toolbox

Lifter modeling toolbox

To find out how your Lifter will behave in given conditions, just use the
below equations. They are based on ion-drift theory, derived from conventional
physics elsewhere in this site , and are proven by multiple experiments in Lifters
group.

You can use this equations in your own favorite math-package (say, Excell)
or you can get the mathcad program here , then download MathCad 8 viewer from
ftp://ftp.rzbd.haw-hamburg.de/pub/files/mcexp802.exe or other place where you
find this package, and make all calculations "life".

Using MathCad viewer, you can actually change any values, for example Voltage,
radius, etc. then press F9 and see what results for force, current, power-usage and
efficiency you will get for your particular lifter configuration.

Here come physical constants used in the equations

Dielectric constant or air

Electric mobility of positive ions in air at 1 atm and
zero C temperature. Use negative mobility k0_neg if (-) corona wire is used.

Acceleration of the free-fall

Enter the particular Lifter design parameters here:

Radius of corona wire

Voltage applied between corona wire and collector

Distance between corona wire and collector

Lengh of your corona wire/collector combo. Same as the perimeter of your Lifter.

Enter athmospheric conditions here

Pressure, atm

Temperature, C

Equations used in the calculations

Pressure dependence
of ion mobility

ion mobility at conditions
you chose

Geometric factor

Effective collector width

Corona onset voltage
equation (Peek's equation)

*this equation has strange units because it was derived by Peek
empyrically. To be able to write it without unit removers, use both d
and r in cm, you will get voltage in volts, as shown bellow:

Current which will flow between
electrodes, per meter*.

*note: use rounded up upper side of collector (Al-skirt) to prevent ionization on collector.
Sharp edge of collector can increase current and simultaneously reduce thrust. Lifter1 shows more current
and less thrust than this equations due to this problem.

Force exhibited by Lifter in direction from collector to corona