RU2080776C1 - Cloud electric state influence method - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: agricultural meteorology. SUBSTANCE: method involves creating high-voltage electric field above surface of Earth. Electric field is presented as sequence of pulses of duration not exceeding 5 sec, which are supplied in time interval not exceeding 5 min. Pulses may be supplied as series of pulse trains. Action upon electric state of atmosphere should be initiated not earlier than 30 min before approach of clouds, from which precipitation is expected. EFFECT: increased efficiency in initiating precipitations, simplified method and wider operational capabilities. 3 cl

Description

 The invention relates to methods for artificially changing weather conditions, and more specifically to methods for artificially stimulating precipitation, by influencing the electrical characteristics of clouds, and can be most effectively used to stimulate rainfall or increase the intensity of rain from clouds passing over a given territory, as well as to increase the total moisture reserves in the soil and water in reservoirs in the periods preceding the onset of dry seasons.

 There is a method of influencing the electrical state of clouds, which consists in spraying electrically polarized water in an unstable atmosphere.

 The disadvantage of this method is the high complexity and high cost of its implementation, since the spraying of electrically polarized water must be carried out at the heights of the unstable atmosphere, i.e. at altitudes of up to 1-2 km, which is possible only when using specialized and relatively expensive aircraft.

 There is a method of influencing the electrical state of clouds, which consists in introducing electrically conductive filaments into cloud zones that have high electric field strengths.

 The disadvantage of this method is the high complexity and high cost of its implementation, arising from the need to deliver rockets or planes of electrically conductive threads to the selected areas of the cloud. In addition, this method is not environmentally friendly, because, falling out of the place with precipitation, electrically conductive threads will clog the field vegetation and the earth's surface.

 Of the known, the closest in technical essence and implementation, is a method of influencing the electrical state of clouds, which consists in creating a high-voltage changing electric field over a portion of the earth's surface.

 The disadvantage of this method is the unknown modes of changes in the electric field, in which the most stable reproducibility of the effects of precipitation from clouds and an increase in their intensity during impacts can be ensured.

 The aim of the invention is to increase the reproducibility of the effects of precipitation from clouds and increase their intensity when exposed to the electrical state of the clouds.

 The goal is achieved by the fact that in the method of influencing the electrical state of clouds, which consists in creating a high-voltage variable electric field above the earth’s surface, according to the invention, the high-voltage electric field is changed in the form of pulses of a duration of not more than 5 s, following one after another at intervals of not more than 5 min

 In addition, the electric field pulses are created in the form of train of pulses, and each train contains from 2 to 5 pulses, following with a period of from 0.1 to 1 s, and the interval between the trains is from 0.5 to 5 minutes.

 In addition, the creation of electric field pulses does not begin earlier than 30 minutes before the approach of the clouds, the electrical state of which must be affected.

 The need to use the claimed essential features is due to the following reasons.

 1. The use of high-voltage electric field pulses is necessary in order to create a perturbation in the direction of movement of the ions circulating in the clouds, and thereby increase the likelihood of growth of polarized and / or ionized water droplets due to their collisions with air ions and with each other.

 It was experimentally established that pulses of positive polarity having an amplitude of 100 to 200 kV turn out to be the most effective.

 Note that the indicated magnitude of the amplitude of the electric field pulses is approximately 25-50% of the known voltage of the electrosphere, close to 400 kV. In addition, at such voltages, a corona charge may appear on the wire electrode. However, this effect on the achieved effect is not significant, since with pulses of short duration created at large intervals, the magnitude of the emerging space charge is too small.

 2. The expediency of creating pulses with a duration of not more than 5 s has been established experimentally. The reason for the inefficiency of longer pulses may be the completion of the restructuring of the electrical state of the cloud under disturbed values of the electric field in a time not exceeding 5 s.

 This assumption is that the electrical state of thunderclouds is restored after a lightning discharge, the value of which is close to 5 s.

 The minimum allowable pulse durations are limited by the value during which the free movement of ions in the cloud between two collisions occurs.

 3. The need to use an interval of repetition of pulses not exceeding 5 minutes (optimally from 0.5 to 2 minutes) is explained by the fact that during this time (up to 5 minutes) the result from the effects (the appearance of precipitation, an increase in their intensity, or insufficient exposure to precipitation) can be observed visually.

 The simplest example confirming the sufficiency of such an interval is the well-known fact of the occurrence or intensification of precipitation intensity approximately 0.5–4 min after a powerful lightning discharge in cumulonimbus clouds.

 The minimum permissible pulse repetition interval is limited to a value close to 0.05 s. Such a restriction can occur in the form of trains consisting of a large number of pulses, which is necessary to activate insufficiently powerful clouds.

 4. In the course of the experiments, it was also found that in most cases the greatest influence on the activation and development of clouds, and therefore on the likelihood of precipitation, is created by pulses of an electric field of positive polarity, formed in the form of trains containing from 2 to 5 periodically following pulses. Moreover, their repetition period was from 0.2 to 1 s with pulse durations from 0.1 to 0.5 s, respectively.

 As experiments showed, the generated electric field pulses most effectively affect the activation of clouds located in a radius of at least 50-100 km from the electrode. Therefore, it is advisable to start the generation of pulses no earlier than 30 minutes before the approach of the clouds, the electrical state of which must be affected. In addition, such a restriction is necessary to exclude situations where precipitation from thick cumulonimbus clouds can occur after the first few trains of the electric field and the main amount of precipitation falls before the cloud approaches the specified area of the first few trains of the electric field and the main amount of precipitation falls before the cloud approach to a given area.

 Since after provoking the occurrence of precipitation of the highest intensity, their further change is practically carried out according to its laws, which are independent of the effects, it is advisable to stop the generation of electric field pulses.

 To confirm the feasibility of the invention, consider a specific example of its implementation. To do this, you can use the known device for generating space charges in the atmosphere, which consists of a high voltage generator and an electrode made of wire, electrically isolated from the earth and stretched above the earth's surface and vegetation at a height of for example 9 m. The required pulse duration can be set with using a switch (in the simplest case, a manual switch by a stopwatch), the output of which is connected to the electrode, and two inputs are connected respectively to the output (first plus) of the high-voltage generator and to the ground, to which the second pole of the generator output is grounded. The diameter of the wire required to create a non-corona or weakly corona electrode is calculated from known ratios.

 The method is implemented as follows. Using visual observation of clouds at the installation location, or meteorological forecasts of the development and movement of clouds, it is possible to determine the time when clouds appear over a given area, the electrical state of which is advisable to carry out the impact. Such clouds include not only cumulonimbus and stratocumulus, but also powerful cumulus and stratocumulus clouds, which are in a developmental stage close to precipitation.

 The more developed the clouds are for the appearance of precipitation from them, the later it is necessary to begin exposure to them by electric field pulses, the amplitude of which is, for example, +100 kV.

 If a powerful cumulonimbus cloud is approaching a given area, from which it has not yet rained, then it is advisable to start generating pulses 5-10 minutes before the moment when the cloud enters a given area. In this case, the greatest amount of precipitation, the onset of which will be triggered by the impacts, will spill mainly in a given area.

 The duration and number of pulses are set using the switch, for example, by connecting the output of the stopwatch to the output of the high voltage generator and to the second input connected to ground.

 By setting the pulse duration and repetition period, for example, to 0.3 and 0.6 s, respectively, the first train is created, consisting of, for example, 5 pulses. After this, for example, for 3 minutes, a change in cloudiness is observed and, in the absence of precipitation, a second exposure is carried out with the same train of pulses.

 Repeated exposure is continued until precipitation comes out of the cloud and their intensity reaches its maximum value, characteristic of a particular type of cloud.

 Compared with the prototype, the proposed method can significantly increase the reproducibility of the effects of precipitation from clouds and increase their intensity due to effects on the electrical state of the clouds. As a result, it is possible to significantly advance in the practical solution of the urgent task of artificially increasing precipitation in areas of the globe that suffer from a moisture deficit. At the same time, in contrast to the currently used methods of sowing clouds with chemical reagents from aircraft, the proposed method is environmentally friendly, at the same time activates the clouds over a large area (radius up to 50-100 km).

Claims (3)

 1. A method of influencing the electrical state of clouds, which consists in creating a changing high-voltage electric field above the Earth’s surface, characterized in that the change in the high-voltage electric field is carried out in the form of pulses with a duration of not more than 5 s, following each other at intervals of no more than 5 minutes.  2. The method according to p. 1 characterized in that the electric field pulses are created in the form of train of pulses, and each train contains 2 5 pulses, following with a period of 0.1 to 1.0 s, and the interval of the trains is 0.5 to 5.0 min  3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the generation of electric field pulses begins no earlier than 30 minutes before the approach of the clouds, the electrical state of which must be affected.