Aerospace Defense

Enhancing the Performance of Corona Plasma Propulsion by Replacing Linear Electrode Configuration with Nonlinear Geometries for Aerospace Applications

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Seyed Abolfazl Mousavi 1
Farshad Pazooki 1
Seyed Hossain Sadati 2
Rouhollah Khoshkhoo 2

1 Department of Aerospace Engineering, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Malek Ashtar University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract
One of the emerging technologies in the field of plasma propulsion that has recently attracted attention is corona plasma propulsion systems. These systems generate ion flow and thrust force through electrical discharge between emitter and collector electrodes, utilizing a high-voltage power supply. In most previous studies, a linear configuration has been used to analyze the performance of these systems. The present study aims to enhance the performance of corona plasma propulsion systems through the geometric redesign of electrodes. To improve the performance of corona plasma propulsion systems for aerospace applications, new geometric configurations for the emitter electrodes—such as triangular and hexagonal structures—have been proposed and investigated. This research includes a systematic analysis of plasma propulsion design parameters and the effect of electrode geometry on system performance, using both experimental data and software modeling. Experimental tests were conducted at high voltages up to 33 kilovolts, with thrust measurements taken with an accuracy of ±0.2 millinewtons per meter, using copper and aluminum electrodes. The experimental results from the linear structure and the modeling of geometric configurations indicate that non-linear arrangements—particularly the hexagonal configuration—demonstrate better performance due to radial symmetry and a more uniform distribution of the electric field. The hexagonal arrangement of emitter electrodes improved thrust by up to 49% and efficiency by up to 11% compared to the conventional linear configuration.

Keywords

Corona Plasma
Propulsion
Thrust
Efficiency
Geometric Configuration
Subjects
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Aerospace Defense
Volume 4, Issue 1
Spring 2025
Pages 102-120

  • Receive Date 18 March 2025
  • Revise Date 30 April 2025
  • Accept Date 26 May 2025

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