Capacitor with Electrohydrodynamic Flow through Corona Discharge

At AWJ Engineering, our team investigated the impact of ground electrode width on propulsion generated by an asymmetric capacitor, which induces electrohydrodynamic (EHD) flow via corona discharge in nitrogen gas at atmospheric pressure. Our numerical model incorporated electrostatic force interactions between electrodes and ion space clouds, momentum exchange with the induced nitrogen flow, pressure forces, and viscous drag, ensuring a comprehensive simulation of real-world dynamics.

The client provided an initial model plagued by grid-dependent results. We conducted dual parametric sweeps on mesh parameters, including maximum element sizes for FEA and CFD domains, to eliminate grid dependency. By optimizing solver settings, we achieved highly accurate validation against established benchmarks (e.g., Martins’ research).

For details on the grid independence study or to discuss similar challenges, contact us today.