Thrust Enhancement in Corona Plasma Propulsion Systems with Hexagonal Emitter Configurations

ABSTRACT This study investigates thrust enhancement in corona plasma propulsion systems using a hexagonal emitter configuration and a combined alternating-current and direct-current power supply under atmospheric conditions. Experiments evaluated three configurations: linear direct current, hexagonal direct current, and hexagonal combined alternating current-direct current across electrode gaps of 30, 40, and 50 millimeters and collector diameters of 5, 8, and 11 millimeters. Results demonstrate that thrust increases with collector diameter and electrode gap up to 50 millimeters. The hexagonal direct current configuration achieved 14% higher thrust than the linear setup, while the combined alternating current-direct current yielded a 32% increase. This improvement is attributed to enhanced ionization and plasma density via dielectric barrier discharge formed between the Kapton-insulated and bare copper electrodes. Efficiency reached 6.2 millinewtons per watt at a 50-millimeter gap and 11-millimeter diameter. Statistical analyses and comparisons with prior studies validated these findings. Ozone production remained below 0.08 parts per million, ensuring safe operation. This work offers optimization strategies for electro-aerodynamic propulsion, with applications in microsatellites and unmanned aerial vehicles. Future research will focus on testing negative corona polarity.