Experimental, numerical and analytical investigation of electro-hydrodynamic flow in point-to-ring corona discharge
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An electrohydrodynamic (EHD) flow in a point-to-ring corona configuration is investigated experimentally and via multiphysics mathematical and computational model. The mathematical model couples the ion transport equation and the Navier-Stokes equations (NSE) to solve for the spatial distribution of electric field, flow field, and charge density. The numerical model includes temporal resolution and charge diffusion. Modeling results are validated against experimental measurements of the cathode voltage, ion concentration, and velocity profiles. The maximum flow velocity is at the centerline, and it decays rapidly with radial distance due to the viscous and electric forces acting on the partially-ionized gas. To understand this coupling, a nondimensional parameter, X, is formulated as the ratio of the local electric force to the inertial term in the NSE. The approach allows the model to be used for the entire EHD domain, providing insights into the near-field flow in the corona region.