Basic Study on Flow Control by Using Plasma Actuator

The airflow induced by corona discharge is called ionic wind, and it could be applied for flow control with its advantages of no moving parts and simple construction. This paper introduces ionic wind characteristics on a flat plate by discharge voltage of 5 kV. A dc corona discharge electrode setup was designed to modify the airflow on a flat plate. The electrode configuration consisted of sharp pin electrode and grounded plate electrode. Weak light emission was observed at the tip of the pin electrode with energizing electrode system. The ionic wind velocity was measured with a hot wire anemometer (up to 2 m/s). Discharge diagnostics included emission spectra, discharge voltage, current, and power and ozone density.