Particle Image Velocimetry Analysis for a Plasma Actuator with Serial Three-Electrode Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharges

Electro-hydrodynamics (EHD) for a plasma actuator with a surface dielectric barrier discharge (sDBD) attracted much interest for a couple of decades to decrease the drag force and increase the lift force. This research analyzes a plasma actuator with three electrodes connected in series for velocity profile and fluid behavior through particle image velocimetry (PIV) data for three cases. The first case examines the effect of the applied voltage within the same structure. The second case investigates the impact of altering the structure under constant voltage conditions. The third case explores the influence of adjusting the gap distance between the front and back electrodes while keeping the voltage and geometry constant. In addition, Lissajous curves were created for the three cases to calculate the capacitance and power consumption for the given design and the applied voltage.