Manufacturing of Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Actuators for Degradation Resistance

The performance and broader application of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuators are restricted by the manufacturing methods currently employed. In the current work, two methodologies are proposed to build robust plasma actuators for active flow control; a protective silicone oil (PDMS) treatment for hand-cut and laid tape-based actuators and a microfabrication technique for glass-based devices. The microfabrication process, through which thin film electrodes are precisely deposited onto plasma-resistant glass substrates, is presented in detail. The resulting glass-based devices are characterized with respect to electrical properties and output for various operating conditions. The longevity of microfabricated devices is compared against silicone-treated and untreated hand-made devices of comparable geometries over 60 hours of continuous operation. Both tungsten and copper electrodes are considered for microfabricated devices. Human health effects are also considered in an electromagnetic field study of the area surrounding a live plasma actuator for various operating conditions.MAS