Electrically charged water vapor as a power source

The principle of electroneutrality, which is widely accepted by chemists, explains why factory workers receive shocks from steam leaking out of boilers. The theory states that water vapor has a charge that is electrically neutral, even after coming into contact with the electrical charges on microscopic particles of dust and other materials in the air. However, new research from Brazil has data that may modify that theory.

Fernando Galembeck, a Brazilian chemist, is leading a team that claims their new data shows that water in the atmosphere picks up an electrical charge. Galembeck does not refute the principle of electroneutrality, but believes he has shown evidence that water coming in contact with airborn substances that have a charge will itself become charged.

What does this mean for renewable energy? Galembeck believes this discovery can pave the way for the development of hydroelectrical devices: systems that can trap and route the charges from atmospheric water vapor to homes and businesses where it can be converted to power. These devices will also drain electricity from the air, reducing lightning strikes.