Numerical study of needle-to-plate dielectric barrier discharge repetitive cycles for flow control

Abstract A fluid model is employed to simulate a needle-to-plate dielectric barrier discharge. Unlike previous studies focusing on single discharge events, this work investigates the effects during repeated discharge cycles, where the flow field and pressure waves are driven by the time-dependent electrohydrodynamic (EHD) force and thermal power generated by the plasma. Pressure waves resulting from rapid gas heating, along with EHD-induced airflow such as jets and vortices, are observed associated with the discharge process. This study improves the understanding of plasma-based flow control by performing self-consistent simulations over multiple discharge cycles, focusing on the physical mechanisms, energy conversion processes, and effects of discharge parameters.