Numerical study on the periodic control of supersonic compression corner flow using a nanosecond pulsed plasma actuator

This study investigates the effectiveness of a pulsed nanosecond dielectric barrier discharge (NSDBD) plasma actuator for flow control over a supersonic compression corner through numerical simulations. The effects of varying applied voltages, repetitive frequencies, and activated locations of the plasma actuator are examined under large-scale laminar flow separation conditions around a compression corner. The unit Reynolds number and Mach number are 7.8 × 10⁶ m⁻¹ and 4, respectively. The results indicate that the discharge induces a pressure rise and leads to misalignment between the pressure gradient and density gradient in the residual heat region. Because of the interaction between the supersonic freestream and the actuation-induced shock/compression flow, convection, compressibility of the fluid element, and baroclinicity of the residual heat region collectively lead to the formation of an induced spanwise vortex, which in turn enables momentum migration. The induced vortex disrupts the initial flow structures and entrains high-energy fluid from the main flow into the boundary layer, promoting momentum mixing between the main flow and the separated flow, which increases the energy of the boundary layer to resist the adverse pressure gradient. The time-averaged flow structures imply that it is possible to totally eliminate the flow separation near the supersonic compression corner. For aerodynamics on the surface, the normal force produces a pitching moment that can be potentially utilized to control the body's orientation and trajectory. Additionally, total drag on the surface can be reduced by 5 %. This suggests that choosing the most appropriate position based on its local fluid characteristics can strongly increase the control effectiveness.