ELECTROHYDRODYNAMIC (EHD) FLUID MOVER WITH FIELD BLUNTING STRUCTURES IN FLOW CHANNEL FOR SPATIALLY SELECTIVE SUPPRESSION OF ION GENERATION

摘要

In various electrohydrodynamic (EHD) fluid mover designs disclosed herein, corona current densities may be locally reduced, and in some cases, corona discharges may be locally suppressed in selected portions of an emitter-to-collector electrode gap. In some cases, localized current density reduction or corona suppression near sidewall surfaces can provide desirable localized reductions in ion impingement on the adjacent sidewalls and can provide associated reductions in susceptibility to contaminant related spark or shunting current paths. In some cases, localized current density reduction or corona suppression similarly mitigates susceptibility to contaminant related spark or shunting current paths at sides of a movable electrode conditioning carriage.