Veröffentlichungen und Präsentationen

The corona discharge is a self-sustained, weakly luminous discharge that forms in highly non-uniform electric fields between at least two electrodes with different radii of curvature. It has been used for over 50 years in many applications, such as cooling technology ([1]) and air purification ([2]), due to its ability to produce ionic wind. Despite recent advances in corona‑based air pumps, their use in micro‑scale gas pumping remains largely unexplored. Only a few selected studies have evaluated their potential performance, and most of the state-of-the-art surrounding smaller scale corona discharges is allocated to the study of the discharge itself ([3]), its physical implications, and the possible damage caused to electronic components when exposed to it [4]. Our project focuses on the study, fabrication and characterization of small-scale corona devices, considering both the discharge behavior, and the produced airflow and differential pressure. An essential segment of this work lies in the study of the geometric parameters at play in a corona discharge device, with the goal of reducing its scale while maximizing airflow production and minimizing the operating voltage. For this, we use COMSOL Multiphysics to run parametric sweeps across parameters such as the gap between the emitting and collecting electrodes, the radii of the collectors, and the pitch between them. The Electric Discharge Module is used, through which we can easily obtain the IV curves for multiple geometric configurations, as well as the space charge density in the microchannel in which the device is placed. Our current simulation models are adapted from the application library model “Current-Voltage Characteristics of a Wire-to-Wire Corona Discharge”, with the coupled “Ionic Wind” model that applies the electrohydrodynamic force generated by the corona discharge as the load on the fluid flow (laminar). Preliminary results have shown that the use of two collector electrodes, equidistant from the y-position of the emitting electrode, are preferable for airflow than a single collector parallel to the emitter, as they allow for ionic wind to be produced between them, leading to a narrower “jet” with higher wind velocities. This is particularly relevant since most research studies only compare the performance of different emitters, with a fixed collector component. IV curves, space charge 2D plots and flow velocity 2D plots have been obtained for electrode gaps ranging from 1.5 to 5.5 mm, and collector electrode radii from 0.75 to 1.25 mm. The next phase of the project will involve fabricating prototypes and experimentally characterizing their electrical and aerodynamic performance, enabling a direct comparison with the simulation results.