Effects of strouhal numbers on asymmetric vortices control using plasma actuation

Author(s):  
Yuexiao Long ◽  
Huaxing Li ◽  
Xuanshi Meng ◽  
Feng Liu ◽  
Luo Shijun
Author(s):  
GholamHossein Maleki ◽  
Ali Reza Davari ◽  
Mohammad Reza Soltani

An extensive experimental investigation was conducted to study the effects of Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD), on the flow field of an airfoil at low Reynolds number. The DBD was mounted near the leading edge of a section of a wind turbine blade. It is believed that DBD can postpone the separation point on the airfoil by injecting momentum to the flow. The effects of steady actuations on the velocity profiles in the wake region have been investigated. The tests were performed at α = 4 to 36 degrees i.e. from low to deep stall angles of attack regions. Both surface pressure distribution and wake profile show remarkable improvement at high angles of attack, beyond the static stall angle of the airfoil when the plasma actuation was implemented. The drag calculated from the wake momentum deficit has further shown the favorable role of the plasma actuators to control the flow over the airfoil at incidences beyond the static stall angle of attack of this airfoil. The results demonstrated that DBD has been able to postpone the stall onset significantly. It has been observed that the best performance for the plasma actuation for this airfoil is in the deep stall angles of attack range. However, below and near the static stall angles of attack, plasma augmentation was pointed out to have a negligible improvement in the aerodynamic behavior.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Burak Karadag ◽  
Cem Kolbakir ◽  
Ahmet Selim Durna

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the effects of a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuator (PA) qualitatively on aerodynamic characteristics of a 3 D-printed NACA 4412 airfoil model. Design/methodology/approach Airflow visualization study was performed at a Reynolds number of 35,000 in a small-scale open-loop wind tunnel. The effect of plasma actuation on flow separation was compared for the DBD PA with four different electrode configurations at 10°, 20° and 30° angles of attack. Findings Plasma activation may delay the onset of flow separation up to 6° and decreases the boundary layer thickness. The effects of plasma diminish as the angle of attack increases. Streamwise electrode configuration, in which electric wind is produced in a direction perpendicular to the freestream, is more effective in the reattachment of the airflow compared to the spanwise electrode configuration, in which the electric wind and the free stream are in the same direction. Practical implications The Reynolds number is much smaller than that in cruise aircraft conditions; however, the results are promising for low-velocity subsonic airflows such as improving control capabilities of unmanned aerial vehicles. Originality/value Superior efficacy of spanwise-generated electric wind over streamwise-generated one is demonstrated at a very low Reynolds number. The results in the plasma aerodynamics literature can be reproduced using ultra-low-cost off-the-shelf components. This is important because high voltage power amplifiers that are frequently encountered in the literature may be prohibitively expensive especially for resource-limited university aerodynamics laboratories.


2018 ◽  
Vol 141 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qihang Yuan ◽  
Yankui Wang ◽  
Zhongyang Qi

In general speaking, the missiles execute flight at high angles of attack in order to enhance their maneuverability. However, the inevitable side-force, which is caused by the asymmetric flow over these kinds of traditional slender body configurations with blunt nose at a high attack angle, induces the yawing or rolling deviation and the missiles will lose their predicted trajectory consequently. This study examines and diminishes the side-force induced by the inevitable asymmetric flow around this traditional slender body configuration with blunt nose at a high angle of attack (AoA = 50 deg). On one hand, the flow over a fixed blunt-nosed slender body model with strakes mounted at an axial position of x/D = 1.6–2.7 is investigated experimentally at α = 50 deg (D is the diameter of the model). On the other hand, the wingspan of the strakes is varied to investigate its effect on the leeward flow over the model. The Reynolds number is set at ReD = 1.54 × 105 based on D and incoming upstream velocity. The results verify that the formation of asymmetric vortices is hindered by the existence of strakes, and the strake-induced vortices develop symmetrically and contribute to the reduction in side-force of the model. In addition, the increase in strake wingspan reduces asymmetric characteristics of the vortex around the model and causes a significant decrease in side-force in each section measured. The strake with the 0.1D wingspan can reduce the sectional side-force to 25% of that in the condition without strakes.


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