bIONIC Airfish

Year

2006

The idea

This airborne experimental platform in the form of an aquatic bird is propelled by ion beams and plasma waves.

The objective

With bIONIC Airfish, air resistance is reduced to a minimum.

Technical data

• Length: 750 cm
• Wingspan: 300 cm
• Envelope diameter: 183 cm
• Envelope surface area: 26.8 m2
• Total weight: 9.04 kg
• Total thrust: 8-10 g
• Helium volume: 9.0 m3
• Flight speed: 0.7 m/s
• Flight duration with rear drive: 60 min
• Flight duration with wing drive: 30 min
• Lithium polymer batteries at rear: 12
• Lithium polymer batteries per wing: 9

Operating principle

The spindle-shaped, remote-controlled, flow-optimised bIONIC Airfish demonstrates what atmospheric ion drives without moving mechanical components can look like and how they can strategically reduce friction.

Ion beam propulsion

An ion beam drive at the rear of the airship provides propulsion. Direct-voltage fields of 20,000 to 30,000 volts on copper wires extract negatively charged electrons from air molecules. The now positively charged molecules move towards the negatively charged opposing electrode and draw neutral air molecules along with them. The result is a so-called ion wind – a recoil principle familiar from space technology.

Plasma wave propulsion

Air molecules must be ionised in order to accelerate the air above the wing; this generates a glowing violet plasma. A second, alternating field accelerates the ions, which draw neutral air molecules along with them. The airship’s direction of flight can be modified by changing the direction of acceleration on the wings. The ion wind of the plasma wave drive reaches speeds of up to 100 metres per second.

Material

BionicAirfish