A sliding discharge-type EHD gas pump utilizing a saw-toothed-plate discharge electrode

A sliding discharge-type electrohydrodynamic (EHD) gas pump, utilizing a discrete saw-toothed-plate electrode as a discharge electrode instead of a smooth conventional-plate electrode, has been developed. The effect of the saw-toothed-plate electrode on the gas flow velocity and yield of flow generation of the EHD gas pump were investigated. It was observed that the EHD gas pump can generate a higher gas flow velocity and yield of flow generation than the same design EHD gas pump with the conventionalplate electrode. As a result, a peak gas flow velocity of V
_G
=1.65 m/s from the EHD gas pump with the saw-toothed-plate electrode can be obtained for V
_P
=12.0 kV, which is 2.39 times higher than that of V
_G
=0.69 m/s of the same design EHD gas pump with the conventional-plate electrode. With the saw-toothed-plate electrode, the yield of flow generation of Y
_G
=0.435 m/Ws can be obtained for V=8.0 kV, which is 4.53 times higher than that of the same design EHD gas pump with the conventional-plate electrode of Y
_G
=0.096 m/Ws. These enhancements are due to the effect of the saw-toothed-plate electrode being utilized instead of the conventional-plate electrode.