Study of vortex in flow fields induced by surface dielectric barrier discharge actuator at low pressure based on Q criterion

Flow fields induced by a surface dielectric barrier discharge actuator at low pressure of 7 kPa are measured by particle image velocimetry. The distribution of local vortices in the flow field is revealed by the Q criterion. The reason for the generation of vortices is analyzed and the influence of pulse frequency and duty cycle on vortices is studied. The results show that the Q criterion can reveal the small-scale vortices, which cannot be indicated by the streamline. The direction transition zone where the induced jet moves from the vertical to the tangential and the shear layer between the jet and stationary air are prone to the generation of strong vortices.
The influence of pulse frequency on vortices is not obvious, but the variation of duty cycle can significantly affect the strength and distribution of vortices.