Modeling of glow discharge-induced fluid dynamics

TLDR

The study examines a capacitively coupled radio‑frequency discharge plasma generator on a dielectric circuit board with electrode strips on top and bottom. The authors model the fluid dynamics and heat transfer induced by plasma between two parallel electrodes. They simulate a nonthermal, non‑equilibrium plasma with 100 µm thick electrodes comparable to the boundary‑layer height, varying voltage, frequency, and free‑stream speed to characterize the plasma‑induced flow. The model shows that ion–fluid interactions raise downstream pressure, producing a wall‑jet‑like velocity profile whose jet velocity and heat flux strongly depend on applied voltage and frequency, indicating potential for thermal management and active flow control.

Abstract

Modeling of fluid dynamics and the associated heat transfer induced by plasma between two parallel electrodes is investigated. In particular, we consider a capacitvely coupled radio frequency discharge plasma generator, where the plasma is generated on the surface of a dielectric circuit board with electrode strips on the top and bottom. The electrodes have a thickness of 100 μm, which is comparable to the height of the boundary layer. The regime considered is that the electron component is in the non-equilibrium state, and the plasma is nonthermal. Overall, due to the ion and large fluid particle interaction, the pressure is higher in the downstream of the electrode, causing the velocity structure to resemble that of a wall jet. Parameters related to the electrode operation, including the voltage, frequency, and free stream speed are varied to investigate the characteristics of the plasma-induced flow. Consistent with the experimental observation, the model shows a clear dependence of the induced jet velocity on the applied voltage and frequency. The heat flux exhibited a similar dependence on the strength of the plasma. The present plasma-induced flow concept can be useful for thermal management and active flow control.