Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The present study investigates the effects of adopting grid structures as collector electrodes on the performance of electroaerodynamic (EAD) thrusters. A systematic experimental campaign was carried out to determine how key geometric parameters of the grids-including spatial density and wire diameter-impact thruster performance. Dimensionless coefficients were introduced in order to enable meaningful comparisons with respect to existing literature. The results reveal the existence of an optimal grid configuration, leading to a significant enhancement in performance compared to the state of the art for a single stage unit, such as in thrust density, achieving a maximum of [Formula: see text] at [Formula: see text] of applied voltage, and thrust-to-weight ratio, reaching a maximum value of 9.51, all achieved without compromising the propulsive efficiency typical of traditional EAD thrusters.
Source: Scientific Reports
Institution: Politecnico di Milano
Language: English
Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,690
OpenAlex ID: W4416595757