Development of small high-voltage AC power supply for a dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator

Abstract

A dielectric-barrier discharge plasma actuator (DBDPA) is a promising flow control device that can prevent flow separation around an airfoil using electrical discharges. Miniaturizing the DBDPA power supply remains a crucial technological challenge because its size and weight determine the performance of fluid devices equipped with this type of actuator. In this study, we propose a compact high-voltage AC power supply for a DBDPA intended for installation on small airplanes, including unmanned aerial vehicles. The power supply, which consists of a power supply board, a main control board, and a DC/AC converter board, is ∼110 g in weight. It can drive a 300-mm long DBDPA without any substantial voltage drop. The power consumption in standby remains below 1 W, and the maximum consumption during discharge in burst mode at a burst ratio of 5% is 24 W. The power supply uses a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 1800 mA h, which allows continuous DBDPA operation for ∼1.5 h. An experiment was conducted in a wind tunnel using an airfoil model whose cross-section corresponds to that of an airfoil from a commercial glider airplane. Experimental results reveal that the surface pressure around the airfoil is modified by DBDPA operation, clearly demonstrating the effectiveness of the developed power supply for operating a DBDPA as a flow control device. The size and weight of the proposed power supply can be established as a benchmark to further miniaturize and optimize DBDPA power supplies.

In-Flight Demonstration of Stall Improvement Using a Plasma Actuator for a Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

“…[36]. Reference [38], for example, developed their own power supply and experimentally confirmed its effective control of a plasma actuator for airfoil flows at the lower freestream speed of 5 m/s.…”

Plasma-Based Dynamic Stall Control and Modeling on an Aspect-Ratio-One Wing

“…Leading-edge perturbations are also effective when strong three-dimensional effects are present, for example on delta [29,30] and low AR rectangular flatplate wings [31][32][33]. Pulse-modulated dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuators are particularly attractive because they are light, low-power, and directly convert electrical power to a fluid-based body force [34][35][36]. However, there is a large range of reduced frequencies at which maximum and post-stall lift enhancements are maximized.…”

Surface-charge control strategy for enhanced electrohydrodynamic force in dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuators

“…Previous studies demonstrated that the DBD plasma actuators suppress the separating flow around an airfoil [10,11], reduce the drag in turbulent boundary layers [12], and control the transition of the laminar-to-turbulent boundary layers on a swept wing [13]. The development of the power supply for active flow control devices in real flight environment conditions [14,15] and the development of fabrication techniques towards the industrial applications [16,17] have been tackled quite recently owing to a significant progress in the research on DBD plasma actuators.…”