Meyer clearly stated that we can indeed use electric fields to perform work if the amps are restricted but what is the meaning of this.
What if you could use the electric field force to sort ions from the air for example?
I had this idea when i tried to think about a sequential ionizer to get millions of volts applied...
when you consider the electric field lines of force you get that positive ions would go in one direction and negative ones in the other direction, but when they arrive at the electrode nothing impeeds it from discharging...
I mean if you had two metallic electrodes the ions can exchange charges with them and consume power and we don't want that.
For example you get plastic tube in form of T, and there air is forced to get in from the middle, and you put an electric field at both exits, but with an insulated electrode not a metallic only... with that you set up an electric field across both exit of gas, well it seems to me that at one side positive ions only should exit and on the other side negative ions... well if you than pass this charged ions into a metallic tube you could collect their electricity right?
My post above this one was meant for the first part of your post. I must of mist the rest
Sounds like a great idea! I wonder how many free ions there are in the air. Also, It seems to me that the Ions would stick to the insulated electrodes rather than passing out the end of the tube. So maybe you would have to discharge the field before they would oxidize and reduce with other electrodes to collect their energy?
You have got me thinking about what Stan talks about when he says voltage performing work. It seems to me that no matter how much you restrict amp flow the voltage drop will never be across the cell. If amp flow is restricted, the cell doesn't gain resistance. So it will never act like a true capacitor. What I'm think is that the electrons that move through the water have a lot of energy at a high voltage so there electric field will be strong and have an effect on the water without having a voltage drop. The net effect would be a high energy wave moving through the water with very little power lost to the cells resistance. So, the electric force of the electrons are performing work on the water

The voltage drop is across the inductors.
Sorry if this is off topic, I guess its still about the electric force performing work.