LAUSR

Control of laminar-turbulent transition in a swept-wing-type boundary-layer flow, subject to primary crossflow instability, is investigated using direct numerical simulations. In our previous works, we explored a direct base-flow stabilization aimed at a spanwise homogenous flow manipulation or a direct crossflow-vortex manipulation by plasma actuators. In this paper, the technique of upstream flow deformation (UFD) is applied, needing by far the least energy input. The actuators, modeled by local volume forcing, are set to excite amplified steady crossflow vortex (CFV) control modes with a higher spanwise wavenumber than the most amplified modes. The resulting nonlinear control CFVs are spaced narrower than the naturally occurring vortices and are less unstable with respect to secondary instability. They generate a beneficial mean-flow distortion attenuating the primary crossflow instability, and thus a delay of the transition to turbulence. Unlike roughness elements for UFD, the employed dielectric barr...