Thomas Corke

Bio: Thomas Corke is an academic researcher from University of Notre Dame. The author has contributed to research in topics: Plasma actuator & Boundary layer. The author has an hindex of 46, co-authored 193 publications receiving 10248 citations. Previous affiliations of Thomas Corke include Bell Helicopter.

Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Actuators for Flow Control

Abstract: The term plasma actuator has now been a part of the fluid dynamics flow-control vernacular for more than a decade. A particular type of plasma actuator that has gained wide use is based on a single–dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) mechanism that has desirable features for use in air at atmospheric pressures. For these actuators, the mechanism of flow control is through a generated body-force vector field that couples with the momentum in the external flow. The body force can be derived from first principles, and the effect of plasma actuators can be easily incorporated into flow solvers so that their placement and operation can be optimized. They have been used in a wide range of internal and external flow applications. Although initially considered useful only at low speeds, plasma actuators are effective in a number of applications at high subsonic, transonic, and supersonic Mach numbers, owing largely to more optimized actuator designs that were developed through better understanding and modeling of...

Separation Control on HIgh Angle of Attack Airfoil Using Plasma Actuators

Abstract: This work involves the documentation and control of leading-edge flow separation that occurs over an airfoil at high angles of attack, well above stall. A generic airfoil shape (NACA 663-018) was used because of its documented leading-edge stall characteristics. It was instrumented for surface-pressure measurements that were used to calculate lift coefficients. Mean-velocity profiles downstream of the airfoil were used to determine the drag coefficient. In addition to these, smoke streakline flow visualization was used to document the state of flow separation. The airfoil was operated over a range of freestream speeds from 10 to 30 m/s, giving chord Reynolds numbers from 77 × 10 3 to 333 × 10 3 .T wo types of plasma actuator designs were investigated. The first produced a spanwise array of streamwise vortices. The second produced a two-dimensional jet in the flow direction along the surface of the airfoil. The plasma actuators were found to lead to reattachment for angles of attack that were 8 deg past the stall angle (the highest investigated). This was accompanied by a full pressure recovery and up to a 400% increase in the lift-to-drag ratio.

Mechanisms and Responses of a Single Dielectric Barrier Plasma Actuator: Plasma Morphology

Abstract: We present simultaneous optical, electrical, and thrust measurements of an aerodynamic plasma actuator. These measurements indicate that the plasma actuator is a form of the dielectric barrier discharge, whose behavior is governed primarily by the buildup of charge on the dielectric-encapsulated electrode. Our measurements reveal the temporal and macroscale spatial structure of the plasma. Correlating the morphology of the plasma and the electrical characteristics of the discharge to the actuator performance as measured by the thrust produced indicates a direct coupling between the interelectrode electric field (strongly modified by the presence of the plasma) and the charges in the plasma. Our measurements discount bulk heating or asymmetries in the structure of the discharge as mechanisms for the production of bulk motion of the surrounding neutral air, although such asymmetries clearly exist and impact the effectiveness of the actuator.

Mechanisms and Responses of a Dielectric Barrier Plasma Actuator: Geometric Effects

Abstract: The single dielectric barrier discharge plasma, a plasma sustainable at atmospheric pressure, has shown considerable promise as a flow control device operating at modest (tens of watts) power levels. Measurements are presented of the development of the plasma during the course of the discharge cycle, and the relevance of these measurements to the modeling of the actuator's electrical properties is discussed. Experimental evidence is presented strongly pointing to the electric field enhancement near the leading edge of the actuator as a dominant factor determining the effectiveness of momentum coupling into the surrounding air

Numerical solutions of 2‐D steady incompressible driven cavity flow at high Reynolds numbers

Abstract: SUMMARY Numerical calculations of the 2-D steady incompressible driven cavity flow are presented. The NavierStokes equations in streamfunction and vorticity formulation are solved numerically using a fine uniform grid mesh of 601 × 601. The steady driven cavity solutions are computed for Re ≤ 21,000 with a maximum absolute residuals of the governing equations that were less than 10 −10 . A new quaternary vortex at the bottom left corner and a new tertiary vortex at the top left corner of the cavity are observed in the flow field as the Reynolds number increases. Detailed results are presented and comparisons are made with benchmark solutions found in the literature.

Boundary Layer Theory

Abstract: The boundary layer equations for plane, incompressible, and steady flow are $$\matrix{ {u{{\partial u} \over {\partial x}} + v{{\partial u} \over {\partial y}} = - {1 \over \varrho }{{\partial p} \over {\partial x}} + v{{{\partial ^2}u} \over {\partial {y^2}}},} \cr {0 = {{\partial p} \over {\partial y}},} \cr {{{\partial u} \over {\partial x}} + {{\partial v} \over {\partial y}} = 0.} \cr }$$

Airflow control by non-thermal plasma actuators

Abstract: Active flow control is a topic in full expansion due to associated industrial applications of huge importance, particularly for aeronautics. Among all flow control methods, such as the use of mechanical flaps, wall synthetic jets or MEMS, plasma-based devices are very promising. The main advantages of such systems are their robustness, simplicity, low power consumption and ability for real-time control at high frequency. This paper is a review of the worldwide works on this topic, from its origin to the present. It is divided into two main parts. The first one is dedicated to the recent knowledge concerning the electric wind induced by surface non-thermal plasma actuators, acting in air at atmospheric pressure. Typically, it can reach 8 m s−1 at a distance of 0.5 mm from the wall. In the second part, works concerning active airflow control by these plasma actuators are presented. Very efficient results have been obtained for low-velocity subsonic airflows (typically U∞ ≤ 30 m s−1 and Reynolds number of a few 105), and promising results at higher velocities indicate that plasma actuators could be used in aeronautics.

Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Actuators for Flow Control

Abstract: The term plasma actuator has now been a part of the fluid dynamics flow-control vernacular for more than a decade. A particular type of plasma actuator that has gained wide use is based on a single–dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) mechanism that has desirable features for use in air at atmospheric pressures. For these actuators, the mechanism of flow control is through a generated body-force vector field that couples with the momentum in the external flow. The body force can be derived from first principles, and the effect of plasma actuators can be easily incorporated into flow solvers so that their placement and operation can be optimized. They have been used in a wide range of internal and external flow applications. Although initially considered useful only at low speeds, plasma actuators are effective in a number of applications at high subsonic, transonic, and supersonic Mach numbers, owing largely to more optimized actuator designs that were developed through better understanding and modeling of...

Correlation-Based Transition Modeling for Unstructured Parallelized Computational Fluid Dynamics Codes

Abstract: A new correlation-based transition model has been developed, which is built strictly on local variables. As a result, the transition model is compatible with modern computational fluid dynamics techniques such as unstructured grids and massively parallel execution. The model is based on two transport equations, one for intermittency and one for a transition onset criterion in terms of momentum-thickness Reynolds number. A number of validation papers have been published on the basic formulation of the model. However, until now the full model correlations have not been published. The main goal of the present paper is to publish the full model and release it to the research community so that it can continue to be further validated and possibly extended or improved. Included in this paper are a number of test cases that can be used to validate the implementation of the model in a given computational fluid dynamics code. The authors believe that the current formulation is a significant step forward in engineering transition modeling, as it allows the combination of transition correlations with general-purpose computational fluid dynamics codes. There is a strong potential that the model will allow the first-order effects of transition to be included in everyday industrial computational fluid dynamics simulations.

Actuators for Active Flow Control

Abstract: Actuators are transducers that convert an electrical signal to a desired physical quantity. Active flow control actuators modify a flow by providing an electronically controllable disturbance. The field of active flow control has witnessed explosive growth in the variety of actuators, which is a testament to both the importance and challenges associated with actuator design. This review provides a framework for the discussion of actuator specifications, characteristics, selection, design, and classification for aeronautical applications. Actuator fundamentals are discussed, and various popular actuator types used in low-to-moderate speed flows are then described, including fluidic, moving object/surface, and plasma actuators. We attempt to highlight the strengths and inevitable drawbacks of each and highlight potential future research directions.