Conceptual design research of electric aircraft systems using plasma jet propulsion

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K22014
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 24:Aerospace engineering, marine and maritime engineering, and related fields
• Research Institution: Osaka Prefecture University (2021); Nagoya University (2019-2020)
• Principal Investigator: Mori Koichi 大阪府立大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (90375121)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-06-28 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 電気航空機 / 電気推進 / プラズマ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

As a result of our study, it was found that both ICP and electrode-discharge are possible in a supersonic flow. For the electrode-discharge in a supersonic flow, we measured the pitot pressure and the electron density / electron temperature using an Electrostatic Triple Probe. From these measured results, the pitot pressure increased gradually toward the downstream. This result suggest that the temperature of the heavy particles increase gradually. On the other hand, the electron temperature is almost constant in the downstream. These results suggest that the plasma supersonic flow is thermally non-equilibrium flow, in which electron temperature >> heavy particle temperature. This non-equilibrium features are affected by the flow Mach number and discharge current.

Free Research Field

航空宇宙工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、超音速気流中で準定常プラズマを生成したものであり、外部流に比べて流速が遅くなる境界層内部でプラズマを生成した過去の研究とは異なり、超音速の速度をもつ外部流において、プラズマの生成・維持を実現できたという点において、新しい発見があった。この成果は、超音速電気航空機の研究開発に端緒を切り拓くものであり、大きな技術的、社会的意義をもたらしうるものであると考えている。