A comprehensive numerical model for the electrohydrodynamic flow generated by gas discharges and its application to simulate, design and optimize practical devices and processes

工业、医药和环境保护中的许多过程都涉及气体中的放电。在这些放电中产生的离子与中性分子碰撞，导致电流体动力气体流动。设计和优化基于该流程的实用设备需要对流程有透彻的了解，并能够预测其电学、化学、热学和空气动力学特性。提出的研究计划的长期目标是创建一个综合的数值算法，可用于模拟放电和电流体动力气体流动，假设不同的过程参数。该算法将分阶段发展，逐渐增加物理模型的复杂性。由于并非所有的应用都需要完全复杂的数值模型，在模型开发的同时，中间模型将用于一些实际设备的仿真和优化。开发的数值算法的不同版本将首先在一些通用配置上进行验证。同时，还将研究各种环境条件下不同类型放电的基本特性。这个过程的许多方面仍然没有得到很好的理解，例如一些物种和反应的作用。数值模拟结果将与实验数据进行比较。在数值算法的精度得到确认后，将用于研究一些重要的实际应用。流动边界层的电流体动力控制可能会给航空航天工业带来革命性的变化，为升力、阻力和其他流动参数提供最灵活、最可靠、最廉价的控制。到目前为止，航空工程师使用的数值模型是基于极其简化的方法，这些方法使用的物理原理不足，需要详细的校准。另一方面，等离子体物理学家提出的全放电模型是不切实际的，因为它们需要很长的计算时间和大的计算机内存。作为拟议研究计划的一部分，一种基于平均放电模型的新方法应该能够折衷这两种方法：它将包括正确的物理，但同时它可以用于在合理的时间框架内解决许多实际问题。所开发的数值算法可用于设计和优化新型静电除尘器结构。虽然这些设备通常用于环境保护，但更严格的空气质量法规带来了新的挑战。该领域的主要研究活动集中在亚微米粒子的收集上。其中一种新设计是基于介质阻挡放电，但到目前为止还没有认真尝试数值模拟这一过程。拟议中的计划将试图填补这一空白。

Many processes in industry, medicine and environmental protection involve electrical discharges in gases. Ions generated in these discharges collide with neutral molecules, which results in the electrohydrodynamic gas flow. Designing and optimizing practical devices based on this flow require a thorough understanding of the process and ability to predict its electrical, chemical, thermal and aerodynamic characteristics. The long-term objective of the proposed research program is to create a comprehensive numerical algorithm, which can be used to simulate electric discharges and electrohydrodynamic gas flow, assuming different parameters of the process. This algorithm will be developed in phases, gradually increasing the complexity of the physical model. As not all applications need the numerical models in the full complexity, in parallel with the model development, the intermediate models will be used for simulation and optimization of some practical devices. Different versions of the developed numerical algorithm will first be validated on some generic configurations. At the same time, the fundamental properties of different kinds of electric discharge under various ambient conditions will be studied. Many aspects of the process are still not well understood, for example the role of some species and reactions. The results of numerical simulation will be compared with experimental data. After the accuracy of the numerical algorithm has been confirmed, it will be used to investigate some important practical applications. The electrohydrodynamic control of the flow boundary layer can potentially revolutionize the aerospace industry providing the most flexible, reliable and inexpensive control of lift and drag forces, and other flow parameters. The numerical models used so far by aerospace engineers are based on extremely simplified approaches, which use inadequate physics and need a detailed calibration. On the other side, the full discharge models proposed by the plasma physicists are impractical because they require very long computing time and large computer memory. A novel approach based on a mean discharge model, developed as a part of the proposed research program, should be able to compromise both approaches: it will include correct physics, but at the same time it could be used to solve many practical problems in a reasonable timeframe. It is also expected that the developed numerical algorithms could be used for designing and optimizing novel configurations of electrostatic precipitators. While these devices are routinely used in environmental protection, new challenges arise from stricter air quality regulations. The main research activities in this area are focused on collection of submicron particles. One of the new designs is based on Dielectric Barrier Discharge, but so far there have been no serious attempts to numerically simulate the process. The proposed program will attempt to fill this gap.