Electric fields are used in this project to improve aerodynamics on moving vehicles. Traditionally, vehicles such as freight trucks can use up to 65% of their total fuel consumption simply to overcome drag forces seen at highway speeds. Low-pressure zones behind a moving vehicle cause up to 25% of those drag forces, and can be minimized if airstream separation can be prevented. Similar improvements can be made on other aerodynamic forms such as airplane wings. In this project, a high-voltage alternating current is used to produce electric plasma which ionizes the air molecules surrounding a typical airfoil cross-section. The electric field then accelerates the ions in the desired direction so that boundary layer separation is minimized.
Contact:
Prince Ghosh, prince.ghosh@case.edu
Norbert Gratzl, nmg47@case.edu