Generating electric power within vicinity of powerlines using electric field and electrical pathway to ground

A method for powering an electrical load of a UAV, wherein the UAV comprises an electrode and an electrical pathway to ground, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) operating the UAV within a vicinity of powerlines along a shield wire of the powerlines
• (i) such that the electrode experiences electric field strengths of the powerlines, and
• (ii) such that an interface engages in electrical contact a shield wire of the powerlines so as to define an electrical pathway to ground resulting in voltage differentials between the electrode and the shield wire;
• and
• (b) configuring one or more electrical components of the UAV that are connected with the electrode and the interface for causing a current to flow between the electrode and the shield wire for powering the electrical load of the UAV.

A method for powering an electrical load of a UAV, wherein the UAV comprises a plurality of electrodes and an electrical pathway to ground, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) flying the UAV within a vicinity of powerlines along a shield wire of the powerlines
• (i) such that the plurality of electrodes experiences electric field strengths of the powerlines, and
• (ii) such that an interface engages in electrical contact a shield wire of the powerlines so as to define an electrical pathway to ground resulting in voltage differentials between each of the plurality of electrodes and the shield wire;
• and
• (b) configuring one or more electrical components of the UAV that are connected with the plurality of electrodes and with the interface for causing a current to flow between one or more of the electrodes and the shield wire for powering the electrical load of the UAV.

A method for generating electric power for an electrical load of a UAV from one or more differentials in electric field strength within a vicinity of powerlines, the UAV having a plurality of separated electrodes within the vicinity of the powerlines and an interface configured to engage in electrical contact a shield wire of the powerlines so as to define an electrical pathway to ground, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) operating the UAV within the vicinity of the powerlines along the shield wire of the powerlines such that the plurality of separated electrodes experience differentials in electric field strength with resulting differentials in voltage at the electrodes;
• and
• (b) detecting voltage differentials of the sets and, based on the detected voltage differentials and electric current specifications for powering the electrical load of the UAV,
• (i) establishing a particular one of a plurality of different electric circuits, each of the different electric circuits comprising a set of two or more mutually exclusive subsets of the plurality of electrodes, the electrodes in each subset that have more than one electrode being electrically connected with each other for avoiding any voltage differential therebetween, and the one or more electrodes of each subset being electrically insulated from each electrode of any other subset of the set for enabling one or more voltage differentials between the subsets of the set, wherein the subsets are interconnected in each electric circuit such that the one or more voltage differentials therebetween causes a current to flow through the electric circuit for powering the electrical load of the UAV;
• and
• (ii) configuring one or more electrical components of the UAV that are connected with the plurality of electrodes and with the interface for causing a current to flow between one or more of the electrodes and the shield wire for powering the electrical load of the UAV.