PIEZOELECTRIC SYNTHETIC JETS AS VIRTUAL SURFACES

Fuel consumption has become an important issue on all transportation areas. For aircraft applications for instance, an important tool that can reduce fuel consumption and improve manoeuvrability is active flow control. Active flow control for aircraft applications however, is still relatively new because of the added weight and complexity to a structure. One method that has been proven an effective way to provide active flow control is through the use of piezoelectric synthetic jets. These devices consist of a piezoelectric diaphragm placed in a cavity that has a slit to allow flow in and out of the cavity. The oscillation of the diaphragm allows the air to enter and exit through the same orifice hence not requiring tanks or additional plumbing. The goal of this research is to determine the feasibility of synthetic jets modifying the flow around a vehicle by creating a virtual surface. This virtual surface will be tested at low speeds by using flow visualization techniques and the use of pressure measurements around a ramp fitted with synthetic jets. In this manner, a feasibility study of using the synthetic jets to create suction that might aid on keeping a vehicle to the ground and prevent “lift-off.