Cyclotronic plasma actuator with arc-magnet for active flow control

A cyclotronic actuator comprising:

• a dielectric barrier defined by a dielectric plate connected to a dielectric base, the dielectric base having a cavity;
• a high-voltage plasma driver;
• a first electrode being connected to the high-voltage plasma driver and having an annular upper portion, positioned on a top surface of the dielectric plate;
• a magnet placed in the cavity of the dielectric base and positioned beneath the dielectric plate such that the dielectric plate isolates the magnet from the first electrode;
• a second electrode grounded and configured to include a portion extending across the annular upper portion of the first electrode and further positioned between the dielectric plate and the magnet, such that when the high-voltage plasma driver is activated, a coaxial dielectric barrier discharge plasma is formed inwardly between the annular upper portion of the first electrode across the top surface of the dielectric plate that is positioned above the second electrode;
• and
• wherein the magnet being positioned beneath the dielectric plate introduces a local magnetic field transverse to the coaxial dielectric barrier discharge plasma current path, such that the coaxial dielectric plasma barrier discharge discharges radially and the local magnetic field is oriented vertically in a direction perpendicular to the dielectric plate to create a Lorentz Force, combining electric field and magnetic field forces, which forces charged particles within the coaxial dielectric barrier discharge plasma to move in a curved path along the top surface of the dielectric plate, radially inward from the annular upper portion of the first electrode and to cause the coaxial dielectric plasma barrier discharge to discharge inwardly in a curved radial streamer mode pattern, whereby three-dimensional vortical structures are produced by the plasma discharge.

A cyclotronic actuator comprising:

• a dielectric barrier plate having a top surface;
• a high-voltage plasma driver;
• a first electrode connected to the high-voltage plasma driver, and the first electrode positioned on the top surface of the dielectric plate;
• a second electrode grounded and positioned on the top surface of the dielectric plate;
• wherein both the first and second electrodes are separately configured to have profile edges created from starting edges to ending edges defined in the first and second electrodes and further configured to face each other to create a defined channel there between;
• a magnet positioned beneath the dielectric plate such that the dielectric plate isolates the magnet from the electrodes, and wherein the magnet is further positioned beneath the defined channel created between the profile edges on the first and second electrodes, such that when the high-voltage plasma driver is activated, a plasma discharge filament is formed between the channel created between the first and second electrodes across the top surface of the dielectric plate;
• and
• wherein the magnet being positioned beneath the dielectric plate introduces a local magnetic field transverse to the plasma filament current path, such that the plasma filament discharge discharges in the electrode gap and the local magnetic field is oriented vertically in a direction parallel to the orientation of the first electrode to create a Lorentz Force which forces charged particles within the plasma discharge to move in a direction travelling from the starting edges to ending edges of the first and second electrodes and then repeating the pattern, whereby three-dimensional vortical structures are produced by the moving plasma discharge.

A cyclotronic actuator comprising:

• a dielectric barrier plate having a top surface;
• a high-voltage plasma driver;
• a first electrode connected to the high-voltage plasma driver, and the first electrode positioned on the top surface of the dielectric plate and having an inwardly facing concave arcuate edge;
• a second electrode grounded and positioned on the top surface of the dielectric plate, and the second electrode having an outwardly facing convex arcuate edge, and wherein the inwardly facing concave arcuate edge of the first electrode is positioned at a distance from and facing the outwardly facing convex arcuate edge of the second electrode to define a channel there between;
• a magnet positioned beneath the dielectric plate such that the dielectric plate isolates the magnet from the electrodes, and wherein the magnet is further positioned beneath the defined channel created between edges on the first and second electrodes, such that when the high-voltage plasma driver is activated, a plasma filament is formed between the channel created between the first and second electrodes across the top surface of the dielectric plate;
• and
• wherein the magnet being positioned beneath the dielectric plate introduces a local magnetic field transverse to the plasma filament current path, such that the plasma filament discharge discharges in the electrode gap and the local magnetic field is oriented vertically in a direction parallel to the orientation of the first electrode to create a Lorentz Force which forces charged particles within the plasma discharge to move in a direction travelling from the starting edges to ending edges of the first and second electrodes and then repeating the pattern, whereby three-dimensional vortical structures are produced by the moving plasma discharge.