Flow Separation Control Using Plasma Vortex Generator

This paper represents a series of experiment to figure out plasma vortex generator as a means of separation flow control. Typical conventional vortex generator is a vane normal to wall and has a yaw angle against a main flow. This yaw angle gives a penalty of drag increase at the sacrifice of the separation suppression. A plasma vortex generator developed here has a yaw angle of 0° and thus the penalty could be minimized. An exposed electrode was installed on the Kapton vane tip, and another electrode was embedded in the vane. Stream-wise counter-rotating vortices are produced by the vane type plasma vortex generator at downstream that helps to control flow separation. The effect of the plasma vortex generator has been investigated on a turbulent boundary layer on a 20°-inclined slope. The separation flow was visualized by using a smoke wire, and the velocity profiles were measured using a hot-wire anemometer. The plasma vortex generators suppressed the separation similarly as the conventional vortex generator, and its performance was validated.