The present Dynamic Electrostatics ionocraft designs are are based on a smooth wire collector (bottom coil) and multiple sharp emitter points. This reduces the ionization onset voltage compared to continuous wire emitters such as are common in traditional "triangle" type foil skirt lifters. This grid and point type of electrostatic lifter is of a general DeSeverski design, which was patented in 1964. The term "Ionocraft" was coined by DeSeverski. When DeSeverski built his original versions the power supplies for high voltage DC were very bulky and inefficient. Since then considerable improvements in size and efficiency have been made. Operating voltage ranges from about 6 kV to 48 kV DC and is generally around 25 to 35 kV. A positive charged collector and negative charge emitters are preferred by Dynamic Electrostatics because it is believed that electrons and ions all going "in the same direction" is best. Full floating DC high voltage is somewhat safer for testing because each polarity is only 1/2 the maximum voltage to ground, but it is harder to safely measure power. Design characteristics determine the best operating voltage. Power is controlled by Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) mostly for transformer type power supplies or by control of the lower primary voltage which is mostly used for Wallcott-Cockcroft type voltage multipliers. Instant-on power supplies are strongly recommended against because it results in instant thrust which is potentially hazardous to both equipment and personnel (See accidental lifter launch video below).

Designs

Collector Coils

Smooth. No sharp edges or corners

Can be any wire type or good conductor

Aluminum, titanium and similar lightweight alloys are light enough to fly. Other metals also produce thrust but are almost always too heavy to get airborne.

Anodized wire works and may help reduce arc events

Ordinary 0.6 mm anodized aluminum craft store wire was used on the first three Paradigm series thrusters

The Paradigm-3 ionocraft used 46 m of aluminum wire for the collector

Almost 100% of the thrust is made at the collector. Thrust in grams per meter of wire, depending on wire type, is calculated before construction begins and the final thrust output is almost 100% predictable. Some scaling efficiencies cause minor variations from expected (usually improvement).

Emitter Points

Fine tips, best versions are usually less than 0.6 mm thick at the tip.

Almost all conductor types are suitable but not-easily-combustible metals are recommended. Aluminum and most wire < 0.2 mm are considered to be potentially combustible in this application

28 AWG, 7-strand Copper Clad Aluminum (CCA) wire emitters were used on the Paradigm-1 and 2 ionocraft.

Paradigm-3 used 11 m total of titanium wire to make a total of 352 emitter tips.

The Paradigm-4 test device used dozens of aluminum wire emitters in both 0.6 mm and 0.2 mm diameter wire (two different emitter versions)

The emitter array points are shielded from the collector by the emitter ion cloud and the large space charge concentration it builds. There is almost zero attraction of the collector to the emitter array itself

Rigid Body

Balsa rib-spoke construction is light and durable

Central power feed wiring helps keep device in balance

EPS foam OK but is flammable and can also form self-destructive red plasma at foam bubble edges if installed between electrodes

Strong hub area and reinforced support ribs can carry considerable weight including heavy payloads.

Glued wire collector-to-spoke geometry stiffens the completed assembly considerably.

Central support structure or remote "monorail" structure to support emitters is very lightweight

Central support is combined into a tether mechanism for safety. Some devices can accelerate at over 20 m/s

Carbon fiber is complicated: It could shave weight, but is flammable and conducts unevenly. It is resistive enough that it can heat up which changes its resistance under electrical loads, in often unpredictable ways.

Safety

Central support pole is combined into a tether-tube mechanism for safety. Some devices can accelerate at over 20 m/s while charged to more than 45 kV so the devices must be secured.

The vertical string does not lift the devices whatsoever. It is the central safety tether. The tether passes through a central, 1 mm ABC RC plane control rod tube in many designs

The guide-tether string is attached at the ceiling by tying it to a metal hook and by a thumbtack at the support table end of the string. It does not move

Hovering stably requires constant 9.8 m/s acceleration. If a lifter tips sideways it will instantly go sideways at 9.8 m/s from a full un-tethered hover. Charged to 25 kV to 50 kV this could be fatal if it hit someone before it goes so far it pulls its own power wires off.

All devices are powered by high voltage. Lethal levels of power are available. Power supplies used produce up to 10 mA at 30 kV, and 8 mA at 42 kV. Everything shown here is potentially dangerous, very dangerous, foolishly dangerous, etc., and should not be attempted without the necessary knowledge and experience to handle high voltage systems.