Ion Drive Optimization

Overview

This experiment tested how the efficiency of an ion drive varies depending on the distance between the two electrodes. An ion drive is a propulsion engine that utilizes ionized gas and accelerates it to high speeds. These are used in space in deep space probes but have proven very ineffective in the atmosphere. However, this experiment will look deeper into how effective they are on Earth. So, if the equations of the electric fields show that a slight distance between the electrodes proves to have the most efficient wind velocity at a set input voltage, amps, and watts, then the ion drive will act similarly and produce the most wind at the set input values. The research was then conducted by determining eleven distance values between the electrodes to measure the acceleration. The acceleration was measured by measuring the average speed right up next to the negative electrode and one centimeter back from it. Then, the acceleration was calculated for the distance between the electrodes. The results showed that the hypothesis was true, showing that the highest data value was when the two electrodes were 2.4 centimeters away, giving an acceleration of approximately 3.8 meters per second. So, this study concludes that the electrode's acceleration isn't dependent on how close it could be. However, it is slightly further back that maximizes the electric fields' magnitude.

Competition history

• AJAS 2025 Category not listed

Related projects

Closest projects by meaning, across every fair and year in the corpus.

Browse more like this

• All Engineering projects
• AJAS Engineering projects
• Every AJAS 2025 project