Control of separation from the flap of a high-lift airfoil with DBD plasma actuation

The efficacy of a single dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuator for controlling separation from the deflected flap of a high-lift airfoil is investigated between Reynolds numbers of 240,000 (15 m/s) and 750,000 (45 m/s). Calculated momentum coefficients for the DBD plasma actuator are approximately an order of magnitude lower than those usually employed for such studies yet control authority is still realized through amplification of natural vortex shedding from the flap shoulder that promotes momentum transfer between the freestream and separated region. The corresponding lift enhancement is found to be primarily due to increased circulation around the entire model rather than full reattachment to the deflected flap surface. As a whole, these findings compare favorably to studies on a similar high-lift platform using piezoelectric driven zero net mass flux actuation.