Analysis of Separation Control Authority of DBD Plasma Actuator using Hot-Film Sensor Array

The boundary-layer control authority of a DBD plasma actuator using surface mounted hot-film sensors is evaluated. Wind tunnel experiments on a wind-turbine blade section were established at a Reynolds number of 0.27 × 106. Aerodynamic performance of the wind-turbine blade section for both plasma-ON and plasma-OFF modes are evaluated using measurements made by both surface pressure and wake survey behind the model. Two distinct boundary-layer states are recognized. A state which occurs at the onset and in proximity of the deep stall, which is affected by the low-frequency instabilities of the separated flow. In this case, the steady actuation of plasma imparts local momentum on the nearby flow, eliminating the instabilities, hence, reattaching the detached flow. The other state happens beyond the static stall angle of attack of the airfoil where the flow over the suction side of the airfoil is fully separated and coexistence of both the leading edge and the trailing edge shear-layer instabilities and natural trailing edge vortex shedding is the underlying mechanism. In this case, although the plasma actuator eliminates the instabilities, to some extent, but the corresponding momentum injection is not efficient to stabilize and reattach the flow.