Abstract: The effect of arc discharge plasma on high-speed flow control based on the dominant thermal mechanism is numerically investigated, the effect of arc discharge plasma flow control on transsonic boundary layer is studied and effects of different geometrical configurations and different plasma temperatures on arc discharge plasma flow control are analyzed in detailed. The results show that boundary layer separation and the vortex flow will occur in the near region up and down the plasma. There are two kinds of boundary layer caused by plasma; the first kind of boundary layer is caused by temperature gradient and the second is caused by the viscosity between flow and the wall. The vortex flow is caused by the pressure differential between outside and inside of plasma locus and the viscosity between flow and the wall. The y coordinate of separation point will decrease with the plasma temperature, The y coordinate of separation point in the near region up the plasma will increase with the increase of flow velocity but it will decrease when the velocity keep on increase. The y coordination of separate point in the near region down the plasma will decrease as the flow velocity increases. And the vortex flow will speed up as the flow velocity increases.

Key words: Arc discharge plasma, Flow control, Boundary layer, Numerical simulation