Investigation of the effectiveness of plasma actuators at various chord positions of an airfoil for flow separation control
2022-26-1135
05/26/2022
- Event
- Content
- This paper's principal aim is to investigate the effect of a plasma actuator on the airflow over an airfoil. Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) Plasma actuators are lauded as one of the most efficient active control devices in the field of aerodynamics. It owes this to ionizing and consequently exerting body force on the air without increasing the structural complexity of the airfoil. However, it is imperative to know the characteristics of plasma positioning at a specific angle of attack to ensure optimum usage. NACA 0012 airfoil was used in the simulations to demonstrate the proficiency of multiple plasma actuators to delay flow separation at increasing angles of attack at various chord positions by using a steady-state RANS model solver on a two-dimensional geometry at subsonic speeds corresponding to a Reynolds Number of the order of 10^5. ANSYS Fluent solver was used to examine the significant increase in the numerically obtained Lift-to-Drag ratio, and the aerodynamic implications of the actuator are revealed in the pressure contours and velocity streamlines. The application of the plasma actuator shows promise because of its structural feasibility. It does not interfere with the already existing control systems and enhances the efficiency of the airfoil for better maneuverability.
- Citation
- Aryan, S., Ahmed, M., Acharya, S., and Dubey, S., "Investigation of the effectiveness of plasma actuators at various chord positions of an airfoil for flow separation control," SAE Technical Paper 2022-26-1135, 2022, .