Flying “ionic wind” propeller allows rotor to act as engine

Electrical engineering students at the State University of New York Oswego (SUNY Oswego) developed the rotorcraft-type flying propeller as part of investigations into corona discharge and ionic wind, an effect which has been known since the 18^th century. The team, directed by Adrian Ieta, a member of the electrical and computer engineering faculty, are now pursuing a patent on the technology, which they believe could open a new field of technological development.

Ionic wind is generated when a high voltage is applied between asymmetric electrodes in air, stripping electrons from gas molecules and creating charged ions in an electric field. If one electrode has a sharp edge, the result is a flow of air. “The ions are accelerated by the electric field and in their collisions with neutral molecules create an overall movement of the air from the sharp electrode to the counter electrode also known as ionic wind, corona wind or electrodynamic (EHD) flow,” Ieta explained.