Effects of Plasma Actuators on Flow Separation Control of a NACA 0012 Airfoil

This study explores the performance of a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuator and its influence on flow separation over a NACA 0012 airfoil. The actuator was fabricated using 0.07 mm copper foil electrodes and 0.05 mm polyimide tape as the dielectric material. An AC power supply with voltages of several kilovolts and frequencies in the kilohertz range was used to operate the actuator. Thrust generated by the actuator was measured using a precision balance with 0.1 mg resolution, and distance of electrodes was varied by adjusting the number of dielectric layers. The results indicated that thrust increased with voltage and frequency, though excessively narrow distance led to electrode damage and rapid fracture. The actuator was installed at the leading edge of a NACA 0012 airfoil model, and surface pressure distributions were measured at angles of attack ranging from 0° to 18°. At low angle of attack (4°), actuator operation enhanced suction on the upper surface and increased lift. However, at higher angles (8° and 18°), adverse effects such as increased separation and formation of large-scale vortices were observed. Flow visualization using the smoke wire method revealed that the actuator’s effectiveness in controlling flow separation is strongly dependent on the angle of attack and local flow conditions.