Ionic Wind: The Future Of Air Travel

I started this project because I saw a video online where someone built an ion engine, and I thought that was very interesting, so I wanted to try to build one as well. They linked all the things they used to build it, so I bought the same ones and tried to make one better than theirs. The purpose of my project was to find an optimal geometry for ionic thrust so I could see if it could be scaled up and if it could be used to power real-world vehicles like a blimp or a plane by calculating the amount of thrust in my mini version and then see how big it would need to be to create the same amount of thrust as a plane or blimp as well as what the thrust to weight would be so it can compare to a prop plane and a jet engine. This engine could make air travel a lot cheaper, as electricity is cheaper than avgas and jet fuel, and it's renewable, so using electricity to power planes is a better plan for the future.

How I Developed and Tested My Project

To begin my project, I researched how ion thrusters work and how electric fields can create thrust. I used reliable sources such as research by NASA and the original research done by MIT on ionic wind to understand concepts like ionization, electric fields, and airflow.

I then designed several ion thruster geometries using Fusion 360. I started with a base design (used as a control) and created modified versions to test how shape affects performance. These included designs with sharper electrodes, different shapes (such as triangles), and a multi-stage “stacked” design.

After designing the models, I 3D printed each part. Since plastic does not conduct electricity, I coated the parts with graphite spray to make them conductive. I then used electroplating to coat them in copper, which improved conductivity and performance.

To test my designs, I set up a controlled experiment using a high-voltage power supply to generate ionic wind. I measured airflow using an anemometer(a machine with a fan that finds wind speed based on the speed of the fan) and also used a small paper strip as a visual indicator of thrust for weaker designs.

I tested multiple designs under the same conditions to ensure a fair comparison. I controlled variables such as distance between electrodes, applied voltage, and testing position. I also repeated tests to confirm consistency in my results.

Data was collected by recording air speed, electrical performance, and observations for each design. These results were then compared to determine which geometry produced the most thrust.

Results and Findings

The goal of my project was to determine how different ion thruster geometries affect thrust generation. Through testing, I found that electrode shape and design have a major impact on performance, particularly in how effectively a corona discharge can be produced.

The most effective design was the base geometry with a sharpened positive electrode, which consistently produced the highest airflow speeds of approximately 43–44 m/s. This supports the principle that sharper points create stronger electric fields, which increases ionization and results in a more powerful ionic wind. Repeated trials showed similar results, indicating that this design was both effective and reliable.

In comparison, designs with blunt or less optimized electrode shapes, such as the original base design and the triangular design, performed significantly worse. These designs often failed to maintain a stable corona discharge and instead produced electrical arcing. Since arcing does not effectively accelerate air, these designs generated little to no useful thrust.

The smaller thruster designs also produced weaker results. This was likely due to a combination of lower power input and less optimized geometry. In some cases, the airflow produced was too small to be measured accurately using the anemometer, so a paper strip indicator was used to provide a visual comparison of relative thrust.

The multi-stage (stackable) thruster was designed to increase performance by accelerating air in multiple steps. While this concept showed potential, it did not produce measurable thrust in this experiment. This was mainly due to practical limitations, including uneven electroplating, unintended conductivity causing arcing, and insufficient transformer power. These factors prevented the system from operating as intended, but the design could perform better with improved materials and a stronger power source.

To measure performance, I used an anemometer to record air velocity in meters per second, providing quantitative data for comparison. I also recorded temperature, which allowed me to account for small changes in air density between trials. In addition, a paper strip indicator was used as a secondary method to compare weaker designs that did not produce enough airflow for precise measurement. Overall, the results show a clear trend: sharper electrode geometry and proper electrical conditions significantly improve ionic wind performance, while poor geometry, insufficient power, and inconsistent conductivity reduce effectiveness.

The results of this project show that geometry plays a critical role in the performance of ionic wind thrusters. Specifically, designs with sharper electrodes produced significantly stronger airflow because they create more concentrated electric fields, leading to more effective ionization. This confirms that small design changes can have a large impact on performance.

I also learned that practical factors are just as important as design. Issues such as inconsistent electroplating, unintended electrical paths, and limited power supply had a major effect on results. Even designs with strong theoretical potential, like the multi-stage thruster, could not perform well without proper conductivity and sufficient voltage. This highlights the importance of both engineering design and real-world implementation.

These findings suggest that ionic wind propulsion is a viable method for generating thrust on a small scale, but scaling it up presents challenges. Power supply limitations and material constraints currently reduce its practicality for large systems. However, improvements in energy storage and manufacturing could make this technology more useful in the future.

This project helped me understand how physics concepts like electric fields and momentum apply to real systems, and how testing and iteration are essential in engineering. Overall, it demonstrates that optimizing geometry and system conditions is key to improving the efficiency of electric propulsion.

This project could be improved by using a more powerful and stable high-voltage power supply to fully test larger and multi-stage designs. Improving the electroplating process to create more uniform and conductive coatings would also reduce unwanted arcing and increase efficiency.

Future work could include testing additional geometries, optimizing electrode spacing, and developing a more accurate method of measuring thrust. Scaling the design and testing it in controlled environments would help determine its potential for real-world applications, such as propulsion or airflow systems.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my dad for his help with some of my technical aspects and for helping making sure that my tests were conducted in a safe manner. I would also like to thank my mom for her help with formatting my board. Finally, I would like to thank Jacob Dixon and Zack Dixon for their continued support and for their help throughout the whole process.

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References

[https://i.gzn.jp/img/2023/08/29/diy-ionic-plasma-thruster/00_m.pnghttps://i.gzn.jp/img/2023/08/29/diy-ionic-plasma-thruster/00_m.png]. (n.d.). Gigazine. https://i.gzn.jp/img/2023/08/29/diy-ionic-plasma-thruster/00_m.png