Lifters are devices that levitate using ion wind created from a DC high voltage external source. Here we examine lifters construction.
“Continue reading” for more details and 5 photos.
My first beginners lifter was a 40 cm triangular ultra light balsa, aluminium foil and wire creation that lifts up once around 40 kV is applied. A thin wire supported by balsa wood struts is the source of the corona and the foil below is attached to the other polarity (positive or negative). The supply wires are not clearly seen since they get very agitated with the high voltages. The structure is tethered with cotton taped to the base. There is occasional arcing across the 3 cm between the top wire and the foil at this voltage. My high voltage source is the x-ray transformer described below run off a variac. The typical output used is 30 kV AC which with the addition of a 290 kV diode and capacitor gives a smoothed, half wave rectified output around 40 kV DC. I have also used the 100 k ohm resistor in series to reduce destructive arcing as it burns out the wire.
The next version was a much better flier. Smaller at 6 inches (15 cm) per side, stronger and a more generous spacing between the foil and the corona wire. It is powered by a dedicated 30 kV DC stabilized power supply with one side referenced to earth which means no more sparks from foil to ground. I use a 100 kohm resistor as above. The height is limited by the wind outdoors.
Some detail of one vertex of the triangular lifters construction showing the recession of the foil and hot glue construction. Note that the upper wire needs to have the enamel stripped off at least partly but preferably left on the support wires to the HV source.
The ionic wind is enough to blow out a flame underneath the lifter and can be felt. This form of propulsion is similar in principle to the ion engine used to power Deep Space 1 spacecraft which used on board Xenon. A normal lifter will not work in a vacuum. A comparison of the two:
Deep Space 1
Power: 1280 volts, 2500 W from solar cells
Propellant: stored Xenon gas ionised to Xe +
Speed: 100,000 kph
Thrust: 9 grams (very low but efficient and can go for years)
Cost: $200 million
Lifter
Power: 30,000 volts, 5 W
Propellant: air ionised to O+, N+
Speed: ? 5 kph
Thrust: 3 grams (just enough to lift the very light structure)
Cost: $1000 for full display (actually only $2 for the lifter itself)
This is a NASA scientific publication showing no performance in a vacuum and that the principle of operation is due to air ionisation.
Others have made lifters large enough to have a small payload such as a mouse. A Japanese lifter is 15 ft (5 m) in diameter and is shown lifting to 45 ft (15 m).
Related pages
Lifter museum display
Lifters 4 80 kV Lifts more than its weight.
Ionic spinners
Try something else
External links
Mythbusters A lifter is not Antigravity.
Japanese lifter
Lifting a mouse
A lifter will not work in a vacuum