Airflow control device and airflow control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9297260-B2
Application number	US-201213419211-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2012
Priority date	May 16, 2011
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

An airflow control device 10 in an embodiment includes: a vortex shedding structure portion 20 discharging an airflow flowing on a surface in a flow direction as a vortex flow; and a first electrode 40 and a second electrode 41 disposed on a downstream side of the vortex shedding structure portion 20 via a dielectric. By applying a voltage between the first electrode 40 and the second electrode 41 , flow of the airflow on the downstream side of the vortex shedding structure portion 20 is controlled.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An airflow control device, comprising:
a vortex shedding structure portion discharging an airflow flowing on a surface in a flow direction as a vortex flow;
a downstream side structure portion disposed on a downstream side of the airflow from the vortex shedding structure and having a surface on which the airflow flows;
a first electrode disposed on the surface of the downstream side structure portion; and
a second electrode disposed in the downstream side structure portion and on a downstream side of the airflow from the first electrode,
wherein a voltage is applied between the first and second electrodes to generate a plasma induced flow having a flow direction parallel to the flow direction of the airflow for controlling flow of the airflow on the surface of the downstream side structure portion, and wherein the voltage is applied according to a pulse modulation frequency that causes a dominant frequency of the vortex flow discharged from the vortex shedding structure portion to converge with the pulse modulation frequency.

2. The airflow control device according to claim 1 , wherein the vortex shedding structure portion is formed of a stepped portion formed at a boundary between an upstream side structure portion having the airflow flowing on a surface thereof and extended in the flow direction of the airflow and a the downstream side structure portion and is extended in the flow direction of the airflow, the surface of the downstream side structure portion is recessed in a stepped manner from the surface of the upstream side structure portion.

3. The airflow control device according to claim 2 , wherein a boundary between the stepped portion and the upstream side structure portion is formed of an corner portion.

4. The airflow control device according to claim 2 , wherein a boundary between the stepped portion and the upstream side structure portion is formed of a convex curved surface.

5. The airflow control device according to claim 1 , wherein the vortex shedding structure portion is formed of a projecting portion projecting to have at least its upstream side formed of a curved surface in a direction perpendicular to the flow direction of the airflow from a surface of a structure portion having the airflow flow thereon.

6. The airflow control device according to claim 1 , wherein a different voltage to be applied between the pair of first and second electrodes is an alternating voltage.

7. The airflow control device according to claim 6 , wherein the voltage applied according to a pulse modulation frequency is applied between the first and second electrodes in a manner to increase/decrease or turn on/off the voltage intermittently at a cycle different from a cycle of the alternating voltage.

8. The airflow control device according to claim 6 , wherein a frequency of the alternating voltage is equal to the dominant frequency.

9. The airflow control device according to claim 7 , wherein the pulse modulation frequency is equal to the dominant frequency.

10. The airflow control device according to claim 1 , wherein the vortex shedding structure portion includes a third and a fourth electrode disposed via a dielectric.

11. The airflow control device according to claim 10 , wherein a voltage to be applied between the third and fourth electrodes in the vortex shedding structure portion is an alternating voltage.

12. The airflow control device according to claim 11 , wherein a voltage is applied between the third and fourth electrodes in the vortex shedding structure portion in a manner to increase/decrease or turn on/off the voltage intermittently at a cycle different from a cycle of the alternating voltage between the third and fourth electrodes in the vortex shedding structure portion.

13. The airflow control device according to claim 10 , wherein a frequency of an alternating voltage to be applied between the first and second electrodes disposed on a downstream side of the vortex shedding structure portion and a frequency of an alternating voltage to be applied between the third and fourth electrodes disposed in the vortex shedding structure portion are equal.

14. The airflow control device according to claim 12 , wherein a frequency of a pulse modulation function that applies a voltage between the first and second electrodes disposed on a downstream side of the vortex shedding structure portion in a manner to increase/decrease or turn on/off the voltage intermittently and a frequency of a pulse modulation function that applies a voltage between the third and fourth electrodes disposed in the vortex shedding structure portion in a manner to increase/decrease or turn on/off the voltage intermittently are equal.

15. The airflow control device according to claim 13 , wherein a phase difference is provided between the alternating voltage to be applied between the first and second electrodes disposed on the downstream side of the vortex shedding structure portion and the alternating voltage to be applied between the third and fourth electrodes disposed in the vortex shedding structure portion.

16. The airflow control device according to claim 14 , wherein a phase difference is provided between the voltage to be applied between the first and second electrodes disposed on the downstream side of the vortex shedding structure portion in a manner to increase/decrease or turn on/off the voltage intermittently and the voltage to be applied between the third and fourth electrodes disposed in the vortex shedding structure portion in a manner to increase/decrease or turn on/off the voltage intermittently.

17. An airflow control method by using an airflow control device,
the device comprising:
a vortex shedding structure portion to discharge an airflow flowing on a surface in a flow direction as a vortex flow;
a downstream side structure portion disposed on a downstream side of the airflow from the vortex shedding structure and having a surface on which the airflow flows;
a first electrode disposed on the surface of the downstream side structure portion; and
a second electrode disposed in the downstream side structure portion and on a downstream side of the airflow from the first electrode,

the method comprising:
discharging the airflow as the vortex flow at the vortex shedding structure portion; and
applying a voltage between the first and second electrodes to generate a plasma induced flow having a flow direction parallel to the flow direction of the airflow for controlling flow of the airflow on the surface of the downstream side structure portion, wherein the voltage is applied according to a pulse modulation frequency that causes a dominant frequency of the vortex flow discharged from the vortex shedding structure portion to converge with the pulse modulation frequency.

Assignees

• Tanaka Motofumi
• Matsuda Hisashi
• Yasui Hiroyuki
• Goshima Shohei
• Shimura Naohiko
• Wada Kunihiko
• Ozaki Tamon
• Osako Toshiki
• Asayama Masahiro
• Uchida Yutaka
• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Tanaka Motofumi
• Matsuda Hisashi
• Yasui Hiroyuki
• Goshima Shohei
• Shimura Naohiko
• Wada Kunihiko
• Ozaki Tamon
• Osako Toshiki
• Asayama Masahiro
• Uchida Yutaka

Classifications

• Y10T137/2191

  By non-fluid energy field affecting input [e.g., transducer] · CPC title

• F01D5/145 Primary

  Means for influencing boundary layers or secondary circulations (for compressors F04D29/68) · CPC title

• Y10T137/2224

  Structure of body of device · CPC title

• Y10T137/0391

  Affecting flow by the addition of material or energy · CPC title

• F05D2240/127

  Vortex generators, turbulators, or the like, for mixing · CPC title