Optimization of a Single Plasmaactuator using the One Atmosphere Uniform Glow Discharge Plasma (OAUGDP??)

Summary form only given. Research on electrohydrodynamic (EHD) plasma actuators using the one atmosphere uniform glow discharge plasma (OAUGDPreg) is increasing at a rapid rate. These actuators are a promising flow control technology for subsonic plasma aerodynamics. Recent wind tunnel experiments showed that with the additional momentum from a single plasma actuator on the leading edge, the stall angle of a standard airfoil was increased from 15deg to 23deg with a free-steam flow velocity as high as 75 m/s. The plasma actuator configuration needs to be optimized to maximize the induced flow velocity and minimize power consumption. In this paper, the parameters of electrode width W₁ , W₂, width ratio W₁/W₂, gap distance d, dielectric thickness t, and dielectric material are systematically optimized by maximizing the integral of the energy within the region in which the electric field above the surface exceeds the air breakdown value for a OAUGDPreg. This region is found from the Laplacian solution of the actuator geometry, which is calculated using QuickFieldtrade. The numerically optimized configuration can be used as guidance for a plasma actuator design