Vortex Shedding Frequency Scaling of Coherent Structures Induced by a Plasma Actuator

Abstract

The spatial–temporal evolution of coherent structures generated by an asymmetrical dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuator is an intriguing unsteady process with profound implications for revealing the controlling mechanism of the plasma actuator and promoting the control effect of the DBD plasma actuator at high wind speed and high Reynolds number. In this study, the induced coherent structures of the plasma actuator are studied systematically with a particle image velocimetry for a range of force coefficients (). Results indicate that the vortices that shed periodically from the downstream edge of the exposed electrode are a result of the amplification of natural disturbances in the jet shear layer. During later evolution, the adjacent vortices pair up to form a new vortex, leading to a reduction of the dominant frequency in the velocity spectra. Further downstream, the coherent vortical structures decay considerably, correlating with the shear-layer transition process in the plasma wall jet. The vortex shedding frequency is observed to scale with the force coefficient according to , which is of importance to the selection of the dominant frequency by adjusting the actuation parameters of the plasma actuator based on the characteristic frequency of the controlled flowfield and improving the control effect of the plasma actuator. With increasing force coefficient, the propagation speed of the roll-up vortices increases linearly, whereas the streamwise vortex spacing decreases monotonically. It is of great significance that the nondimensional Strouhal number based on the vortex shedding frequency, vortex propagation speed, and streamwise vortex spacing is proposed and varies slightly between 0.045 and 0.065, for all the tested cases, which lays a foundation for promoting the numerical simulation model of the plasma actuator and revealing the controlling mechanism of the flow control using the plasma actuator.