Flow control using single dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator for flow over airfoil

Abstract

The single dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) plasma actuator has been developed in the present work for high-accuracy, high-performance computing of flow control applications. The present physics-based SDBD model is a significant improvement over the one developed by Bagade et al., [“Frequency-dependent capacitance–based plasma model for direct simulation of Navier–Stokes equation,” AIAA J. 55, 180–194 (2017)], which was used for planar geometry using sequential computation. Based on the physics of SDBD operation, phase-averaged fully developed body force over an ac cycle is computed and stored, which is reused. Thus, the intensive body force computations are bypassed in the new model, and the body force due to the SDBD plasma actuator is incorporated in the compressible Navier–Stokes equation that is solved in a body-fitted curvilinear coordinates. Here, the modified SDBD model enables performing large-scale simulations for the aerodynamic flow control at low speed and transonic flow past airfoils used in unmanned aerial vehicles and executive jets. The flow control by SDBD plasma actuation is finally compared with other forms of flow control strategies.