Experimental and numerical investigation on flow characteristics of large cross-sectional ionic wind pump with multiple needles-to-mesh electrode

Ionic wind pumps have attracted considerable interest because of their low energy consumption, compact structures, flexible designs, and lack of moving parts. However, large cross-sectional ionic wind pumps have yet to be numerically analyzed and experimentally optimized. Accordingly, this study develops a large cross-sectional ionic wind pump with multiple needles-to-mesh electrode, as well as analyzes its flow characteristics using a proposed full three-dimensional simulation method validated with experimental data. To obtain a considerably high outlet average velocity, experimental studies and numerical methods are employed to optimize the pump's configuration parameters, including needle electrode configuration, needle diameter, grid size, and gap between electrodes. The breakdown voltage and highest velocity corresponding to the breakdown voltage increase with an increase in the needle tip-to-mesh gap. After parametric optimization, a maximum velocity of 2.55 m/s and a flow rate of 2868 L/min are achieved.