Characterization of Ionic Thrusters in a Low-Pressure Wind Tunnel

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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

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProcessding of 11th European Conference for AeroSpace Sciences (EUCASS) Conference
Place of PublicationRome
Pages1-10
Number of pages10
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jul 2025
Peer-reviewedNo

Conference

Title11th European Conference for Aero-Space Sciences
Abbreviated titleEUCASS 2025
Conference number11
Duration30 June - 4 July 2025
Website
Degree of recognitionInternational event
LocationCongress Center Auditorium Della Tecnica
CityRome
CountryItaly

External IDs

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

Keywords