Revised version below, I added a Google calculator for each parameter, the reference to the original Blazelabs work, and an exercise (if Harry feels like having a try). Corrections/improvements welcome.
Share and enjoy. Michel ********************************************* MULTIWIRE-PLANE LIFTER/IONOCRAFT SIMPLER DESIGN GUIDE V1.1 by Michel Jullian [EMAIL PROTECTED] First published on Vortex list 25-26 February 2007. Based on 'Optimum multiwire-to-plane EHD thruster design guide v2.0' http://blazelabs.com/Multiwire-plane.pdf RULES: ------ Reference design: At 1 kV/mm (the max we can do without arcing) the power consumption is 2 W per "gram" of thrust, and the required area is 0.0025 m^2 per g. Scaling rules: The W per g are proportional to the kV/mm, whereas the m^2 per g are proportional to the inverse square of the kV/mm. Wire: as thin as possible (0.1mm OK in most cases), wire-wire spacing = 1.3 times the gap length d (optimum value) EXAMPLE and calculators: ------------------------ We want to lift 50 g, and we choose a v/d of half the max value i.e. 0.5 kV/mm, namely v=25kV for a d=50mm gap, to save on power consumption (our color monitor is only 75W) The links are "Google calculators" (ignore initial Google results and replace the variable names by their values: double click name and type value) 1/ Required power per g: 2 W * 0.5 = 1 W -> Power consumption for 50 g = 50 W http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=2++*+kVPerMm+*+grams&btnG=Google+Search 2/ Required area per g: 0.0025 m^2 / 0.5^2 = 0.01 m^2 -> Area for 50 g = 0.50 m^2 http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=0.0025++%2F++kVpermm%5E2+*+Grams&btnG=Search 3/ Wire-wire spacing: 1.3*50 mm = 65mm http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=1.3*GapLengthMm&btnG=Search EXERCISE: ---------- Re-design Xavier's 100g payload lifter (total mass 187g, v/d=0.5 kV/mm, d=92mm). Find power, area and wire spacing, verify results at http://www.blazelabs.com/e-exp14.asp *********************************************
