posted on 2016-06-07, 00:00authored byMehul Patel, Thomas C. Corke
The present invention relates to a method of controlling an aircraft, missile, munition or ground vehicle with plasma actuators, and more particularly to controlling fluid flow across their surfaces or other surfaces, which would benefit from such a method. The method includes the design of an aerodynamic plasma actuator for the purpose of controlling airflow separation over a control surface of a aircraft, missile, or a ground vehicle, and more particularly to the method of determining a modulation frequency for the plasma actuator for the purpose of fluid flow control over these vehicles. The various embodiments provide the steps to increase the efficiency of aircraft, missiles, munitions and ground vehicles. The method of flow control provides a means for reducing aircraft, missile's, munition's and ground vehicle's power requirements. These methods also provide alternate means for aerodynamic control using low-power hingeless plasma actuator devices.