Experimental study of flow control on delta wings with different sweep angles using pulsed nanosecond DBD plasma actuators

Abstract

A low-speed wind tunnel study of active flow control for improving aerodynamic performance of delta wings at high angles of attack is presented. A dielectric barrier discharge actuator driven by pulsed nanosecond voltage is used to create periodic perturbations along the leading edge of delta wing. Four wings with sweep back angles of Λ = 30°, 47°, and 60° are tested. Data obtained by means of force measurements show that the effectiveness of the actuation strongly depends on the wing’s sweep angles and the actuation frequency. For Λ = 30°, 47° delta wings, the pulsed actuation could increase the lift at post stall regions. For Λ = 60° delta wing, the pulsed actuation at the leading edge almost has no effect on its aerodynamic performance. At last, the control mechanism is discussed.

Keywords

Delta wing dielectric barrier discharge flow control nanosecond

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