Electrostatic Fluid Accelerator and Air Purifier – The Second Wind

Transformation of ionic pump (electron wind, Electrostatic Fluid Accelerator) technology from curious laboratory experiments to practical industrially acceptable devices requires pushing the basic technology to its physical limits. This paper presents a description of main design optimization options. A numerical modeling study demonstrates the effect of geometry and voltage distribution on the performance of the single stage of an Electrostatic Fluid Accelerator. The theoretical model comprises coupled quasielectrostatics and fluid dynamics. Experimental data obtained with multi-stage accelerators demonstrates that high air velocities can be achieved using this approach.