An EHD gas pump utilizing a ring/needle electrode

An electrohydrodynamic (EHD) gas pump, utilizing a ring/needle electrode, has been proposed and the effect of the ring electrode to the flow velocity and yield of flow generation of the EHD gas pump was investigated. The needle/ring is used as a corona discharge electrode and the mesh is used as the ion collecting electrode. It was observed that the proposed type of EHD gas pump can generate a higher flow velocity and yield of flow generation as compared with that from the same EHD gas pump without the ring electrode. As a result, a maximum flow velocity of V_W=4.54 m/s from the proposed EHD gas pump can be obtained at V=15.0 kV, which is 1.2 times higher than that of V_W =3.82 m/s of the same needle-to-mesh type EHD gas pump without the ring electrode. With the ring electrode, the yield of flow generation of Y_W=46.15 m/Ws can be obtained at V=11 kV, which is 2.5 times higher than that of the design without the ring electrode of Y_W=18.41 m/Ws. These enhancements, however, may be due to the effect of the ring electrode installed near the needle electrode.