Effect of DBD plasma actuation on structures in a plane mixing layer

The influence of spanwise-uniform (linear) forcing applied by a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuator on the growth of a plane mixing layer and the dynamics of large-scale spanwise vortices within, are investigated experimentally. Quantitative spatio-temporal measurement of the flow field is acquired using high-speed planar particle image velocimetry. The DBD actuator is used to impart perturbations into the mixing layer to force the fundamental Kelvin-Helmholtz instability and its first sub-harmonic. Forcing the fundamental instability resulted in the inhibition of vortex pairing due to the attenuation of sub-harmonic instabilities. Correspondingly, the growth of the mixing layer is halted initially. With sub-harmonic instability forcing, two vortices interact with each other and merge together. This results in a higher growth rate compared to the unforced mixing layer at the streamwise location of this vortex interaction. Eventually, the growth rate of the forced mixing layer becomes similar to that of the unforced mixing layer. These results demonstrate the influence of the applied forcing on the growth of the turbulent mixing layer and the dynamics of the coherent vortical structures within.