Recent developments in thermal characteristics of surface dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuators driven by sinusoidal high-voltage power

Flow control using surface Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) plasma actuators driven by a sinusoidal alternating-current power supply has gained significant attention from the aeronautic industry. The induced flow field of the plasma actuator, with the starting vortex in the wall jet, plays an important role in flow control. However, the energy consumed for producing the induced flow field is only a small fraction of the total energy utilized by the plasma actuator, and most of the total energy is used in gas heating and dielectric heating. Therefore, an in-depth analysis of the thermal characteristics of the plasma actuator is the key to develop its potential capability further. In addition, compared with the investigation on the aerodynamic characteristics of the plasma actuator, there is a relative lack of detail in the study of its thermal characteristics. Understanding the thermal characteristics of the plasma actuator is of great interest for providing a deeper insight into the underlying working principles, advancing its numerical simulation model, prolonging its life, and achieving several potential engineering applications, such as anti-icing and deicing. The present paper reviews the thermal characteristics of the plasma actuator, summarizes the influence of the dielectric film and actuation parameters on heating, and discusses the formation and transfer mechanism of the induced heating based on the discharge regimes of the plasma actuator in one cycle.