Characterization of Ionic Thrusters in a Low-Pressure Wind Tunnel

Publikation: Beitrag in Buch/Konferenzbericht/Sammelband/GutachtenBeitrag in KonferenzbandBeigetragen

Beitragende

Abstract

This paper presents initial measurement results for atmospheric electrohydrodynamic thrusters in a novel low-pressure wind tunnel test stand. The advantage of the used test stand is the ability to independently vary freestream velocity up to $10$\,m/s and ambient pressure down to $0.4$\,bar. Preliminary measurement results of thrust, drag, and electrical characteristics are obtained for two distinct emitter-collector configurations: wire-to-airfoil and wire-to-grid. These conditions simulate the potential application of ionic thrusters as propulsion systems for high-altitude platforms. Although the data quality and quantity do not yet support a full characterization of the coupled effects of flow speed and pressure, these initial results identify the primary sources of uncertainty, e.g. limited signal-to-noise ratio in the low-thrust regime, suboptimal interelectrode spacing, and indirect current measurement errors. This will guide targeted improvements in the next experimental campaign. Even with these limitations, the wire-grid thruster already shows promising gains in net thrust and reduced drag compared to the wire-airfoil design. Ultimately, this work establishes the foundational methodology and diagnostic framework needed to develop reliable performance correlations for EHD propulsion on high-altitude platforms.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
TitelProcessding of 11th European Conference for AeroSpace Sciences (EUCASS) Conference
ErscheinungsortRome
Seiten1-10
Seitenumfang10
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - 1 Juli 2025
Peer-Review-StatusNein

Konferenz

Titel11th European Conference for Aero-Space Sciences
KurztitelEUCASS 2025
Veranstaltungsnummer11
Dauer30 Juni - 4 Juli 2025
Webseite
BekanntheitsgradInternationale Veranstaltung
OrtCongress Center Auditorium Della Tecnica
StadtRome
LandItalien

Externe IDs

ORCID /0000-0001-6734-704X/work/199215194

Schlagworte