Towards In-Flight Applications? A Review on Dielectric Barrier Discharge-Based Boundary-Layer Control

Abstract

Active control of laminar boundary layers with dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuators (PAs) has made considerable progress in the last 15 years. First pioneering experiments have motivated numerous researchers to gain a deeper insight into the underlying working principles and corresponding quantification of the actuator performance. These investigations clearly show the strengths but also the weaknesses of the PA as a flow control device. Presently, the boundary-layer control (BLC) with PAs experiences the transition from lab studies to real flight applications. However, the PA community still struggles with the poor fluid mechanic efficiency and the limited momentum flux of the actuator. This review therefore addresses the question how applicable the actuator is as an energy efficient flow control device for future in-flight applications. Since any successful flow control requires detailed knowledge of the actuator’s control authority, this discussion is built upon a careful and comprehensive summary of performance evaluation measures and the interplay with various changes of thermodynamic and kinematic environmental conditions. Consequently, this review for the first time provides a comprehensive discussion of all required steps for successful DBD-based in-flight flow control spanning from the power supply to the achieved flow-control success in one coherent document.

Characterization of surface dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) based on PI/Al2O3 nanocomposite

“…This creates a surface discharge in the region between the two electrodes . The characteristics and diagnostics methods of the plasma actuators have been summarized by Benard & Moreau, Kotsonis, and Kriegseis et al…”

Enduring and Stable Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharge (SDBD) Plasma Using Fluorinated Multi-Layered Polyimide

“…The PI film had a thickness of 50 µm and an area of 50 × 50 mm 2 . A 30 µm thickness silicon adhesive was obtained from 3M Co. Ltd., Hongkong, China.…”

“…Among various types of plasma sources, surface dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) has attracted significant attention because it can produce stable discharge with very simple configuration. Thus, it has been characterized [2,3] and successfully applied as a plasma actuator in various aerodynamic fields, such as active flow control [2,4], heat generation for de-icing and anti-icing [5], as well as film cooling [6]. Besides, it can be used as a plasma-based chemical reactor in many environmental applications, such as ozone generation [7,8], decomposition of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) [9], NO x conversion [10], and inactivation of killing bacteria [11].…”

Attenuation of cross-flow instability in three-dimensional boundary layer by means of multi-discharge actuator system

“…* Е-mail: aleksandr.kuryachiy@tsagi.ru способа подходящим является приповерхностный разряд с диэлектрическим барьером (РДБ) [2]. Исполнительные элементы, работающие на основе этого разряда (РДБ-актуаторы), интенсивно исследуются для различных аэродинамических приложений, из которых, согласно анализу, выполненному в [3], наиболее перспективным является управление ламинарно-турбулентным переходом в пограничном слое.…”