Simulations of Airfoil Suction Side Flow Separation Control Using Plasma Aerodynamic Actuation

Abstract

Plasma flow control, as a novel active flow control technique, has become a newly-rising focus of international aerodynamics and aerothermodynamics fields. Surface DBD plasma aerodynamic actuation is widely studied in subsonic flow separation control. Numerical simulation investigation of flow stall separation suppression of NACA 0015 airfoil by plasma aerodynamic actuation was performed. The plasma aerodynamic actuation was simplified as momentum and thermal source terms. The numerical model of airfoil flow separation control by plasma aerodynamic actuation was constructed. The simulation results showed that when the inflow velocity was 100m/s and angle of attack was 20 degree, the flow separates at the leading edge of the suction side of the airfoil. There is a 50.3% lift augmentation and 42.0% drag reduction after the plasma aerodynamic actuation was on. The best position of plasma aerodynamic actuation is just near the separation point. The simulation results were basically consistent with the test results, which demonstrated that the simulation model was correct. The results are useful to reveal the mechanism of the correlation of plasma aerodynamic actuation and boundary layer.