Surface plasma actuators modeling for flow control

Abstract The surface plasma actuators over the entire speed region have been intensely investigated for flow control. Most of the fundamental phenomena have been firmly identified by experimental observations but ambiguities still remained. The direct computational simulation for multiple microdischarges is presently beyond our reach, thus the essential physics may be better understood on the framework of physics-based modeling. To achieve this objective, the drift-diffusion approximation is adopted as a transport property approximation to the nonequilibrium air plasma. The most challenging issue of electron impact ionization process at the low-temperature environment is addressed by the Townsend mechanism together with electron attachment, detachment, bulk, and ion–ion recombination. The effects and quantifications of Joule heating, periodic electrostatic force, as well as, the Lorentz acceleration for flow control are examined. The clarification to the hot spot of heat transfer in direct current discharge and the orientations of the periodic force associated with AC cycle of dielectric barrier discharge are also included.