Validation of an effective computational model for localized arc-filament plasma actuators and application to high subsonic boundary layer separation control

Arc filament plasma actuators have been shown experimentally to be effective means of controlling high-speed wall bounded flows because of their large bandwidth and strong control authority. The details by which they excite a given flow are not known, however, and first principles simulations are beginning to include them as part of the calculation. Because the precise mechanism by which a flow is controlled determines the ultimate response, ensuring the accuracy of the computational actuator model is paramount. We present a validated single fluid arc plasma model that quantitatively agrees with newly taken spectroscopy and particle image velocimetry data. The new data and model improve our understanding of filament actuators by showing that temperatures much larger than previously believed are present and that shot-to-shot variability is important. The new model is then applied to control the boundary layer in a high-subsonic, two-dimensional S-duct.