Design of a Plasma Actuator Based on Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD)

Abstract

Related with recent investigations, plasma actuator or plasma controller has been the most promising flow control device, and specifically the Dielectric Barrier Discharge flow controller (usually called DBD plasma actuator). The popularity of these devices comes from the advantages offered by a lower weight and size, absence of moving parts that would mean, for example, less drag and possible reduction in maintenance. The experimental study carried out during the last months has been exposed in this document, through which a a large number of different devices have been built, seeking to identify which factors contribute to a maximization of the efficiency in terms of different parameters, of plasma generation devices through Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD). For this purpose, the operation and performance of the different configurations of the DBD plasma actuator were carried out, having into account frequency, pressure, substrate materials and geometrical configuration of the electrodes; and they have been characterized and quantified from a fundamentally electrical point of view. In addition, optical spectroscopic analyzes of the plasma generated were done. The use of ferroelectric materials such as lithium niobate allows to provide new approaches to traditional studies. Also, it has been able to successfully compare the conclusions derived from this work with other published studies.