Stabilization of Laminar Boundary‐Layer Flow using Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Actuators

Abstract

A numerical method is developed to study the stabilizing effect of dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuators on laminar boundary-layer flow. A finite difference approach based on a Keller box discretization is chosen to solve the Falkner-Skan transformed boundary-layer equations. The fluid dynamic effect of the flow-control device is implemented as a body-force field, derived quantitatively from previous measurements using particle image velocimetry. The resulting laminar boundarylayer flow is compared to experimental wind tunnel measurements and the effect on hydrodynamic stability is investigated in the framework of linear stability theory. A good agreement between experimentally acquired and numerically predicted transition locations based on an empirical function is obtained, rendering the numerical scheme valuable as a design tool for DBD based flow control applications.