Feasibility exploration of plasma actuation in flow control

Abstract

The term “plasma actuator” has been in the fluid dynamics flow control scene for more than a decade now. One particular type of plasma actuator that has gained wide usage is based on a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) mechanism that has desirable features for usage in air at atmospheric pressures. For these actuators, the flow control is achieved through a generated body force vector that couples with the momentum in the external flow. The plasma actuator effect can be easily incorporated into flow solvers so that their location of installation and operation can be optimized. They have been used in a wide range of applications that include bluff body wake control; lift augmentation and separation control on a variety of surfaces ranging from fixed wings with different degrees of sweep, wind turbine rotors and pitching airfoils simulating helicopter rotors, hypersonic flow separation, boundary layer flow control .New applications also include pollution control, semiconductor manufacturing, textile surface treatment, lightning arc drawings, lasers, plasma display panels, ozone generators etc.