Characteristics of a nanosecond pulsed sliding discharge plasma actuator at low pressure

The behavior of a nanosecond pulsed sliding discharge plasma actuator with the ambient pressure from 27 to 101 kPa is experimentally investigated. The electric characteristics, discharge morphologies, and surface temperature distribution of the actuator supplied by constant voltages are studied under different pressure conditions. The threshold pressure for sliding discharge establishment is 54–75 kPa in this paper. The results show that the positive peak value of the current tends to increase as the pressure decreases. Time-integrated discharge images indicate that plasma luminosity and uniformity are enhanced under low-pressure conditions. The discharge morphology of the actuator at 27 kPa displays an alternating distribution of bright and dark stripes. The infrared thermal results demonstrate that decreasing the pressure increases the actuator's surface temperature, intensifies the intensity of spanwise temperature oscillations, and improves the homogeneity in the streamwise direction.