[NewCandle] Energy Harvesting

[Horace Heffner]

The translation of plate separation, even mean separation, can be  
understood from:

    C = epsilon A/d

    q = C v

so:

    v = q/C = q/(epsilon A/d) = q d / (epsilon A)

thus v is proportional to d. The energy comes from mechanically  
separating unlike charges, or conversely, letting them attract each  
other upon return.

The energy is

    U = (1/2) C v^2

so,

    U = (1/2) (epsilon A/d) (q d / (epsilon A))^2

    U = d q^2/(2 epsilon A)

if I did that algebra right.

In any case I think all this is important when it comes to  
nanotechnology because there is the prospect of gaining free energy  
via the Casimir force,or van der Waals force if you prefer (maybe one  
and the same).  Here's how:

http://www.mtaonline.net/~hheffner/CasimirGenerator.pdf

Best regards,

Horace Heffner
http://www.mtaonline.net/~hheffner/