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

Satoshi Sekimoto,Kozo Fujii,Hiroki Kato,Hiroshi Yoneda

doi:10.3390/aerospace9030144

Satoshi Sekimoto, Kozo Fujii + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace9030144

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Journal: Aerospace	Publication Date: Mar 7, 2022
Citations: 10	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Tokyo University of Science, Teikyo University

Abstract

The flow control capability (especially for separation control) of a dielectric-barrier-discharge plasma actuator (DBD-PA) has been investigated extensively. However, these studies have been conducted under ideal conditions, such as wind tunnels and computational environments, and limited studies have investigated the effects of plasma actuators in an actual environment. In this study, the flow control capability of a DBD-PA under natural and in-flight conditions was investigated via field flight tests using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The DBD-PA driving system was constructed with a small high-voltage power supply on a 2-m-span UAV. With the support of an autonomous flight system, the pitch angle gradually increased as the airspeed decreased, and the stall occurred from the cruise state. This flight procedure was conducted with the DBD-PA on or off, and 246 pairs of flights were operated. The results revealed that a flight state with a higher pitch angle and lower airspeed occurred when DBD-PA was switched on. In addition, the moment of stall was quantitatively determined from the flight log, and it was confirmed that the maximum pitch angle when DBD-PA was switched on tended to be larger than that when DBD-PA was switched off. These results indicate that flow control with a DBD-PA on a 2-m-span UAV was effective in natural and in-flight situations.

Highlights

Accepted: 3 March 2022Many compact flow control devices, including a dielectric-barrier-discharge plasma actuator (DBD-PA), have been developed [1,2]
The flight tests were conducted in the flight field for small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) along a river bed
The ground station was located in the center of the flight field, and the UAV flowed along the river and turned at the north and south ends

Summary

Introduction

Many compact flow control devices, including a dielectric-barrier-discharge plasma actuator (DBD-PA), have been developed [1,2]. When an alternating HV is applied between the two electrodes, dielectric-barrier-discharge (DBD) plasma is generated, and ions around the plasma region are moved by an electric field, which results in a small flow of a few m/s [3–6]. Benard et al [7] extensively reviewed a DBD-PA and detailed typical single DBD-PA’s voltage–current characteristics, plasma physics, and performance of flow induction. The simplicity of DBD-PA allows its installation in locations where traditional flow control devices cannot be used. Because flow induction is caused by electrical phenomena rather than mechanical movement, a DBD-PA does not have mechanical moving parts.

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Results

Conclusion