CONTROL OF LAMINAR AND TURBULENT SHEAR FLOWS USING PLASMA ACTUATORS

The use of AC discharge plasma actuators in flow control applications is experimentally investigated using PIV. Experimental observations include actuators in quiescent flow, a flat plate boundary layer, and a low pressure turbine blade cascade. The actuators are shown to generate a high velocity region near the wall downstream of the interface with large fluctuating components. Even in cases where the velocity increase is small due to a fast free-stream flow, the actuator still produces velocity fluctuations of significant size. The displacement and momentum thicknesses decrease in the downstream region of the actuator, however. In the turbine cascade, separation is completely eliminated and cross-stream vortical structures are observed.