Ionic wind, an induced phenomenon during corona discharge, possessing the features of silent operation and no moving parts, has a wide range of applications. Ionic wind generation is accompanied by complex physical processes, involving gas ionization, ion recombination, flow, and various chemical reactions, as well as mutual couplings between some of them. Therefore, understanding the corona discharge process and ionic wind generation is crucial for researchers and engineers to better utilize this phenomenon in practical applications. In this review, the principles of corona discharge and its induced ionic wind are presented. Subsequently, ionic wind generators are discussed according to their applications, and the corresponding advances based on experimental studies and numerical simulations are also reviewed. Moreover, the challenges of transitioning the ionic wind technology from laboratory studies to practical applications are discussed. These challenges include the excessively high onset voltage of the corona, ozone emission, and influence of environmental conditions. Furthermore, the mechanisms of these barriers and several effective approaches for mitigating them are provided. Finally, some future research prospects and the conclusions are presented.

Minimizing platinum (Pt) loading while reserving high reaction efficiency in the catalyst layer (CL) has been confirmed as one of the key issues in improving the performance and application of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). To enhance the reaction efficiency of Pt catalyst in CL, the interfacial interactions in the three-phase interface, i.e., carbon, Pt, and ionomer should be first clarified. In this study, a molecular model containing carbon, Pt, and ionomer compositions is built and the radial distribution functions (RDFs), diffusion coefficient, water cluster morphology, and thermal conductivity are investigated after the equilibrium molecular dynamics (MD) and nonequilibrium MD simulations. The results indicate that increasing water content improves water aggregation and cluster interconnection, both of which benefit the transport of oxygen and proton in the CL. The growing amount of ionomer promotes proton transport but generates additional resistance to oxygen. Both the increase of water and ionomer improve the thermal conductivity of the C. The above-mentioned findings are expected to help design catalyst layers with optimized Pt content and enhanced reaction efficiency, and further improve the performance of PEMFCs.

Cryogenic vessels are widely used in many areas, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG), aerospace, and medical fields. A suitable filling method is one of the prerequisites for the effective use of cryogenic containers. In this study, the filling process for the sloshing condition of a liquid hydrogen storage tank is numerically simulated and analyzed by coupling the sloshing model and the phase-change model. The effects of different sloshing conditions during the filling process are investigated by changing the amplitude and frequency of the sloshing. Within the scope of this study, there is a critical value for the effect of sloshing conditions on the pressure curve during the filling process. The critical value corresponds to a frequency f equal to 3 Hz and an amplitude A equal to 0.03 m. According to the simulation results, when the sloshing exceeds the critical value, the internal pressure curve of the storage tank increases significantly. Under microgravity conditions, within the scope of this study, the pressure curve changes less than the normal gravity, even if the amplitude and frequency increase. The sloshing makes it easier for the liquid to spread along the wall during the filling process. This also further weakens the temperature stratification in the storage tank.