Charge clusters are common in nature, they are present constantly and everywhere, and we simply do not pay attention to them. It is enough to stroke the cat: - sparks, crackling, the smell of ozone. Is it too much energy release compared to the energy spent? We do not erase individual electrons with silk from a glass stick, but destroy spontaneously formed charge clusters. The electrophoretic machine from the physics classroom, remember? You twist the handle, and sparks jump between the balls. And what if we attach to it a modern, high-efficiency converter of high voltage to voltage to drive the same machine. Does it look like a perpetual motion machine? No, just a kind of conversion of scattered thermal energy, the use of a natural artifact. And if we increase this car to the size of a bus?
But these are emotions... seriously.
In order to convince the opponent of the reality of the previously described model of the structure and functioning of the Scholdens charge cluster, it is necessary to show a number of phenomena. Let's say there is a very small excess of electrons on the surface of our planet compared to the number of protons. The reason for this may be the solar wind. The flow of corpuscles and ions coming from the sun enters the earth's atmosphere, on the other hand, even more ions and neutral atoms are continuously blown away by the same solar wind from the periphery of the earth's atmosphere. A certain balance is being formed in terms of the total electrostatic charge of the planet.
How will excess electrons behave on the surface of our relatively cold planet, if they meet on their way in the vast majority of cases self-sufficient, electrically neutral atoms, molecules and compounds. The ionization energy, or the separation of an electron from an atom from its upper orbit, lies in the range of 10-20 electron volts. So the average energy of the "extra" electrons is below this limit, let's say 5 electron volts. If we recall that the energy acquired by an electron accelerated by a potential difference of one volt corresponds to a temperature of 11,600 degrees on the Kelvin scale, it becomes clear that these are fast enough electrons. Moving charges are affected by their own electromagnetic field. (they twist around the magnetic field line of force). Light electrons are pulled together into jets, begin to move along closed circuits. These tiny toroid coils also interact with each other with their magnetic fields, forming a mutually ordered quasi–crystalline structure of a sufficiently large number of electrons.
Further, the clumps of electrons attract positive gas ions from the near environment and accelerate them in the electrostatic field to such high speeds that the ionized atom loses all its electrons inside the clot and turns into a "naked" core – ion. This charged particle of small size flies through a cluster of electrons, slows down in an electrostatic field and stops at the level of the screening radius, after which it performs continuous harmonic oscillations through the focus of the electron cluster. A whole cloud of such ions spends most of the time on the periphery of the electron cluster, completely shielding it in the surrounding space. The screening radius is such that the number of ions is about three orders of magnitude less than the number of electrons in the cluster.
Now let's move on to the triboelectric effect. The potential difference of tens of thousands of volts obtained by the simple friction of two dissimilar insulating materials, for example, glass and silk, is still an inexplicable paradox. Take a look at Wikipedia, neither quantum mechanics nor classical physics give an answer to this question. If we assume the ubiquitous presence of the charge clusters described here, then the triboelectric effect is explained easily and simply.
At the moment of mechanical friction, when the charge cluster is destroyed, we get a large number of positively charged nuclei – ions flying in different directions. Some of these particles have a high velocity and, accordingly, energy. They cannot be neutralized by the abundant cold electrons and cut into the thickness of the insulating material, taking electrons from neutral atoms. At the same time, a volumetric positive charge appears in the material. The insulator cannot be negatively charged, there are no free electrons in it and "extra" electrons do not bind to it. Therefore, the second rubbing insulating material is also positively charged, but due to its nature, to a different potential. The resulting potential difference is perceived as electrification. The charge from the electrified surface can be removed by bringing electrons from the conduction band (with a metal brush), traces of electrolyte (humidity) or negative gas ions (gradual draining of charge). As everyday experience shows, "extra" electrons do not want to participate in this matter, they prefer to get involved in new charge clusters.