A plane without propellers and turbines
Since the first airplane appeared a century ago, virtually every plane flew using some kind of moving parts that are powered by fossil fuels and batteries. MIT scientists have now gone one step further and built the first-ever airplane with no moving parts. Instead of turbines or propellers, this lightweight aircraft flies by generating an “ion wind”. This silent but powerful flow of ions produces enough lift to stay airborne.
It is different from common aircrafts because it doesn’t need any fuel, furthermore, it doesn’t make any noise. “This is the first ever sustained flight of an airplane with no moving parts in the propulsion system.” Steven Barrett, assistant professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT stated as well. “This may open up new and unexplored possibilities for airplanes that are quieter, mechanically simpler and emit no pollutants.”
With emerging technologies, he made predictions. Ionic wind propulsion systems will begin to be used in quieter drones before long. He envisions these types of systems combined with traditional propulsion methods. The combination will result in a more efficient and hybrid passenger airplane.
Barrett, along with his team from MIT, published the results of their work in “Nature”. He said he had inspiration from Star Trek and its shuttlecraft that seemed to fly effortlessly through the air.
“This made me think that in the future planes would not have to have propellers and turbines. They should be more like Star Trek shuttles, which just have a blue glow and fly silently,” he says.
Characteristics
The plane weighs only 2.2 kilograms and can glide for up to 100 metres with a wingspan of 5 metres. The plane has an array of thin wires, mounted in front of the wing. These cables on the top act as electrodes with a positive charge and thicker cables on the bottom act as electrodes with a negative charge.
The team of engineers sought to design a system that could convert battery energy into a high enough voltage for aircraft propulsion. The batteries generate electricity at 40,000 volts by charging the cables through a lightweight transformer.
MIT conducted a series of test flights inside the duPont Athletic Center. It flew about 60 meters and it had enough ionic thrust to keep it in flight. The aircraft repeated the flight 10 times, with similar results.
“It was the simplest possible plane we could design that would prove that an ionic plane could fly,” Barrett said. “There is still a long way to go for an aircraft that could carry out a useful mission. It needs to be more efficient, fly farther and fly in outdoor space,” he noted.
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Author: PC-GR
The World of Technology
