Patent ID: 8283811

Claim:
A system for collection of atmospheric static electricity comprising: a balloon; a hub that is electrically conductive and connected to the balloon by a tether, the hub having: two or more arms that are electrically conductive, a first end of each of the two or more arms electrically connected to the hub; and a plurality of rods, a first end of each of the rods being electrically connected to a second end of at least one of the two or more arms; a base unit having a spool of conductive line on a winch motor, one end of the conductive line secured to the hub, a portion of the conductive line and the hub collecting electricity in the atmosphere, the winch motor selectively extending or withdrawing the conductive line from the spool; a conductor having a first end electrically connected to the conductive line and a second end electrically connected to a load being powered by collected electricity from the conductive line; an electrical flow sensor monitoring electrical flow through the conductor and generating an electrical flow indicia indicative of the electrical flow in the conductor; and a controller to operate the winch motor to maintain the electrical flow indicia within a selected operating range.