How do plasma actuators work?
Plasma (considered a fourth state of matter) is a high energy, ionised gas made up of electrically charged particles. Plasma actuators work by ionising the part of the air around the hidden electrode and turning it into a plasma.
How does DBD plasma work?
Dielectric barrier discharges (DBDs) are self-sustaining electrical discharges in electrode configurations containing an insulating material in the discharge path. This so-called dielectric barrier is responsible for a self-pulsing plasma operation and thus, the formation of a nonthermal plasma at normal pressure.
What is plasma aerodynamics?
For aerodynamic processes, plasmas can be created on or off the surface. Surface discharges are being studied for the control of boundary layer separation, control of laminar to turbulent transition, drag reduction, and suppression of local heating.
What is dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator?
Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuators are a technology which could replace conventional actuators due to their simple construction, lack of moving parts, and fast response. This type of actuator modifies the airflow due to electrohydrodynamic (EHD) force.
How to improve the performance of the dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator?
Manipulation of the encapsulated electrode has been shown to alter the performance of the dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator. Locating the initial encapsulated electrode closer to the dielectric surface results in an earlier plasma ignition time and the plasma discharge being present for longer in the discharge cycle.
What is a plasma actuator?
The plasma actuator is lightweight, easy to repair, flexible and able to follow the curvature of the surface it is applied to. It can be switched on or off or passive at the flick of a switch, can be activated at a wide range of modulation frequencies and has a high frequency response.
What is a deep initial electrode in a plasma actuator?
A deep initial electrode results in the plasma characteristics being insensitive to changes in electrode depth further downstream of the encapsulated electrode. The power used by each actuator at the supplied voltage is calculated using Eq. (1), where T and N represent the time period and the number of cycles, respectively and is shown in Fig. 5.
What is a baseline plasma actuator made of?
Baseline plasma actuator. The baseline actuator consists of an exposed electrode constructed from 74 μm thick tinned copper foils, 5 mm wide and 100 in length. The encapsulated electrode is constructed from the same material but 50 mm wide.