The research of gas discharge at atmospheric pressure has energized the field of plasma-aerodynamics. A numerical investigation of flow control has been done on an actuator setup to determine the effect of Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBDs) actuator to modify the characteristics of a flow. The DBD is also used to examine its ability to prevent the flow separation. The present study is focused on the enhancement of the performance by using a thin plasma actuator to suppress flow separation occurring around the leading-edge. Methods which use small devices that need additional energy for modifying the flow are called active flow control methods. Active flow control methods have the advantage of possibility for power adjustments and operational costs. From this attitude, the use of plasma actuators for flow control is an attractive alternative to promote the boundary layer profile modification. A detailed computational study based on the parameters that evaluate the performance of plasma actuator is performed. It includes various actuator positions and the mode of actuation. A body force is assigned as a source term which energizes the flow. The results prove that plasma actuators can provide significant improvement in aerodynamic performance for the flow conditions assumed in this investigation.

Full text: IJEIR_905_Final.pdf