DBD Plasma Actuator Multi-Objective Design Optimization at Reynolds Number 63,000: Baseline Case

The working parameters of the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuator were optimized to gain an understanding of the flow control mechanism. Experiments were conducted at a Reynolds number of 63,000 using a NACA 0015 airfoil which was fixed to the stall angle of 12 degrees. The two objective functions are: 1) power consumption (P) and 2) lift coefficient (C_l). The goal of the optimization is to decrease P while maximizing C_l. The design variables consist of input power parameters. The algorithm was run for 10 generations with a total population of 260 solutions. Although the number of generations and population size was limited due to experimental constraints, the algorithm was able to converge and the approximate Pareto-front was obtained. From the objective function space, we observe a relatively linear trend where C_l increases with P and after a certain threshold, the value of C_l seems to saturate. We discuss the results obtained in the objective space in addition to scatter plot matrix and color maps. This article, with its experiment-based approach, demonstrates the robustness of a Multi-Objective Design Optimization method and its feasibility for wind tunnel experiments.