Today in History (November 11th, 1918)
On this day, 106 years ago, World War I ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. The date is now known as Armistice Day when Axis and Allies signed an agreement for peace, bringing end to a war that had been waging for over four years and led to the death of over 15 million people.
Summary of Today’s News
How Lightning Rods Prevent Lightning Strikes
1. Lightning and Its Causes:
o Lightning is an electrical discharge between charged particles in a cloud and the ground.
o It occurs when electrical charges build up in a cloud beyond the insulating capacity of air (around 3 million volts per meter), allowing lightning to strike.
o Lightning seeks the path of least resistance to the ground.
2. Role of Lightning Rods:
o Lightning rods are pointed conductors installed on buildings to provide a safer path for lightning strikes.
o Their pointed shape creates a strong electric field, ionizing the air and directing the lightning towards the rod, which serves as the “first hand” lightning will reach.
o Lightning rods are designed to attract and channel lightning safely into the ground.
3. Path of Current in a Lightning Rod:
o The current from the lightning strikes flows through the rod into a wire connected to the ground, where it dissipates harmlessly.
o The earth serves as a virtually infinite reservoir for the electric charge, as it is a low electric potential.
o In cases of high currents, systems like lightning arresters are used to protect electrical grids and devices.
4. Potential for Lightning to Evade Rods:
o Lightning can evade a rod if it is improperly installed (wrong height, angle, or grounding) or poorly maintained.
o Factors like nearby tall structures, multiple thunderstorms, or flaws in design can increase the risk of a lightning strike bypassing the rod.
o Engineers continue to improve designs to ensure lightning preferentially strikes the rod.
5. Dangers of Lightning Rods:
o Lightning rods and their connected systems must be designed to safely conduct lightning into the ground without causing electrical arcs or short circuits.
o The grounding system (often a U-shaped wire) must be carefully installed to prevent hazards like current arcing through nearby objects.
o Modern grounding systems, like concrete-encased electrodes, are used for better conductivity and safety.
6. Standards and Safety:
o International standards, such as those by the International Electrotechnical Commission, set guidelines for the safe installation and operation of lightning rods.
o These standards help mitigate risks and ensure that planners and engineers can effectively manage lightning strike hazards.
7. Lightning’s Growing Threat:
o Climate change is contributing to an increase in the frequency and severity of lightning strikes globally.
o In India, lightning killed nearly 3,000 people in 2022, prompting calls for lightning to be declared a natural disaster to ensure better protection for survivors.
This summary highlights the role of lightning rods in diverting lightning strikes, the challenges they face, and the ongoing engineering improvements to enhance their effectiveness and safety.
World’s First CO₂ to Methanol Plant
Context
• NTPC’s Vindhyachal plant has achieved a milestone by producing methanol for the first time through the combination of CO₂ (captured from flue gas) and hydrogen (produced using a PEM electrolyzer). This new carbon management technology aims to promote sustainable fuel production.
About CO₂-to-Methanol Conversion
• Carbon Dioxide Capture: CO₂ is captured from sources like power plants or directly from the air.
• Hydrogen Production: Renewable energy, like solar or wind, is used to produce hydrogen by splitting water through electrolysis.
• Methanol Synthesis: The captured CO₂ is mixed with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst to create methanol, usually under high pressure and temperature.
Benefits of CO₂-to-Methanol Conversion
• Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU): This process allows us to use CO₂, helping reduce its harmful effects on the environment.
• Renewable Fuel: Methanol can serve as a fuel for vehicles, power plants, or as a raw material for making chemicals.
• Energy Storage: Methanol is easier to store and transport compared to hydrogen, offering a practical energy storage solution and aiding the shift to hydrogen-based energy systems.
• Versatile Feedstock: Methanol is widely used in making chemicals, solvents, and plastics, supporting a variety of industries.
What is Methanol?
• It appears as a colorless fairly volatile liquid with a faintly sweet pungent odor like that of ethyl alcohol.
• It is also known as wood alcohol. It can completely mix with water.
• Production: Preparing methanol is based on the direct combination of carbon monoxide gas and hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst. Increasingly, syngas, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide derived from biomass, is used for methanol production.
Benefits
• Lower production costs—Methanol is cheap to produce relative to other alternative fuels.
• Improved safety—Methanol has a lower risk of flammability compared to gasoline.
• Increased energy security—Methanol can be manufactured from a variety of domestic carbon-based feedstocks, such as biomass, natural gas, and coal.
Applications: Used to make chemicals, to remove water from automotive and aviation fuels, as a solvent for paints and plastics, and as an ingredient in a wide variety of products.
