Patent ID: 8016246
Filing Date: 2011-09-13
Classification: B64C,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A method for controlling an air flow over a cavity in a body of an airborne mobile vehicle to reduce an intensity of oscillating pressure waves in a vicinity of said cavity, the method comprising: providing said cavity within a fuselage of the airborne mobile vehicle; disposing at least one plasma actuator on a surface of said airborne mobile vehicle upstream, relative to a direction of airflow over said airborne mobile vehicle, of said cavity but adjacent to an edge of said cavity, the plasma actuator including a pair of electrodes contained within a dielectric material and arranged such that a first one of the pair of electrodes has an exposed electrode surface and a second one of the pair of electrodes is fully encapsulated within the dielectric material, the pair of electrodes operating to generate an induced air flow, when energized, that is directed along a path parallel to and opposite of a freestream flow of air over the surface of the airborne mobile vehicle while the airborne mobile vehicle is in flight; and applying an electrical signal including an alternating current voltage signal to said plasma actuator to energize said plasma actuator and cause ionization of air adjacent said plasma actuator, and the generation of the induced flow in a direction that opposes the freestream flow of air, to thus deflect a shear layer away from said cavity.