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...

Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Actuators for Flow Control

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.

Actuators for Active Flow Control

Several studies have shown that a surface dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) may be used as an electrohydrodynamic (EHD) actuator in order to control airflows In this paper, a parametric study has been performed in order to increase the velocity of the ionic wind induced by such actuators The results show that an optimization of geometrical and electrical parameters allows us to obtain a time-averaged ionic wind velocity up to 8 m/s at 05 mm from the wall Moreover, non-stationary measurements of the induced wind have been performed with synchronized records of current and voltage signals These experiments show that the DBD actuator seems to generate a pulsed velocity at the same frequency than the applied high voltage

Optimization of a dielectric barrier discharge actuator by stationary and non-stationary measurements of the induced flow velocity: application to airflow control

Dielectric Barrier Discharges (DBDs) are plasmas generated in configurations with an insulating (dielectric) material between the electrodes which is responsible for a self-pulsing operation. DBDs are a typical example of nonthermal atmospheric or normal pressure gas discharges. Initially used for the generation of ozone, they have opened up many other fields of application. Therefore DBDs are a relevant tool in current plasma technology as well as an object for fundamental studies. Another motivation for further research is the fact, that so-called partial discharges in insulated high voltage systems are special types of DBDs. The breakdown processes, the formation of structures, and the role of surface processes are currently under investigation. This review is intended to give an update to the already existing literature on DBDs considering the research and development within the last two decades. The main principles and different modes of discharge generation are summarized. A collection of known as well as special electrode configurations and reactor designs will be presented. This shall demonstrate the different and broad possibilities, but also the similarities and common aspects of devices for different fields of applications explored within the last years. The main part is devoted to the progress on the investigation of different aspects of breakdown and plasma formation with the focus on single filaments or microdischarges. This includes a summary of the current knowledge on the electrical characterization of filamentary DBDs. In particular, the recent new insights on the elementary volume and surface memory mechanisms in these discharges will be discussed. An outlook for the forthcoming challenges on research and development will be given. Page 1 of 47 AUTHOR SUBMITTED MANUSCRIPT PSST-101368.R1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 A cc ep e M nu sc rip t Progress on DBD Sources and Filaments 2

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Dielectric barrier discharges: progress on plasma sources and on the understanding of regimes and single filaments

The present paper is a wide review on AC surface dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) actuators applied to airflow control. Both electrical and mechanical characteristics of surface DBD are presented and discussed. The first half of the present paper gives the last results concerning typical single plate-to-plate surface DBDs supplied by a sine high voltage. The discharge current, the plasma extension and its morphology are firstly analyzed. Then, time-averaged and time-resolved measurements of the produced electrohydrodynamic force and of the resulting electric wind are commented. The second half of the paper concerns a partial list of approaches having demonstrated a significant modification in the discharge behavior and an increasing of its mechanical performances. Typically, single DBDs can produce mean force and electric wind velocity up to 1 mN/W and 7 m/s, respectively. With multi-DBD designs, velocity up to 11 m/s has been measured and force up to 350 mN/m.

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Electrical and mechanical characteristics of surface AC dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuators applied to airflow control

Surface dielectric barrier discharges (DBDs) have been proposed as actuators for flow control. In this paper we discuss the basic mechanisms responsible for the electrohydrodynamic (EHD) force exerted by the discharge on the gas molecules. A two-dimensional fluid model of the DBD is used to describe the plasma dynamics, to understand the basic physics associated with the EHD force and to give some quantitative estimation of the force under simplified conditions. The results show that for ramp or sinusoidal voltage waveforms, the discharge consists of large amplitude short current pulses during which a filamentary plasma spreads along the surface, separated in time by long duration, low current discharge phases of a Townsend or corona type. The contribution of the low current phases to the total force exerted by the discharge on the gas is dominant because their duration is much longer than that of the current pulses and because the force takes place in a much larger volume. A description of the different discharge regimes and a parametric study of the EHD force as a function of voltage rise time and dielectric thickness is presented.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0022-3727/40/3/S03/pdf

Electrohydrodynamic force in dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuators

We present a parametric study of the electrohydrodynamic force generated by surface dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuators in air for sinusoidal voltage waveforms. The simulation results confirm that momentum is transferred from the charged particles to the neutral species in the same direction during both positive and negative parts of the cycle. The momentum transfer is due to positive ions during the positive part of the cycle (electrode above the dielectric layer is the anode), and to negative ions during the negative part of the cycle. The relative contribution of the positive and negative parts of the cycle depends on the voltage amplitude and frequency. The model predicts that the contribution of negative ions tends to be dominant at low voltage frequencies and high voltage amplitudes.

Contribution of positive and negative ions to the electrohydrodynamic force in a dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator operating in air

This paper presents a study of the development of a surface dielectric barrier discharge in air under conditions similar to those of plasma actuators for flow control. The study is based on results from a 2D fluid model of the discharge in air that provides the space and time evolution of the charged particle densities, electric field and surface charges. The electrohydrodynamic (EHD) force associated with the momentum transfer from charged particles to neutral molecules in the volume above the dielectric layer is also deduced from the model. Results show that the EHD force is important not only during the positive part of the sinusoidal voltage cycle (i.e. when the electrode on top of the dielectric layer plays the role of the anode) but also during the negative part of the cycle (cathode on top of the dielectric layer). During the positive part of the cycle, the EHD force is due to the formation of a positive ion cloud that is periodically interrupted by high current breakdown. The EHD force during the negative part of the cycle is due to the development of a negative ion cloud that continuously grows during the successive high frequency current pulses that form in this regime.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0022-3727/41/9/095205/pdf

Model description of surface dielectric barrier discharges for flow control

http://nicolasbalcon.org/pdf/JournElectro_2009.pdf

Positive and negative sawtooth signals applied to a DBD plasma actuator – influence on the electric wind

The electrohydrodynamic force generated by surface dielectric barrier discharges is analyzed with a fluid mode under conditions where the electrode above the dielectric surface is the anode.. The calculated current is composed of successive large pulses associated with filamentary discharges spreading along the dielectric surface, separated by low current periods where the discharge is in a transient “coronalike” regime. The contribution of the corona discharges to the overall force is by far dominant. An important result is that the extension of the region above the surface where the electrohydrodynamic force is significant depends on the product of the dielectric layer capacitance and the rate of voltage increase (spatial extension is larger when this parameter is smaller), but that the total, integrated force is not very sensitive to these parameters.

Y. Lagmich

Papers

Electrohydrodynamic force in dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuators

Contribution of positive and negative ions to the electrohydrodynamic force in a dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator operating in air

Model description of surface dielectric barrier discharges for flow control

Positive and negative sawtooth signals applied to a DBD plasma actuator – influence on the electric wind

Electrohydrodynamic force and scaling laws in surface dielectric barrier discharges