Powering electrical components with static charged electricity

[Danny94]

Hey.
I have seen those experiments with rubbing a baloon and creating static electricity to make a fluorescent light bulb glow. Im interested in making a similar experiment but with (gas free) electrical components.

According my research static build up electricity is high voltage low current.
I wonder if there are some electrical components which actually can make use of this electric charge. Like power on a led, charge up capacitor or at least consume the electricity which creates a measurable (multimeter) flow.

Is anyone of you aware of an electical component with mentioned or similar properties ?

 

[James]

Static electricity is in the 10’s of thousands of volts.
enough to destroy most semiconductor components

 

[Fazz711]

Short answer no.
Static has been know of for many years.
The only use is for a vandergraf generators in school.
Standing on a plastic box and make long hair sticks out.
Or all standing holding hands and zap the last person
Lots of fun but not very practical

 

[Danny94]

What about using other natural components like a coil close to the body or maybe quartz connected by wire ? Some kind of sensors ?

 

[littlespark]

There is that device.... whats it called? Oh yeah... a "flux capacitor"

I believe it can harness lightning strikes

 

[OnlQQker]

Do you live near a transmitter?

Wireless RF Energy Harvesting: RF-to-DC Conversion and a Look at Powercast Hardware - Technical Articles

This article looks at the technology and the sample kits that Powercast provides users who want to learn more about the technology.

www.allaboutcircuits.com

 

[Danny94]

@OnlQQker Yes but im not looking for free power generations as main purpose of this experiment, i want to prevent static discharges by consuming the charge. (witouth earthing the body)

 

[DPG]

@OnlQQker Yes but im not looking for free power generations as main purpose of this experiment, i want to prevent static discharges by consuming the charge. (witouth earthing the body)

So the actual question is how to prevent static shocks. Well i can tell you how to avoid the ones you get when you step out of a car.

 

[Danny94]

@DPG the question remains the same ;D im looking for a component which can consume the static charge and in the best case beeing a electrical component in form of a led to make it easy to demonstrate, but im fine with every component (as maybe i can measure a voltage drop on the skin, or heat/vibration on the component). The component though should not be radioactive or containing gases or other dangerous things.

 

[davesparks]

@OnlQQker Yes but im not looking for free power generations as main purpose of this experiment, i want to prevent static discharges by consuming the charge. (witouth earthing the body)

You can't consume the charge, the only way to get rid of a static charge is to allow it to flow to earth.

The vast majority of electronic components you could put in the flow will either be damaged by it or do nothing.

The only thing I can think of at the moment that will show a response to static is gas discharge based lamps. As you've already mentioned fluorescent tubes are a good example.
Neon indicator lamps are another example.