No props ion drive drone

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It is amazing to see how far things have come since MIT’s test flight. Definitely would find some applications within AWES architecture. There using an open system. On google patents there are designs based on magnetohydrodynamic. Which very much look like a scramjet. If you lucky you might find the odd reference to UFO’s. There are designs using magnetic reconnection. Much like the Chinese ion experiment. Into electrical thrust, and propulsion. Where they used microwaves to excite the plasma. If AWES could get the wind to power such systems. I’m fairly sure interest about such systems will be willing to put money on it. I saw an article stating it was worth 100 billion to the global economy. There even delta wing designs where the whole wing surface is covered even the control surfaces. Definitely an interesting suspect. Old mechanical principles, induction compression, power, and exhaust. I’ve definitely toyed with making one. Many out of copper pipe and picture wires. Though I understand a nickel tungsten cadmium alloy works better. Essentially the filament from your lightbulb. And will last longer.

Possibly huge for AWE… interesting tech to keep tabs on for now

A tethered AWES version now?

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@PierreB @Rodread @tallakt

Just another example. the same physics at work. Turning a rotor. Definitely worth investigating.

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Scam, very very very likely.

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Hi Pierre: I always see videos by this same guy on Youtube. He seems to have quite a heavy Scottish accent. It is funny to watch his videos. Very repetitive. He always starts a sentence saying one thing, then stops and says “but” and finishes the sentence with something contradicting the beginning of the sentence. And the way he pronounces “but” is he adds a big, breathy “hhhhhhh” at the end of “but” so it sounds like “but-hhhhhhhh”, or maybe “boat-hhhhh”. Reminds me of a Canadian accent except much more extreme. Yeah these ion drives have been around for a while now. Scientists are still trying to figure out why they only work in large rooms built for trade shows, with opaque or translucent screening behind the subject matter! :wink:
Seriously though, it is noteworthy that we don’t see them flying outdoors, but pretty amazing that they fly at all! :slight_smile:

Wow Windy Skies I did not know you worked on ion drives.
Pretty cool.
Seems to me this is an interesting topic, but maybe not powerful enough to use for wind energy. There is a similar concept, run in reverse, to harness energy from wind, and people have been discussing and even promoting screen-to-screen ion movement pushed by the wind as a possible approach to wind energy (bladeless turbine) for years, but it seems that the forces involved are too weak to make much of a difference in wind energy. I even authored an April Fools posting on a real wind energy group maybe 15 years ago saying I had developed an ion screen-to-screen wind energy system and everyone thought it was a pretty funny joke, at the time.
A properly-functioning wind turbine involves a lot of very large forces! People underestimate the amount of power in a strong wind, til it blows a sheet of plywood that hits them in the head or knocks them to the ground, THEN they get it. Or maybe they park their car in the wrong orientation in a windfarm, and an open car door gets blown back so hard it is bent backward (doh!).
Waiting for some strong winds here later today. (and hopefully some snow in the nearby mountains!) Luckily, our multi-ton wind energy system here is anchored by 3 levels of some very heavy steel cables, or it would quickly be destroyed.

Well, ion propulsion is the future of AWE as AWE is the future of wind energy. :wink:

Substance AHEAD : l'avion du futur aura-t-il un fuselage intégré? - Substance
ESA - World-first firing of air-breathing electric thruster
for those interested.

Seems to me that birds have the best design. These alternatives are interesting and compelling, but never seem to catch on. Look how even Burt Rutan’s designs went back toward regular airplane shapes from his early canard designs. And didn’t Beechcraft try a canard airplane that was quickly discontinued? While I like new designs, one has to leave room for the idea that the standard design is standard for a reason. Birds have had a body with wings for millions of years, after all… :slight_smile:

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Really tempted to get a parrot
A helium backpack
And measure some happy hormone levels now

A seagull will be cheaper probably

This looks more legit: Charlene Model Self Contained Ion Powered Aircraft Outside Flight - YouTube

And a video, now with sound, where you can hear the propellors, of the “no props ion propulsion drone”: Ion Propulsion Drone Flight Mission II (Dec 21, 2021) - YouTube

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Its true bird are well adapted for flight. However for power to weight ratio nothing beats insects. Butterflies in particular have a huge advantage. Due convergent evolution many flying members of Animailia have nanostructure that aid in flight. I remember reading once that a butterfly wing creates in own lift using electrostatic vortices. Just one day I wish I had been able to have payed more attention. Though chris Packham might be able to tell you more than I can. Here what a wing looks like under the electron microscope

Might give you some idea of where to go with advancing surface structures and combating vortex shedding.
Nature is way a head when it come to optimise design. Its truly beautiful :heart_eyes:. I could imagine using similar structures for means of ion discharge. Much like https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsta.2014.0337 into plasma injection into scramjets.
It is used to smooth air flow mainly. It is highly adaptable. It has seen a verity of applications. Especially with nitride coatings in manufacturing. I honestly don’t know where to begin or start with it. To thing a 750,000,000 year of evolution created a butterfly we we today is rather amazing.

Just another example of ion thruster. I spent so long trying to remember where I had seen it. I will leave this here should anyone gets interested.

Not sure if anyone is aware?
Just found this today.

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How did I know this had to be Freeflying? :slight_smile:

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