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Flight of an aeroplane with solid-state propulsion.
- Source :
-
Nature [Nature] 2018 Nov; Vol. 563 (7732), pp. 532-535. Date of Electronic Publication: 2018 Nov 21. - Publication Year :
- 2018
-
Abstract
- Since the first aeroplane flight more than 100 years ago, aeroplanes have been propelled using moving surfaces such as propellers and turbines. Most have been powered by fossil-fuel combustion. Electroaerodynamics, in which electrical forces accelerate ions in a fluid <superscript>1,2</superscript> , has been proposed as an alternative method of propelling aeroplanes-without moving parts, nearly silently and without combustion emissions <superscript>3-6</superscript> . However, no aeroplane with such a solid-state propulsion system has yet flown. Here we demonstrate that a solid-state propulsion system can sustain powered flight, by designing and flying an electroaerodynamically propelled heavier-than-air aeroplane. We flew a fixed-wing aeroplane with a five-metre wingspan ten times and showed that it achieved steady-level flight. All batteries and power systems, including a specifically developed ultralight high-voltage (40-kilovolt) power converter, were carried on-board. We show that conventionally accepted limitations in thrust-to-power ratio and thrust density <superscript>4,6,7</superscript> , which were previously thought to make electroaerodynamics unfeasible as a method of aeroplane propulsion, are surmountable. We provide a proof of concept for electroaerodynamic aeroplane propulsion, opening up possibilities for aircraft and aerodynamic devices that are quieter, mechanically simpler and do not emit combustion emissions.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1476-4687
- Volume :
- 563
- Issue :
- 7732
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Nature
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 30464270
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0707-9