Experimental characterization of edge force on the Crookes radiometer

The contribution of edge force on the Crookes radiometer is experimentally investigated with three vane geometries. This work examines increasing the three per unit weight of a radiometer vane for applications such as near-space propulsion by increasing the vane's perimeter while decreasing the total surface area of the vane by means of machined holes in the vanes. Experimental results are given for three vane geometries. These results indicate that although force to vane weight ratios can be improved, the maximum force is achieved by a vane geometry that contains no hole features.