A control mechanism of a typical fluid–structure interaction problem based on dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuation model

This work numerically investigates the effects of using dielectric barrier discharge(DBD) plasma actuators to control the deformation and the hydrodynamic properties of the well-known fluid–structure interaction(FSI) benchmark presented by Turek and Hron. A slip boundary condition models the plasma actuation in order to control the interaction between the fluid flow and a deformable bar. The plasma model depends on two parameters, which are the control intensity and the actuation frequency. The effectiveness of the plasma control is examined by evaluating the amplitude and frequency of the vertical displacement of the oscillating bar free tip. First, for non-oscillatory actuation, the critical value for the intensity of the plasma actuation for which the vertical displacement disappears is detected and the physical mechanisms that provoke this behavior are studied. In a second step, the plasma actuator is also modulated with a control frequency, and the combined effect of both control parameters on the oscillation amplitude and frequency of the bar is examined. Depending on the specific values of the control parameters, a lock-in condition might appear. The behavior of the system in terms of drag, amplitude and frequency of the tip oscillation for different combinations of the actuation parameters is quantified. The possibilities of observing resonant phenomena or forcing the tip frequency to match the external plasma frequency are discussed, making it possible to predict the behavior of the system under examination.