Separation control using plasma actuators: application to a free turbulent jet

This experimental work deals with active airflow control using non-thermal surface plasma actuators in the case of a rectangular cross section turbulent jet. A wide-angle diffuser composed of two adjustable hinged baseplates is linked at the jet exit. Two types of actuators are considered: the DC corona discharge and the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). In both cases, an ionic wind with a velocity of several m s-1 is generated tangentially to the wall surface. Thus, this induced aerodynamic effect is applied in order to create the separation along the lower hinged baseplate. The effects of both actuators on the flow separation are measured by means of particle image velocimetry for velocity up to 30 m s-1. The main results show that the DBD seems more efficient than the DC corona discharge but the effect decreases with the jet velocity. However, in increasing the discharge frequency up to 1500 Hz, it is possible to separate a 30 m s-1 jet. Finally, by reducing the actuators' length in the spanwise direction, results lead to a visualization of the three-dimensional effects on the separation along the lower hinged baseplate.