Supersonic Inlet Flow Control Using Localized Arc Filament Plasma Actuators.

摘要

Shock Wave/Boundary Layer Interactions (SWBLIs) occur in many applications of interest to the U.S. Air Force and could pose significant problems depending on the specific application. This study has undertaken to investigate the use of Localized Arc Filament Plasma Actuators (LAFPAs) to control SWBLIs with the objective of mitigating/eliminating separation. Initial experiments were carried out in a small Mach 2 tunnel with compression ramp. The results showed that the LAFPAs are capable of significantly energizing the flow within the interaction region when located upstream of the reflected shock. The maximum control authority was found to be exercised when the LAFPAs were operated at a Strouhal number of 0.03. This frequency is similar to that at which the reflected shock oscillates in unforced SWBLIs. Therefore, LAFPAs are believed to manipulate the natural instability associated with the reflected shock oscillation. The success of the preliminary experiments motivated the design of a new, larger, more flexible facility that utilize a Variable Angle Wedge to generate the impinging shock wave for SWBLI. This facility is capable of easily generating a wide range of SWBLI strengths. The research is currently on-going.