Effects of Grounded Electrodes Size on the Performance of EHD Gas Pump in a Square Channel

Previous studies have shown that electric field in the form of corona wind can be used for gas pumping. It has also been shown that the maximal volume flow rate can be achieved by an optimal design and arrangement of electrodes involved. An earlier study has shown an electrohydrodynamic (EHD) gas pump with three configurations (4, 12, and 28 emitting electrodes) can produce air flows with a maximum velocity of 5 m/s. Its maximum performance of 35 L/s/W is better than most of the conventional cooling fans used in personal computers. In this study, an EHD pump with three different sizes of grounded plate (0.5, 1, and 2 inch wide, respectively) is tested for a wide range of operating voltages starting from the corona threshold voltage up to 28 kV for its effect on the pump performance. To seek the relation between the pump performance and sizes of grounded plate, the EHD gas pump is critically evaluated by experimental measurements and numerical simulations. The maximum performance of 25 L/s/W is achieved by using 0.5 inch wide grounded plate.