Ion Motor

An ion thruster is a form of electric propulsion used for spacecraft propulsion. It creates thrust by accelerating ions with electricity.(wikipedia). Ion motor is a simple ion thruster.

see also:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrostatic_ion_thruster

http://www.esa.int/Education/Ion_motors

What you need:

- Aluminium foil

- Wire

- Scissor

-Sewing pin

- Cardboard

- PVC pipe (or some holder)

- high-voltage power supply (like TV flyback, Marx generator, Van de Graaff machine, Wimshurst Machine…)

video file

Step 1: Rotor

• Print pattern
• Copy patter to aluminium foil
• Cut rotor

Step 2: Base

• Cut a 2inch PVC pipe and make a calendar
• Cut a circle in cardboard (2inch)
• Make a hole in the center of the circle
• Make a small pipe with Aluminium foil (like picture)
• Insert a striped wire to aluminium pipe and punch it, use some tape glue
• Insert aluminium pipe into a circle and use glue to fix it
• Glue circle to the base

Step 3: Motor

• Make a hole in the center of the rotor
• Insert a sewing pin in the hole
• Join rotor to the aluminium pie with a sewing pin
• Connect the wire to the high-voltage probe
• If the rotor does not rotate, close other high-voltage probe to the rotor