The characteristics of surface arc plasma and its control effect on supersonic flow

The characteristic of surface arc plasma included millisecond and microsecond actuation in supersonic flow is investigated both experimentally and numerically. In the experiment, the discharge characteristic of surface arc plasma in quiescent air and supersonic flow is recorded. The stable oblique shock could be observed with millisecond actuation. And the unstable compressive wave could be also observed with microsecond actuation. In the numerical investigation, plasma actuation is defined as a source term with input power density from discharge V–I characteristic, which is expected to better describe the influence of heating process. The numerical results are coincident with experimental results. In order to confirm the capability of surface arc plasma actuation to control supersonic flow, experimental investigations on control shock induced by ramp and separation of boundary layer induced by impinging shock are performed. All the results demonstrate the control effect of surface arc plasma actuation onto supersonic flow. - Highlights: • The unstable compressive wave by plasma actuation is discovered in supersonic flow. • The source term of plasma actuation is defined by V–I characteristic creatively. • The plasma actuation can weaken obviously the intensity of shock wave. • The separation of boundary layer can be controlled effectively by plasma actuation. • The heating effect by plasma actuation is the primary control mechanism