Extracting Energy from the moon

[McKravitts]

NASA is already using orbital energy to power space craft to extraordinary distances. A number of probes have already left the solar system and are speeding into deep space.
The energy cost to NASA was a small fraction of what is required to achieve this task.
They accomplished this task by using what they call gravity assist or as referred to in science fiction as "the sling shot effect".
What is not often mentioned is that this energy is not free. Whenever a space craft fly's by a planet/moon the gained energy is actually extracted from the orbital energy of the body the craft fly's by.
Since most celestial bodies have massive orbital energy, the effect is de minimis and virtually imperceptible.
NASA also uses fly by's to slow craft down. They dump excess energy into a celestial body's orbital energy.

The magnitude of moons orbital energy is 36 x 10^27 Joules . The present global energy consumption of earths civilizations is about 600 x 10^18 Joules per year. Therefore the moons orbital energy could supply the earth for about 60 million years at our present usage.

After 60 million years the moon would crash into the earth so it's more reasonable to consider a shorter time line. Like maybe a thousand years. It's most likely that we would not be able to find a method to extract all our energy needs but even a sizable fraction could make a big difference. If we did get 100% here's what we could expect: In that time the moon would move about 6.5 meters per year closer to the earth. That would only amount to .0017 percent of it's present distance per year. Right now the moon is moving away from the earth at a rate of 3.78 cm per year. This added orbital energy is coming from the earths rotational energy which is actually an order of magnitude larger than the moons orbital energy. This is causing the length of a day on earth to increase by about 75,000th of a second per year. The bottom line is that there are two massive sources of energy that are available to us.

Tapping into a miniscule fraction of this energy would power civilization for a long, long time with almost imperceptible changes to dynamics of the earth/moon system. But is it possible with our present technology?

When one considers that the moons gravity causes tides and tidal energy is already being tested/developed see: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/tidal-energy/ perhaps this idea is not so far fetch as to be summarily dismissed.

Astro physicist have already developed the necessary physics and NASA engineers (and of course we can't ignore all the private companies like SpaceX) have developed the methods to extract and use orbital energy. To date this enormous energy source has only been used to create kinetic energy.

If you asked the following question to a group of engineers; "Who knows how to convert kinetic energy into electrical energy", I dare say everyone of them would raise their hand without giving it a second thought.

So, yes we should have the technology.

 

[DIYrich]

Global warming is chump change compared to the tidal effects of harvesting the moons orbital energy.

 

[klystron]

If you asked the following question to a group of engineers; "Who knows how to convert kinetic energy into electrical energy", I dare say everyone of them would raise their hand without giving it a second thought.

No, they would say "Can you restate the question?"

Electrical energy is either "potential energy" if there is EMF without current flow, or "kinetic energy" if there is EMF with current flow.

Maybe your question actually has to do with the conversion of mechanical energy into electrical energy?

 

[aenyc]

It always comes down to cost.
I always say let the free markets sort this one out.
Every time the government gets involved, it only ends up wasting everyone's money (while always enriching the MIC)

On the technology, there is a lot of problems that need to be solved, and quite frankly, we have much more important ones that need immediate addressing. Add to the fact that the powers that be are trying to eliminate energy independence by all means possible, this sounds more and more like pipe dream.

 

[Starex]

Global warming is chump change compared to the tidal effects of harvesting the moons orbital energy.

There’s so much energy that the effect on tides would be insignificant

 

[McKravitts]

No, they would say "Can you restate the question?"

Electrical energy is either "potential energy" if there is EMF without current flow, or "kinetic energy" if there is EMF with current flow.

Maybe your question actually has to do with the conversion of mechanical energy into electrical energy?

Since the moon has no EMF with or without current flow and since the orbiatl energy is both kinetic and potential energy
mechanical energy would be the more appropriate term. Thank you.
Astrophysicist would consider flyby's as transfering momentum.

 

[McKravitts]

It always comes down to cost.
I always say let the free markets sort this one out.
Every time the government gets involved, it only ends up wasting everyone's money (while always enriching the MIC)

On the technology, there is a lot of problems that need to be solved, and quite frankly, we have much more important ones that need immediate addressing. Add to the fact that the powers that be are trying to eliminate energy independence by all means possible, this sounds more and more like pipe dream.

Every new idea starts as a pipe dream and I'll be the first to admit that most never get beyond that status.

But after thinking about it, it may be possible.
Consider the fact that the earth has a magnetic field and the moon moves in this field.
A conducting ring around the moon would become it a magnet since it is moving in the earths mgnetic field. Every point on the earth’s surface would be moving in the moons magnetic field.
A generator is just a coil moving relative to a magnetic field.
In the likelihood a field generated this way is too weak to produce usable current flow, so consider the following:

A conducting ring is placed under the surface of the moon. At the temperatures in the shade on the moon are extremely cold it could even be a superconducting ring. It could be powered by solar energy. This could make the moon a strong enough magnet to produce usable current in coils on the earth’s surface.

Both gravitational potential and magnetic field potential drop off inversely with distance, so just off the cuff, the energy of the tides due to
gravitational potential should give us an idea of possible magnetic field potential.
Your car could be powered by a coil of wire.

It's just an idea and no math has been done at this point.

 

[aenyc]

A conducting ring is placed under the surface of the moon.

This made me laugh.
With the way 2+2=5 these days and gender confusion, it aint happening!
They have hard time making the doors of airplanes stay in place.
Science will have to be uncaptured by politics for at least a generation, then maybe we will get something

 

[klystron]

Since the moon has no EMF with or without current flow and since the orbiatl energy is both kinetic and potential energy
mechanical energy would be the more appropriate term. Thank you.
Astrophysicist would consider flyby's as transfering momentum.

Good grief! I am at a loss for words... where is MurphyGuy when you need him.

 

[McKravitts]

Perhaps when Trump gets back in office he'll let you guys expell all the science professors and teach the material yourself.
The students would love it because there would be only one answer to everything; Science is BS and if you need an answer to something ask trump.

 

[aenyc]

Perhaps when Trump gets back in office he'll let you guys expell all the science professors and teach the material yourself.
The students would love it because there would be only one answer to everything; Science is BS and if you need an answer to something ask trump.

What does Trump has anything to do with the fact that your "energy from the moon" idea is pure pipe dream and is technically impossible (and economically pointless)

 

[Wohl]

NASA also uses fly by's to slow craft down. They dump excess energy into a celestial body's orbital energy.

I sometimes like to take a 2kg kettlebell into each hand when i am skating to create little orbital phenomena. This space-language is probably the best canvas to express this into words. When i drew a circle into the air with my hand (that is carrying the weight) then i noticed i could create little gravity forces that i can attract myself towards (so i don't fall backwards) or push myself off of to make little course corrections. Then when i sat the weight down i still knew how to do it even without the weight.

I also found out i can use the weights to help accelerate by simply using a pendulum swing as rudders (and added stability). When gliding on wheels that have well-maintained bearings every little bit forward helps noticeably since the movement on bearings barely loses speed at low speed and it adds to the forward momentum. If this is done with enough force then it feels like holding onto the air. At this point into doing it, it is not even just voluntary anymore. Sometimes i misjudge and would lose my balance but then my hands just flies outwards before i notice it and without me having to think about it and pushes me back into course via reflexes. Not choice, reflex. I've done it so much, my body trusts it like an autopilot. I guess this looks pretty silly, like stabbing the air with an imaginary knife but it does the job of pushing me back into orbit. Makes me feel like a biological spaceship.

Tapping other celestial bodies seems pretty evil though. Space-ism. The Sun gives plenty of energy and giving the warmongers more technology to be potentially misused as a weapon and then use it as a tool of empire seems like a nightmare. You don't think the people who start the wars to get rich have plenty of technology to use as weapon already? If not you'd probably cheer for a big lens from glass being built in space... right between sun and the earth.

 

[Dr Do2much]

I work for a publishing company. We have a magazine that caters to extreme science.
I like your idea an as much it is in the same vein as Dyson spheres and other extreme science.
If you can send verification of your calculations, we might be interested in publishing it.

Private message me for details.