1.21 gigawatts????

[Jay Sparks]

So just a bit of fun for you all.
I was watching "Back to the future" the other day and there is a scence where Doc Brown says "1.21 gigawatts" is needed to power the flux capacitor.
So, cos im a nerd, I straight away looked at the size of cable that was running down the hook to the flux capacitor and it was very small.

So just wondered if any one fancy trying to work out the cable csa required for the 1.21 gigawatts, from a lightning bolt!

Just so you know, I have not even atempted this in fear of looking like a berk and ultimately waisting my time but there must be one of you out there that fancies having a go!!lol

Jay

 

[JulianC]

Well, if you take and 'average' lightning bolt as 100 MV, you'd be looking at around 12A. A bit of 1.5mm should be more than adequate. Insulation might need beefing up a bit. Probably need at least 2 rolls of insulation tape wrapped around it. Might try it at the weekend. If I'm successful I might try it again last weekend.

 

[ayjay]

its all to do with the voltage
think transmission lines

 

[cjp1]

I dont need to worry as my van wont do 88 mph

 

[grantr37]

I have a spare flux capacitor if you want its only illegal if you plug it in....I never seen nothing......P.S when you get it working again, remind me to choose a different career.....go back to September 1999, that should do it....
And remind me to look out for Jennifer when she comes along in July 2000....

 

[Andyroid5]

[video=youtube;hgll-XTqcS4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgll-XTqcS4[/video]

 

[Darkwood]

Well, if you take and 'average' lightning bolt as 100 MV, you'd be looking at around 12A. A bit of 1.5mm should be more than adequate. Insulation might need beefing up a bit. Probably need at least 2 rolls of insulation tape wrapped around it. Might try it at the weekend. If I'm successful I might try it again last weekend.

The ampage is massive but the duration is so short you can get away with a solid copper bar .... ever seen lightning conductors.... even at the fraction of a second it would vapourise a 1.5mm cable.

 

[bigbaddave]

So just a bit of fun for you all.
I was watching "Back to the future" the other day and there is a scence where Doc Brown says "1.21 gigawatts" is needed to power the flux capacitor.
So, cos im a nerd, I straight away looked at the size of cable that was running down the hook to the flux capacitor and it was very small.

So just wondered if any one fancy trying to work out the cable csa required for the 1.21 gigawatts, from a lightning bolt!

Just so you know, I have not even atempted this in fear of looking like a berk and ultimately waisting my time but there must be one of you out there that fancies having a go!!lol

Jay

I love that film , remember watching that film as a young in and thinking i cant wait till 2013... Flying cars the works..]

How disappointed...

 

[onions1066]

Totally off the subject of this but something else quite cool go on you tube and watch climbing to heaven and that is an electrician with a head for heights I guarantee your palms will get sweaty!

 

[bigbaddave]

Totally off the subject of this but something else quite cool go on you tube and watch climbing to heaven and that is an electrician with a head for heights I guarantee your palms will get sweaty!

Post the link will ya please

 

[onions1066]

YouTube

 

[Silly Sausage]

I think O is thinking of this excellent number...
Tower Climbers working - YouTube

 

[onions1066]

It's stairway to heaven , it has various titles but very good

 

[Engineer54]

So just a bit of fun for you all.
I was watching "Back to the future" the other day and there is a scence where Doc Brown says "1.21 gigawatts" is needed to power the flux capacitor.
So, cos im a nerd, I straight away looked at the size of cable that was running down the hook to the flux capacitor and it was very small.

So just wondered if any one fancy trying to work out the cable csa required for the 1.21 gigawatts, from a lightning bolt!

Just so you know, I have not even atempted this in fear of looking like a berk and ultimately waisting my time but there must be one of you out there that fancies having a go!!lol

Jay

Well if i remember rightly, the cable they used in the film did sort of disintegrate after the lightning struck!! lol!!

 

[monkeyelectric]

I think O is thinking of this excellent number...
Tower Climbers working - YouTube

I don't mind heights and swinging about at them but that is something else! that takes balls of steel!