Plasma control and power system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10011344-B1
Application number	US-98320510-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 31, 2010
Priority date	Dec 31, 2009
Publication date	Jul 3, 2018
Grant date	Jul 3, 2018

Abstract

An improved high-voltage AC power supply energizes and regulates plasma actuators for aerodynamic flow control. Such plasma actuators are used, for example, on aerodynamic surfaces, wind turbine blades, and the like for vehicle control, drag or noise reduction, or efficient power generation. Various embodiments of the power supply are small, compact, lightweight, portable, modular, self-contained in its own housing, easily replaceable and swappable, autonomous, self-cooling, and/or gangable in series or parallel to provide any desired control authority over the selected surface. In some embodiments, the parameters for the plasma electronics can be manually selected and pre-programmed for a specific application, while in preferred embodiments, the plasma electronics can automatically identify the appropriate parameters and self-tune the performance of the plasma actuators.

First claim

We claim:

1. An aero platform selected from one of an air vehicle, an unmanned air vehicle (UAV), a micro air vehicle, a projectile, a munition, or a missile, the aero platform being substantially contained within an aerostructure, the aero platform comprising:
at least one plasma actuator placed on or integrated within the aerostructure and configured to perform one or more of the functions of controlling airflow, reducing noise, reducing vibration, modifying lift, or modifying drag; and
at least one self-contained modular plasma electronic power supply integrated into the aerostructure of the aero platform, the power supply having independently and automatically adjustable, non-interactive control of one or more of voltage, frequency, waveform, and duty cycle,
wherein the power supply powers, actuates and regulates the at least one plasma actuator.

2. The aero platform in claim 1 , wherein the power supply is controlled by a processor, said processor being integrated into the power supply.

3. The aero platform in claim 2 , further comprising at least five plasma actuators, wherein each plasma actuator is set to operate at a maximum of 20% duty cycle and where no two plasma actuators operate at the same time.

4. The aero platform in claim 2 , further comprising at least one sensor comprising a signal, wherein the controller self-tunes the at least one power supply based at least in part on the signal from the at least one sensor.

5. The aero platform in claim 1 , wherein the power supply is powered by a capacitive battery.

6. The aero platform in claim 1 , wherein the power supply, including a transformer but excluding any battery or other electrical energy source, has a volume equal to or less than 1 cubic inch and a weight equal to or less than 100 grams.

7. A method of plasma surface control for an aero platform selected from one of an air vehicle, an unmanned air vehicle (UAV), a micro air vehicle, a projectile, a munition, or a missile, the aero platform being contained within an aerostructure, the method comprising the steps of:
a) locating a plasma actuator on a surface of an aerostructure to control one or more of the functions of controlling airflow, reducing noise, reducing vibration, modifying lift, or modifying drag;
b) obtaining a velocity of air passing over the plasma actuator; and
c) controlling the plasma actuator with a self-contained modular plasma alternating current (AC) electronic power supply integrated into the aerostructure of the aero platform, the plasma electronic power supply having automatically and independently adjustable non-interactive control of one or more of voltage, frequency, waveform, and duty cycle based at least part on the velocity of air passing over the plasma actuator.

8. The method in claim 7 , wherein the power supply comprises a variable duty cycle circuit comprising clock line input, a 4-bit binary counter, a 4- to 16-line decoder, and duty cycle selector switches, wherein outputs of the decoder are summed to form a pulse, and the width of the pulse is adjusted by the switches.

9. The method in claim 8 , wherein the power supply comprises an electrical circuit, the electrical circuit comprising a plasma carrier voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), a modulation VCO, a power amplifier, and a step-up transformer, and the plasma carrier voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) comprises two VCO devices, the first VCO device capable of generating triangle waveforms, sine waveforms, and square waveforms, and the second VCO device capable of generating sawtooth waveforms.

10. The method in claim 8 , further comprising at least one sensor comprising a signal, wherein the controller self-tunes the at least one power supply based at least in part on the signal from the at least one sensor.

11. The method in claim 7 , wherein the power supply comprises a power amplifier designed to remain stable while connected to loads, and capable of providing power at a magnitude of up to 10 amperes (amps) root mean square (RMS) at 20 volts RMS.

12. The method in claim 7 , wherein the power supply comprises at least five plasma actuators, wherein each plasma actuator is set to operate at a maximum of 20% duty cycle and where no two plasma actuators operate at the same time.

13. The method in claim 7 , wherein the power supply, including a transformer but excluding any battery or other electrical energy source, weighs equal to or less than 100 grams.

14. A ground vehicle, the ground vehicle being substantially contained within an aerostructure, the ground vehicle comprising:
at least one plasma actuator placed on or integrated within the aerostructure and configured to perform one or more of the functions of controlling airflow, reducing noise, reducing vibration, modifying lift, or modifying drag; and
at least one self-contained modular plasma electronic power supply comprising an electrical circuit, the electrical circuit comprising a plasma carrier voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), a modulation VCO, a power amplifier, and a step-up transformer, the power supply integrated into the ground vehicle, the power supply having independently and automatically adjustable, non-interactive control of the voltage, frequency, waveform, and duty cycle, wherein the power supply powers and regulates the at least one plasma actuator.

15. The ground vehicle in claim 14 , wherein the plasma carrier voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) comprises two VCO devices, the first VCO device capable of generating triangle waveforms, sine waveforms, and square waveforms, and the second VCO device capable of generating sawtooth waveforms.

16. The ground vehicle in claim 15 , wherein the power supply is controlled by a processor, said processor being integrated into the power supply.

17. The ground vehicle in claim 14 , further comprising a transformer, the transformer comprising charge pump circuitry, and phase compensation, voltage regulation, wherein the transformer is constructed to have a volume less than or equal to 1 cubic inch.

18. The ground vehicle in claim 15 , further comprising at least one sensor comprising a signal, wherein the controller self-tunes the at least one power supply based at least in part on the signal from the at least one sensor.

19. The ground vehicle in claim 14 , wherein the power supply is housed within a modular enclosure made of lightweight durable material and is connected to both an external source of power and to the at least one plasma actuator which it energizes, and the connections are capable of being easily connected and disconnected.

20. The ground vehicle in claim 14 , wherein the power supply comprises at least five plasma actuators, wherein each plasma actuator is set to operate at a maximum of 20% duty cycle and where no two plasma actuators operate at the same time.

Assignees

• Vasudevan Srikanth
• Lisy Frederick J
• Ward Mike
• Orbital Res Inc

Inventors

• Santavicca Jr Edmund J
• Vasudevan Srikanth
• Lisy Frederick J
• Ward Mike

Classifications

• B64C23/00

  Influencing air flow over aircraft surfaces, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B64C9/00

  Adjustable control surfaces or members, e.g. rudders (trimming stabilising surfaces B64C5/10) · CPC title

• B64C29/00

  Aircraft capable of landing or taking-off vertically, e.g. vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft (rotorcraft B64C27/00) · CPC title

• B64C1/38 Primary

  Constructions adapted to reduce effects of aerodynamic or other external heating · CPC title

• B64C2230/12

  by using electromagnetic tiles, fluid ionizers, static charges or plasma · CPC title