MIT built an electric-only aircraft, with no mechanical elements

After decades of research, scientists have proven that electrodynamics can be applied to aircraft.

At first glance, you will think this is the prototype of the two. This is a completely different flying device, although the meaning of both aircraft is historical. The image you see above is the first object that can be flown by an ion engine.

Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) designed and built this device to test the effectiveness of the new propulsion system, based on the principle of the force generated by charged particles impacting the solution. . Don't confuse yourself with an unimaginable (but not sure) EM Drive engine, this is completely different.

EM Drive.

This principle has the name electroaerodynamic (EAD), much simpler than EM Drive. The formation of electrons and charged molecules - ions produce repulsive forces in the Earth's atmosphere. Another phenomenon that plays an important role in the formation of EAD is corona discharge - corona discharge , the discharge phenomenon that occurs when ionizing fluids (such as water, air) is located around a substance. LED with electric current.

In Newton's basic physics, "charged wind currents" will have the same effect as the wind that often causes the propeller blades to spin or the heat emitted from a jet engine. In theory, when ionized air molecules move, it creates repulsive force. For a long time, in the scientific world, people considered it a very good concept . on paper.

To turn them into efficient engines, thrust must be large enough to bring a large mass (such as an airplane) up. The evidence for a decade of research indicates that electrodynamics is just a fairy tale.

For over a decade research has shown that electrodynamics is just a fairy tale.

In 1960, there were experiments that you first tried to put EAD into real life but without results. Ten years ago, NASA concluded " using photovoltaic discharge to create thrust for flying devices seems ineffective" . Scientists are still stubborn, they find that even small repulsive forces should deduce that they have not found effective or even effective materials for EAD to become true.

MIT scientists didn't give up either. They used a technique called geometric programming to find the best design, outlined all the unknowns needed for EAD to work, finding a flight device that outperformed previous tests. Here, to answer the mystery of EAD.

The pilot of a flying device is a generator that generates at least 20,000 volts of voltage, which can lift the aircraft. The completed aircraft version looked like the first in the history of the Wright brothers' history. A good sign?

Testing electric-powered aircraft.

It weighs only 2.5kg, all 10 test flights are not more than 60 meters. But the truth is undeniable: it flew, gliding smoothly in the air with electrostatic force, giving a speed of 4.8 meters per second, equivalent to 17.28 km / h. Even better, the efficiency of this technology is proportional to the speed. That is, the faster it flies, the less energy it will consume. With a speed of 300 m / s = 1080 km / h, the aircraft will increase the efficiency rate by 50%.

The current engine of the aircraft is all electric wires, increasing the amount of wires does not increase much cost. The size of the aircraft will be able to increase even more.

This success marked a milestone in the use of electro-aerodynamic technology - EAD has "solid form": operation without the need for burning fuel or any gear. The plane ran smoothly like an authentic electric motor.

Go on dreaming but don't rush too far, because you can't get a civilian electric plane yet. It is clear that technology works, it is possible to increase its scale but it cannot be confirmed that it can be turned into a large-capacity aircraft. We have evidence that it works in our hands, just wait and see what the future brings to us. In the immediate future, a fleet of drone can run smoothly.

The study was published in Nature.