Ionic wind generation through coplanar discharge: A plasma actuator without exposed electrodes

Abstract

This study demonstrates the successful induction of a unidirectional ionic wind by adding an embedded electrode in a coplanar discharge, thus breaking the generation of a symmetrical electric field. The strategy for the ionic wind generation is based on separating the ionization process and the charged-particle acceleration process. Conventional plasma actuators used to induce an ionic wind typically incorporate exposed electrodes that pose a risk of unexpected airflow disturbance and reduce durability due to oxidation. However, the coplanar discharge-based, exposed-electrodeless plasma actuator developed in this study overcomes these issues. The coplanar discharge generates a diffused and uniform surface discharge, a desirable attribute for plasma actuators. The ionic wind velocity generated by this coplanar discharge plasma actuator is comparable to that generated by conventional plasma actuators when applying a square-waveform bias voltage to the additional electrode. Furthermore, this study emphasizes the significance of the phase difference between the repetitive pulses for generating coplanar discharge and the square-waveform voltage for accelerating the charged particles.