Shock Generation and Control Using DBD Plasma Actuators

Shock-wave/boundary-layer interactions (SWBLI) pose challenges to aeronautical engineers because they create regions of adverse pressure gradients as a result of the discontinuous change in conditions across the shock. This shock-induced pressure gradient is a common factor for both flow separation in supersonic inlets and high stagnation pressure losses on transonic wings, factors which are known to reduce performance and efficiency. These affects can be corrected with appropriate forms of flow control. Innovative Technology Applications Company (ITAC) and University of Notre Dame (UND) propose the use of electrohydrodynamic (EHD) plasma actuators to control the affects of SWBLIs for two types of problems, one involving boundary layer separation and the other transonic wave drag. We propose to use plasma actuators near the region of the SWBLI to eliminate or delay the onset of separation in supersonic inlets while using plasma-based shock control methods to reduce the stagnation pressure losses on transonic airfoils. The advantages of the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) actuators are that they are fully electronic, contain no moving parts, surface mountable, minimally intrusive, can be turned off when not needed, and electrically re-configurable for optimal control in dynamic flow conditions.

Potential non-NASA applications for the EHD/DBD plasma actuators include design of revolutionary subsonic and hypersonic aerospace vehicles for commercial and military (DoD) purposes, use in turbomachinery systems, noise-control on landing gears of commercial aircraft, design of smart wind turbine rotor blades, drag reduction on ground vehicles, smart helicopter rotor blades, tip-casing clearance flow control for reduced turbine losses, control of flow surge and stall in compressors, and turbulent transition control experiments.

Potential NASA applications for the proposed EHD/DBD plasma actuators include lift enhancement and drag reduction on aircraft wings, high angle-of-attack operation using plasma actuators as lifting devices, enhanced performance and efficiency of propulsion (S-ducts, inlets) and aerodynamic (control surfaces) systems at both on- and off-design conditions, and improved cycle efficiency of NASA's air-breathing propulsion systems.

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