Work

Characterization of Plasma-Induced Flow Thermal Effects for Wind Turbine Icing Mitigation

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuators have recently become desirable devices for simultaneous flow control and ice mitigation applications, with particular interest in wind turbines operating in cold climates. Considering the potential of plasma actuators for these specific applications, it is necessary to deeply understand the thermal effects generated by the plasma-induced flow to proceed with further optimizations. However, due to the local high electric field and high electromagnetic interference generated, there is a lack of experimental studies on the topic. The current work implements an in-house experimental technique based on the background-oriented schlieren principle for plasma-induced flow thermal characterization. Since this technique is based on optical measurements, it is not affected by the electromagnetic interference issues caused by the plasma discharge. A detailed experimental analysis is performed on a conventional Kapton actuator exploiting the relation between the actuator surface temperature and the induced thermal flow. The influence of the input voltage and the transient plasma-induced flow thermal behavior is analyzed. The results demonstrate that plasma actuators are fast response time devices that can heat the adjacent medium in less than a second after starting the operation.

Source: Energies

DOI: 10.3390/en17163974

Authors: Frederico Rodrigues, Miguel Moreira, José Páscoa

Institution: University of Beira Interior

Language: English

Topic: Plasma and Flow Control in Aerodynamics

Subfield: Aerospace Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,955