Mechanisms of plasma actuators for hypersonic flow control

Magneto-aerodynamic interactions have also been demonstrated for separated flow control, albeit in a very limited scope. Numerical simulations based on a simple phenomenological plasma model have shown the feasibility of separated flow suppression in shock-boundary-layer interaction over a compression ramp at a hypersonic flow of Mach 14.1. The control mechanism relies on the Lorentz force to energize the retarded shear layer in the viscous interacting region, but the effectiveness of momentum transfer via inelastic collision requires further validation.