Optimizing sawtooth sheet plasma thrusters: A performance-driven study

In this study, the performance optimization of plasma-propelled unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is examined. Conventional aviation propulsion systems, relying on chemical combustion, are rapidly approaching their thermodynamic efficiency limits. By contrast, ion-wind-propulsion UAVs, grounded in electroaerodynamics (EAD), offer a direct electrical-to-kinetic energy conversion mechanism that inherently bypasses these traditional thermodynamic constraints. Alongside this fundamentally different energy conversion, EAD systems provide unique operational advantages, such as low-noise and zero-emission flight with no mechanically actuating components, making them highly suitable for future urban inspections and military reconnaissance. In this study, we conducted a comparative analysis of the potential, space charge density, wind speed, and thrust distribution of sawtooth sheet and linear emitters utilizing COMSOL Multiphysics. Experimental and simulation results indicate that the sawtooth sheet emitter significantly enhances thrust linear and bulk densities due to the intensified local electric field at the tips. Furthermore, we evaluated the influence of key geometric parameters—namely electrode spacing (d), electrode pair gap (s), tooth height, and pitch—on thrust performance. Within an electrode spacing range of 30 to 50 mm, the sawtooth configuration increased thrust linear density by 5% to 11.8% and volumetric thrust density by 14% to 36.3%, significantly improving energy utilization efficiency. Finally, we employed machine learning algorithms to establish a robust regression model mapping geometric parameters to thrust performance, providing a theoretical foundation and data-driven support for the explicit structural optimization of plasma-propelled UAVs.