Long the stuff of science fiction and conspiracy theorists, the flying saucer or UFO is reputed to have remarkable flight characteristics -- notably sudden acceleration or deceleration and right angle turns. A new plasma-propelled aircraft, the WEAV will--if it actually works--be able to hover and to move in any of six axes (up/down, left/right, forward/reverse) or a diagonal combination of axes. It might even make ninety-degree turns.
Maghetohydrodynamics and the WEAV
Dr. Subrata Roy, Director of the Computational Plasma Dynamics and Test Facility (Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering) at the University of Florida, works in the field of magnetohydrodynamics (the movement of charged particles in a fluid).
The principles of this field were first discovered in the early 1800s, but recent developments in a variety of fields such as lightweight ceramics, ultracapacitors, superconductors, and lightweight construction materials have come together to make plasma propulsion more feasible.
Plasma Engine (Ion Thruster) Not New
In an ion drive engine, charged particles (ions) are created by passing an electric current through a fluid. The ions are repelled (or channeled or directed) by a magnetic field, giving a tiny thrust in the opposite direction. This is a form of rocket engine, where charged particles are expelled rather than hot gases from combustion.
The ion thruster or plasma engine is not really new, with the first prototypes having been made in the 50s and 60s and improvements added over the decades. The European Space Agency (ESA) used an ion drive on its Smart 1 moon probe, and NASA used one on Deep Space 1 in 2001.
The problem with such drives is their low power compared to chemical thrust engines. The benefits include low weight and relative simplicity compared to standard rockets. The ion drive is most suitable for long, slow accelerations in space, hence their use on the probes.
ESA recently announced an improved double-layer engine that promises to provide greater thrust and thus greater acceleration and deceleration for future deep-space projects.
No Fuel, No Moving Parts in WEAV
Roy's flying disk is based on principles similar to that of the ion thruster, but would carry no fuel. Instead, electrodes clustered on the surface of the WEAV would ionize the air immediately next to the vehicle, leaving a thin layer of plasma, positive ions surrounded by a cloud of detached electrons.
Charges on other electrodes would repel the plasma, causing the ions to move away from the vehicle and creating thrust in the opposite direction. Electrodes below the vehicle would create lift; electrodes on top could drive the vehicle downwards. Theoretically, the vehicle could move in any direction depending on the relative charge on different sides.
This reduces mass and complexity (no fuel, no storage tank, no metering valves etc) to the point where such a vehicle would require no moving mechanical parts (except perhaps for an on-off switch), and no fuel beyond a source of electricity to run the electrodes. The little saucer might be filled with helium to make it gravity-neutral. Batteries or ultracapacitors would provide short flights; solar panels or ultralight fuel cells might give longer durations.
However, the lack of fuel also restricts it to atmospheric travel. In other words, WEAV needs air to fly, so it couldn't zip off into space like its UFO counterparts.
Illustrations of the WEAV
The illustrations from the patent application show the array of surface electrodes, while the cut-away schematic shows an inner hollow chamber for payload (cargo). The final image is an artist's conception of the vehicle, lit by bands of glowing plasma, in the upper atmosphere of Mars (glowing lights are another familiar flying saucer characteristic).
WEAV is Interesting Concept – But Will it Fly?
Dr. Roy has been quoted as estimating that an initial six-inch (15 cm) prototype could be ready for test flights as early as spring, 2009. If the concept proves successful, the physics could be up-scaled, making a human-piloted version of the WEAV at least theoretically possible.
Thomas Alan Gray - Tom has been writing for over 30 years; curiosity leads him to dig into a wide variety of topics.
Join the Conversation