Two-dimensional numerical modeling of interaction of micro-shock wave generated by nanosecond plasma actuators and transonic flow

The influence of nanosecond pulse-driven, surface-mounted dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) actuators on a transonic flow is studied numerically. An airfoil representing turbo-machinery blades in transonic flow is considered as a test case. A two-dimensional fluid model of DBD is used to describe the plasma dynamics. The model couples fluid discharge equations with compressible Navier-Stokes equations. Simulations were conducted with an airfoil of NACA 3506 profile in a transonic condition of M = 0.75. When a nanosecond pulse voltage is used, with a rise and a decay time of the order of nanoseconds, a significant amount of energy is transferred in a short time from the plasma to the fluid, which leads to the formation of micro-shock waves and therefore to the modification of flow features. Moreover, a plasma energy deposition model is developed and presented by using the results of the plasma discharge model. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.