Electrostatic Fluid Accelerator for Controlling a Fluid Flow

Abstract

An electrostatic fluid accelerator includes an electrode array comprising a corona discharge electrode and an array of accelerating electrodes for moving a fluid. A control circuit supplies power to the electrode array including control of a corona discharge voltage and a heating current to cause the corona discharge electrode to vibrate. The control circuit also controls heating of heating elements and can operate the electrostatic fluid accelerator in response to an detection of a constituent of the fluid.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An electrostatic fluid accelerator comprising:
 at least one corona discharge electrode;   plural accelerating electrodes, said corona electrode and accelerating electrodes being energizable to induce fluid flow therebetween; and   a control circuit configured to control a corona discharge voltage supplied to said corona electrode and to control a supply of a heating current to heat at least a portion of said corona electrode to cause the corona electrode to vibrate.   
     
     
         2 . The electrostatic fluid accelerator as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising one or more heating elements positioned downstream of the corona discharge electrode and controllable to produce sufficient heat to substantially mitigate ozone produced by the corona discharge electrode. 
     
     
         3 . The electrostatic fluid accelerator as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the one or more heating elements are positioned to interact with a substantial portion of the fluid flow to mitigate ozone present in the fluid flow. 
     
     
         4 . The electrostatic fluid accelerator as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the one or more heating elements is held at a different electrical potential than the accelerating electrodes to introduce an electric field therebetween. 
     
     
         5 . The electrostatic fluid accelerator as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the one or more heating elements comprises at least a portion of one or more accelerating electrodes. 
     
     
         6 . The electrostatic fluid accelerator as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to control the supply of a heating current to the corona electrode at least partially separate from supply of the discharge voltage to effect heating of the electrode for a period substantially without mechanical vibration of the corona electrode. 
     
     
         7 . The electrostatic fluid accelerator as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to control the supply of a heating current to the corona electrode entirely separate from supply of the discharge voltage to effect heating of the electrode substantially without mechanical vibration of the corona electrode. 
     
     
         8 . The electrostatic fluid accelerator as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the corona discharge electrode presents silver on a surface thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The electrostatic fluid accelerator as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said control circuit is configured to control supply of said heating current to heat said at least one corona discharge electrode to convert silver-oxide present on the corona discharge electrode to silver. 
     
     
         10 . The electrostatic fluid accelerator as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said control circuit is configured to gradually increase and decrease said heating current supplied to the corona discharge electrode to at least partially moderate thermal stresses from thermal expansion and contraction of the corona discharge electrode. 
     
     
         11 . The electrostatic fluid accelerator as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said control circuit is configured to respond to determination of the operating environment of the electrostatic fluid accelerator based on a data log of past ozone readings and operating speeds of the electrostatic fluid accelerator. 
     
     
         12 . The electrostatic fluid accelerator as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured for gradually reducing a high voltage supplied between the at least one corona discharge electrode and the accelerating electrodes while gradually applying the heating current to heat the at least one corona discharge electrode. 
     
     
         13 . The electrostatic fluid accelerator as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to control sequential supply of the current to heat respective portions of the at least one corona discharge electrode. 
     
     
         14 . The electrostatic fluid accelerator as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured for periodically increasing a level of the heating current supplied to the at least one corona discharge electrode over a lifetime of the at least one corona discharge electrode. 
     
     
         15 . The electrostatic fluid accelerator as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to cause supply of the current to heat the accelerating electrodes in response to the measurement from a detector of a constituent component present in the fluid flow. 
     
     
         16 . The electrostatic fluid accelerator as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the electrostatic fluid accelerator further comprises electric heating elements positioned between adjacent accelerating electrodes; and
 wherein the control circuit is configured to control supply of the current to heat said electric heating elements in response to the measurement from a detector of a constituent component present in the fluid flow.   
     
     
         17 . The electrostatic fluid accelerator as recited in  claim 16  wherein the control circuit is configured to control supply to the electric heating elements of an electrical potential intermediate an electrical potential supplied to the at least one corona electrode[s] and an electric potential supplied to the accelerating electrodes. 
     
     
         18 . The electrostatic fluid accelerator as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is responsive to a detected rate of increase of concentration of a constituent component measured in the fluid flow. 
     
     
         19 . The electrostatic fluid accelerator as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to periodically control an operational speed of the electrostatic fluid accelerator to affect the concentration of the constituent component. 
     
     
         20 . The electrostatic fluid accelerator as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured for computing an average ambient concentration level indicating an average constituent component concentration for an operating environment over a period of time; wherein the control circuit controls the corona discharge voltage and heating current to maintain the average ambient concentration level below a predetermined threshold value. 
     
     
         21 . An electrostatic fluid accelerator comprising:
 an electrode array including at least one corona discharge electrode and plural accelerating electrodes; the electrode array being energizable to induce fluid flow therethrough;   an electric heating element positioned downstream of the corona discharge electrode; and   a control circuit configured to control a corona discharge voltage supplied to the corona electrode and to control a supply of a heating current to heat at least a portion of the corona electrode to cause the corona electrode to vibrate, the control circuit being further configured to control supply of a current to heat the electric heating element.   
     
     
         22 . The electrostatic fluid accelerator of  claim 21 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to control supply to the electric heating element of an electrical potential intermediate to an electrical potential supplied to the at least one corona electrode and an electric potential supplied to the accelerating electrodes. 
     
     
         23 . An electrostatic fluid accelerator comprising:
 an electrode array including at least one corona discharge electrode and plural accelerating electrodes; each accelerating electrode comprising a flat plate-like member;   a plurality of electric heating elements positioned between the flat plate-like members of adjacent accelerating electrodes; and   a control circuit configured to control a corona discharge voltage supplied to the corona electrode and to control a supply of a heating current to heat at least a portion of the corona electrode to cause the corona electrode to vibrate; the control circuit being further configured to control supply of a current to heat the plurality of electric heating elements.   
     
     
         24 . The electrostatic fluid accelerator of  claim 23 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to control supply to the electric heating elements of an electrical potential intermediate an electrical potential supplied to the at least one corona electrodes and an electric potential supplied to the accelerating electrodes.