Effects of flow measurement resolution on quasi-steady body force estimation in dielectric-barrier-discharge plasma actuator

The quasi-steady body force field of Dielectric-Barrier-Discharge plasma actuator can be estimated by analyzing the time-sequence velocity field data. In this study, the effects of the time and spatial resolution in the velocity field data on the body force field estimation are investigated using the PIV measurement and numerical simulation. As a result of the investigation, following conclusions are obtained; (1) the time resolution is important for the accurate body force field estimation; lower time resolution generates positive and negative overestimation of the body force at the upstream and downstream of AC electrode edge, respectively, and the volume-integrated body force decreases at the lower time resolution, (2) the spatial resolution gives little effects on the overall characteristics of the force distribution; however, the volume-integrated body force increases at lower spatial resolution, and (3) the dominant error source of the body force field estimation are the calculation error of the pressure gradient term of the Navier-Stokes equation. The estimation errors in the pressure gradient can be reduced by higher time resolution.