graff electromotive (VDGG) that is raised to the required height above the Earth's surface.

  A practical solution is to obtain a spherical light aircraft that acts as a VDGG capacitor by making the surface of the spherical light aircraft conductive, for example by covering the surface with metal foil or conductive paint. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, this light aviation capacitor 11 can be anchored to the earth surface 12 with a mooring rope 13, and the length of the mooring rope 13, and thus the rise of the capacitor, can be controlled by the reel 14. it can. A wire 15, which is in the vicinity of the rope by a loop attached to the support 16, for example a rope and is wound on a reel together with the rope, passes through a capacitor, another wire 17, (negative) of the VDGG charge engine 19. ) Electrically coupled to electrode 18 and (positive) base 110 of VDGG charge engine 19 is electrically coupled to ground 111. Such a support comprising a light aircraft and a mooring rope anchored to the earth's surface is hereinafter referred to as a mooring support.

  Since the electric field of this system weakens with distance from the capacitor and is only interested in the vertical component of the electric field, clouds passing through the vertical component of the electric field are charged for a limited time. The time required to fully charge the cloud can be estimated as follows. Assuming that the cloud is charged, i.e., the charge distribution is finally established, the conservation law for space charge density ρ and clear sky current density vector J changes as follows.

  Assuming further that Ohm's law is valid, then J and the electric field strength E are

It is related as follows.

  The Poisson equation relating E and ρ is

It is.

In this equation, ε is the dielectric permittivity of air, which is approximately equal to the dielectric permittivity in vacuum, ie ε to ε ₀ = 8.85 × 10 ⁻¹² Fm ⁻¹ . Substituting equation (3) into (4) and taking into account equation (2) yields the following equation:

  Assuming that the gradient of electrical resistivity 1 / σ in (5) is perpendicular to the boundary between clear and cloudy atmospheres and the coordinate axis x is selected along this gradient, it relates to the absolute value of space charge density. The following equation can be obtained from (5).

Here, J _n is a component perpendicular to the atmospheric current density (relative to the boundary surface), Δx is the width of the boundary surface between the clear sky atmosphere and the cloudy atmosphere, and σ _cld is the conductivity of the cloudy atmosphere. Where σ _air = γσ _cld is the conductivity (γ> 1) of clear air. In many cases, the boundary is flat and parallel to the Earth's surface, so J _n can be approximated to be the vertical component of atmospheric current density. An estimate of the time τ required for charge accumulation can be obtained as the ratio of the surface charge on the cloudy boundary | ρ | Δx to the current density J _n . As obtained from (5), τ = ε (γ−1) / σ _air . For typical values σ _air ˜10 ⁻¹³ Ω ⁻¹ m ⁻¹ and γ˜10, this time τ is about 900 seconds, ie 15 minutes. A cloud can pass a distance of several kilometers during that time, depending on its horizontal velocity, and therefore, a plurality of elevated capacitors are reasonably continuous to the passing cloud along the direction of cloud movement. A distance should be provided between them to ensure an enhanced electric field and thus atmospheric current. The distance between the capacitors in the row is not more than twice the distance between the cloud base and the capacitor.

  In practice, a unit comprising a two-dimensional grid (cluster) of raised capacitors (elements) may be required to achieve a sufficient width of the cloud charge area. Each capacitor may be in a fixed position, for example, movable on a truck or boat. Depending on the atmospheric conditions and the degree of influence achieved, the effect can be observed over a period ranging from 20-30 minutes to 1-2 hours from the start of the influence. Therefore, under the changing speed and direction of cloud motion, and other atmospheric conditions, a network of multiple units that are selectively activated is generally required to achieve an effect within a particular target area. is there.

  Another approach is based on the formation of floating space charge in the area below the cloud base of the atmosphere, which can be achieved from ground facilities at altitudes below that required for the floating capacitors discussed. . The space charge contained in an amount of air is defined as the sum of the charge of all particles (including ions and charged aerosols) contained in that amount, taking into account its sign. The generated air charge plume, which acts as a floating charge capacitor, is then raised by natural and / or artificial updrafts. In contrast to ions, the lifetime of the space charge accumulated by the aerosol is much longer, typically up to about 20-40 minutes, so that the space charge column is at altitudes up to several kilometers depending on the updraft. It is possible to rise up to.

  During an operating session, a negative or negative space charge is preferably continuously generated by charging a natural or artificial aerosol contained in a location at a sufficient velocity and at a sufficient height above the ground to determine the initial column height. Should be generated. In contrast to the discussed case of charged solid state capacitors, the clouds can be charged above the generated space charge column that propagates into the atmosphere, not necessarily directly above the device.

  Predict both the area and extent of cloud charge, depending on the space charge column dynamics, based on meteorological data sets and specific space charge generator characteristics to estimate where the effect will occur when it can be achieved be able to. Many models of aerosol column dynamics, developed over the past decades for various atmospheric conditions, based on the Gaussian dispersion model, are charged aerosol particles whose motion is mainly governed by atmospheric motion due to low electrical mobility Can be applied to any pillar. The basic input parameter set for the column model includes the generator charge rate (ie, the charge that the aerosol acquires per unit time), the initial column height, wind speed and direction, and the atmospheric stability class (ie, atmospheric turbulence There is a vertical and horizontal standard deviation of the space charge distribution that varies with the scale. Some models developed for certain atmospheric conditions require additional weather parameters.

  The method for predicting the artificial cloud charge is as follows. If atmospheric conditions are preferred, including the presence of appropriate clouds, meteorological data, including those related to cloud base, cloud cover, and column modeling parameters, are continuously collected to obtain parameter values. Data should be collected over a large area with column propagation potential, typically over several tens of kilometers.

  Since the charge rate of the space charge generator varies with atmospheric conditions (discussed later), the rate is also measured and / or modeled based on weather data. Next, the model most suitable for prevailing atmospheric conditions is selected and executed. Obtaining a modeled density profile of the space charge, a two-dimensional profile of the vertical component of the column's electric field, and hence the associated atmospheric current (AEC) near the known altitude cloud base, is then taken from the space charge profile to the entire column volume. It can be obtained by numerical integration. On the other hand, other profiles, such as the profile of the space charge density generated on the cloud boundary, the electric field in the cloud, and the charge distribution on the cloud particle (provided that the cloud particle spectrum is measured using a radiometer, for example) Can be obtained, for example, based on the technique of Zhou and Tinsley (2007).

  For climate control, a predictive model of the outcome of a given (in this case electrical) impact is available with the current state-of-the-art technology, which can predict the onset and amount of precipitation, particularly with acceptable accuracy. is not. Due to the large variability and the current availability of computational power for multi-channel processing at high resolution, as well as the large number of processes and parameters involved, such models are unlikely to be available in the near future.

  The method of cloud charge modeling described above can be further extended to achieve some quantitative assessment of triggered precipitation, provided that the following method is implemented. At this stage, only statistical techniques can provide a certain degree of certainty that a given influence that is parameterized in a certain way is likely to have an effect that should also be appropriately parameterized. Correlation between effect parameters and effect parameters under similar atmospheric conditions can be done using artificial intelligence expert systems, such as industry standard Hugin or custom-developed implementations, based on historical data of climate control within a specific area. It can be quantified statistically. In this method, the similarity of atmospheric conditions should also be parameterized, and the similarity for each parameter, i.e. the maximum allowable difference in values between cases should be defined. Parameter sets for similarity of atmospheric conditions include, but are not limited to, parameters of high-level meteorological maps, as well as cloud type, cloud bottom altitude, temperature spatial profile, ice particle and droplet spectra, supersaturation, etc. There is a cloud parameter.

  As in the case of elevated solid capacitors, when using space charge generators to generate or enhance precipitation within moderately large target areas under varying atmospheric conditions, the network of such generator clusters May be necessary. In order to be effective for weather control purposes, the design of the space charge generator should be optimized to achieve the best possible performance. Preferably, this embodiment should be practical, especially with respect to its utilization and mobility. It may also be advantageous to facilitate initial vertical transport of space charge. In this method, it is important not to overcharge the aerosol particles, but to achieve a large space charge generation rate, since it is not necessary to supply charged aerosol into the cloud.

  The concept of a cost-effective space charge generator based on charging natural atmospheric aerosols with corona discharge (monopolar) ions in an open air environment was first introduced by Vonnegut (1962). In order to test the device outlined in the Vonnegut patent and the hypothesis about convective charging by supplying natural space charge into the clouds, Vonnegut and Moore (1958) have a diameter of about 0.25 mm. A simple EECD with a 7 km long straight wire was utilized. In this embodiment, the wire was supported on 80 metal antenna masts about 10 m above the ground along its length and connected to the negative electrode of a commercial DC power supply operating at a voltage of 25 kV. The positive electrode of the DC power supply was grounded and the earth served as the corona discharge collector electrode.

  It is more practical to use a thin wire as the emitter electrode than to use a needle-type electrode with a sharp tip. This is because needle-type electrodes are insensitive due to electrochemical corrosion, while wire corrosion occurs more slowly and approximately uniformly along its length. Thin wires also minimize the release of hazardous gases such as ozone and nitrogen oxides when an excessively strong electric field is applied to the surface of the emitter electrode, which can occur when using sharp tips. In contrast, by using a corona discharge with a moderate electric field over a large surface area of the wire, large ion emissions can be achieved without releasing hazardous gases.

  However, the basic design of Vonnegut and Moore is not practical with regard to the use, scaling, relocation, and maintenance of thin and fragile wires. In addition, the support (mast) may introduce large leakage currents flowing through it. In high voltage environments, any support structure having a conductivity that cannot be absolute zero can introduce leakage current. When the support structure is wetted under wet conditions, its conductivity can increase. Due to the leakage current, a ground with finite conductivity can no longer be considered conductive, especially where there is a large separation between the ground electrode (ground point) of the DC power source and the support, which means that the emitter This results in performance degradation of the emitter electrode caused by a decrease in voltage on the electrode and possibly overload of the DC power supply.

  A significant improvement over the basic design shown in FIG. 2 is that the wire or electrically coupled wire segments are miniaturized and placed in an emitter electrode assembly (EEA) 21 which is preferably Is raised to a certain height above the ground by a single support 22 and is electrically coupled to the negative electrode 24 of the DC power source 25 using, for example, a suitable wire 23, which is connected to the ground point. 26 is electrically coupled. Such a design was proposed in the Russian patent (2001) by Rostopchin et al.

  By definition, the EEA comprises one or more electrically coupled emitter electrodes and a structure that supports the emitter electrodes, hereinafter referred to as an emitter electrode frame or simply an electrode frame. According to the design of Rostopchin et al., The EEA frame is in the shape of an isosceles pyramid, and the wire is wound around the side of the pyramid in the form of a single strand. A single EEA is mounted on the support using a holder or bracket (not shown in FIG. 2). A high voltage insulator (not shown in FIG. 2) is disposed between the support and the bracket.

  The ratio of ion production rate, called ion current, to leakage current is an important performance characteristic of the corona discharge embodiment. Attempts should be made to achieve the highest possible value of the ionic current to leakage current ratio, which depends on the support quality, among other factors. The support quality has the insulating properties of the support and the highest possible ionic current output so that the support can support a large mechanical load, ie EEA with the weight and momentum that the electrode frame contributes mainly. It depends on both abilities.

  Thus, a first improvement to the design of Rostopchin et al. Is to eliminate the insulator and build a seamless support from the appropriate insulating material. Such measures can reduce the weight of the support and improve both mechanical strength and electrical resistivity. In this case, the support is a rigid vertical structure having two ends, the first of which is fixed to the ground and the second of which is fixed to the EEA. A non-limiting example of a body is a telescopic mast formed from hollow glass fiber segments and stabilized by three or more mooring ropes secured to the ground. Such masts that can be easily transported in segments and that allow easy maintenance of loads are widely used to support antennas.

  In another improved embodiment proposed here, a mooring support for EEA raised by a light aircraft is used as an alternative, which can easily change the raised height, for example for maintenance purposes. This is particularly advantageous when it is necessary to do this, or as is often seen as discussed later, but the required height is difficult to achieve using ground support.

  A non-limiting example illustrating the concept of a moored support is one embodiment shown in FIG. A light aircraft 31 is mechanically coupled to a first end of a support rod 33 that supports an EEA 34 (ie, is secured to its frame) using a rope or pivot joint 32. The upper end portion of the mooring support rope 35 whose length is controlled by the reel 36 is fixed to the support rod. A wire 37, which is in the vicinity of the rope by a loop attached to the support 38, for example a rope, and is wound on a reel together with the rope, uses another wire 39 to connect the first of the charging engine of a DC power supply 311, for example a VDGG The first (negative) electrode 310 is electrically coupled, and the second (positive) electrode 312 of the DC power supply 311 is electrically coupled to the ground point 313.

  Regardless of the type of support, support parts, such as masts and ropes, should be made of a fat-like insulating water repellent material to prevent a continuous conductive water film from accumulating on those parts under wet conditions. It is recommended to be covered with film.

  Even if the leakage current is minimized, the achievement of a large ionic current may introduce the aforementioned problem that the voltage on the emitter electrode is lost due to the finite conductivity of the ground. A further improvement to this embodiment (see FIG. 2) is that one or more grounding points 27 that are electrically coupled to the grounding point of the DC power source, eg, using appropriate wires 28, near the corona discharge. Is to introduce. The number of grounding points required depends on the current consumption, the type of ground, and the ground area below the EEA to which most of the generated ions travel. In the case of negative corona discharge, this area is hereinafter referred to as the anode area. A wider anode area is preferred for charging aerosols contained in larger amounts of air. As a guide, the radius of the anode area should be at least equal to the rising height of the EEA. The type of ground and the current consumption define the density of ground points within the anode area that are necessary to maintain sufficient conductivity of the anode area. For example, if the ground is moist soil, the current consumption is about 100-200 μA, and a single ground point is introduced below the EEA operating under a voltage of 70 kV, the anode area has a radius of up to 5-8 m. Have If the soil is dry, a grid of grounding points is required that covers the anode area and is electrically coupled to each other and to the grounding point of the DC power source. In this case, the distance between adjacent ground points arranged in the form of a grid should be 1-2 m. Typically, the ground point, which is a ground rod made of a conductive material, such as metal, should reach the soil layer, if any, which is deeper and preferably wetter than the surface. For average soil, the minimum recommended depth of ground rod is about 0.5 m. For dry soil, the minimum depth should be deeper.

  Instead of or in addition to utilizing a larger number of ground points, the conductivity of the soil in the anode area can also be increased by humidifying (watering) during operation of the space charge generator. Preferably, in order to minimize positive corona discharge on the plant tip, the soil is an aqueous solution with common minerals that inhibits plant growth below the ion generator, i.e. an environment such as salt water. Humidified using a gentle electrolyte.

  In addition or alternatively, other types of corona discharges rather than earth, especially when humidification is inefficient or impractical, for example when the installation surface is a building roof or rocky terrain A collector electrode can be introduced to replace or augment the soil in the anode area. Thus, in some embodiments (see FIG. 2), a highly conductive collector electrode 29, such as one or more sheets of metal or wire mesh, is placed on the ground, for example using suitable wires. It can be directly electrically coupled to the ground electrode of the DC power source.

  In yet another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, a reservoir 41 filled with a conductive electrolyte solution such as salt water is electrically coupled to a local ground point 42, and a wire 45 is connected to a ground point 43 of a DC power source 44. Can be electrically coupled to each other and placed below the EEA 46 raised by the ground support 47, thereby allowing the reservoir 41 to act as a corona discharge collector electrode. In this case, in addition to improving the conductivity of the soil by spreading the electrolyte solution using, for example, an air stream, the artificial aerosol 48 is removed from the residue of the evaporated electrolyte droplets released by bursting the foam. Can be generated.

  Techniques for improving the effectiveness of the Earth surface as a collector electrode and / or introducing other collector electrodes as discussed are also applicable to embodiments using anchoring supports. For example, the performance of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 can be achieved by introducing an additional ground point 314 and an additional corona discharge collector electrode (not shown) coupled to the ground point 313 of the DC power supply 311 as described above. Can be improved.

  According to the design of Rostopchin et al., The pyramidal plane that the wire segment traverses is arranged at an angle with the earth surface. Two advantages of such an embodiment of the EEA are that the horizontal wind causes the generated space charge to be transferred, fresh atmospheric aerosol is supplied for charging, and reduces the ion generation performance of the wire. The number of times the same air mass containing space charges passes through the wire is minimized. The optimum value for this angle is about 20-70 degrees under typical atmospheric conditions.

  In EEA embodiments such as Rostopchin et al., Larger ionic currents can be achieved by using thinner wires, increasing wiring density, using larger frames, or combinations thereof. However, certain limitations apply to the use of larger frames due to the limited mechanical performance of the frame.

  The separation distance between the wire segments determines the wiring density. This density cannot be increased indefinitely. For a particular segment, the electric field from other segments affects the production of ions. For a given value of voltage and wire thickness, there is a certain limitation in separation distance that subsequent addition of a new wire segment on the frame does not result in a significant increase in ion generation capacity. For a voltage of 50-70 kV and a wire of 0.1-0.2 mm in diameter, this separation distance is about 1.5-3 cm. To increase the maximum effective density of wiring under a given voltage, it is necessary to use thinner wires.

  The thinner the wire, the more susceptible to deterioration due to corrosion, and the higher the requirement for its corrosion resistance. A non-limiting example of a commercially available wire suitable for this purpose is a Monel wire that is a high corrosion resistant Ni + Co + Cu base alloy with a diameter of 0.1-0.2 mm.

  The thinner the wire, the more rigid the frame (ie, more dimensionally stable) to support the wire. If thinner wires are used and / or the frame size is increased, thicker and heavier planks or rods should be used, which is the best wiring possible with a given weight of EEA Defeats the purpose of achieving long and therefore ion emissions.

  One solution to this problem is to use several smaller EEAs with pyramid frames in this case instead of one large EEA. A non-limiting example of such an embodiment 50 is shown in FIG. 5, where six EEAs of triangular pyramid shape are utilized. As a non-limiting example, vertices 51a and 52a of adjacent EEAs 51 and 52 are alternately facing up and down, respectively. This design allows for optimal ventilation with horizontal wind and reduces the number of times the same air mass containing space charge passes through the EEAs 51 and 52. In order to obtain further stability, the apexes of the upward pyramids are connected by a rod 53, which does not carry a strong load and can therefore be lightweight. On the other hand, these rods are connected to a plate 55 attached to the top of the mast 56 using rods or support ropes 54. Similarly, the apexes of the downward-facing pyramids are also connected by a rod 57, which is connected to a bracket 59 attached to the mast using a rod or support rope 58.

  A non-limiting example of a practical implementation of this design is shown in FIG. 6a, where the bottom surface of the upward pyramid 61a and the bottom surface of the downward pyramid 62a are located in different surfaces 63a and 64a, respectively. ing. The edges of the pyramid bases in different planes are mechanically joined using the support 61b of FIG. 6b, preferably having some flexibility. Within each plane, as shown in FIG. 6c, the edge of the corresponding pyramid 61c is fixed to the support plate 62c using bolts and nuts 63c. As shown in FIG. 6d, the support plate 62d on each surface to which the edge of the pyramid bottom surface 61d is fixed using a bolt and a nut 63d is located at a position along the mast 66d using the upper bracket 64d and the lower bracket 65d. Fixed.

  However, the pyramid shape is not the only shape that is optimal for EEA. In the form of a modular design in which at least two parallel segments traverse the surface, preferably two planar frames whose surfaces are arranged at an angle with the earth surface are mechanically and electrically coupled to each other A wide variety of EEA can be implemented. Such an EEA module comprising a planar frame and a supported wire segment of the EECD arranged parallel to each other with a separation distance between them is hereinafter referred to as basic EEA (EEEA).

  In general, the shape of the EEEA frame can be a polygon, but mechanically, the most stable shape is a triangle. The pre-assembled EEEA can be easily transported in large quantities due to its planar shape, and the EEA can be assembled from the EEEA at the installation site, and the EEA can be disassembled into the EEEA.

  As a non-limiting example, a pyramidal EEA can be assembled from three or more EEEAs having the same size and the same isosceles triangular shape. Compared to the pyramid EEA, where the wire segments form a continuous wire, i.e. a wire wound around the entire frame in the form of a single strand, this embodiment has a portion of the wiring that is disrupted, for example, by a wire break by a bird It is more robust because it is less.

  The side of the EEEA frame, which may be a rod or plank, for example, can be formed from a conductive material or a non-conductive material. When a metal frame is used, for example when the metal frame is formed from a hollow tube, care should be taken that the wire does not come into direct contact with a frame formed from a different metal in open air. Otherwise, the wire segments can quickly break at the point of contact in an electrochemical corrosive environment and can therefore break apart.

  By way of non-limiting example, in one embodiment of the EEEA 70a triangle shown in FIG. 7a, several wire segment supports 71a, eg hook-like shapes, are paired with each of the two sides 72a and 73a of the frame. Each support holds a corresponding end of the wire segment 74a (inset). The wire segment may form a continuous wire or may be wound around the support in the form of two or more strands. The ends of these strands (in this case one strand is shown) are fixed at points 75a and 76a through which this EEEA is electrically coupled to the other EEEA, The EEEA can be electrically coupled so as to make it difficult to break the wire. It is preferred to use a somewhat flexible non-metallic support or a support formed from the same metal as the wire. This is because the stress on the wire can be reduced if the sides of the frame are slightly bent under varying external forces. The vertical post of the support can also be formed in the form of a spring. A spring-based support 71b inside the frame is shown in FIG. 7b (inset).

  In preferred embodiments, the solution proposed herein is to separate the weight support frame structure from the wire support frame structure but flexibly join them. In this configuration, several smaller EEEAs with lightweight frames that are stiff enough to support higher density wiring using thinner wires can be supported with each other and with weight support using flexible joints ( Coupled to the (external) plane frame. When the wiring of a certain EEEA is disconnected, the EEEA can be quickly replaced without having to rewire the field. As a non-limiting example, the flexible joint can be a spring or a suitable zigzag shaped piece of wire that acts as a spring. As with the basic frame, a larger EEA structure can be assembled from an external frame that supports the EEEA.

  FIG. 8 shows how the triangular EEEA 80 takes advantage of the longer overall length of the thinner wire 81 by making the frame 82 external to some smaller EEEA 83 connected to the flexible joint 84. A non-limiting example showing whether it can be accommodated.

  As a non-limiting example, another triangular embodiment of EEEA 90 supported by an outer frame is shown in FIG. A frame 91 formed from a flat plank of insulating material, eg painted wood, has a notch 92 along its length on each of the two sides of the frame, through which the wire 93 is wrapped around the frame as shown to form parallel segments between the notches on either side of the frame (the wires on the opposite side of the frame are shown as dotted lines). The ends of the wire strands are fixed at points 94 and 95 through which this EEEA is electrically coupled to other EEEAs, and can optionally be electrically coupled.

  Instead of or in addition to using an outer frame that supports a smaller EEEA using a flexible joint, a wire mesh rather than a parallel wire segment can be used as the emitter electrode. By using such a mesh in EEEA that is somewhat self-supporting, larger frames can be used. This is because the mesh is much less susceptible to frame deformation than the wire. The attachment of the mesh to the frame can be accomplished in a variety of ways without the need for multiple supports or notches in the case of wire segments. Compared to wire segments, the conductive mesh is more robust both mechanically and electrically against wire breakage. It is also easier to replace broken or corroded meshes.

  Rostopchin et al. Mentions that when EEA is operated at sub-zero temperatures, frost accumulates on the wire, which reduces the performance of the wire as an emitter electrode. To address this problem, Rostopchin et al. Proposed using an electric heater and fan to send warm air towards the EEA. Rostopchin et al. Recognized that this technique does not work satisfactorily in the presence of strong winds that move warm air before it reaches the EEA.

  A practical solution to this problem is to self-heat the wire by passing a low voltage current through the wire. If a low voltage circuit is configured using a conventional power source such as a transformer, it may be technically difficult to electrically isolate the high voltage circuit from the low voltage circuit, and leakage current may be introduced. Therefore, it becomes a problem. The solution proposed here is to use an electromagnetic radiation source such as a microwave oscillator with a suitable antenna to heat the emitter electrode remotely without direct electrical contact. In this case, current is generated in a closed wire circuit, such as a wire mesh segment or a wire strand having an electrically coupled end that is part of the emitter electrode, warming the emitter electrode.

  The elevation height of the EEA on the ground is an important parameter that determines the aerosol charging efficiency. Ions generated by EEA tend to flow toward the corona discharge collector electrode, i.e., downward. Ion motion is mainly governed by a strong electric field in the vicinity of the emitter electrode and by both wind and electric field further away from the emitter electrode. Since most of the atmospheric aerosol is charged between the EEA and the Earth's surface, the EEA rise is preferably increased before the generated ions are wasted by recombination when they reach the Earth's surface. It should be high enough to ensure that the part adheres to the aerosol.

  In still air, this optimal ascent height depends on the spectrum of aerosol particles in atmospheric air, particularly their number concentration, which is a relatively aerosol-rich ground air that can ignore ionic recombination ( determine the lifetime of the ions in terrestrial air). Under most conditions, this time is usually 3-8 minutes.

  Thus, the optimal climb height in still air can be estimated as the distance that ions can travel between the EEA and the Earth's surface during their lifetime. In practice, this distance for a particular EEA embodiment can be measured by measuring the spatial electric field profile below the EEA and using existing techniques, and charged particle trajectories during ion lifetime (and Therefore, it can be found experimentally by subsequent numerical calculation of the vertical path).

  Alternatively, the optimal ascent height can be found experimentally by measuring the concentration of negative ions with increasing ascent of EEA. A significant decrease in ion concentration after a certain rise indicates that an optimum rise has been reached.

  In fact, according to an experimental study by Jones and Hutchinson (1975) on the generation of space charge columns using a basic point-to-ground corona discharge unit in the presence of wind, The optimal climb height should be at least about 9m. Utilizing more advanced embodiments of EEA, such as those proposed herein, will likely require even higher ascents. If achieving an optimum height is difficult using ground supports, generators with more space charge generators and / or tethered supports should be utilized.

  If more space charge generators are utilized to compensate for their performance degradation due to sub-optimal climb heights, the height should be at least 6 m.

  In this regard, an embodiment using a moored support may be preferred. The higher the EEA rises, the higher the operating voltage required to achieve the same ion current. In this regard, it may be advantageous to use VDGG as an alternative to commercially available DC power supplies. In this case, a VDGG light aircraft spherical capacitor can be used as a light aircraft. In this class of embodiments shown in FIG. 10, an EEA frame 101 is used with a plurality of support rods 103 and legs 104 distributed evenly around the surface of a light aircraft spherical condenser (aircraft) 102 over the entire surface. Can be arranged. A mooring rope 105 secured to a light aircraft spherical condenser (aircraft) and a wire 106 electrically coupled to the EEA are connected to the other components of this embodiment (not listed) as in FIG. The Since the aircraft may be inflatable and therefore its radius may change, the support rod should be of variable length and a stress support mechanism should be provided on the leg, for example by incorporating a spring.

  Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 11, an EEA frame 111 is secured around the surface of a non-light aircraft spherical or quasi-spherical condenser by non-flexible support rods 112. As a non-limiting example, a quasi-spherical capacitor can be assembled from a lightweight sheet 113 having a conductive outer surface, for example formed from plastic and covered with a conductive paint, electrically coupled and mechanically joined. it can. By way of a non-limiting example, such a sheet can be cut and configured like a swatch on a soccer ball surface. The initially degassed balloon is placed inside the condenser and then it is inflated with a gas that is lighter than air, such as helium, until the gas occupies the volume of the condenser and makes it easier to float.

  Another proposed light aircraft embodiment 120 is shown in FIG. EEEA 121 with wire mesh sections, or mesh or parallel wire segments, are electrically coupled and mechanically joined to form a quasi-spherical shaped EEA. When EEEA with a frame is used, it is preferable to connect the sides of the frame using flexible joints as discussed above. The swollen sphere 122 is evenly distributed inside the surface of the mesh and attached thereto, for example by a small loop. If a framed EEEA is used in this embodiment, the spheres are attached to a pair of joined frame sides. A balloon 123 is placed inside the EEA and then it is inflated with a gas lighter than air until the sphere is a stress support for the EEA. In this configuration, a sufficiently large EEA having a diameter of a few meters can act as an emitter electrode and a capacitor. This is because in this case the system has its own (substantial) capacity.

  Ion currents flowing out of the EEA in directions other than downward are not negligible at the EEA lift height achievable with a moored support that can reach several hundred meters. This is because the positively charged electric field remaining on the ground that dominates the downward ion flow together with the generated space charge electric field decreases with increasing height. Therefore, a uniform distribution of the surface of the EEA around a light aircraft or light aviation capacitor is recommended, where the majority of the ions propagate in all directions starting from the EEA.

A significant enhancement of the generated ionic current can be achieved by introducing the Malter effect in the above embodiment. Malter (1936) is a thin film made of several non-conductive materials such as Al ₂ O ₃ , Zn ₂ SiO ₃ , SiO ₂ , ZrO ₂ , CaCO ₃ , Ta ₂ O ₅ and a small number of other oxides. However, it was observed that secondary electron emission occurred from the surface of the film when applied to the cathode subjected to electron impact. Such an electrode is hereinafter referred to as a Malter electrode. Secondary electron emission leaves a net positive charge on the surface of the membrane of the Malter electrode, hereinafter referred to as the Malter film, thereby creating a strong electric field across the Malter film layer. Since the Malter film is not conductive, the positive charge does not neutralize as fast as it accumulates, so that the film layer is the film surface and the cathode surface, whose “electrode plates” are oppositely charged. Acts as a dielectric medium for capacitors. Electrons emitted on the cathode surface in a very strong electric field pass further through the Malter film into the air and eventually form negatively charged molecular clusters, ie negative ions. In order for the Malter effect to occur, there must be an initiating source of particles or ionizing radiation (eg, high energy electrons, ions, X-rays, ultraviolet radiation) that can extract electrons from the film surface. Also, the cathode's electron emission rate must be greater than the rate at which positive charges are extracted from the film surface. When a Malter electrode is bombarded by electrons, the ionic current emitted by this electrode can be up to several thousand times greater than the primary bombardment current, depending on conditions (Hawkes, 1992).

  As a non-limiting example, the larger ionic current produced by EEEA can be achieved by introducing an additional Malter electrode 131 in the form of a thicker wire segment coated with a Malter film, as shown in FIG. Can be achieved. The Malter electrode 131 is parallel to the thin wire segment 134 and is electrically coupled to the thin wire segment 134 by, for example, a soldering point 132 on the film-free area 133. The thin wire segment 134 primarily serves as a starting source for adjacent malter electrodes, which may be based on hollow wires (tubes) rather than solid wires to minimize weight. For the sake of simplicity, the tubular wire is hereinafter called a wire. Such a wire pair 130 replaces the ordinary wire in the discussed embodiment. The diameter of the Malter wire should be large enough and the thin wire should be close enough to the Malter wire to ensure effective impact of the Malter wire by emitted electrons and ions. Since the electric field strength applied to the surface of the wire is inversely proportional to the diameter of the wire, impact electrons and negative ions that are decelerated by the electric field of the Malter wire reach the surface of the wire when the diameter of the Malter wire is sufficiently large. The impact required for the next release can be brought about. Furthermore, a wire with a larger diameter provides a greater ionization output per unit length because of its wider emission surface. More than one corona starter wire can be used per malter wire.

  If the emitter electrode is a mesh as shown in FIG. 14, a similar approach can be taken to introduce the Malter effect, where the segments of the Malter mesh 140 are above (left) and below the surface of the mesh. (Right figure). Thin wires 141 are placed as described above and soldered at points 142 to a first set of parallel wires 143 consisting of a thick wire mesh covered with a Malter film. Similarly, a thin wire 144 is also placed below and soldered at point 145 to a second set of parallel mesh wires 146 perpendicular to the first set of wires 143. If the second set of mesh wires is on top of the first set of mesh wires (eg, the upper set of wires is welded to the lower set of wires), another configuration of thin wires is shown in FIG. In the figure, segments of the Malter mesh 150 are seen above (left figure) and below (right figure) the surface of the mesh. On the left, a thin wire 151 is placed over the first (lower) set of wires 152 by soldering to a second (upper) set of wires 154 of the Malter mesh wire at point 153. On the right, a thin wire 155 is placed under the second set of wires by soldering to the first set of Malter mesh wires at point 156.

  Alternatively, the Malter electrode can be a metal foil whose one or both surfaces are coated with a Malter film. Such a Malter electrode is hereinafter referred to as a Malter foil. In this configuration, a thin corona “ignition” wire is placed near and secured to one or both surfaces of the malter foil, as discussed above for the malter wire. A non-limiting example of such a configuration in which the Malter foil is a strip is shown in FIG. One or more thin wires 161 are placed on one or both surfaces 162 of the Malter electrode and secured thereto at points 163. As in the case of ordinary wire and malter wire pairs, such electrodes replace the wires in the discussed EEEA. Thus, the wire mesh can be replaced by a mesh formed from a strip of Malter foil and preferably corona wire fixed to both active surfaces of the foil.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, another alternative is to replace the entire surface of the wire mesh or wire segment in the EEEA with a Malter foil with the corona wire on its outer surface.

  When the concentration of aerosol in the atmosphere is low, some embodiments are manufactured by TSI Incorporated, for example, Shoreview, Minnesota, USA, to increase the amount of aerosol in the air surrounding the EEA, particularly below the EEA Artificial aerosol generators, such as those, can be provided. Preferably, the aerosol generator is located below the EEA of the space charge generator. It is also possible to use a reservoir containing the solute to be spread that is used as an alternative or additional collector electrode as discussed above.

  Atmospheric motion, such as horizontal and vertical updrafts, increases the efficiency of aerosol charging by moving air masses containing charged aerosols and supplying air masses containing fresh aerosols. Moreover, the optimal climb height can be reduced due to atmospheric motion. In this regard, it is advantageous to create an updraft that increases the artificial atmospheric motion, particularly the initial rise of the space charge column.

  Thus, in some embodiments, a fan or heat source can be placed below the EEA. Various types of burners that can also serve as aerosol generators can be utilized as a heat source. If a wire mesh is used as an additional or alternative corona discharge collector electrode, it can be made a heat source by raising it a short distance from the ground, for example by passing a low voltage strong current from a transformer through it. Heating using solar radiation can be achieved by providing a black surface of conductive material that can also act as a “heat island”, ie, a corona discharge collector electrode, around the space charge generator. A practical solution is to coat the ground with a carbon material, for example, black, conductive granules of natural coal.

  In addition to the atmospheric aerosol charge that leads to RCC by enhancing the clear sky current, a corona discharge that generates a sufficiently large AEC of monopolar ions can have another effect of adjusting the relative humidity profile in the atmosphere. As a result, a vertical motion of the wet air mass that promotes the rise of the space charge column can occur, and atmospheric instability can be locally generated or enhanced. Atmospheric instability can promote cloud formation under favorable atmospheric conditions.

  The physical mechanism for separating atmospheric moisture (water vapor) from other air components, referred to hereinafter as selective moisture transport (SMT), which repositions the vapor, is as follows. Collisions between moving ions and air molecules cause momentum transfer from moving ions to air molecules, which appears as viscous forces acting on the ions per unit time. In the absence of an electric field, this process is random (brown) and the average macroscopic momentum transfer is zero. However, in a DC corona discharge, most of the generated ions have the same (negative) charge, and therefore most of them move in the same direction. Because the movement of ions is so ordered, the momentum transfer from ions to air molecules appears as a force on the air on a macroscopic scale, making the air an “ionic wind” in the dominant direction of ion movement. Shed. However, previous studies have overlooked that the generated “ionic wind” accelerates water vapor to a much higher degree than other air components and moves the vapors ahead of other components in the air stream. It was.

In contrast to other air component molecules, water molecules (H ₂ O) have their own electric dipole moment. Because of the attractive charge-dipole electrical force between ions and water molecules, water molecules collide with ions when collisions of ions with other air molecules cannot be geometrically possible, Therefore, the momentum moved from the ions can be obtained.

  The trajectory of water molecules versus non-water molecules is shown in FIG. 17, which is a trajectory 171 that moves parallel to the axis X at a distance γ from the axis X (collision distance) toward the air ion 172 of radius R. This shows the effect of increasing the collision cross section of water molecules having Non-aqueous molecules moving at a distance γ from the axis X parallel to the axis X can collide with ions only when γ <R. In contrast, water molecules having a collision distance R <γ <ρ (where ρ is the maximum collision distance of water molecules) can also collide with ions due to the attractive charge-dipole electrical force. . In this regard, water molecules behave differently from other air molecules during collisions with atmospheric ions, and the difference is explained in terms of the collision cross section, which in this case is determined by the maximum collision distance. Since ρ> R, the collision cross section of water molecules is larger than the collision cross section of non-water molecules.

The collision cross-sectional area ratio between water molecules and non-water molecules, called enhancement factor, was estimated by Nadykto et al. (2003). For typical air ions having a diameter of 0.6 nm, the enhancement factor has been found to be about 7. From the dipole moment of the water molecule H ₂ O, such as water dimer (H ₂ O) ₂ and others that appear at higher concentrations when the vapor is closer to saturation ((H ₂ O) _n , n> 2) It has been found that in the case of a water molecule cluster having a large dipole moment, the enhancement factor value is even greater. The larger the ion-molecule collision cross section, the greater the number of ion-molecule collisions. Therefore, the momentum that moves to a molecule contained in a certain amount of air per unit time, that is, the macroscopic force applied to that amount of air is greater. growing. Thus, this average force per molecule is greater in the case of water molecules, i.e. the water molecules get a greater acceleration. This process of SMT can provide progressively increased relative humidity in some areas of air at the expense of drying in other areas where moisture is taken, i.e., wet air mass and dry air mass are First formed.

  The number of molecules of any component contained in a quantity of air is constant at a given temperature and pressure, and the molar mass of water (18 g / mol) is less than the molar mass of dry air (29 g / mol). Increasing humidity reduces air density and vice versa. According to Archimedes' principle, the dry air mass descends and the wet air mass rises at the same time. This continuous process manifests as upward moisture transport on a large scale, leading to the formation of air masses that rise from the beginning with artificially increased humidity. When artificially moistened air masses rise, they are adiabatically cooled at a lower rate than natural air masses, and thus have a relatively small adiabatic (temperature) reduction rate. Since air instability results from the difference between the adiabatic reduction of the air mass and the ambient air rate, the air mass moistened by SMT can be more unstable than the air mass formed by natural convection. Under certain atmospheric conditions, the effect of locally increased instability can cause vapor condensation in the wet air mass, resulting in enhanced buoyancy of the wet air mass due to the release of latent heat, Eventually a cloud is formed. This process may occur at a lower altitude than in naturally moist air masses, or may occur only in artificially moist air masses, and the expansion of this process to a larger scale is It may be possible if it is barely unstable or slightly unstable against natural air masses. The rise due to the convergence of adjacent wet air masses towards the artificial updraft area, which can be small in the beginning, can trigger changes in natural air mass dynamics due to the release of latent heat. This effect can only be achieved in some cases, but is unique to other existing methods of weather regulation.

  The optimum EEA elevation for SMT is generally lower than the optimum aerosol charge elevation because not only the ion concentration but also the AEC density is important. It is not desirable in this case to charge the maximum possible amount of natural or artificial aerosol. This is to reduce the AEC density unless space charges generated in the AEC flow path are removed at high speed, for example by strong winds. If the main purpose of operating the corona discharge embodiment is to achieve the maximum possible SMT, then an artificial aerosol should not be produced, and selecting a lower EEA rise height may result in an anode of generated ions Should work in favor of recombination on the area. In order to achieve higher AEC densities, it is also recommended to use a narrower anode area than in the case of aerosol charging. In one particular embodiment, the simplest way to select the optimal rise height of the EEA that governs the balance between the achievable AEC and the amount of air at which SMT takes place is based on experimentation.

  A decrease in precipitation in the target area can be achieved by a planned increase in precipitation in another area, so that the area targeted for the decrease in precipitation will be affected by the precipitation in the area where the precipitation is triggered. (Precipitation shadow).

  Individual space charge generators can be controlled manually or automatically from a central location. Depending on the particular application, the above-described embodiments can be placed on any type of transport (fixed or movable) that is relevant on the ground or in the water. For underwater, there is a need for a platform on the water body with an anode area that is electrically coupled to a ground electrode submerged in water.

  Apart from the increase or decrease of precipitation in the target area, for other applications of climate control, it is generally the case that the charge capacitor or EEA rise height or EEA is affected to affect the physical process responsible for one or more effects. Specific methods and parameters specific to the embodiment being used are required, such as the anode area.

  In the case of mist dispersion, which is a cloud on or near the Earth's surface, one approach is to use a charged capacitor or corona discharge EEA to moored to produce space charge accumulation on the boundary of the fog layer. It arrange | positions above a fog layer using a support body. To achieve this effect in a reasonably large area, multiple light aircraft embodiments should be utilized and / or one or more embodiments should be moved to dissipate different fog areas It is. In this configuration, the mist layer should be thick enough to efficiently collect smaller mist particles by larger mist particles, which may not occur in all cases. An alternative solution is to use a corona discharge embodiment inside the fog layer to operate in SMT optimal regime. In the dry air mass, the mist dissipates by droplet evaporation, and in the wet air mass, the droplets and ice crystals, if any, grow large and settle by gravity, possibly as fog particles as they descend. To collect. The updraft produced by the release of latent heat will favor the formation of larger particles that float for a longer time and grow, resulting in the convergence of adjacent misty air to be regulated by SMT. This convergence can be enhanced by ongoing removal of supersaturated vapor by condensation and by growing ice crystals if the mist is cold, thereby reducing the vapor partial pressure.

  In order to initially dissipate the fog below which the aerosol particles are charged to reduce AEC, the initial rise height of the EEA should preferably be low and then gradually increased to an optimum value. Alternatively, one or more corona discharge embodiments should begin operation before the expected mist occurrence, i.e., in fog prevention mode.

  Another application is the reduction of the temperature of the earth's surface. Non-limiting examples of this application include energy savings in man-made concentration areas, and cyclone generation depends on water temperature, so long-term sea surface temperature over a large area to reduce its generation and intensity. It is a decrease. During the day, low altitude cloudiness that reflects solar radiation back into space can be formed or enhanced by operating the corona embodiment in SMT mode during favorable atmospheric conditions. At night, low cloud coverage that reduces the emission of infrared radiation into outer space can be achieved within the target area by using a charging capacitor as discussed, or by using the corona discharge embodiment in aerosol charge mode. Can be reduced or eliminated by intensifying precipitation at In this application, even if the size of the precipitation hydrometer is small and it cannot reach the Earth's surface, the effect can still be achieved even if cloud dissipation is achievable. If the impact produces fewer and more but cloud droplets that are not precipitation clouds, the effect can still be achieved to some extent. In this case, the transparency of the cloud with respect to the emitted infrared radiation can be increased.

  In essence, vegetation, especially forests, create a moist air mass due to much evaporation across the large surface of the leaf, which can increase atmospheric instability as discussed above. In the vicinity of the coastline, a large area covered with trees increases the inflow of marine water into the inland and maintains a healthy water circulation over a considerable distance from the coast (Makarieva and Gorshkov, 2007). In this regard, operate in SMT mode for extended periods of time when possible to increase atmospheric instability, and operate in RCC mode to enhance precipitation on land when appropriate clouds are present A large array of corona discharge embodiments can replace the forest cover in that area that promotes reforestation of the deforested area until the cover is restored. To improve water circulation over significant distances inland by enhancing water recirculation as forests do, a controlled embodiment that covers areas not covered by trees up to several hundred kilometers from the coastline. A large network of grids (units) may be required. The same approach can be taken to accelerate plantations in forest agriculture, thereby carbon sequestration, the generation of renewable biofuels, and storage of sequestered carbon, often producing large amounts of energy Several other benefits can be provided, such as the generation of renewable trees that can replace other materials that are consumed.

  Although the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that numerous modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments and other arrangements can be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. I want to be.

Abbreviation List AEC Atmospheric Current CN Condensation Core DC DC EEA Emitter Electrode Assembly EECD Corona Discharge Emitter Electrode EEEA Basic Emitter Electrode Assembly IN Ice Crystal RCC Remote Cloud Charge SMT Selective Water Transport VDGG

11 Light Aviation Capacitor 12 Earth Surface 13 Mooring Rope 14 Reel 15 Wire 16 Support 17 Wire 18 (Negative) Electrode 19 VDGG Charge Engine 21 Emitter Electrode Assembly (EEA)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 22 Support body 23 Wire 24 Negative electrode 25 DC power supply 26 Grounding point 27 Grounding point 28 Wire 29 Highly conductive collector electrode 31 Light aircraft 32 Revolving joint 33 Support rod 34 EEA
35 Mooring support rope 36 Reel 37 Wire 38 Support 39 Wire 41 Reservoir 42 Local grounding point 43 Grounding point 44 DC power supply 45 Wire 46 EEA
47 Ground support 48 Artificial aerosol 50 Embodiment 51 EEA
51a Vertex 52 EEA
52a vertex 53 rod 54 rod or support rope 55 plate 56 mast 57 rod 58 rod or support rope 59 bracket 61a pyramid 62a pyramid 63a surface 64a surface 61b support 61c pyramid 62c support plate 63c bolt and nut 61d bolt pyramid bottom plate 63d bolt And nut 64d upper bracket 65d lower bracket 66d mast 70a EEEA
71a Wire segment support 72a Side portion 73a Side portion 74a Wire segment 75a Point 76a Point 71b Spring-based support 80 Triangle EEEA
81 Thinner wire 82 Frame 83 Smaller EEEA
84 Flexible joint 90 EEEA
91 frame 92 notch 93 wire 94 points 95 points 101 frame 102 light aircraft spherical condenser (aircraft)
103 support rod 104 leg 105 mooring rope 106 wire 110 (positive) base 111 ground point, frame 112 inflexible support rod 113 light seat 120 light aircraft embodiment 121 wire mesh section, or with mesh or parallel wire segments EEEA
122 Sphere 123 Balloon 130 Wire Pair 131 Malter Electrode 132 Soldering Point 133 Area without Film 134 Thin Wire Segment 140 Malter Mesh 141 Thin Wire 142 Point 143 First Set of Parallel Wire 144 Thin Wire 145 Point 146 Second Set of Parallel Mesh wire 150 Multer mesh 151 Thin wire 152 First (lower) set of wires 153 points 154 Second (upper) set of wires 155 Thin wires 156 points 161 Thin wires 162 Surface 163 points 171 Orbits 172 Air ions 310 First (Negative) electrode 311 DC power supply 312 Second (positive) electrode 313 Ground point 314 Ground point

  The present invention relates to atmospheric particles, known in this context as weather regulation, by the enhancement of electric forces on atmospheric air particles and particles such as water particles, aerosols, molecular clusters, and water molecules with their own electric dipole moment. It relates to a method and a device for adjusting the conditions.

  Certain applications of weather control require methods and devices that are specific to their implementation. For example, some embodiments relate to controlling, increasing or decreasing precipitation. The term "precipitation" means that any product from the atmospheric water vapor phase change accumulates on the Earth's surface due to gravity, such as rain, drizzle, snow, snow hail, etc. , May take on any form. Electrical methods of climate control include dispersion of fog, which is clouds on or near the Earth's surface, increased cloud coverage over selected areas, especially the ocean, and increased inflow of ocean moisture into the inland When used for other purposes, the methods and parameters specific to the embodiments are generally required.

  In the present invention, the device and method are described for a specific weather control application of increasing or decreasing precipitation within a target area. The term “target area” means an area where it may be desirable to change local atmospheric conditions, which means controlling precipitation in the context of the present application. Unless otherwise stated, controlling precipitation means increasing precipitation thereafter. It is also contemplated to use the described device for several other weather control applications, thereby providing a method specific to a particular weather control and optimizing device parameters for the specific weather control. .

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method and device for weather control applications in which microphysical processes in the atmosphere are thereby affected by electrical effects. Based on recent advances in atmospheric physics and a deeper understanding of how ambient atmospheric electricity naturally affects weather and climate in a non-thunderstorm environment, The concept of climate regulation is introduced by enhancing (remote cloud charging) or RCC) and / or by locally increasing atmospheric instability through an electrical process of relocating atmospheric moisture. Based on this concept, several improved new embodiments are proposed. Compared to the prior art embodiments, the proposed embodiment is superior in performance, scalability, mobility, and ease of use and maintenance.

  In essence, the microphysical processes of precipitation formation from gaseous water, or water vapor, can be roughly classified into two groups. The first group is a gas-to-solid thermodynamic phase change process, known as condensation, and a gas-to-solid thermodynamic process, known as vapor deposition or sublimation. Includes phase change process. A liquid drop is when the actual amount of gaseous water contained in an air volume exceeds the maximum amount of gaseous water that the air can hold at a given temperature, i.e. the air is vapor. When supersaturated, it can grow by condensation from small atmospheric (aerosol) particles with appropriate (wettable) surfaces called condensation nuclei (CN). The amount of steam in the air can be expressed by the (partial) pressure of the steam. Thus, air becomes supersaturated when the vapor pressure exceeds its saturation pressure. Since steam saturation pressure decreases with temperature, wet air becomes supersaturated when fully cooled. At temperatures below freezing, ice particles in supersaturated air can grow by vapor condensation from frozen droplets and aerosol particles with appropriate surfaces called ice crystal nuclei (IN). Areas of atmospheric air containing droplets and ice particles appear as clouds.

  The second group of processes is a cloud particle coalescence process. At some stage of droplet growth in the cloud, collisions cause the droplets to coalesce into larger droplets, known as a collision-merge process, or simply merger, more efficiently than condensation growth . Due to gravity and air viscosity, larger grown droplets descend faster than smaller droplets. As they drop, larger droplets, called collectors in this context, collide with smaller droplets. Ice particles and liquid particles can be combined in the same way. Merging is a fairly simple model of the actual droplet coalescence process in the atmosphere, in its classical definition where only gravity governs droplet motion. The droplets can move at different speeds in different directions by turbulent air motion. Under such conditions, droplets of similar size can be merged. However, as with classical merging, the presence of large droplets even at low number concentrations can greatly enhance merging in a turbulent environment, also known as turbulent aggregation ( Riemer and Wexler, 2005).

  Currently used cloud conditioning methods are generally based on enhancing the cloud-targeting mechanism by introducing particles from a specific medium (seeding) into the cloud. Such a method is known as a cloud seeding method. The seeding medium is typically supplied to the clouds by a transport aircraft such as an airplane or rocket. Under certain conditions, the floating seeding medium can also be supplied by the rise of air caused by the wind hitting the mountain slope. This technique is known as oromorphic seeding.

  One of the processes that can be enhanced by cloud seeding is the Bercheron process of ice particle growth by vapor condensation. In a cold cloud, that is, in a cloud having a temperature below the freezing point, pure water droplets remain in a liquid (supercooled state) even when the temperature drops to a temperature near −42 ° C., and thus can coexist with ice particles. it can. The vapor saturation pressure for ice is lower than the vapor saturation pressure for liquid water (Bergeron, 1935, 1939). As water vapor is consumed by growing cloud droplets, its partial pressure decreases. When the vapor partial pressure drops below the vapor saturation pressure for the droplet, the air becomes unsaturated for the droplet but is still supersaturated for the ice particles. At this point, ice particles continue to grow at the expense of evaporating droplets. This process, which is more efficient than condensation, can potentially convert more of the available steam into precipitation. However, in cold clouds, the natural IN number concentration decreases quasi-exponentially with the temperature to freezing, thereby slowing this process at temperatures just a few degrees below freezing. Under such conditions, the formation of ice, and hence precipitation, will cause artificial ice crystal nuclei such as silver iodide (AgI) crystals, whose surface properties are similar to those of ice crystals, to cloud. This is achieved by sowing. This method is currently the most common in weather regulation.

  Particles of matter that evaporate at a temperature much lower than that of atmospheric air are another type of seeding medium. Solid carbon dioxide pellets, known as dry ice, and small droplets of liquid nitrogen, which take heat away from the ambient air during evaporation and thus cool it, are examples of such seeding media. . In cold clouds, a higher degree of supersaturation and supercooling around those particles can lead to a higher initial growth rate of droplets and ice particles, and an increase in the number concentration of IN due to enhanced droplet freezing. it can. In warm clouds, the higher degree of supersaturation achieved in the vicinity of the cooling particles, and thus the enhanced condensation, can lead to the formation of larger droplets. On the other hand, such droplets can enhance merging by acting as a more efficient collector in the process.

  Another method is based on seeding fine particles of salt into the cloud, where the vapor saturation pressure for the aqueous solute is low compared to the vapor saturation pressure of pure water. Solute droplets grown by condensation from such CN or from droplets that have acquired salt particles by deposition can achieve a larger size than water droplets and thus can enhance merging as described above. . This method is known as hygroscopic seeding.

  The presence of a strong magnetic field, a sufficiently high charge on the cloud particle, or a combination of both can greatly affect multiple microphysical processes of cloud development, including processes that are directly or indirectly responsible for precipitation formation. There is a lot of evidence to suggest. One effect of charge is enhanced capture (ie, acquisition by attachment) of charged aerosol particles by charged and neutral cloud particles. Although not obvious, the net electrical force at short distances between cloud particles with exactly the same sign of charge is always attractive due to the electrostatic mirror image force (Tinsley et al., 2000). For such particles with similar charges, there is a long range repulsion, but the air flow force can carry the particles within the range of the dominant mirror image force. If the two cloud particles under consideration are aerosol particles and droplets, the effect of attractive net electrical forces can result in successful capture of aerosol particles by droplets, which is otherwise not geometrically possible Can do.

  If the aerosol particles are ice nuclei, their capture by the droplets will cause the droplets to snap freeze. Such a mechanism of ice particle formation, known as contact freezing, has proven to be a particularly efficient mechanism against the Bercheron process (Sasty, 2005). In contrast to the Bercheron process, ice particles can be formed instantaneously from droplets by contact freezing, bypassing the relatively slow nuclei of Bercheron growth, which involves the “reprocessing” of droplets by evaporation. it can. On the other hand, the generated ice particles can continue to grow, such as by vapor condensation or further coalescence with the next supercooled droplet to freeze it.

  Seeding artificial ice nuclei into cold clouds enhances both the Bercheron process and the contact cooling process. The enhancement of the contact cooling process is due to an increase in the probability of capturing ice nuclei due to an increase in the number concentration of ice nuclei. However, the introduction of too many ice crystal nuclei can result in the formation of too many small ice particles because they compete for the available vapor. This problem is known as over-seeding. In contrast, the enhancement of contact freezing by electric trapping of natural ice nuclei is the more efficient use of natural ice nuclei and, ultimately, fewer but larger ice particles that can be precipitated. This can be advantageous.

  Another effect of attractive electrical force is the increased collection efficiency of droplet merging, which is particularly important for rain formation without ice processes in warm clouds . During a merge event, if the charged droplet is to be collected by a larger neutral droplet or a larger droplet charged with either sign, the latter is geometrically ineffective without an attractive electrical force. It can be successful if possible. Another aspect of electrically enhanced merging resulted in merging efficiency, i.e., permanent collection as well as droplet collision during merging (this is due to the collision of droplets being deflected by air currents). Is an increase in the probability (which means that it has temporarily merged and then separated and possibly separated into several smaller droplets). Strengthening the merger by electric force is also experimental (Sartor, 1954; Goyer et al., 1960; Abbott, 1975; Dayan and Gallilly, 1975; Smith, 1972; Smith, 1976; Ochs and Czys, 1987; Czys and Ochs, 1988. ), Theoretically / modelling (Sartor, 1960; Lindblad and Semonin, 1963; Plumelee and Semonin, 1965; Palut, 1970; Schlamp et al., 1976; Tag, 1976; Tagre, 1977; Freire et al., 1979; Khain et al., 2004. ) Has been investigated in many studies.

  The effect of charge on small droplets is similar to the hygroscopic effect of salt. Less supersaturation is required for droplets that are charged to a certain degree, like salt solution droplets, to grow by condensation (Harrison and Ambau, 2008). The electric field of a subcooled, fully charged droplet can directly promote freezing of the droplet. Since water molecules have their own electric dipole moment, they tend to align with the electric field, which favors freezing of supercooled water at higher temperatures. The effect of this direct electrical freezing has not yet been investigated in detail, but has been demonstrated by experiments by Wei et al. (2008).

  The idea of developing a cloud adjustment method based on cloud particle charge is not new. Such a method is an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical cloud sowing. Another advantage of electrical methods is that specific seeding methods that target a certain mechanism can be implemented for a specific medium to be seeded within a range of number concentrations in a cloudy air. On the other hand, it is possible to enhance several precipitation formation mechanisms at once by the charge of cloud droplets. For example, an increase in precipitation is achieved in warm clouds by an electrically enhanced hygroscopic effect on the droplets and an electrically enhanced merger. In mixed clouds, i.e., clouds with a cold upper part and a warm lower part, ice formation enhanced by electro-freezing droplets in the upper cloud area also contributes to this effect. Furthermore, falling ice particles can act as an efficient merging collector in the warm cloud area (so-called seeder feeder effect).

  In order to be effective, enhancement of certain processes of cloud development requires a certain minimum charge per electrically active cloud particle. For example, to enhance the merging collision efficiency, at least several hundred elementary (electron) charges are required on a droplet having a radius of 10-20 μm (Khain et al., 2004). Effective electrical freezing (Tinsley et al., 2000) and enhancement of the hygroscopicity of small droplets (Harrison and Abaum, 2008) require a similar charge per particle of the same size. Cloud particles that are sufficiently charged to greatly regulate the cloud development process are hereinafter referred to as supercharged particles.

  The first approach to overcharging cloud droplets has focused on direct charging by generated ions with predominantly the same sign (ie, unipolar). The prior art has proposed several designs of devices that typically comprise a monopolar ionizer, such as a direct current (DC) corona discharge, hereinafter referred to as a corona discharge, and other elements contained within the body. In such devices, the particles to be charged, taken from the clouds or artificially generated in the form of water drops, pass near the corona discharge emitter electrode (EECD) and are therefore charged by ion attachment. To get. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the particles acquire charge through contact with a charged electrode. Next, the generated charged particles are introduced (seeded) into the cloud. Such a method is described, for example, in the patent application (2003) of Khain et al. In practice, however, the implementation of a method for directly overcharging cloud particles in a large amount of cloudy air faces severe engineering difficulties.

  The average charge on the particles that can be achieved by ion attachment is proportional to the logarithm of the so-called unipolarity factor, which is the ratio of the number concentration of the dominant sign ion to its concentration of the opposite sign ion. (Clement et al., 1991). In order to overcharge cloud particles, especially small cloud particles, the corresponding unipolarity must also be large enough. Since ions with a sign opposite to that of corona ions are always present in the air, the required unipolarity can only be maintained in a limited charging zone around the emitter electrode.

  Other factors that limit the ability of the charged device to generate are the time required for particle charging and the strong electric field of the generated space charge that can reduce the ion generating ability of the corona discharge (Smith, 1972; Loveland). Et al., 1972). Overcharging the particles in contact with the electrodes is also problematic because in practice only a small part of such particles can be achieved.

  After being moved out of the charge zone, the particles remain overcharged for only a short time due to the non-equilibrium charge decay of the particles whose velocity is proportional to the particle charge. This presents the difficult task of dispersing such particles over a large amount of cloudy atmosphere within a limited time. Cloud topographic seeding with short-lived overcharged particles is unlikely to be efficient, so such unstable seeding media should be generated and seeded at cloud altitude, This necessitates costly use of some air transports such as aircraft or unmanned aircraft. Utilizing chimney-like conduits, as proposed in the prior art, to supply overcharged particles into the cloud also faces engineering difficulties and high costs.

  The method based on the direct overcharge of cloud particles by the technical means proposed in the prior art is in fact clearly difficult to implement and therefore not comparable to existing cloud seeding methods.

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  Accordingly, it is an object of the present application to provide an improved device for weather control that overcomes the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art. It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved method of increasing precipitation in a target area that avoids the drawbacks of the prior art and is more efficient and less costly. It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for increasing precipitation in a target area that is easy to control and increases the success rate. These objects are achieved by the features of the independent claims. The dependent claims describe preferred embodiments of the invention.

The present invention provides an apparatus for weather control. The apparatus comprises an emitter electrode, means for providing a charge to the emitter electrode, electrically coupled to the emitter electrode, an insulating support for supporting the emitter electrode at a predetermined height, and means for grounding the apparatus. Is provided. The emitter electrode includes a Malter film. The Malter film preferably comprises a thin film made of one or more kinds of non-conductive materials. Particularly preferred materials for the Malter film are one or a combination of the following materials: Al ₂ O ₃ , Zn ₂ SiO ₃ , SiO ₂ , ZrO ₂ , CaCO ₃ , Ta ₂ O ₅ .

  In a preferred embodiment, the emitter electrode is a capacitor having a conductive surface. The capacitor is preferably approximately spherical. A “substantially spherical” capacitor is to be understood as a capacitor having a somewhat spherical shape. The shape can comprise several planes or planar structures configured, for example, in a polygon similar to a spherical shape. For example, several pentagons and hexagons can be configured as on a soccer ball.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the device of the invention, the emitter electrode comprises one or more corona discharge emitter electrode assemblies, which are mechanically and / or electrically coupled to each other.

  The support of the device preferably has a height of 6 m to 30 m, particularly preferably 8 m to 15 m. More preferably, the support comprises an insulating layer. Alternatively, the support may be formed from an insulating material. The support can further have a rigid structure. For example, the emitter electrode can be supported by a planar polygonal frame having a surface.

  In one embodiment, the emitter electrode comprises two or more electrically coupled parallel wire segments that are separated by a distance across the surface of the frame.

  The means for applying charge to the emitter electrode can be any means suitable for applying a large charge density and / or high voltage. A preferred example of this means is a charging engine of a van der graph machine.

  According to a preferred embodiment, the emitter electrode comprises two or more Malter electrodes, preferably in the form of a solid or tubular wire, preferably further comprising one or more corona discharge initiating wires. The diameter of the Malter electrode is preferably larger than the diameter of the corona discharge starting wire. The corona discharge initiating wire is preferably located near the malter electrode and is mechanically and / or electrically coupled to the malter electrode. According to one embodiment, the Malter electrodes are configured in the form of parallel segments that are separated by a distance across the surface of the frame.

  In one alternative embodiment, the emitter electrode comprises two or more Malter electrodes in the form of a foil strip. The emitter electrode can further comprise a wire mesh. Alternatively or additionally, the emitter electrode can comprise a Malter electrode mesh.

  According to another embodiment, the apparatus comprises a high frequency electromagnetic wave generator suitable for non-contact heating of the wire loop of the emitter electrode.

  More preferably, the apparatus comprises one or more ground electrodes, the ground electrodes being below the one or more emitter electrode assemblies and electrically coupled to the grounding means. The apparatus can further comprise one or more collector electrodes.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the device further comprises a reservoir for containing the conductive electrolyte solution. Further, an aerosol generator can be provided, and the aerosol generator preferably comprises one or more devices for spreading the electrolyte solution.

  In another preferred embodiment, the apparatus further comprises one or more means for generating an updraft. This means may comprise, for example, a heat source. A simple example of such a heat source is a black material that absorbs solar radiation, placed below or around the device.

  In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for weather control is provided, the apparatus comprising: a light aircraft suitable for carrying an emitter electrode; and a charge on the emitter electrode electrically coupled to the emitter electrode. And means for grounding the device. The operating height of the device according to the first aspect of the present invention is limited by the height of the insulating support, but the operating height of the device according to the second aspect of the present invention is not limited by any light aircraft. Since it can be transported to the working height, it is basically unlimited. Thus, the device according to the present invention can be raised to a predetermined height depending on the specific application of the device. For example, the height of the device according to the invention can be adjusted according to the height of the clouds present in the target area. Thereby, the effectiveness and success rate of the device according to the invention can be dramatically increased compared to the prior art.

  Preferably, the light aircraft is connected via a mooring rope to means for applying a charge to the emitter electrode. According to a preferred embodiment, the light aircraft is a light-tan-air capacitor having a surface. In other words, a light aircraft is basically formed from components that form a capacitor or can also be used as a capacitor. Preferably, a plurality of emitter electrode assemblies are configured around the surface of the light aviation capacitor and are fixed thereto uniformly, for example using a plurality of support rods of variable length. The support rod can have legs that provide a stress support mechanism that contacts the surface of the capacitor.

  According to one alternative embodiment, the emitter electrode comprises a hollow capacitor having a spherical or quasi-spherical surface, and the light aircraft is configured inside the capacitor. Preferably, one or more emitter electrode assemblies are configured around the capacitor and electrically coupled to the capacitor. More preferably, the emitter electrode assembly is a wire mesh that surrounds the surface of the light aircraft. In a preferred example, the emitter electrode assembly is supported by a sphere disposed between the surface of the light aircraft and the mesh, and the sphere is uniformly disposed around the light aircraft.

  One skilled in the art will appreciate that the preferred features described with respect to the device according to the first aspect (mounted on a support) can also be used to improve the device according to the second aspect (light aircraft).

  According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method for increasing precipitation in a target area is provided. The method includes providing an emitter electrode, analyzing a weather condition in and / or near the target area, and charging the emitter electrode in response to the weather analysis, thereby providing the emitter electrode with an emitter electrode. And ionizing the vicinity of.

  According to a preferred embodiment, the method further comprises raising the emitter electrode to a predetermined height. According to a first alternative, the predetermined height is 6 m to 30 m, preferably 8 m to 15 m. According to the second aspect of the invention, the predetermined height is above 100 m, preferably above 500 m.

  It is generally preferred that the predetermined height is determined based on weather conditions within and / or near the target area. It is particularly preferred that the predetermined height is determined based on the altitude of the clouds in and / or near the target area. According to one preferred embodiment of the method, the predetermined height is at least 50%, preferably at least 65% of the altitude of the clouds in and / or near the target area.

  According to the first aspect, preferably the step of providing the emitter electrode includes mounting the emitter electrode on an insulating support. According to the second aspect, providing the emitter electrode preferably includes raising the emitter electrode using a light aircraft.

More preferably, the emitter electrode comprises a Malter film. The Malter film is a thin film made of one or a plurality of non-conductive materials, preferably one of the following materials: Al ₂ O ₃ , Zn ₂ SiO ₃ , SiO ₂ , ZrO ₂ , CaCO ₃ , Ta ₂ O ₅ . One or a combination of thin films.

  According to another preferred embodiment, the method of the present invention comprises the step of humidifying the soil below the emitter electrode with water or an aqueous conductive electrolyte solution.

  Preferably, one or more collector electrodes comprising a sheet of metal or wire mesh are disposed on the earth surface below the emitter electrode and electrically coupled to the one or more ground electrodes. In general, the method of the present invention can include providing one or more ground electrodes. Furthermore, a heat source can be disposed below the emitter electrode. The heat source can be achieved by a material that absorbs solar radiation distributed below the emitter electrode.

  According to one particular embodiment, a reservoir containing a conductive electrolyte solution may be provided, the reservoir being disposed on the earth surface below the emitter electrode and electrically coupled to one or more ground electrodes. Is done. In addition, a layer of conductive carbon grains can be provided on the surface of the earth, the layer being below the emitter electrode and electrically coupled to one or more ground electrodes.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the method of the invention, several emitter electrodes are provided and are configured as an emitter electrode assembly. Preferably several emitter electrode assemblies are provided. Some emitter electrode assemblies are preferably supported by, for example, a planar frame. Preferably, the emitter electrode assemblies are electrically coupled to each other and mechanically coupled to each other and to the sides of the frame using flexible joints. The frame is preferably arranged at an angle with the earth surface. The angle is preferably about 20 to about 70 degrees.

  In a preferred embodiment, the emitter electrode comprises two or more electrically coupled parallel wire segments that are separated by a distance across the surface of the frame. In a preferred example, the frame is triangular and both wire segment ends are held in place by a number of flexible supports fixed in pairs on each of the two sides of the frame. The flexible support provides a stress support mechanism for the wire segment. Preferably, the frame is triangular and the wire is wrapped around the frame in the form of a single strand through notches on the two sides of the frame, the notches being paired on those sides of the frame It is provided.

  The emitter electrode assembly is preferably isosceles triangular and is configured in one or more pyramids. The bottom surface of the pyramid preferably does not include the emitter electrode and is arranged parallel to the earth surface. Preferably, the apexes of adjacent pyramids face different directions.

  One skilled in the art will appreciate that the apparatus according to the first and second aspects of the present invention can be utilized to perform the methods described above. According to one particularly preferred embodiment of the method of the invention, two or more devices can be arranged in a row, in particular in the same direction as the prevailing wind. Thus, the effects to be achieved by the method according to the invention can be increased and even doubled. In addition or alternatively, two or more parallel rows of the devices described above are arranged in the form of a grid. The distance between the grid and in particular adjacent devices is preferably determined based on weather conditions in and / or near the target area.

  According to another aspect of the invention, the method described above can be utilized to achieve the opposite effect. Accordingly, a method for reducing precipitation within a first target area is provided. The method includes selecting a second target region for increasing precipitation and increasing the precipitation in the second target region by the method described above. Thereby, a decrease in precipitation occurs in the first target area. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any of the preferred features described above with respect to methods of increasing precipitation can be used in methods of decreasing precipitation.

  It should be further understood that any feature described with respect to the apparatus can be used to improve the method described above and vice versa.

  The methods and apparatus described above can be utilized in several applications of the present invention. According to a first aspect, the present invention is directed to the use of the apparatus and / or method described above for dissipating fog in a target area. One skilled in the art will appreciate that increased precipitation in a target area using the apparatus and / or method described above essentially dissipates any fog present in the target area.

  According to a second aspect, the present invention is directed to the use of the above-described apparatus and / or method for increasing cloud coverage within a target area. Thereby, the temperature of the earth surface in the target area is reduced.

  According to a third aspect, the present invention is directed to the use of the apparatus and / or method described above for the reduction of its formation probability and intensity at an early stage of cyclone development.

  According to a fourth aspect, the present invention is directed to the use of the above-described apparatus and / or method for inland marine water inflow and enhanced water recirculation in land.

  According to a fifth aspect, the present invention is directed to the use of the above-described apparatus and / or method for reforestation within a target area.

  The following aspects are preferred embodiments of the present invention.
Aspect 1
  A device for climate control,
  An emitter electrode;
  Means for providing a charge to the emitter electrode, electrically coupled to the emitter electrode;
  An insulating support for supporting the emitter electrode at a predetermined height;
  Means for grounding said device;
With
  The emitter electrode comprises a Malter film
apparatus.
Aspect 2
  The apparatus of aspect 1, wherein the Malter film comprises a thin film made of one or more non-conductive materials.
Aspect 3
  The Malter film is made of the following material, Al ₂ O ₃ , Zn ₂ SiO ₃ , SiO ₂ , ZrO ₂ , CaCO ₃ , Ta ₂ O ₅ The apparatus of embodiment 1 or 2, comprising one or a combination of:
Aspect 4
  4. The apparatus according to any one of aspects 1 to 3, wherein the emitter electrode is a capacitor having a conductive surface.
Aspect 5
  The apparatus of embodiment 4, wherein the capacitor is substantially spherical.
Aspect 6
  The apparatus according to any of aspects 1 to 5, wherein the emitter electrode comprises one or more corona discharge emitter electrode assemblies, which are mechanically and electrically coupled to each other.
Aspect 7
  Apparatus according to any of aspects 1 to 6, wherein the support has a height of 6 m to 30 m, preferably 8 m to 15 m.
Aspect 8
  The apparatus according to any of aspects 1 to 7, wherein the support comprises an insulating layer.
Aspect 9
  The apparatus according to any of aspects 1 to 8, wherein the support is formed from an insulating material.
Aspect 10
  The apparatus according to any of aspects 1 to 9, wherein the means for applying a charge to the emitter electrode comprises a charge engine of a vandegraph electromotive machine.
Aspect 11
  The apparatus according to any of aspects 1 to 10, wherein the support has a rigid structure.
Aspect 12
  12. An apparatus according to any of aspects 1 to 11, wherein the emitter electrode is supported by a planar polygonal frame having a surface.
Aspect 13
  The apparatus of embodiment 12, wherein the emitter electrode comprises two or more electrically coupled parallel wire segments separated by a distance across the surface of the frame.
Aspect 14
  14. The apparatus according to any of aspects 1-13, wherein the emitter electrode comprises two or more Malter electrodes in the form of a solid or tubular wire and further comprising one or more corona discharge initiation wires.
Aspect 15
  The apparatus of aspect 14, wherein the diameter of the Malter electrode is greater than the diameter of the corona discharge initiation wire.
Aspect 16
  16. An apparatus according to aspect 14 or 15, wherein the corona discharge initiation wire is disposed in the vicinity of the malter electrode and is mechanically and electrically coupled to the malter electrode.
Aspect 17
  17. Apparatus according to aspect 14, 15 or 16, wherein the Malter electrode is configured in the form of parallel segments that are separated by a distance across the surface of the frame.
Aspect 18
  The apparatus according to any of aspects 1 to 17, wherein the emitter electrode comprises two or more Malter electrodes in the form of a foil strip.
Aspect 19
  The apparatus according to any of aspects 1-18, wherein the emitter electrode comprises a wire mesh.
Aspect 20
  The apparatus according to any of aspects 1 to 19, wherein the emitter electrode comprises a Malter electrode mesh.
Aspect 21
  The apparatus according to any one of aspects 1 to 20, further comprising a high-frequency electromagnetic wave generator for non-contact heating of the wire loop of the emitter electrode.
Aspect 22
  Any one of aspects 1 to 21, further comprising one or more ground electrodes, wherein the ground electrode is below the one or more emitter electrode assemblies and is electrically coupled to the means for grounding. The device described in 1.
Aspect 23
  23. Apparatus according to any of aspects 1 to 22, further comprising one or more collector electrodes.
Aspect 24
  24. The apparatus according to any of aspects 1 to 23, further comprising a reservoir containing a conductive electrolyte solution.
Aspect 25
  25. Apparatus according to any of aspects 1 to 24, further comprising an aerosol generator.
Aspect 26
  26. The apparatus of aspect 25, wherein the aerosol generator comprises one or more devices that spread electrolyte solution.
Aspect 27
  27. Apparatus according to any of aspects 1 to 26, further comprising one or more means for generating an updraft.
Aspect 28
  28. The apparatus according to any of aspects 1 to 27, further comprising a heat source.
Aspect 29
  29. The apparatus according to aspect 28, wherein the heat source comprises a black material that absorbs solar radiation.
Aspect 30
  A device for climate control,
  A light aircraft suitable for carrying the emitter electrode,
  An emitter electrode;
  Means for providing a charge to the emitter electrode, electrically coupled to the emitter electrode;
  Means for grounding said device;
A device comprising:
Aspect 31
  32. The apparatus of aspect 30, wherein the light aircraft is connected via a mooring rope to the means for applying charge to the emitter electrode.
Aspect 32
  32. An apparatus according to aspect 30 or 31, wherein the light aircraft is a light aviation capacitor having a surface.
Aspect 33
  35. Aspect 32, wherein a plurality of emitter electrode assemblies are configured around the surface of the light aviation capacitor and are uniformly secured to the surface of the light aviation capacitor using a plurality of variable length support rods. Equipment.
Aspect 34
  35. The apparatus of aspect 32, wherein the support rod has a leg that provides a stress support mechanism that contacts the surface of the capacitor.
Aspect 35
  33. Apparatus according to aspect 30, 31, or 32, wherein the emitter electrode comprises a hollow capacitor having a spherical or quasi-spherical surface, and the light aircraft is configured inside the capacitor.
Aspect 36
  36. The apparatus of aspect 35, wherein one or more emitter electrode assemblies are configured around and electrically coupled to the capacitor.
Aspect 37
  38. The apparatus of aspect 36, wherein the emitter electrode assembly is a wire mesh that surrounds the surface of the light aircraft.
Aspect 38
  Aspect 36 or 37, wherein the emitter electrode assembly is supported by a sphere disposed between the surface of the light aircraft and the mesh, the sphere being uniformly disposed around the light aircraft. Equipment.
Aspect 39
  A method for increasing precipitation within a target area,
  a) providing an emitter electrode;
  b) analyzing weather conditions in and / or near the target area;
  c) charging the emitter electrode in response to weather analysis, thereby causing the emitter electrode to ionize near the emitter electrode;
Including methods.
Aspect 40
  40. The method of aspect 39, further comprising raising the emitter electrode to a predetermined height.
Aspect 41
  40. A method according to aspect 39, wherein the predetermined height is 6m to 30m, preferably 8m to 15m.
Aspect 42
  40. A method according to aspect 39, wherein the predetermined height is greater than 100m, preferably greater than 500m.
Aspect 43
  40. The method of aspect 39, wherein a predetermined height is determined based on a cloud altitude in the target area.
Aspect 44
  45. A method according to aspect 43, wherein the predetermined height is at least 50%, preferably at least 65% of the altitude of the clouds in the target area.
Aspect 45
  45. A method according to any of aspects 39 to 44, wherein the step of providing an emitter electrode comprises mounting the emitter electrode on an insulating support.
Aspect 46
  45. A method according to any of aspects 39 to 44, wherein the step of providing an emitter electrode comprises raising the emitter electrode using a light aircraft.
Aspect 47
  47. A method according to any of aspects 39 to 46, wherein the emitter electrode comprises a Malter film.
Aspect 48
  48. The method of aspect 47, wherein the Malter film comprises a thin film made of one or more non-conductive materials.
Aspect 49
  The Malter film is made of the following material, Al ₂ O ₃ , Zn ₂ SiO ₃ , SiO ₂ , ZrO ₂ , CaCO ₃ , Ta ₂ O ₅ 48. The method of embodiment 47, comprising one or a combination of:
Aspect 50
  50. A method according to any of aspects 39 to 49, further comprising the step of humidifying the soil below the emitter electrode with water or an aqueous conductive electrolyte solution.
Aspect 51
  Aspects 39 to 50 wherein one or more collector electrodes comprising a sheet of metal or wire mesh are disposed on the earth surface below the emitter electrode and electrically coupled to one or more ground electrodes. The method according to any one.
Aspect 52
  52. A method according to any of aspects 39 to 51, further comprising providing one or more ground electrodes.
Aspect 53
  53. A method according to any of aspects 39 to 52, wherein a heat source is disposed below the emitter electrode.
Aspect 54
  Providing a reservoir containing a conductive electrolyte solution, wherein the reservoir is disposed on a surface of the earth below the emitter electrode and electrically coupled to one or more ground electrodes. 54. A method according to any of embodiments 39 to 53.
Aspect 55
  Aspect 39, further comprising providing a layer of conductive carbon grains on the surface of the earth, the layer being below the emitter electrode and electrically coupled to one or more ground electrodes. 55. The method according to any one of.
Aspect 56
  56. A method according to any of aspects 39 to 55, further comprising providing an aerosol generator, wherein the aerosol generator is disposed below the emitter electrode.
Aspect 57
  57. A method according to any of aspects 39 to 56, wherein a number of emitter electrodes are provided and configured as an emitter electrode assembly.
Aspect 58
  58. The method of embodiment 57, wherein a number of emitter electrode assemblies are provided.
Aspect 59
  59. The method of aspect 58, wherein the number of emitter electrode assemblies are supported by a planar frame.
Aspect 60
  60. The method of aspect 59, wherein the emitter electrode assemblies are electrically coupled to each other and mechanically coupled to each other and to the sides of the frame using flexible joints.
Aspect 61
  61. A method according to aspect 59 or 60, wherein the frame is positioned at an angle with the earth surface.
Aspect 62
  64. The method of embodiment 61, wherein the angle is from about 20 to about 70 degrees.
Aspect 63
  60. The method of aspect 59, wherein the emitter electrode comprises two or more electrically coupled parallel wire segments that are separated by a distance across the surface of the frame.
Aspect 64
  The frame is triangular, and both wire segment ends are held in place by a number of flexible supports fixed in pairs on each of the two sides of the frame, allowing flexibility 64. The method of aspect 63, wherein the support is a stress support mechanism for the wire segment ends.
Aspect 65
  The frame is triangular and a wire is wound around the frame in the form of a single strand through notches on two sides of the frame, the notches on the two sides of the frame; 64. The method of embodiment 63, provided in pairs on each.
Aspect 66
  59. The method of aspect 58, wherein the emitter electrode assembly is an isosceles triangle shape and the bottom surface is configured into one or more pyramids that do not include the emitter electrode and are parallel to the earth surface.
Aspect 67
  68. A method according to aspect 66, wherein the apexes of adjacent pyramids face different directions.
Aspect 68
  68. A method according to any of aspects 39 to 67, wherein an apparatus according to any one of aspects 1 to 38 is utilized.
Embodiment 69
  A method according to aspect 68, wherein two or more devices according to any one of aspects 1-38 are arranged in a row in the same direction as the prevailing wind.
Aspect 70
  A method according to aspect 68 or 69, wherein two or more parallel rows of the apparatus according to any one of aspects 1 to 38 are arranged in the form of a grid.
Aspect 71
  A method for reducing precipitation within a first target area, comprising:
  Selecting a second target area to increase precipitation;
  Increasing the precipitation in the second target area by the method according to any one of aspects 39 to 70, thereby causing a decrease in precipitation in the first target area;
Including methods.
Aspect 72
  Use of an apparatus according to any one of aspects 1 to 38 and / or a method according to any one of aspects 39 to 70 for the dissipation of fog in a target area.
Aspect 73
  Use of the apparatus according to any one of aspects 1 to 38 and / or the method according to any one of aspects 39 to 70 for increasing cloud cover and decreasing earth surface temperature in the target area.
Embodiment 74
  70. Use of the apparatus according to any one of aspects 1-38 and / or the method according to any one of aspects 39-70 for a decrease in cyclone formation probability and intensity at an early stage of cyclone development.
Aspect 75
  Use of the apparatus according to any one of aspects 1 to 38 and / or the method according to any one of aspects 39 to 70 for the inflow of marine water into the inland and enhancement of water recirculation in the land area. .
Aspect 76
  Use of the apparatus according to any one of aspects 1 to 38 and / or the method according to any one of aspects 39 to 70 for reforestation within a target area.

  Further aspects, objects and advantages of the present invention will now be described with reference to the figures.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1 is a sketch of a preferred embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention. 3 is a sketch of another preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention. FIG. 3 shows another preferred embodiment of the device of the present invention. FIG. 4 shows another preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention. FIG. 6 shows the configuration of several emitter electrode assemblies on a pyramid frame according to a preferred embodiment. It is a figure which shows the detail of a structure shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the detail of a structure shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the detail of a structure shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the detail of a structure shown in FIG. FIG. 3 shows a triangular embodiment of a basic emitter electrode assembly according to the present invention. FIG. 3 shows a triangular embodiment of a basic emitter electrode assembly according to the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a triangular basic emitter electrode assembly. FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of a triangular basic emitter electrode assembly. FIG. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the quasi-spherical capacitor | condenser by this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the light aircraft used for this invention. It is a figure which shows the Malter electrode by this invention. It is a figure which shows the Malter mesh by this invention. It is a figure which shows the Malter mesh by this invention. It is a figure which shows the Malter foil strip by this invention. It is a figure which shows the trajectory while a water molecule collides with ion.

  In the general method and its implementation described herein, artificial cloud charging is accomplished indirectly and remotely using terrestrial devices to seed electrically unstable overcharged droplets into the cloud. No technique is needed to do that. The basis of this method is to control the natural process of cloud charging in a controllable manner using the designed means, not to try to design it as an alternative. Some specific non-limiting embodiments primarily deal with increased precipitation within the target area. Increased precipitation in the ground area, in various embodiments, introduces additional charges to cloud particles in the target area of the atmosphere that are meteorologically related to the target ground area, which is later introduced into the target ground area. Implemented by causing precipitation on top.

Essentially every cloud is charged, i.e. contains some charged particles. In thunderstorm clouds, multiple mechanisms of strong internal charge are associated with precipitation formation, particularly ice formation, and thus form positive feedback between cloud charge and precipitation (MacGorman and Rust, 1988). Global thunderstorm activity is considered to be the dominant charge separator in the global electric circuit model (Wilson, 1929), in which the negatively charged Earth and positively charged A potential of about 250-300 kV is maintained between the ionosphere. Air ion (bipolar ionization) pairs of opposite polarity are continually generated by natural high-energy particles, primarily cosmic rays, in atmospheric air. In the clear sky region, those ions are driven by a so-called clear sky electric field, ie, a potential gradient from the ionosphere to the earth, and thus about 1 to 4 pAm ^{−2 of} atmospheric column, known as clear sky current or ambient current. Leakage current flowing at a density of

  Non-thunderstorm clouds with no internal charge or relatively weakness produce the majority of total precipitation on Earth. Such clouds are susceptible to external charging due to clear sky current. This is because the conductivity of the cloudy atmosphere is typically a fraction of the conductivity of the clear air at the same altitude, mainly due to the deposition of ions, which are mainly carriers of clear sky current, on the cloud particles. This is because it becomes small (Zhou and Tinsley, 2007). When an almost downward clear sky current flows through the clear-air to cloudy-air interface with high gradient conductivity, charge accumulates on the particles at the cloud boundary, i.e., positive charge is at the top and negative charge. Accumulates at the bottom.

  Charge separation in external cloud charging occurs as follows. When ion pairs are formed by high energy particles, initial charge separation on a microscopic scale occurs. The electric force in the clear electric field then pulls ions of opposite polarity in the opposite direction, i.e. positive ions downward and negative ions upward. Eventually, some of these ions will attach to the cloud, thus charging the cloud positively at the top of the cloud boundary and negatively at the bottom. Any charge separation requires energy input. The initial energy input for forming ion pairs is provided by high energy particles. The energy input required to separate the opposite sign ions to the macroscopic distance is provided by a global circuit that acts as a generator in this process.

  The average charge achieved on the cloud by external charge is proportional to the clear sky current density and is typically near the overcharge threshold (Zhou and Tinsley, 2007; Harrison and Ambum, 2008), which It suggests that the overcharged part of the grain can affect the cloud development. On the other hand, observations provide a lot of evidence that meteorological variables are strongly correlated with clear sky currents. Periodic and irregular fluctuations in solar activity modulate atmospheric ionization in the lower atmosphere and hence clear-air currents. Recent studies based on observations of the susceptibility of weather variables to solar activity strongly indicate that cosmic ray incidence cannot be ignored (Tinsley, 2000; Carslaw et al., 2002; Tinsley and Yu, 2002). Palle et al., 2004; Harrison and Ambum, 2008). Evidence for a statistical relationship between precipitation and cosmic ray flux was first presented by Kniveton and Todd (2001) and later by Zhao et al. (2004). A comparative analysis of correlations with heavy rain cosmic rays that differ at different locations around the Mediterranean coast was performed by Mavrakis and Lykoudis (2006).

  In principle, weather control can be achieved by controlling the density of clear-sky currents to which the external charge of non-thunderstorm clouds is affected. Because it is technically difficult to generate artificial bipolar ionization in large amounts of atmospheric air, increasing the clear field at cloud altitude is an option if possible. This can be achieved locally by the accumulation of charge on an object that acts as a charge capacitor below the cloud. Since the direction of the electric field of this capacitor is the same as the direction of the clear sky electric field (downward), a negative charge is preferable. The greater the rise of the capacitor on the ground, the greater the electric field strength at the cloud altitude. This is because the electric field of the opposite sign mirror image charge caused by the earth, which is conductive in this context, decreases with increasing capacitor at cloud altitude.

  When the capacitor in the above configuration is a sphere with a conductive surface of radius R, a common type of charge capacitor, raised to a height h above the ground and maintained at the potential U with respect to the ground The electric field E at cloud altitude H is given by:

  Equation (1) taking into account the effect of the aforementioned mirror image charge makes it possible to evaluate the practical requirements of the parameters R, U and h. To achieve E = 120 V / m at cloud bottom H = 600 m, which is a moderate electric field enhancement for clouds at that altitude and results in a several-fold increase in cloud charge current, R = 3 m at h = 300 m Should be set to a voltage of about U = 3.5 MeV.

  As a non-limiting example, the requirement to achieve the above-mentioned parameter value with a single digit opening is that the charged engine is grounded and the spherical capacitor electrically coupled to the charged engine is It can be technically fulfilled with a Van de Graff electromotive (VDGG) that is raised to the required height above the Earth's surface.

  A practical solution is to obtain a spherical light aircraft that acts as a VDGG capacitor by making the surface of the spherical light aircraft conductive, for example by covering the surface with metal foil or conductive paint. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, this light aviation capacitor 11 can be anchored to the earth surface 12 with a mooring rope 13, and the length of the mooring rope 13, and thus the rise of the capacitor, can be controlled by the reel 14. it can. A wire 15, which is in the vicinity of the rope by a loop attached to the support 16, for example a rope and is wound on a reel together with the rope, passes through a capacitor, another wire 17, (negative) of the VDGG charge engine 19. ) Electrically coupled to electrode 18 and (positive) base 110 of VDGG charge engine 19 is electrically coupled to ground 111. Such a support comprising a light aircraft and a mooring rope anchored to the earth's surface is hereinafter referred to as a mooring support.

  Since the electric field of this system weakens with distance from the capacitor and is only interested in the vertical component of the electric field, clouds passing through the vertical component of the electric field are charged for a limited time. The time required to fully charge the cloud can be estimated as follows. Assuming that the cloud is charged, i.e., the charge distribution is finally established, the conservation law for space charge density ρ and clear sky current density vector J changes as follows.

  Assuming further that Ohm's law is valid, then J and the electric field strength E are

It is related as follows.

  The Poisson equation relating E and ρ is

It is.

In this equation, ε is the dielectric permittivity of air, which is approximately equal to the dielectric permittivity in vacuum, ie ε to ε ₀ = 8.85 × 10 ⁻¹² Fm ⁻¹ . Substituting equation (3) into (4) and taking into account equation (2) yields the following equation:

  Assuming that the gradient of electrical resistivity 1 / σ in (5) is perpendicular to the boundary between clear and cloudy atmospheres and the coordinate axis x is selected along this gradient, it relates to the absolute value of space charge density. The following equation can be obtained from (5).

Here, J _n is a component perpendicular to the atmospheric current density (relative to the boundary surface), Δx is the width of the boundary surface between the clear sky atmosphere and the cloudy atmosphere, and σ _cld is the conductivity of the cloudy atmosphere. Where σ _air = γσ _cld is the conductivity (γ> 1) of clear air. In many cases, the boundary is flat and parallel to the Earth's surface, so J _n can be approximated to be the vertical component of atmospheric current density. An estimate of the time τ required for charge accumulation can be obtained as the ratio of the surface charge on the cloudy boundary | ρ | Δx to the current density J _n . As obtained from (5), τ = ε (γ−1) / σ _air . For typical values σ _air ˜10 ⁻¹³ Ω ⁻¹ m ⁻¹ and γ˜10, this time τ is about 900 seconds, ie 15 minutes. A cloud can pass a distance of several kilometers during that time, depending on its horizontal velocity, and therefore, a plurality of elevated capacitors are reasonably continuous to the passing cloud along the direction of cloud movement. A distance should be provided between them to ensure an enhanced electric field and thus atmospheric current. The distance between the capacitors in the row is not more than twice the distance between the cloud base and the capacitor.

  In practice, a unit comprising a two-dimensional grid (cluster) of raised capacitors (elements) may be required to achieve a sufficient width of the cloud charge area. Each capacitor may be in a fixed position, for example, movable on a truck or boat. Depending on the atmospheric conditions and the degree of influence achieved, the effect can be observed over a period ranging from 20-30 minutes to 1-2 hours from the start of the influence. Therefore, under the changing speed and direction of cloud motion, and other atmospheric conditions, a network of multiple units that are selectively activated is generally required to achieve an effect within a particular target area. is there.

  Another approach is based on the formation of floating space charge in the area below the cloud base of the atmosphere, which can be achieved from ground facilities at altitudes below that required for the floating capacitors discussed. . The space charge contained in an amount of air is defined as the sum of the charge of all particles (including ions and charged aerosols) contained in that amount, taking into account its sign. The generated air charge plume, which acts as a floating charge capacitor, is then raised by natural and / or artificial updrafts. In contrast to ions, the lifetime of the space charge accumulated by the aerosol is much longer, typically up to about 20-40 minutes, so that the space charge column is at altitudes up to several kilometers depending on the updraft. It is possible to rise up to.

  During an operating session, a negative or negative space charge is preferably continuously generated by charging a natural or artificial aerosol contained in a location at a sufficient velocity and at a sufficient height above the ground to determine the initial column height. Should be generated. In contrast to the discussed case of charged solid state capacitors, the clouds can be charged above the generated space charge column that propagates into the atmosphere, not necessarily directly above the device.

  Predict both the area and extent of cloud charge, depending on the space charge column dynamics, based on meteorological data sets and specific space charge generator characteristics to estimate where the effect will occur when it can be achieved be able to. Many models of aerosol column dynamics, developed over the past decades for various atmospheric conditions, based on the Gaussian dispersion model, are charged aerosol particles whose motion is mainly governed by atmospheric motion due to low electrical mobility Can be applied to any pillar. The basic input parameter set for the column model includes the generator charge rate (ie, the charge that the aerosol acquires per unit time), the initial column height, wind speed and direction, and the atmospheric stability class (ie, atmospheric turbulence There is a vertical and horizontal standard deviation of the space charge distribution that varies with the scale. Some models developed for certain atmospheric conditions require additional weather parameters.

  The method for predicting the artificial cloud charge is as follows. If atmospheric conditions are preferred, including the presence of appropriate clouds, meteorological data, including those related to cloud base, cloud cover, and column modeling parameters, are continuously collected to obtain parameter values. Data should be collected over a large area with column propagation potential, typically over several tens of kilometers.

  Since the charge rate of the space charge generator varies with atmospheric conditions (discussed later), the rate is also measured and / or modeled based on weather data. Next, the model most suitable for prevailing atmospheric conditions is selected and executed. Obtaining a modeled density profile of the space charge, a two-dimensional profile of the vertical component of the column's electric field, and hence the associated atmospheric current (AEC) near the known altitude cloud base, is then taken from the space charge profile to the entire column volume. It can be obtained by numerical integration. On the other hand, other profiles, such as the profile of the space charge density generated on the cloud boundary, the electric field in the cloud, and the charge distribution on the cloud particle (provided that the cloud particle spectrum is measured using a radiometer, for example) Can be obtained, for example, based on the technique of Zhou and Tinsley (2007).

  For climate control, a predictive model of the outcome of a given (in this case electrical) impact is available with the current state-of-the-art technology, which can predict the onset and amount of precipitation, particularly with acceptable accuracy. is not. Due to the large variability and the current availability of computational power for multi-channel processing at high resolution, as well as the large number of processes and parameters involved, such models are unlikely to be available in the near future.

  The method of cloud charge modeling described above can be further extended to achieve some quantitative assessment of triggered precipitation, provided that the following method is implemented. At this stage, only statistical techniques can provide a certain degree of certainty that a given influence that is parameterized in a certain way is likely to have an effect that should also be appropriately parameterized. Correlation between effect parameters and effect parameters under similar atmospheric conditions can be done using artificial intelligence expert systems, such as industry standard Hugin or custom-developed implementations, based on historical data of climate control within a specific area. It can be quantified statistically. In this method, the similarity of atmospheric conditions should also be parameterized, and the similarity for each parameter, i.e. the maximum allowable difference in values between cases should be defined. Parameter sets for similarity of atmospheric conditions include, but are not limited to, parameters of high-level meteorological maps, as well as cloud type, cloud bottom altitude, temperature spatial profile, ice particle and droplet spectra, supersaturation, etc. There is a cloud parameter.

  As in the case of elevated solid capacitors, when using space charge generators to generate or enhance precipitation within moderately large target areas under varying atmospheric conditions, the network of such generator clusters May be necessary. In order to be effective for weather control purposes, the design of the space charge generator should be optimized to achieve the best possible performance. Preferably, this embodiment should be practical, especially with respect to its utilization and mobility. It may also be advantageous to facilitate initial vertical transport of space charge. In this method, it is important not to overcharge the aerosol particles, but to achieve a large space charge generation rate, since it is not necessary to supply charged aerosol into the cloud.

  The concept of a cost-effective space charge generator based on charging natural atmospheric aerosols with corona discharge (monopolar) ions in an open air environment was first introduced by Vonnegut (1962). In order to test the device outlined in the Vonnegut patent and the hypothesis about convective charging by supplying natural space charge into the clouds, Vonnegut and Moore (1958) have a diameter of about 0.25 mm. A simple EECD with a 7 km long straight wire was utilized. In this embodiment, the wire was supported on 80 metal antenna masts about 10 m above the ground along its length and connected to the negative electrode of a commercial DC power supply operating at a voltage of 25 kV. The positive electrode of the DC power supply was grounded and the earth served as the corona discharge collector electrode.

  It is more practical to use a thin wire as the emitter electrode than to use a needle-type electrode with a sharp tip. This is because needle-type electrodes are insensitive due to electrochemical corrosion, while wire corrosion occurs more slowly and approximately uniformly along its length. Thin wires also minimize the release of hazardous gases such as ozone and nitrogen oxides when an excessively strong electric field is applied to the surface of the emitter electrode, which can occur when using sharp tips. In contrast, by using a corona discharge with a moderate electric field over a large surface area of the wire, large ion emissions can be achieved without releasing hazardous gases.

  However, the basic design of Vonnegut and Moore is not practical with regard to the use, scaling, relocation, and maintenance of thin and fragile wires. In addition, the support (mast) may introduce large leakage currents flowing through it. In high voltage environments, any support structure having a conductivity that cannot be absolute zero can introduce leakage current. When the support structure is wetted under wet conditions, its conductivity can increase. Due to the leakage current, a ground with finite conductivity can no longer be considered conductive, especially where there is a large separation between the ground electrode (ground point) of the DC power source and the support, which means that the emitter This results in performance degradation of the emitter electrode caused by a decrease in voltage on the electrode and possibly overload of the DC power supply.

  A significant improvement over the basic design shown in FIG. 2 is that the wire or electrically coupled wire segments are miniaturized and placed in an emitter electrode assembly (EEA) 21 which is preferably Is raised to a certain height above the ground by a single support 22 and is electrically coupled to the negative electrode 24 of the DC power source 25 using, for example, a suitable wire 23, which is connected to the ground point. 26 is electrically coupled. Such a design was proposed in the Russian patent (2001) by Rostopchin et al.

  By definition, the EEA comprises one or more electrically coupled emitter electrodes and a structure that supports the emitter electrodes, hereinafter referred to as an emitter electrode frame or simply an electrode frame. According to the design of Rostopchin et al., The EEA frame is in the shape of an isosceles pyramid, and the wire is wound around the side of the pyramid in the form of a single strand. A single EEA is mounted on the support using a holder or bracket (not shown in FIG. 2). A high voltage insulator (not shown in FIG. 2) is disposed between the support and the bracket.

  The ratio of ion production rate, called ion current, to leakage current is an important performance characteristic of the corona discharge embodiment. Attempts should be made to achieve the highest possible value of the ionic current to leakage current ratio, which depends on the support quality, among other factors. The support quality has the insulating properties of the support and the highest possible ionic current output so that the support can support a large mechanical load, ie EEA with the weight and momentum that the electrode frame contributes mainly. It depends on both abilities.

  Thus, a first improvement to the design of Rostopchin et al. Is to eliminate the insulator and build a seamless support from the appropriate insulating material. Such measures can reduce the weight of the support and improve both mechanical strength and electrical resistivity. In this case, the support is a rigid vertical structure having two ends, the first of which is fixed to the ground and the second of which is fixed to the EEA. A non-limiting example of a body is a telescopic mast formed from hollow glass fiber segments and stabilized by three or more mooring ropes secured to the ground. Such masts that can be easily transported in segments and that allow easy maintenance of loads are widely used to support antennas.

  In another improved embodiment proposed here, a mooring support for EEA raised by a light aircraft is used as an alternative, which can easily change the raised height, for example for maintenance purposes. This is particularly advantageous when it is necessary to do this, or as is often seen as discussed later, but the required height is difficult to achieve using ground support.

  A non-limiting example illustrating the concept of a moored support is one embodiment shown in FIG. A light aircraft 31 is mechanically coupled to a first end of a support rod 33 that supports an EEA 34 (ie, is secured to its frame) using a rope or pivot joint 32. The upper end portion of the mooring support rope 35 whose length is controlled by the reel 36 is fixed to the support rod. A wire 37, which is in the vicinity of the rope by a loop attached to the support 38, for example a rope, and is wound on a reel together with the rope, uses another wire 39 to connect the first of the charging engine of a DC power supply 311, for example a VDGG The first (negative) electrode 310 is electrically coupled, and the second (positive) electrode 312 of the DC power supply 311 is electrically coupled to the ground point 313.

  Regardless of the type of support, support parts, such as masts and ropes, should be made of a fat-like insulating water repellent material to prevent a continuous conductive water film from accumulating on those parts under wet conditions. It is recommended to be covered with film.

  Even if the leakage current is minimized, the achievement of a large ionic current may introduce the aforementioned problem that the voltage on the emitter electrode is lost due to the finite conductivity of the ground. A further improvement to this embodiment (see FIG. 2) is that one or more grounding points 27 that are electrically coupled to the grounding point of the DC power source, eg, using appropriate wires 28, near the corona discharge. Is to introduce. The number of grounding points required depends on the current consumption, the type of ground, and the ground area below the EEA to which most of the generated ions travel. In the case of negative corona discharge, this area is hereinafter referred to as the anode area. A wider anode area is preferred for charging aerosols contained in larger amounts of air. As a guide, the radius of the anode area should be at least equal to the rising height of the EEA. The type of ground and the current consumption define the density of ground points within the anode area that are necessary to maintain sufficient conductivity of the anode area. For example, if the ground is moist soil, the current consumption is about 100-200 μA, and a single ground point is introduced below the EEA operating under a voltage of 70 kV, the anode area has a radius of up to 5-8 m. Have If the soil is dry, a grid of grounding points is required that covers the anode area and is electrically coupled to each other and to the grounding point of the DC power source. In this case, the distance between adjacent ground points arranged in the form of a grid should be 1-2 m. Typically, the ground point, which is a ground rod made of a conductive material, such as metal, should reach the soil layer, if any, which is deeper and preferably wetter than the surface. For average soil, the minimum recommended depth of ground rod is about 0.5 m. For dry soil, the minimum depth should be deeper.

  Instead of or in addition to utilizing a larger number of ground points, the conductivity of the soil in the anode area can also be increased by humidifying (watering) during operation of the space charge generator. Preferably, in order to minimize positive corona discharge on the plant tip, the soil is an aqueous solution with common minerals that inhibits plant growth below the ion generator, i.e. an environment such as salt water. Humidified using a gentle electrolyte.

  In addition or alternatively, other types of corona discharges rather than earth, especially when humidification is inefficient or impractical, for example when the installation surface is a building roof or rocky terrain A collector electrode can be introduced to replace or augment the soil in the anode area. Thus, in some embodiments (see FIG. 2), a highly conductive collector electrode 29, such as one or more sheets of metal or wire mesh, is placed on the ground, for example using suitable wires. It can be directly electrically coupled to the ground electrode of the DC power source.

  In yet another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, a reservoir 41 filled with a conductive electrolyte solution such as salt water is electrically coupled to a local ground point 42, and a wire 45 is connected to a ground point 43 of a DC power source 44. Can be electrically coupled to each other and placed below the EEA 46 raised by the ground support 47, thereby allowing the reservoir 41 to act as a corona discharge collector electrode. In this case, in addition to improving the conductivity of the soil by spreading the electrolyte solution using, for example, an air stream, the artificial aerosol 48 is removed from the residue of the evaporated electrolyte droplets released by bursting the foam. Can be generated.

  Techniques for improving the effectiveness of the Earth surface as a collector electrode and / or introducing other collector electrodes as discussed are also applicable to embodiments using anchoring supports. For example, the performance of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 can be achieved by introducing an additional ground point 314 and an additional corona discharge collector electrode (not shown) coupled to the ground point 313 of the DC power supply 311 as described above. Can be improved.

  According to the design of Rostopchin et al., The pyramidal plane that the wire segment traverses is arranged at an angle with the earth surface. Two advantages of such an embodiment of the EEA are that the horizontal wind causes the generated space charge to be transferred, fresh atmospheric aerosol is supplied for charging, and reduces the ion generation performance of the wire. The number of times the same air mass containing space charges passes through the wire is minimized. The optimum value for this angle is about 20-70 degrees under typical atmospheric conditions.

  In EEA embodiments such as Rostopchin et al., Larger ionic currents can be achieved by using thinner wires, increasing wiring density, using larger frames, or combinations thereof. However, certain limitations apply to the use of larger frames due to the limited mechanical performance of the frame.

  The separation distance between the wire segments determines the wiring density. This density cannot be increased indefinitely. For a particular segment, the electric field from other segments affects the production of ions. For a given value of voltage and wire thickness, there is a certain limitation in separation distance that subsequent addition of a new wire segment on the frame does not result in a significant increase in ion generation capacity. For a voltage of 50-70 kV and a wire of 0.1-0.2 mm in diameter, this separation distance is about 1.5-3 cm. To increase the maximum effective density of wiring under a given voltage, it is necessary to use thinner wires.

  The thinner the wire, the more susceptible to deterioration due to corrosion, and the higher the requirement for its corrosion resistance. A non-limiting example of a commercially available wire suitable for this purpose is a Monel wire that is a high corrosion resistant Ni + Co + Cu base alloy with a diameter of 0.1-0.2 mm.

  The thinner the wire, the more rigid the frame (ie, more dimensionally stable) to support the wire. If thinner wires are used and / or the frame size is increased, thicker and heavier planks or rods should be used, which is the best wiring possible with a given weight of EEA Defeats the purpose of achieving long and therefore ion emissions.

  One solution to this problem is to use several smaller EEAs with pyramid frames in this case instead of one large EEA. A non-limiting example of such an embodiment 50 is shown in FIG. 5, where six EEAs of triangular pyramid shape are utilized. As a non-limiting example, vertices 51a and 52a of adjacent EEAs 51 and 52 are alternately facing up and down, respectively. This design allows for optimal ventilation with horizontal wind and reduces the number of times the same air mass containing space charge passes through the EEAs 51 and 52. In order to obtain further stability, the apexes of the upward pyramids are connected by a rod 53, which does not carry a strong load and can therefore be lightweight. On the other hand, these rods are connected to a plate 55 attached to the top of the mast 56 using rods or support ropes 54. Similarly, the apexes of the downward-facing pyramids are also connected by a rod 57, which is connected to a bracket 59 attached to the mast using a rod or support rope 58.

  A non-limiting example of a practical implementation of this design is shown in FIG. 6a, where the bottom surface of the upward pyramid 61a and the bottom surface of the downward pyramid 62a are located in different surfaces 63a and 64a, respectively. ing. The edges of the pyramid bases in different planes are mechanically joined using the support 61b of FIG. 6b, preferably having some flexibility. Within each plane, as shown in FIG. 6c, the edge of the corresponding pyramid 61c is fixed to the support plate 62c using bolts and nuts 63c. As shown in FIG. 6d, the support plate 62d on each surface to which the edge of the pyramid bottom surface 61d is fixed using a bolt and a nut 63d is located at a position along the mast 66d using the upper bracket 64d and the lower bracket 65d. Fixed.

  However, the pyramid shape is not the only shape that is optimal for EEA. In the form of a modular design in which at least two parallel segments traverse the surface, preferably two planar frames whose surfaces are arranged at an angle with the earth surface are mechanically and electrically coupled to each other A wide variety of EEA can be implemented. Such an EEA module comprising a planar frame and a supported wire segment of the EECD arranged parallel to each other with a separation distance between them is hereinafter referred to as basic EEA (EEEA).

  In general, the shape of the EEEA frame can be a polygon, but mechanically, the most stable shape is a triangle. The pre-assembled EEEA can be easily transported in large quantities due to its planar shape, and the EEA can be assembled from the EEEA at the installation site, and the EEA can be disassembled into the EEEA.

  As a non-limiting example, a pyramidal EEA can be assembled from three or more EEEAs having the same size and the same isosceles triangular shape. Compared to the pyramid EEA, where the wire segments form a continuous wire, i.e. a wire wound around the entire frame in the form of a single strand, this embodiment has a portion of the wiring that is disrupted, for example, by a wire break by a bird It is more robust because it is less.

  The side of the EEEA frame, which may be a rod or plank, for example, can be formed from a conductive material or a non-conductive material. When a metal frame is used, for example when the metal frame is formed from a hollow tube, care should be taken that the wire does not come into direct contact with a frame formed from a different metal in open air. Otherwise, the wire segments can quickly break at the point of contact in an electrochemical corrosive environment and can therefore break apart.

  By way of non-limiting example, in one embodiment of the EEEA 70a triangle shown in FIG. 7a, several wire segment supports 71a, eg hook-like shapes, are paired with each of the two sides 72a and 73a of the frame. Each support holds a corresponding end of the wire segment 74a (inset). The wire segment may form a continuous wire or may be wound around the support in the form of two or more strands. The ends of these strands (in this case one strand is shown) are fixed at points 75a and 76a through which this EEEA is electrically coupled to the other EEEA, The EEEA can be electrically coupled so as to make it difficult to break the wire. It is preferred to use a somewhat flexible non-metallic support or a support formed from the same metal as the wire. This is because the stress on the wire can be reduced if the sides of the frame are slightly bent under varying external forces. The vertical post of the support can also be formed in the form of a spring. A spring-based support 71b inside the frame is shown in FIG. 7b (inset).

  In preferred embodiments, the solution proposed herein is to separate the weight support frame structure from the wire support frame structure but flexibly join them. In this configuration, several smaller EEEAs with lightweight frames that are stiff enough to support higher density wiring using thinner wires can be supported with each other and with weight support using flexible joints ( Coupled to the (external) plane frame. When the wiring of a certain EEEA is disconnected, the EEEA can be quickly replaced without having to rewire the field. As a non-limiting example, the flexible joint can be a spring or a suitable zigzag shaped piece of wire that acts as a spring. As with the basic frame, a larger EEA structure can be assembled from an external frame that supports the EEEA.

  FIG. 8 shows how the triangular EEEA 80 takes advantage of the longer overall length of the thinner wire 81 by making the frame 82 external to some smaller EEEA 83 connected to the flexible joint 84. A non-limiting example showing whether it can be accommodated.

  As a non-limiting example, another triangular embodiment of EEEA 90 supported by an outer frame is shown in FIG. A frame 91 formed from a flat plank of insulating material, eg painted wood, has a notch 92 along its length on each of the two sides of the frame, through which the wire 93 is wrapped around the frame as shown to form parallel segments between the notches on either side of the frame (the wires on the opposite side of the frame are shown as dotted lines). The ends of the wire strands are fixed at points 94 and 95 through which this EEEA is electrically coupled to other EEEAs, and can optionally be electrically coupled.

  Instead of or in addition to using an outer frame that supports a smaller EEEA using a flexible joint, a wire mesh rather than a parallel wire segment can be used as the emitter electrode. By using such a mesh in EEEA that is somewhat self-supporting, larger frames can be used. This is because the mesh is much less susceptible to frame deformation than the wire. The attachment of the mesh to the frame can be accomplished in a variety of ways without the need for multiple supports or notches in the case of wire segments. Compared to wire segments, the conductive mesh is more robust both mechanically and electrically against wire breakage. It is also easier to replace broken or corroded meshes.

  Rostopchin et al. Mentions that when EEA is operated at sub-zero temperatures, frost accumulates on the wire, which reduces the performance of the wire as an emitter electrode. To address this problem, Rostopchin et al. Proposed using an electric heater and fan to send warm air towards the EEA. Rostopchin et al. Recognized that this technique does not work satisfactorily in the presence of strong winds that move warm air before it reaches the EEA.

  A practical solution to this problem is to self-heat the wire by passing a low voltage current through the wire. If a low voltage circuit is configured using a conventional power source such as a transformer, it may be technically difficult to electrically isolate the high voltage circuit from the low voltage circuit, and leakage current may be introduced. Therefore, it becomes a problem. The solution proposed here is to use an electromagnetic radiation source such as a microwave oscillator with a suitable antenna to heat the emitter electrode remotely without direct electrical contact. In this case, current is generated in a closed wire circuit, such as a wire mesh segment or a wire strand having an electrically coupled end that is part of the emitter electrode, warming the emitter electrode.

  The elevation height of the EEA on the ground is an important parameter that determines the aerosol charging efficiency. Ions generated by EEA tend to flow toward the corona discharge collector electrode, i.e., downward. Ion motion is mainly governed by a strong electric field in the vicinity of the emitter electrode and by both wind and electric field further away from the emitter electrode. Since most of the atmospheric aerosol is charged between the EEA and the Earth's surface, the EEA rise is preferably increased before the generated ions are wasted by recombination when they reach the Earth's surface. It should be high enough to ensure that the part adheres to the aerosol.

  In still air, this optimal ascent height depends on the spectrum of aerosol particles in atmospheric air, particularly their number concentration, which is a relatively aerosol-rich ground air that can ignore ionic recombination ( determine the lifetime of the ions in terrestrial air). Under most conditions, this time is usually 3-8 minutes.

  Thus, the optimal climb height in still air can be estimated as the distance that ions can travel between the EEA and the Earth's surface during their lifetime. In practice, this distance for a particular EEA embodiment can be measured by measuring the spatial electric field profile below the EEA and using existing techniques, and charged particle trajectories during ion lifetime (and Therefore, it can be found experimentally by subsequent numerical calculation of the vertical path).

  Alternatively, the optimal ascent height can be found experimentally by measuring the concentration of negative ions with increasing ascent of EEA. A significant decrease in ion concentration after a certain rise indicates that an optimum rise has been reached.

  In fact, according to an experimental study by Jones and Hutchinson (1975) on the generation of space charge columns using a basic point-to-ground corona discharge unit in the presence of wind, The optimal climb height should be at least about 9m. Utilizing more advanced embodiments of EEA, such as those proposed herein, will likely require even higher ascents. If achieving an optimum height is difficult using ground supports, generators with more space charge generators and / or tethered supports should be utilized.

  If more space charge generators are utilized to compensate for their performance degradation due to sub-optimal climb heights, the height should be at least 6 m.

  In this regard, an embodiment using a moored support may be preferred. The higher the EEA rises, the higher the operating voltage required to achieve the same ion current. In this regard, it may be advantageous to use VDGG as an alternative to commercially available DC power supplies. In this case, a VDGG light aircraft spherical capacitor can be used as a light aircraft. In this class of embodiments shown in FIG. 10, an EEA frame 101 is used with a plurality of support rods 103 and legs 104 distributed evenly around the surface of a light aircraft spherical condenser (aircraft) 102 over the entire surface. Can be arranged. A mooring rope 105 secured to a light aircraft spherical condenser (aircraft) and a wire 106 electrically coupled to the EEA are connected to the other components of this embodiment (not listed) as in FIG. The Since the aircraft may be inflatable and therefore its radius may change, the support rod should be of variable length and a stress support mechanism should be provided on the leg, for example by incorporating a spring.

  Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 11, an EEA frame 111 is secured around the surface of a non-light aircraft spherical or quasi-spherical condenser by non-flexible support rods 112. As a non-limiting example, a quasi-spherical capacitor can be assembled from a lightweight sheet 113 having a conductive outer surface, for example formed from plastic and covered with a conductive paint, electrically coupled and mechanically joined. it can. By way of a non-limiting example, such a sheet can be cut and configured like a swatch on a soccer ball surface. The initially degassed balloon is placed inside the condenser and then it is inflated with a gas that is lighter than air, such as helium, until the gas occupies the volume of the condenser and makes it easier to float.

  Another proposed light aircraft embodiment 120 is shown in FIG. EEEA 121 with wire mesh sections, or mesh or parallel wire segments, are electrically coupled and mechanically joined to form a quasi-spherical shaped EEA. When EEEA with a frame is used, it is preferable to connect the sides of the frame using flexible joints as discussed above. The swollen sphere 122 is evenly distributed inside the surface of the mesh and attached thereto, for example by a small loop. If a framed EEEA is used in this embodiment, the spheres are attached to a pair of joined frame sides. A balloon 123 is placed inside the EEA and then it is inflated with a gas lighter than air until the sphere is a stress support for the EEA. In this configuration, a sufficiently large EEA having a diameter of a few meters can act as an emitter electrode and a capacitor. This is because in this case the system has its own (substantial) capacity.

  Ion currents flowing out of the EEA in directions other than downward are not negligible at the EEA lift height achievable with a moored support that can reach several hundred meters. This is because the positively charged electric field remaining on the ground that dominates the downward ion flow together with the generated space charge electric field decreases with increasing height. Therefore, a uniform distribution of the surface of the EEA around a light aircraft or light aviation capacitor is recommended, where the majority of the ions propagate in all directions starting from the EEA.

A significant enhancement of the generated ionic current can be achieved by introducing the Malter effect in the above embodiment. Malter (1936) is a thin film made of several non-conductive materials such as Al ₂ O ₃ , Zn ₂ SiO ₃ , SiO ₂ , ZrO ₂ , CaCO ₃ , Ta ₂ O ₅ and a small number of other oxides. However, it was observed that secondary electron emission occurred from the surface of the film when applied to the cathode subjected to electron impact. Such an electrode is hereinafter referred to as a Malter electrode. Secondary electron emission leaves a net positive charge on the surface of the membrane of the Malter electrode, hereinafter referred to as the Malter film, thereby creating a strong electric field across the Malter film layer. Since the Malter film is not conductive, the positive charge does not neutralize as fast as it accumulates, so that the film layer is the film surface and the cathode surface, whose “electrode plates” are oppositely charged. Acts as a dielectric medium for capacitors. Electrons emitted on the cathode surface in a very strong electric field pass further through the Malter film into the air and eventually form negatively charged molecular clusters, ie negative ions. In order for the Malter effect to occur, there must be an initiating source of particles or ionizing radiation (eg, high energy electrons, ions, X-rays, ultraviolet radiation) that can extract electrons from the film surface. Also, the cathode's electron emission rate must be greater than the rate at which positive charges are extracted from the film surface. When a Malter electrode is bombarded by electrons, the ionic current emitted by this electrode can be up to several thousand times greater than the primary bombardment current, depending on conditions (Hawkes, 1992).

  As a non-limiting example, the larger ionic current produced by EEEA can be achieved by introducing an additional Malter electrode 131 in the form of a thicker wire segment coated with a Malter film, as shown in FIG. Can be achieved. The Malter electrode 131 is parallel to the thin wire segment 134 and is electrically coupled to the thin wire segment 134 by, for example, a soldering point 132 on the film-free area 133. The thin wire segment 134 primarily serves as a starting source for adjacent malter electrodes, which may be based on hollow wires (tubes) rather than solid wires to minimize weight. For the sake of simplicity, the tubular wire is hereinafter called a wire. Such a wire pair 130 replaces the ordinary wire in the discussed embodiment. The diameter of the Malter wire should be large enough and the thin wire should be close enough to the Malter wire to ensure effective impact of the Malter wire by emitted electrons and ions. Since the electric field strength applied to the surface of the wire is inversely proportional to the diameter of the wire, impact electrons and negative ions that are decelerated by the electric field of the Malter wire reach the surface of the wire when the diameter of the Malter wire is sufficiently large. The impact required for the next release can be brought about. Furthermore, a wire with a larger diameter provides a greater ionization output per unit length because of its wider emission surface. More than one corona starter wire can be used per malter wire.

  If the emitter electrode is a mesh as shown in FIG. 14, a similar approach can be taken to introduce the Malter effect, where the segments of the Malter mesh 140 are above (left) and below the surface of the mesh. (Right figure). Thin wires 141 are placed as described above and soldered at points 142 to a first set of parallel wires 143 consisting of a thick wire mesh covered with a Malter film. Similarly, a thin wire 144 is also placed below and soldered at point 145 to a second set of parallel mesh wires 146 perpendicular to the first set of wires 143. If the second set of mesh wires is on top of the first set of mesh wires (eg, the upper set of wires is welded to the lower set of wires), another configuration of thin wires is shown in FIG. In the figure, segments of the Malter mesh 150 are seen above (left figure) and below (right figure) the surface of the mesh. On the left, a thin wire 151 is placed over the first (lower) set of wires 152 by soldering to a second (upper) set of wires 154 of the Malter mesh wire at point 153. On the right, a thin wire 155 is placed under the second set of wires by soldering to the first set of Malter mesh wires at point 156.

  Alternatively, the Malter electrode can be a metal foil whose one or both surfaces are coated with a Malter film. Such a Malter electrode is hereinafter referred to as a Malter foil. In this configuration, a thin corona “ignition” wire is placed near and secured to one or both surfaces of the malter foil, as discussed above for the malter wire. A non-limiting example of such a configuration in which the Malter foil is a strip is shown in FIG. One or more thin wires 161 are placed on one or both surfaces 162 of the Malter electrode and secured thereto at points 163. As in the case of ordinary wire and malter wire pairs, such electrodes replace the wires in the discussed EEEA. Thus, the wire mesh can be replaced by a mesh formed from a strip of Malter foil and preferably corona wire fixed to both active surfaces of the foil.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, another alternative is to replace the entire surface of the wire mesh or wire segment in the EEEA with a Malter foil with the corona wire on its outer surface.

  When the concentration of aerosol in the atmosphere is low, some embodiments are manufactured by TSI Incorporated, for example, Shoreview, Minnesota, USA, to increase the amount of aerosol in the air surrounding the EEA, particularly below the EEA Artificial aerosol generators, such as those, can be provided. Preferably, the aerosol generator is located below the EEA of the space charge generator. It is also possible to use a reservoir containing the solute to be spread that is used as an alternative or additional collector electrode as discussed above.

  Atmospheric motion, such as horizontal and vertical updrafts, increases the efficiency of aerosol charging by moving air masses containing charged aerosols and supplying air masses containing fresh aerosols. Moreover, the optimal climb height can be reduced due to atmospheric motion. In this regard, it is advantageous to create an updraft that increases the artificial atmospheric motion, particularly the initial rise of the space charge column.

  Thus, in some embodiments, a fan or heat source can be placed below the EEA. Various types of burners that can also serve as aerosol generators can be utilized as a heat source. If a wire mesh is used as an additional or alternative corona discharge collector electrode, it can be made a heat source by raising it a short distance from the ground, for example by passing a low voltage strong current from a transformer through it. Heating using solar radiation can be achieved by providing a black surface of conductive material that can also act as a “heat island”, ie, a corona discharge collector electrode, around the space charge generator. A practical solution is to coat the ground with a carbon material, for example, black, conductive granules of natural coal.

  In addition to the atmospheric aerosol charge that leads to RCC by enhancing the clear sky current, a corona discharge that generates a sufficiently large AEC of monopolar ions can have another effect of adjusting the relative humidity profile in the atmosphere. As a result, a vertical motion of the wet air mass that promotes the rise of the space charge column can occur, and atmospheric instability can be locally generated or enhanced. Atmospheric instability can promote cloud formation under favorable atmospheric conditions.

  The physical mechanism for separating atmospheric moisture (water vapor) from other air components, referred to hereinafter as selective moisture transport (SMT), which repositions the vapor, is as follows. Collisions between moving ions and air molecules cause momentum transfer from moving ions to air molecules, which appears as viscous forces acting on the ions per unit time. In the absence of an electric field, this process is random (brown) and the average macroscopic momentum transfer is zero. However, in a DC corona discharge, most of the generated ions have the same (negative) charge, and therefore most of them move in the same direction. Because the movement of ions is so ordered, the momentum transfer from ions to air molecules appears as a force on the air on a macroscopic scale, making the air an “ionic wind” in the dominant direction of ion movement. Shed. However, previous studies have overlooked that the generated “ionic wind” accelerates water vapor to a much higher degree than other air components and moves the vapors ahead of other components in the air stream. It was.

In contrast to other air component molecules, water molecules (H ₂ O) have their own electric dipole moment. Because of the attractive charge-dipole electrical force between ions and water molecules, water molecules collide with ions when collisions of ions with other air molecules cannot be geometrically possible, Therefore, the momentum moved from the ions can be obtained.

  The trajectory of water molecules versus non-water molecules is shown in FIG. 17, which is a trajectory 171 that moves parallel to the axis X at a distance γ from the axis X (collision distance) toward the air ion 172 of radius R. This shows the effect of increasing the collision cross section of water molecules having Non-aqueous molecules moving at a distance γ from the axis X parallel to the axis X can collide with ions only when γ <R. In contrast, water molecules having a collision distance R <γ <ρ (where ρ is the maximum collision distance of water molecules) can also collide with ions due to the attractive charge-dipole electrical force. . In this regard, water molecules behave differently from other air molecules during collisions with atmospheric ions, and the difference is explained in terms of the collision cross section, which in this case is determined by the maximum collision distance. Since ρ> R, the collision cross section of water molecules is larger than the collision cross section of non-water molecules.

The collision cross-sectional area ratio between water molecules and non-water molecules, called enhancement factor, was estimated by Nadykto et al. (2003). For typical air ions having a diameter of 0.6 nm, the enhancement factor has been found to be about 7. From the dipole moment of the water molecule H ₂ O, such as water dimer (H ₂ O) ₂ and others that appear at higher concentrations when the vapor is closer to saturation ((H ₂ O) _n , n> 2) It has been found that in the case of a water molecule cluster having a large dipole moment, the enhancement factor value is even greater. The larger the ion-molecule collision cross section, the greater the number of ion-molecule collisions. Therefore, the momentum that moves to a molecule contained in a certain amount of air per unit time, that is, the macroscopic force applied to that amount of air is greater. growing. Thus, this average force per molecule is greater in the case of water molecules, i.e. the water molecules get a greater acceleration. This process of SMT can provide progressively increased relative humidity in some areas of air at the expense of drying in other areas where moisture is taken, i.e., wet air mass and dry air mass are First formed.

  The number of molecules of any component contained in a quantity of air is constant at a given temperature and pressure, and the molar mass of water (18 g / mol) is less than the molar mass of dry air (29 g / mol). Increasing humidity reduces air density and vice versa. According to Archimedes' principle, the dry air mass descends and the wet air mass rises at the same time. This continuous process manifests as upward moisture transport on a large scale, leading to the formation of air masses that rise from the beginning with artificially increased humidity. When artificially moistened air masses rise, they are adiabatically cooled at a lower rate than natural air masses, and thus have a relatively small adiabatic (temperature) reduction rate. Since air instability results from the difference between the adiabatic reduction of the air mass and the ambient air rate, the air mass moistened by SMT can be more unstable than the air mass formed by natural convection. Under certain atmospheric conditions, the effect of locally increased instability can cause vapor condensation in the wet air mass, resulting in enhanced buoyancy of the wet air mass due to the release of latent heat, Eventually a cloud is formed. This process may occur at a lower altitude than in naturally moist air masses, or may occur only in artificially moist air masses, and the expansion of this process to a larger scale is It may be possible if it is barely unstable or slightly unstable against natural air masses. The rise due to the convergence of adjacent wet air masses towards the artificial updraft area, which can be small in the beginning, can trigger changes in natural air mass dynamics due to the release of latent heat. This effect can only be achieved in some cases, but is unique to other existing methods of weather regulation.

  The optimum EEA elevation for SMT is generally lower than the optimum aerosol charge elevation because not only the ion concentration but also the AEC density is important. It is not desirable in this case to charge the maximum possible amount of natural or artificial aerosol. This is to reduce the AEC density unless space charges generated in the AEC flow path are removed at high speed, for example by strong winds. If the main purpose of operating the corona discharge embodiment is to achieve the maximum possible SMT, then an artificial aerosol should not be produced, and selecting a lower EEA rise height may result in an anode of generated ions Should work in favor of recombination on the area. In order to achieve higher AEC densities, it is also recommended to use a narrower anode area than in the case of aerosol charging. In one particular embodiment, the simplest way to select the optimal rise height of the EEA that governs the balance between the achievable AEC and the amount of air at which SMT takes place is based on experimentation.

  A decrease in precipitation in the target area can be achieved by a planned increase in precipitation in another area, so that the area targeted for the decrease in precipitation will be affected by the precipitation in the area where the precipitation is triggered. (Precipitation shadow).

  Individual space charge generators can be controlled manually or automatically from a central location. Depending on the particular application, the above-described embodiments can be placed on any type of transport (fixed or movable) that is relevant on the ground or in the water. For underwater, there is a need for a platform on the water body with an anode area that is electrically coupled to a ground electrode submerged in water.

  Apart from the increase or decrease of precipitation in the target area, for other applications of climate control, it is generally the case that the charge capacitor or EEA rise height or EEA is affected to affect the physical process responsible for one or more effects. Specific methods and parameters specific to the embodiment being used are required, such as the anode area.

  In the case of mist dispersion, which is a cloud on or near the Earth's surface, one approach is to use a charged capacitor or corona discharge EEA to moored to produce space charge accumulation on the boundary of the fog layer. It arrange | positions above a fog layer using a support body. To achieve this effect in a reasonably large area, multiple light aircraft embodiments should be utilized and / or one or more embodiments should be moved to dissipate different fog areas It is. In this configuration, the mist layer should be thick enough to efficiently collect smaller mist particles by larger mist particles, which may not occur in all cases. An alternative solution is to use a corona discharge embodiment inside the fog layer to operate in SMT optimal regime. In the dry air mass, the mist dissipates by droplet evaporation, and in the wet air mass, the droplets and ice crystals, if any, grow large and settle by gravity, possibly as fog particles as they descend. To collect. The updraft produced by the release of latent heat will favor the formation of larger particles that float for a longer time and grow, resulting in the convergence of adjacent misty air to be regulated by SMT. This convergence can be enhanced by ongoing removal of supersaturated vapor by condensation and by growing ice crystals if the mist is cold, thereby reducing the vapor partial pressure.

  In order to initially dissipate the fog below which the aerosol particles are charged to reduce AEC, the initial rise height of the EEA should preferably be low and then gradually increased to an optimum value. Alternatively, one or more corona discharge embodiments should begin operation before the expected mist occurrence, i.e., in fog prevention mode.

  Another application is the reduction of the temperature of the earth's surface. Non-limiting examples of this application include energy savings in man-made concentration areas, and cyclone generation depends on water temperature, so long-term sea surface temperature over a large area to reduce its generation and intensity. It is a decrease. During the day, low altitude cloudiness that reflects solar radiation back into space can be formed or enhanced by operating the corona embodiment in SMT mode during favorable atmospheric conditions. At night, low cloud coverage that reduces the emission of infrared radiation into outer space can be achieved within the target area by using a charging capacitor as discussed, or by using the corona discharge embodiment in aerosol charge mode. Can be reduced or eliminated by intensifying precipitation at In this application, even if the size of the precipitation hydrometer is small and it cannot reach the Earth's surface, the effect can still be achieved even if cloud dissipation is achievable. If the impact produces fewer and more but cloud droplets that are not precipitation clouds, the effect can still be achieved to some extent. In this case, the transparency of the cloud with respect to the emitted infrared radiation can be increased.

  In essence, vegetation, especially forests, create a moist air mass due to much evaporation across the large surface of the leaf, which can increase atmospheric instability as discussed above. In the vicinity of the coastline, a large area covered with trees increases the inflow of marine water into the inland and maintains a healthy water circulation over a considerable distance from the coast (Makarieva and Gorshkov, 2007). In this regard, operate in SMT mode for extended periods of time when possible to increase atmospheric instability, and operate in RCC mode to enhance precipitation on land when appropriate clouds are present A large array of corona discharge embodiments can replace the forest cover in that area that promotes reforestation of the deforested area until the cover is restored. To improve water circulation over significant distances inland by enhancing water recirculation as forests do, a controlled embodiment that covers areas not covered by trees up to several hundred kilometers from the coastline. A large network of grids (units) may be required. The same approach can be taken to accelerate plantations in forest agriculture, thereby carbon sequestration, the generation of renewable biofuels, and storage of sequestered carbon, often producing large amounts of energy Several other benefits can be provided, such as the generation of renewable trees that can replace other materials that are consumed.

  Although the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that numerous modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments and other arrangements can be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. I want to be.

Abbreviation List AEC Atmospheric Current CN Condensation Core DC DC EEA Emitter Electrode Assembly EECD Corona Discharge Emitter Electrode EEEA Basic Emitter Electrode Assembly IN Ice Crystal RCC Remote Cloud Charge SMT Selective Water Transport VDGG

11 Light Aviation Capacitor 12 Earth Surface 13 Mooring Rope 14 Reel 15 Wire 16 Support 17 Wire 18 (Negative) Electrode 19 VDGG Charge Engine 21 Emitter Electrode Assembly (EEA)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 22 Support body 23 Wire 24 Negative electrode 25 DC power supply 26 Grounding point 27 Grounding point 28 Wire 29 Highly conductive collector electrode 31 Light aircraft 32 Revolving joint 33 Support rod 34 EEA
35 Mooring support rope 36 Reel 37 Wire 38 Support 39 Wire 41 Reservoir 42 Local grounding point 43 Grounding point 44 DC power supply 45 Wire 46 EEA
47 Ground support 48 Artificial aerosol 50 Embodiment 51 EEA
51a Vertex 52 EEA
52a vertex 53 rod 54 rod or support rope 55 plate 56 mast 57 rod 58 rod or support rope 59 bracket 61a pyramid 62a pyramid 63a surface 64a surface 61b support 61c pyramid 62c support plate 63c bolt and nut 61d bolt pyramid bottom plate 63d bolt And nut 64d upper bracket 65d lower bracket 66d mast 70a EEEA
71a Wire segment support 72a Side portion 73a Side portion 74a Wire segment 75a Point 76a Point 71b Spring-based support 80 Triangle EEEA
81 Thinner wire 82 Frame 83 Smaller EEEA
84 Flexible joint 90 EEEA
91 frame 92 notch 93 wire 94 points 95 points 101 frame 102 light aircraft spherical condenser (aircraft)
103 support rod 104 leg 105 mooring rope 106 wire 110 (positive) base 111 ground point, frame 112 inflexible support rod 113 light seat 120 light aircraft embodiment 121 wire mesh section, or with mesh or parallel wire segments EEEA
122 Sphere 123 Balloon 130 Wire Pair 131 Malter Electrode 132 Soldering Point 133 Area without Film 134 Thin Wire Segment 140 Malter Mesh 141 Thin Wire 142 Point 143 First Set of Parallel Wire 144 Thin Wire 145 Point 146 Second Set of Parallel Mesh wire 150 Multer mesh 151 Thin wire 152 First (lower) set of wires 153 points 154 Second (upper) set of wires 155 Thin wires 156 points 161 Thin wires 162 Surface 163 points 171 Orbits 172 Air ions 310 First (Negative) electrode 311 DC power supply 312 Second (positive) electrode 313 Ground point 314 Ground point

Claims (76)

A device for climate control,
An emitter electrode;
Means for providing a charge to the emitter electrode, electrically coupled to the emitter electrode;
An insulating support for supporting the emitter electrode at a predetermined height;
Means for grounding the device,
An apparatus in which the emitter electrode comprises a Malter film.   The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the Malter film comprises a thin film made of one or more non-conductive materials. The Maltese over film, the following _materials, including one or a combination of _{Al 2 O 3, Zn 2 SiO} 3, SiO 2, ZrO 2, CaCO 3, Ta 2 O 5, apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 .   The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the emitter electrode is a capacitor having a conductive surface.   The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the capacitor is substantially spherical.   6. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the emitter electrode comprises one or more corona discharge emitter electrode assemblies, which are mechanically and electrically coupled to each other.   Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the support has a height of 6m to 30m, preferably 8m to 15m.   The device according to claim 1, wherein the support comprises an insulating layer.   9. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the support is formed from an insulating material.   The apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the means for applying a charge to the emitter electrode comprises a vandegraph electromotive charge engine.   The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support has a rigid structure.   12. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the emitter electrode is supported by a planar polygonal frame having a surface.   13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the emitter electrode comprises two or more electrically coupled parallel wire segments separated by a distance across the surface of the frame.   14. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the emitter electrode comprises two or more Malter electrodes in the form of a solid or tubular wire and further comprising one or more corona discharge initiating wires.   The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the diameter of the Malter electrode is greater than the diameter of the corona discharge initiation wire.   The apparatus according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the corona discharge initiating wire is disposed in the vicinity of the malter electrode and is mechanically and electrically coupled to the malter electrode.   17. An apparatus according to claim 14, 15 or 16, wherein the Malter electrode is configured in the form of parallel segments that are separated by a distance across the surface of the frame.   The apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 17, wherein the emitter electrode comprises two or more Malter electrodes in the form of foil strips.   The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the emitter electrode comprises a wire mesh.   20. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the emitter electrode comprises a Malter electrode mesh.   21. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a high-frequency electromagnetic wave generator for non-contact heating of the wire loop of the emitter electrode.   22. One of the preceding claims further comprising one or more ground electrodes, wherein the ground electrode is below the one or more emitter electrode assemblies and is electrically coupled to the means for grounding. A device according to the above.   23. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising one or more collector electrodes.   24. The device according to any of claims 1 to 23, further comprising a reservoir for containing a conductive electrolyte solution.   25. A device according to any preceding claim, further comprising an aerosol generator.   26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the aerosol generator comprises one or more devices that spread electrolyte solution.   27. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising one or more means for generating an updraft.   28. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising a heat source.   30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the heat source comprises a black material that absorbs solar radiation. A device for climate control,
A light aircraft suitable for carrying the emitter electrode,
An emitter electrode;
Means for providing a charge to the emitter electrode, electrically coupled to the emitter electrode;
Means for grounding said device.   31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the light aircraft is connected via a mooring rope to the means for applying a charge to the emitter electrode.   32. The apparatus of claim 30 or 31, wherein the light aircraft is a light aviation capacitor having a surface.   35. A plurality of emitter electrode assemblies configured around the surface of the light aviation capacitor and fixed uniformly to the surface of the light aviation capacitor using a plurality of variable length support rods. The device described.   33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the support rod has legs that provide a stress support mechanism that contacts the surface of the capacitor.   33. Apparatus according to claim 30, 31 or 32, wherein the emitter electrode comprises a hollow capacitor having a spherical or quasi-spherical surface and the light aircraft is configured inside the capacitor.   36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein one or more emitter electrode assemblies are configured around and electrically coupled to the capacitor.   37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the emitter electrode assembly is a wire mesh that surrounds the surface of the light aircraft.   The emitter electrode assembly is supported by a sphere disposed between the surface of the light aircraft and the mesh, and the sphere is uniformly disposed around the light aircraft. The device described. A method for increasing precipitation within a target area,
a) providing an emitter electrode;
b) analyzing weather conditions in and / or near the target area;
c) charging the emitter electrode in response to meteorological analysis, thereby causing the emitter electrode to ionize near the emitter electrode.   40. The method of claim 39, further comprising raising the emitter electrode to a predetermined height.   40. A method according to claim 39, wherein the predetermined height is between 6m and 30m, preferably between 8m and 15m.   40. The method of claim 39, wherein the predetermined height is greater than 100m, preferably greater than 500m.   40. The method of claim 39, wherein a predetermined height is determined based on a cloud altitude in the target area.   44. The method of claim 43, wherein the predetermined height is at least 50%, preferably at least 65% of the altitude of the clouds in the target area.   45. A method according to any of claims 39 to 44, wherein the step of providing an emitter electrode comprises mounting the emitter electrode on an insulating support.   45. A method according to any of claims 39 to 44, wherein the step of providing an emitter electrode comprises raising the emitter electrode using a light aircraft.   47. A method according to any of claims 39 to 46, wherein the emitter electrode comprises a Malter film.   48. The method of claim 47, wherein the Malter film comprises a thin film composed of one or more non-conductive materials. The Maltese over film, the following _materials, including one or a combination of _{Al 2 O 3, Zn 2 SiO} 3, SiO 2, ZrO 2, CaCO 3, Ta 2 O 5, The method of claim 47.   50. A method according to any of claims 39 to 49, further comprising the step of humidifying the soil below the emitter electrode with water or an aqueous conductive electrolyte solution.   51. One or more collector electrodes comprising a sheet of metal or wire mesh are disposed on the earth surface below the emitter electrode and electrically coupled to one or more ground electrodes. The method in any one of.   52. A method according to any of claims 39 to 51, further comprising providing one or more ground electrodes.   53. A method according to any of claims 39 to 52, wherein a heat source is disposed below the emitter electrode.   Providing a reservoir containing a conductive electrolyte solution, wherein the reservoir is disposed on a surface of the earth below the emitter electrode and electrically coupled to one or more ground electrodes. 54. A method according to any one of claims 39 to 53.   Providing a layer of conductive carbon particles on a surface of the earth, the layer being below the emitter electrode and electrically coupled to one or more ground electrodes. 55. A method according to any one of 39 to 54.   56. A method according to any of claims 39 to 55, further comprising providing an aerosol generator, wherein the aerosol generator is disposed below the emitter electrode.   57. A method according to any of claims 39 to 56, wherein a number of emitter electrodes are provided and configured as an emitter electrode assembly.   58. The method of claim 57, wherein a number of emitter electrode assemblies are provided.   59. The method of claim 58, wherein the number of emitter electrode assemblies are supported by a planar frame.   60. The method of claim 59, wherein the emitter electrode assemblies are electrically coupled to each other and mechanically coupled to each other and to the sides of the frame using flexible joints.   61. A method according to claim 59 or 60, wherein the frame is positioned at an angle with the earth surface.   64. The method of claim 61, wherein the angle is about 20 to about 70 degrees.   60. The method of claim 59, wherein the emitter electrode comprises two or more electrically coupled parallel wire segments separated by a distance across the surface of the frame.   The frame is triangular, and both wire segment ends are held in place by a number of flexible supports fixed in pairs on each of the two sides of the frame, allowing flexibility 64. The method of claim 63, wherein a support provides a stress support mechanism for the wire segment ends.   The frame is triangular and a wire is wound around the frame in the form of a single strand through notches on two sides of the frame, the notches on the two sides of the frame; 64. The method of claim 63, wherein the method is provided in pairs on each.   59. The method of claim 58, wherein the emitter electrode assembly is an isosceles triangle shape and the bottom surface is configured into one or more pyramids that do not include the emitter electrode and are parallel to the earth surface.   68. The method of claim 66, wherein the apexes of adjacent pyramids face different directions.   68. A method according to any of claims 39 to 67, wherein the apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 38 is utilized.   69. The method of claim 68, wherein two or more devices according to any one of claims 1 to 38 are arranged in a row in the same direction as the prevailing wind.   70. A method according to claim 68 or 69, wherein two or more parallel rows of the device according to any one of claims 1 to 38 are arranged in the form of a grid. A method for reducing precipitation within a first target area, comprising:
Selecting a second target area to increase precipitation;
71. Increasing precipitation in the second target area by a method according to any one of claims 39 to 70, thereby causing a decrease in precipitation in the first target area; Including methods.   Use of the apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 38 and / or the method according to any one of claims 39 to 70 for dissipating fog in a target area.   Use of the apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 38 and / or the method according to any one of claims 39 to 70 for increasing cloud coverage and decreasing earth surface temperature in a target area. .   Use of the device according to any one of claims 1 to 38 and / or the method according to any one of claims 39 to 70 for reducing the probability and intensity of cyclone formation at an early stage of cyclone development.   An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 38 and / or a method according to any one of claims 39 to 70 for enhancing the inflow of marine water into the inland and the water recirculation in the land area. Use against.   Use of the apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 38 and / or the method according to any one of claims 39 to 70 for reforestation in a target area.

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