Thrust generation by dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuators in the filamentary discharge regime

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The thrust force generated by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuators is highly dependent on their electrical, geometric, and structural variables. Furthermore, plasma discharge in DBD plasma actuators can occur in two distinct regimes: the uniform discharge and the filamentary discharge. When the discharge shifts to the filamentary regime, the actuator behaves differently. In the present paper, a full factorial design of experiments is used to investigate the effects of applied voltage, carrier frequency, and covered electrode width on the thrust force and power consumption of DBD plasma thrusters in both the uniform and filamentary discharge regimes. The results show that, although the performance of DBD plasma actuators for flow control purposes decreases upon entering the filamentary regime, the presence of high-speed filaments allows the thrust force to continue increasing, showing a similar increasing trend in both the uniform and filamentary regimes. Moreover, a heat- and deformation-resistant composite dielectric is introduced. It is demonstrated that using this dielectric delays arc discharge, which in turn increases the duration and length of filamentary discharge, thereby allowing the thrust force to reach higher magnitudes.