Experimental measurements of an ionic wind generated by a positive corona discharge

This paper reports on experimental measurements on an ionic wind generation device. Ionic wind is based on the entrainment of neutral atoms and molecules by ions being accelerated by an applied electric field. For a non-zero net average resultant force on the neutrals, single polarity ions are needed. In the case of a positive corona in air, molecular nitrogen positive ions dominate in the region between the cathode and the anode. The device used in ther experiments is a positive corona discharge in air between the end of sharp wires and a grounded mesh electrode. Measurements of the average wind speed as a function of different operating conditions are presented.