Fabrication and performance evaluation of full-inkjet-printed dielectric-barrier-discharge plasma actuators

Toward the establishment of the manufacturing process of a novel active airflow control device using atmospheric pressure discharge referred as to dielectric-barrier-discharge (DBD) plasma actuator, a full-inkjet-printed DBD plasma actuator is fabricated for the first time. Printed electronics are superior in view of low-cost process and large area printing compared to photolithography process. Electrodes and dielectric layers are formed by silver nanoparticles-based inks and ultraviolet-curable inks, respectively. Surface observation using a digital microscope reveals the significant improvement of the printing accuracy with an inkjet experimental equipment used in this study compared to that fabricated with a commercially supplied inkjet printer. Electrical and mechanical characteristics of the full-inkjet-printed DBD plasma actuator are evaluated through measurements of discharge current, light emission from surface DBD, and induced flow visualization with particle image velocimetry technique. The results obtained in this study indicate that the fabricated actuator works properly as the active airflow control device using surface DBDs. The full-inkjet-printing process allows the fabrication of a flexible DBD plasma actuator that has an arbitrary electrode shape to induce desirable flow patterns and can be installed on a complex curved surface.