Bright spark reduces drag for cruising aircraft
An electric spark has been shown to generate rotating air across an aircraft wing for better lift, an advance that could lead to significant fuel savings by reducing drag.
The research from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and CU Aerospace is claimed to overcome the limitations placed on aircraft by wing-mounted vortex generator (VG) vanes. These structures are fitted near the leading edge or just upstream of surfaces that help control aircraft during take-off or landing but cause drag during cruise.
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“We came up with an idea in the lab for an alternative to the little fins, but what makes this device different is we use active plasma actuation,” said Phillip Ansell, researcher and assistant professor in the university’s Department of Aerospace Engineering.
According to UI, the design of the actuator featured a centre high-voltage electrode placed within the inner diameter of a ring magnet. The ground electrode was placed around the outer circumference of the ring magnet, which provided the force required to rotate the plasma discharge and modify the flow.
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