Wind tunnel and flight tests of glider flow separation control by microsecond dielectric barrier discharge

Abstract

As a new kind of active flow control technology, plasma flow control has a bright future, for its simple structure, fast response, and wide frequency band. The wind tunnel and flight tests were conducted with microsecond dielectric barrier discharge on a glider. For the tests, the microsecond pulse power supply and remote control system were designed and built. In the wind tunnel test, the flow separation on the glider wing surface can be controlled effectively, and static pressure at the leading edge pressure is decreases by 177%. The flow control effects under different pulse frequencies are compared, and the optimal pulse frequency for actuation is found to be 100 Hz. A significant hysteresis effect was observed with microsecond dielectric barrier discharge at small angle of attack (α ≤ 18°), which means the flow control effect can last more than 300 s after turning off the plasma actuation. In the flight test, the maximum roll angle decreases by 7.0°, and the maximum aileron deflection angle decreases by 9.4° with plasma actuation at both sides of the wing, which means the glider becomes more stable with microsecond dielectric barrier discharge. With unilateral actuation, the rolling moment generated by the plasma actuation is larger than that produced by the ailerons with the angle of attack within 12.94° ≤ α ≤ 29.77°, which shows strong rolling control ability of microsecond dielectric barrier discharge. The wind tunnel and flight tests results verified the flow control effect of microsecond dielectric barrier discharge, and paved the way for the plasma flow control technology to practical applications.