The multi-disciplinary character at Onera
PUMA
Plasmas For Aerodynamics Flow Control
Aims
Manipulating and controlling flows when defining future aircraft or land vehicles is assuming an increasingly important role due to the need to improve their efficiency and maneuverability and to protect the environment.
This project, run by the Aerodynamics and Energy Models Department (DMAE), aims to imagine and develop plasma generation devices that can act on fundamental aerodynamic flows representative of those that may exist around any moving body.
Results
The ionic wind generated and the electric properties of several Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) or Corona Discharge (CD) type surface actuators were characterized with and without a flow.
A jet type actuator called the "Plasma Synthetic Jet" (PSJ) was defined, developed and characterized with and without a flow. The measured speeds of jets could reach 500m/s.
Several experimental and numerical studies were conducted from a low subsonic level up to a supersonic level. This behavior of plasma actuators in a flow was identified and their efficiency studied and demonstrated: triggering or delay of the transition, manipulation of side vortex, reduction of separations, stabilization of a separated shock wave in front of a truncated cone, modification of an injector's mix.
The various discharges studied have been numerically modeled and simulated.
A French network called the "Groupe de Travail Plasmas" (Plasma Work Group), bringing together all of the main players in the manipulation of flows using plasma actuators, was created at the initiative of ONERA. This group has met 22 times in 3 years and is still very active. It includes people from 4 ONERA departments and 6 CNRS laboratories.
Actuators
DBD (plasma visualisation)
PSJ (jet visualisation)
Plasmas in flow
DBD - modification of the mix (INCA)
DBD-Laminarity / Modification of the boundary layer profile (PUMA)
PSJ - engine jet noise reduction (OSCAR)
Prospects
The prospects under consideration concern the manipulation and control of flows using local actions to improve performance and reduce noise by optimizing the vehicle for each aerodynamic configuration. There can be diverse and varied applications: laminarity, separations, vortices, fluid control surfaces, mix, jet noise... Several projects were initiated:
- at the national level:
- INCA, where surface discharges are studied to improve the injector mix,
- OSCAR, where the Plasma Synthetic Jet is studied to reduce engine jet noise on take-off by manipulating the mixing zone,
- with ONERA self-funding:
- PRF SIMCOS, where DBD will be studied to reduce dynamic stalling of a helicopter blade,
- PRF BUFET'nCo, where PSJ will be studied as fluid vortex generator to reduce buffeting.
Others are under preparation.
Key words
Atmospheric pressure plasma - flow plasma interaction - electric discharge in air flow - corona discharge - dielectric barrier discharge - modeling of electric discharge in flow - plasma synthetic jet - synthetic jet - manipulating the flows
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