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Enhanced EHD and Electrostatic Propulsion Devices Based on Polarization Effect Using Asymmetrical Metal Structure

Received: 6 July 2015    Accepted: 18 July 2015    Published: 28 July 2015
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Abstract

Electro hydro dynamic (EHD) and electrostatic propulsion devices were developed in the 1920s by Thomas Townsend Brown. One such device, called a “lifter”, has no moving parts and, in the air, operates on electrical energy. It is a fashionable device and has a very simple structure, basically consisting of a narrow wire electrode and a large, flat one. However, it has a low ratio of propulsion force to unit electrical input power. According to theory, the propulsion force it generates depends on the interaction between the ion density of the ionized air and the charges on the surface of the large electrode. EHD and electrostatic propulsion models using the polarization effect are proposed to improve the ratio of the propulsion force to unit electrical input power. The propulsion device generates propulsion force through the use of an asymmetrical metal structure with charges generated by the polarization effect. The propulsion force the new devices generated for the same electric energy was 5.7 times higher than that of a basic type lifter owing to additional propulsion force being generated by the maximum polarization effect in the experiments. It was found that combining other effects with this polarization effect results in the ratio of generated propulsion force to electric power being close to 100N/kW when the electric power is high. This value is as high as that of a helicopter. We also performed numerical analysis was also performed for capacitances and charges for various kinds of EHD and electrostatic propulsion devices. An optimized system was developed and is discussed in this paper.

Published in Journal of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (Volume 3, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.jeee.20150304.13
Page(s) 76-86
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

EHD, Electrostatic Propulsion, Polarization, Electric Field, Charge, Electron

References
[1] T. T. Brown, “Electrokinetic Apparatus,” U.S. Patent N°2949550, 1960.
[2] http://www.jlnlab.com/
[3] http://www.blazelabs.com/
[4] M. Tajmar, “Biefeld–Brown Effect: Misinterpretation of Corona Wind Phenomena”, AIAA Journal 42(2) (2004).
[5] L. Zhao and K. Adamiak, “Numerical analysis of forces in an electrostatic levitation unit,” J. of Electrostatics, 63, pp. 729-734 (2005).
[6] L. Zhao, K. Adamiak, “EHD gas flow in electrostatic levitation unit”, J. of Electrostatics, 64, pp. 639–645 (2006).
[7] A. A. Martins, M. J. Pinheiro, “Modeling of an EHD corona flow in nitrogen gas using an asymmetric capacitor for propulsion”, J. of Electrostatics, 69 (2), pp. 133–138 (2011).
[8] R. Ianconescu, D. Sohar, and M. Mudrik, “An analysis of the Brown- Biefeld effect,” J. of Electrostatics, 69, pp. 512–521 (2011).
[9] M. Chen, L. Rong-de, Y. Bang-jiao, “Surface aerodynamic model of the lifter,” J. of Electrostatics, 71(2), pp.134–139 (2013).
[10] F. X. Canning, C. Melcher, and E. Winet, “Asymmetrical Capacitors for Propulsion,” NASA, NASA/CR—2004-213312 (2004).
[11] J. Wilson, H. D. Perkins, and W. K. Thompson, “An Investigation of Ionic Wind Propulsion,” NASA, NASA/TM—2009-215822 (2009).
[12] M. Eiant and R. Kalderon, AIP advances, 4, 077120-1-20 (2014).
[13] K. Masuyama and S. R. H. Barret, “On the performance of electro hydrodynamic propulsion”, Proc. of Royal Soc. A, 469 (2154), 20120623-1-16 (2013).
[14] T. Kouno, “High Voltage Engineering”, Asakura Publishing, Tokyo (1995) (Chapter 2, in Japanese).
[15] T. Saiki, "Study on High Voltage Generation Using Flame Column and DC Power Supply", J. of Electrostatics, 70, pp.400-406 (2012).
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Taku Saiki. (2015). Enhanced EHD and Electrostatic Propulsion Devices Based on Polarization Effect Using Asymmetrical Metal Structure. Journal of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, 3(4), 76-86. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jeee.20150304.13

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    ACS Style

    Taku Saiki. Enhanced EHD and Electrostatic Propulsion Devices Based on Polarization Effect Using Asymmetrical Metal Structure. J. Electr. Electron. Eng. 2015, 3(4), 76-86. doi: 10.11648/j.jeee.20150304.13

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    AMA Style

    Taku Saiki. Enhanced EHD and Electrostatic Propulsion Devices Based on Polarization Effect Using Asymmetrical Metal Structure. J Electr Electron Eng. 2015;3(4):76-86. doi: 10.11648/j.jeee.20150304.13

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  • @article{10.11648/j.jeee.20150304.13,
      author = {Taku Saiki},
      title = {Enhanced EHD and Electrostatic Propulsion Devices Based on Polarization Effect Using Asymmetrical Metal Structure},
      journal = {Journal of Electrical and Electronic Engineering},
      volume = {3},
      number = {4},
      pages = {76-86},
      doi = {10.11648/j.jeee.20150304.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jeee.20150304.13},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jeee.20150304.13},
      abstract = {Electro hydro dynamic (EHD) and electrostatic propulsion devices were developed in the 1920s by Thomas Townsend Brown. One such device, called a “lifter”, has no moving parts and, in the air, operates on electrical energy. It is a fashionable device and has a very simple structure, basically consisting of a narrow wire electrode and a large, flat one. However, it has a low ratio of propulsion force to unit electrical input power. According to theory, the propulsion force it generates depends on the interaction between the ion density of the ionized air and the charges on the surface of the large electrode. EHD and electrostatic propulsion models using the polarization effect are proposed to improve the ratio of the propulsion force to unit electrical input power. The propulsion device generates propulsion force through the use of an asymmetrical metal structure with charges generated by the polarization effect. The propulsion force the new devices generated for the same electric energy was 5.7 times higher than that of a basic type lifter owing to additional propulsion force being generated by the maximum polarization effect in the experiments. It was found that combining other effects with this polarization effect results in the ratio of generated propulsion force to electric power being close to 100N/kW when the electric power is high. This value is as high as that of a helicopter. We also performed numerical analysis was also performed for capacitances and charges for various kinds of EHD and electrostatic propulsion devices. An optimized system was developed and is discussed in this paper.},
     year = {2015}
    }
    

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    JO  - Journal of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
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    AB  - Electro hydro dynamic (EHD) and electrostatic propulsion devices were developed in the 1920s by Thomas Townsend Brown. One such device, called a “lifter”, has no moving parts and, in the air, operates on electrical energy. It is a fashionable device and has a very simple structure, basically consisting of a narrow wire electrode and a large, flat one. However, it has a low ratio of propulsion force to unit electrical input power. According to theory, the propulsion force it generates depends on the interaction between the ion density of the ionized air and the charges on the surface of the large electrode. EHD and electrostatic propulsion models using the polarization effect are proposed to improve the ratio of the propulsion force to unit electrical input power. The propulsion device generates propulsion force through the use of an asymmetrical metal structure with charges generated by the polarization effect. The propulsion force the new devices generated for the same electric energy was 5.7 times higher than that of a basic type lifter owing to additional propulsion force being generated by the maximum polarization effect in the experiments. It was found that combining other effects with this polarization effect results in the ratio of generated propulsion force to electric power being close to 100N/kW when the electric power is high. This value is as high as that of a helicopter. We also performed numerical analysis was also performed for capacitances and charges for various kinds of EHD and electrostatic propulsion devices. An optimized system was developed and is discussed in this paper.
    VL  - 3
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Author Information
  • Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Science, Kansai University, Suita, Japan

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