Warp drive. EHD Thrusters. EHD research at MIT. MIT Develops Ionic Wind Thrusters As An Efficient Alternative To Jet Engines. Ion thruster photo from NASA A team from MIT is working on developing ionic wind thrusters as an energy-efficient, low-emission alternative to conventional propulsion technologies like jet engines. The new thrusters would use ionic energy, which is created when a current passes between two electrodes. If one electrode is thinner than the other, it creates an air current in the space between them – and if a substantial voltage is applied, the device could produce powerful thrust without the need for fuel or motors.
Ionic wind thrusters have been discussed ever since the 1960s, but up till now they’ve been dismissed as impractical or suitable only for lightweight vehicles. However the MIT research team now believes that the technology could potentially power commercial airlines. Following a series of experiments, the MIT team announced that ionic thrusters could be more efficient than engines currently used in the aerospace industry.
A mighty wind. When a current passes between two electrodes — one thinner than the other — it creates a wind in the air between. If enough voltage is applied, the resulting wind can produce a thrust without the help of motors or fuel. This phenomenon, called electrohydrodynamic thrust — or, more colloquially, “ionic wind” — was first identified in the 1960s. Since then, ionic wind has largely been limited to science-fair projects and basement experiments; hobbyists have posted hundreds of how-to videos on building “ionocrafts” — lightweight vehicles made of balsa wood, aluminum foil and wire — that lift off and hover with increased voltage.
Despite this wealth of hobbyist information, there have been few rigorous studies of ionic wind as a viable propulsion system. Some researchers have theorized that ionic thrusters, if used as jet propulsion, would be extremely inefficient, requiring massive amounts of electricity to produce enough thrust to propel a vehicle. Shooting the gap Getting to liftoff.