Plasma Flow Control for Drag Reduction

Fuel costs have historically been the largest single cost associated with aircraft operations; improved efficiency therefore translates directly to the bottom line. The worldwide aviation industry is a significant emitter of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases; the International Civil Aviation Organization puts it at 2% of the global anthropogenic total. The impact of these emissions is amplified even more, however, because they go directly into the upper troposphere. We propose an efficient plasma-based method for drag reduction which, when fully developed will directly translate to reduced fuel consumption and reduced emissions. The proposed Phase I effort will involve a combined experimental and numerical investigation aimed at a proof-of-concept implementation of the drag-reducing technology. In follow-on Phase II work, the ITAC-led team will work to expand the flight envelope over which the plasma-based method can be applied.

When fully developed, a plasma-based drag reduction technology would be widely applicable within NASA. Any system with significant contributions to drag from attached turbulent boundary layers could potentially benefit from this approach. This would include not only flight vehicles, but also test facilities, which could take advantage of the reduced power required to maintain test conditions.

Since fuel costs have historically been the largest single cost of airline operations, any technology which offers significant drag reduction (and thus fuel savings) will be of great interest to aircraft manufacturers. Other potential areas of application include high speed rail (and also normal passenger rail). Operators of ground test facilities outside of NASA (whether DoD or privately held) might also be interested in this technology.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 3) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.