Numerical Optimization of Active Flow Separation Control Using Multi-Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Actuators at Different Positions Along NACA 0012 Airfoil

A numerical study on NACA 0012 airfoil was performed to optimize active flow separation control using dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuators. Simulations in ANSYS explored airflow at an <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$18^{\circ}$</tex> angle of attack, 14.6 m/s velocity, and 16 kV voltage across the plasma actuators, with Shyy's model applied. Configurations with up to 4 actuators placed at various chord positions (0.1, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8) were tested. The optimal setup, with actuators at 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 chord positions, delayed flow separation, improved lift, reduced drag, and enhanced airfoil performance overall.