Would You Believe This Could Fuel a High-Tech Weapon? ; It May Seem Like Science Fiction, but the Air Force Research Laboratory has Developed a Cloth Than Can Contain Electrical Charges. These 'Textile Capacitors' Could Eventually Be Used to Power a Laser On a Warplane.

Dayton Daily News › November 15, 2006

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Summary

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE -- Air Force planners envision future warplanes armed with weapons that shoot lasers, high-power microwaves or other "directed energy" weapons.

A big hurdle is how to store the lightning-like electrical charges needed to fire them.

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Extract

Would You Believe This Could Fuel a High-Tech Weapon? ; It May Seem Like Science Fiction, but the Air Force Research Laboratory has Developed a Cloth Than Can Contain Electrical Charges. These 'Textile Capacitors' Could Eventually Be Used to Power a Laser On a Warplane.

A camera flash uses a simple device called a capacitor. It draws electrons from a battery onto a metal plate. Triggering the flash releases the el...

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