An EHD Gas Pump Utilizing a Wet Porous Point Electrode

A point-to-mesh type electrohydrodynamic (EHD) gas pump, utilizing a wet porous point electrode, has been proposed, and the effect of the wet porous point electrode on the gas flow velocity and flow generation yield of the EHD gas pump was investigated. The wet porous point is used as a corona discharge electrode, and the mesh is used as an ion collecting electrode. It was observed that the EHD gas pump with the wet porous point electrode can generate a higher gas flow velocity and flow generation yield than the same design EHD gas pump with a non-porous metal point electrode. As a result with the wet porous electrode, a peak gas flow velocity of V
_W
= 2.54, 2.74, and 1.93 m/s has been obtained for positive, negative, and ac corona discharges. This is 1.95, 1.31, and 1.30 times higher than the velocity V
_W
= 1.30, 2.09, and 1.49 m/s measured with the same design EHD gas pump and a non-porous metal point electrode. At 0.1 W of input corona power for dc and ac powers, the flow generation yields of Y = 13.88, 12.80, and 11.70 m/s/W were obtained with the wet porous point electrode for the positive, negative, and ac corona discharges, which are 1.23, 1.24, and 1.15 times higher as compared with those of the metal point electrode with Y = 11.32, 10.29, and 10.20 m/s/W, respectively. These enhancements may be due to the elevated input corona powers and the water particles generated from the wet porous point electrode.