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Arthur J. Villasanta – Contributor to the fourth domain
Boston, MA, USA (4E) – The world's first aircraft without any moving parts and in-flight propulsion by ion propulsion, also known as electro-hydraulic drive, has been successfully tested by Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers (MIT).
Instead of propellers or turbine engines, this revolutionary light aircraft called "Version 2 EAD Airframe" (or V2) is powered by an "ionic wind", which is a silent but powerful ion flow, produced on board the plane. These energetic ions generate enough thrust to propel the aircraft during a sustained and constant flight.
The prototype V2 weighs only 2.45 kg and has a wingspan of 5 meters.
To take off, V2 must generate an electric field near a network of thin filaments called "transmitters" located at the front of the wing and ionizing the air. This means that the electrons are removed and charged molecules called ions are created.
These collectors are attracted by these negatively charged structures on the plane, called "collectors". When they head to the collectors, the ions collide with the air molecules and transfer them energy. These relentless collisions create an airflow called ionic wind that gives its thrust to the plane.
MIT researchers have completed flight tests in a campus gym covered with an unmanned aircraft, propelled by an electro-hydraulic thrust, a form of propulsion whose physical principle was first identified in the United States. twenties.
This propulsion describes a wind, or thrust, that can be produced when a current flows between a thin electrode and a thick electrode. If enough voltage is applied, the air between the electrodes can produce enough thrust to propel a small plane.
During their tests, the MIT team conducted 11 test flights during which V2 flew about 60 meters, usually less than 2 meters above the ground.
The V2 is classified as a semiconductor machine because it has no moving parts. It has been designed to be as light as possible using materials such as carbon fiber, balsa wood, polystyrene plastic, heat-shrinkable plastic and kevlar.
"This is the first time that a plane without moving parts is flying," said Steven Barrett, MIT's aerospace engineer, who was inspired by Shuttlecraft used by the Enterprise spacecraft in "Star" Trek ".
"This has potentially opened up unexplored new possibilities for quieter, mechanically simpler aircraft that do not emit combustion emissions."
It expects Ion wind propulsion systems to be used to drive quieter drones. In the longer term, he is considering ion propulsion coupled with more conventional combustion systems to create more fuel efficient hybrid passenger aircraft and other large aircraft.
Barrett and his MIT team published their findings in the journal Nature.
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