Experimental investigation of the effect of plasma actuators on aerodynamic efficiency on a finite wing model of NACA 0015

Abstract Improving aerodynamic efficiency through active flow control remains a challenge, particularly for finite wings where three-dimensional vortex effects limit stall control effectiveness. This study investigates influence of surface dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) plasma actuators with two geometric configurations, i. e. , typical (TGSDBD) and mesh geometry (MGSDBD), on aerodynamic performance of a finite National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) 0015 wing. Wind tunnel tests were conducted at Reynolds numbers Re of 135, 000 and 268, 000 under voltage and frequency conditions of 15 kVp and 20 kHz, respectively, across angles of attack from 0 to 20 °. The MGSDBD actuator introduces a novel electrode arrangement generating multidirectional plasma jets, enhancing boundary layer momentum. Typical geometry actuators were mounted at x/C = 0. 05 from the leading edge, where x/C denotes the nondimensional position along the chord. The maximum increase in the coefficient of lift C L after the stall angle for SDBD plasma actuators with typical geometry was 4. 2 and 5. 3% for Re = 135, 000 and 268, 000, respectively, while the maximum decrease in the coefficient of drag C D was 12. 5 and 11. 1%, respectively. For SDBD plasma actuators with mesh geometry, the maximum increase in C L after the stall angle was 26. 2 and 10. 1% for Re = 135, 000 and 268, 000, respectively, while the maximum decrease in C D was 0 and 15. 7%, respectively. Thus, analysis of lift and drag shows that MGSDBD actuators more effectively delay flow separation and improve post-stall behavior, especially at lower Reynolds numbers where flow receptivity to plasma forcing is higher. Hence, actuator geometry influences flow control performance and demonstrates the potential of multidirectional plasma actuation for mitigating stall and drag in finite wing applications. These findings highlight the importance of geometric design in plasma-based flow control and provide insight for improving aerodynamic efficiency through actuator configurations.