N092-144 TITLE: Affordable Rotorcraft Air Vehicle Drag Reduction for Cruise Efficiency and Enhanced Lift Using Plasma Flow Control

TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Air Platform

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: V-22 Joint Program Office (PMA-275) ACAT ID

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the work is to demonstrate active flow control using surface mounted Single Dielectric Barrier Discharge (SDBD) plasma actuators to increase aircraft range and decrease response time, while reducing direct operating cost through improved cruise efficiency. Plasma flow control will be used to support missions such as external lift of increasing payload weights and increased altitude operations in mountainous regions. Actuators could be located on the wing flaps, nacelle area, and aft fuselage.

DESCRIPTION: This work involves an experimental program focused towards the application of plasma actuators to military aircraft. The work will demonstrate both open and closed-loop plasma flow control at flight Reynolds and Mach numbers. In addition, to developing optimum actuation strategies, environmental concerns (e.g. sand, water and durability) will be addressed. This work will develop the plasma flow control technology to a readiness level required for flight test.

PHASE I: The phase I effort will focus on demonstrating open-loop plasma flow control experiments at flight Mach numbers on a semi-span model that incorporates the V-22 wing geometry with engine nacell. The plasma actuators will be utilized on the wing upper surface to replace existing passive vortex generators and thereby improve cruise performance, and on the trailing-edge flaps to reduce aerodynamic download during hover.

PHASE II: Phase II: The phase 2 effort will focus on (a) the development of optimum plasma flow control strategies to reduce fuselage drag at flight Mach number, (b) the further development of plasma actuators with sufficient authority for operation at flight Reynolds numbers, and (c) addressing environmental concerns and aircraft installation requirements.

PHASE III: Phase III: Phase 3 will transition the technology for a suite of plasma flow control technologies that the small business will provide to the airframe manufacturer for flight test demonstrations.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: The aircraft plasma flow control technology will benefit both United States commercial and military airframe companies. This technology has potential for broad application across all rotorcraft and low speed fixed wing aircraft for reduction if fuel consumption and increased lift.

REFERENCES:
1. Schatzman, D. M. and Thomas, F. O., "Turbulent Boundary Layer Separation Control with Plasma Actuators," AIAA paper 2008-4199, 4th AIAA Flow Control Conference, Seattle, WA, 2008.

2. Thomas, F. O, Kozlov, A., Corke, T. C., "Plasma Actuators for Cylinder Flow Control," AIAA Journal, 46, 8, pp. 1921-1931, 2008.

3. Huang, J., Corke, T. C., Thomas, F. O., "Plasma Actuators for Separation Control of Low-Pressure Turbine Blades," AIAA Journal, 44, 1, pp. 51-57, 2006.

4. Corke, T. C., Post, M. L. and Orlov, D. "Single dielectric barrier discharge plasma enhanced aerodynamics: physics, modeling and applications," Exp. Fluids 46, p. 1-26, 2009.

KEYWORDS: dielectric; plasma; drag; rotorcraft; helicopter; vertical

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