Flight of an aeroplane with solid-state propulsion

Flying with ionic wind

“…And when these charged molecules collide with neutral ones, they transfer part of their momentum, leading to air movement known as an ionic wind. On page 532, Xu et al 2 demonstrate that an aeroplane with a 5-metre wingspan can sustain steady-level flight using ionic-wind propulsion. Improvements are required, but the authors' proof-of-concept demonstration could pave the way for the development of enhanced propulsion systems.…”

“…First, it is now known that the energy efficiency improves substantially when the aircraft velocity is increased. For example, if the velocity reaches 300 m s -1 , the efficiency 2,6 can be as high as 50%. Second, many studies have shown that ionic wind can enhance the aerodynamics of plane wings 7 .…”

“…These technological developments should provide a better understanding of the coupled physics of charged-molecule production and the resulting ionic wind that is central to such propulsion systems. The force generated by ionic wind is directly proportional to the electric current that flows in the system 2,10 . Because this current is strongly dependent on the configuration of emitters and collectors, research into the conception and optimization of ionicwind propulsion can now begin, thanks to the breakthrough by Xu…”

“…A prevailing view in the field is that these large protein assemblies are inherently abnormal and are toxic to cells. Vogler et al 2 challenge this canon by reporting on page 508 that muscle cells can contain physiological, reversible protein aggregates that have features similar to the aggregates seen in neurodegenerative disease, but that actually seem to be beneficial.…”

“…Following muscle injury, myoblasts fuse into multi-nucleated fibres called myotubes that mature into muscle. Vogler et al 2 show that TDP-43 transiently leaves the nucleus and assembles into large aggregate structures dubbed myo-granules, in which the protein binds to, and so might regulate, a distinct set of mRNA molecules involved in muscle formation. After recovery from injury, as the muscle matures, the myo-granules disassemble and TDP-43 returns to the nucleus.…”