Performance Enhancement of EAD Thrusters With Nonuniform Emitters Array

Abstract

This work presents an experimental campaign to optimize the performance of electro-aerodynamic (EAD) thrusters through nonuniform emitter arrangements. The study examines the impact of emitter configurations on thrust and thrust-to-power coefficients $\boldsymbol {C}_{\boldsymbol {T}}$ and $\boldsymbol {C}_{\boldsymbol {TP}}$ . Different emitter arrangements, including collinear and staggered arrays, are tested using thrust, electrical, and velocity measurements as diagnostics. The tests are parametrically performed for different sizes (chords) of the collector electrodes. Results reveal that nonuniform emitter configurations outperform standard arrays, in particular, with short chord collectors, widely spaced apart. An optimal configuration for $\boldsymbol {C}_{\boldsymbol {T}}$ is identified among the staggered ones. In addition, droplet collectors demonstrate competitive performance compared to airfoil collectors.