Patent ID: 6228149
Filing Date: 2001-05-08
Classification: B03C,Y10S

Abstract:
An apparatus for moving air, comprising:a housing having a tubular potion, an inlet end adapted to receive air and an outlet end adapted to exhaust air;a needle electrode disposed with said housing and extending in a longitudinal direction;a net electrode disposed within said housing on an outlet side of said needle electrode and extending in a transverse direction; anda power supply coupled to said needle electrode and to said net electrode and configured to apply a potential difference between said needle electrode and said net electrode to form a longitudinally asymmetric electric field capable of ionizing air molecules and accelerating air molecules toward the outlet end of the housing, thereby producing an air flow from the inlet end to the outlet end of said housing, wherein:a distance L.sub.2 from the inlet end to a tip of said needle electrode is in the range between 0.7 and 1.5 times an interior transverse linear dimension D.sub.T of the tubular portion of said housing;a distance L.sub.3 from the inlet end to a closest surface of said net electrode is in the range between 1.3 and 2.0 times said dimension D.sub.T ; anda length L.sub.H of said housing in the longitudinal direction is in the range between 2.5 and 4 times said dimension D.sub.T.