Voltage/distance dependence of lifters force. Analysis of experimental data

Evgenij Barsoukov
04/15/2003

Techical note.

Meaning and values of used parameters

Radius of corona wire (50 gauge)

Electric mobility of positive ions at 1 atm and
zero C temperature

Pressure, atm

Temperature, C

Dielectric constant or air

Effective collector width

Voltage applied between corona wire and collector

Equations used

Pressure dependence

Geometric factor

Cooperman equation
Current/voltage dependence

Eqn. 1

Force

Eqn. 2

Force /power efficiency, N/Watt

Eqn. 3

Enter Saviour data

Data is ordered as follows:
(see originals at http://www.blazelabs.com/l-perf.htm)
1. Blaze Super V1.0
2. Blaze Low profile (with fan to modify pressure)
3. Blaze Low profile
4. Spiral Hex V3
5. Blaze Toroid
6. Heated cathode

What was the V/d, volt/m?

Change of force if V/d is fixed at the value of Super Lifter 1. Assume the lenght of lifter electrode 1m

Lets change voltage from V0 to Vmax, and change d so that V/D=vd remains constant

Force per unit lengh, N/m

Crosses correspond to Saviour data

As can be easily seen, Savoiur data is well describen by eqn.2. In fact, force/lengh dependence is within 5% deviation
from experimental. Unfortunately there is not enough experimental data to explore the dependence over
more wide voltage range. Additionaly, V/d dependence in Saviour data is not strictly same for all lifters. Let's check if
eqn. 1 can describe particular Saviours lifters, rather then fixed V/d dependence.

We can see, that for all lifters except the heated cathode and fan lifters, eqn. 2 predictions are very close to
experimental data. Heated cathode experiment gives much less force then expected by equation. It looks
like heating coil by its shielding reduced the thrust more then increased it by temperature change. Also, at short
distances counter-current by ions built at collector (also having some sharp edges) becomes more pronounced,
which is the reason why high-d lifters are much close to theory then older low-d once like Naudins Lifter 1.
For the case of fan-lifter, due to complexity of force measurement together with heavy fan, it can be assumed that measurement of force was quite unprecise.

Additionaly, all above calculations did not take into account the differences in the radius of corona-wire (r) in lifters 1-6.
These differences can introduce significant change of force, as can be seen in eqn. 2. To achieve more precise
results, experiments should be performed with lifter of same design and same corona radius, with different V and d, so that V/d is kept constant.
But even with preliminary results analysed, it is obvious that eqn. 2 (essentialy Cooperman equation derived for
corona discharge current/voltage dependence + my F=d*I/k "lifter law") describes very well all experimental data currently
known, and particularly the voltage dependence of the force.