Transverse electric discharges in supersonic air flows: simulation of gasdynamic effects in the discharge channel

A model of heat source is validated for the description of the gasdynamic aspects of interaction between a discharge channel and supersonic flow, which are defined by the heating of gas. The model is based on the characteristic features of a discharge in supersonic flow, which are observed in the case of nonequilibrium plasma whose conductivity is defined by the degree of ionization, namely, rapid heating of air in the electrode regions and relatively low values of reduced electric field in extended discharge channels behind these regions. The rapid heating mechanism leads to a redistribution of the power of Joule heat to the front part of the channel, which enables one to simulate a discharge as a heat source with a short ellipsoidal zone of heat input. This approach enables one to attain agreement between the calculated axial distributions of temperature and velocity of flow and the experimental data. It is demonstrated that unsteady-state conditions of energy input make it possible to experimentally simulate gasdynamic effects of interaction between stationary heat sources and supersonic flow when single pulses are used and in the case of pulse-periodic mode.