There is disclosed a centrifugal compressor including an impeller rotatable about an axis and a diffuser downstream of the impeller. The diffuser has walls delimiting flow passages. Plasma actuators are positioned adjacent the walls and are operatively connectable to a source of electricity. The plasma actuators have a first electrode, a second electrode, and a dielectric layer therebetween. The first electrode is upstream of the second electrode. The first electrode is exposed to the flow passage. The second electrode is shielded from the flow passage by the dielectric layer. The plasma actuators are operable to generate an electric field through the dielectric layer. The plasma actuators are located closer to inlets of the flow passage than to outlets of the flow passages. A method of operating the compressor is disclosed.

Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for mitigating the formation of concentrated wake vortex structures generated from lifting or thrust-generating bodies and maneuvering control surfaces wherein the use of contour surface geometries promotes vortex-mixing of high and low flow fluids. The methods and apparatuses can be combined with various drag reduction techniques, such as the use of riblets of various types and/or compliant surfaces (passive and active). Such combinations form unique structures for various fluid dynamic control applications to suppress transiently growing forms of boundary layer disturbances in a manner that significantly improves performance and has improved control dynamics.

A fluid machine includes a rotary blade, a casing configured to house the rotary blade therein, and an insulation coated conductor attached within a recess circumferentially provided in an inner circumference of the casing opposed to an outer end of the rotary blade, the insulation coated conductor including a conductive wire and an insulation material coating. The dielectric barrier discharge is generated between the insulation coated conductor and the outer end of the rotary blade by applying a pulse voltage between the conductive wire and the rotary blade, so as to prevent leakage of operative fluid through a tip clearance between the inner circumference of the casing and the outer end of the rotary blade.

Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for mitigating the formation of concentrated wake vortex structures generated from lifting or thrust-generating bodies and maneuvering control surfaces wherein the use of contour surface geometries promotes vortex-mixing of high and low flow fluids. The methods and apparatuses can be combined with various drag reduction techniques, such as the use of riblets of various types and/or compliant surfaces (passive and active). Such combinations form unique structures for various fluid dynamic control applications to suppress transiently growing forms of boundary layer disturbances in a manner that significantly improves performance and has improved control dynamics.

A clearance control device including a segment having a passage to deliver fluid towards a component rotating past the segment. Also a fluid flow device having a first fluid path coupled to the passage and a second fluid path that is decoupled from the passage. A first plasma generator is located in the fluid flow device that directs fluid towards the first fluid path; a second plasma generator is located in the fluid flow device that directs fluid towards the second fluid path; and a control arrangement is configured to alternately energize the first and second plasma generators at an energizing frequency to deliver fluid to the passage at a frequency coincident with the passing frequency of the component.

An axial compressor includes: a casing having a tubular shape; variable stator vanes each having a vane shaft as a swing center, provided in the casing as stator vanes or inlet guide vanes, and arranged in a circumferential direction of the casing; rotor blades provided on a trailing edges side of the variable stator vanes in the casing and arranged in the circumferential direction of the casing; and a plasma actuator configured to generate a plasma annularly distributed in the circumferential direction of the casing, the plasma actuator being attached on an inner circumferential surface of the casing and intersects with a clearance between each variable stator vane and the inner circumferential surface of the casing.

There is disclosed a centrifugal compressor including an impeller rotatable about an axis and a diffuser downstream of the impeller. The diffuser has walls delimiting flow passages. Plasma actuators are positioned adjacent the walls and are operatively connectable to a source of electricity. The plasma actuators have a first electrode, a second electrode, and a dielectric layer therebetween. The first electrode is upstream of the second electrode. The first electrode is exposed to the flow passage. The second electrode is shielded from the flow passage by the dielectric layer. The plasma actuators are operable to generate an electric field through the dielectric layer. The plasma actuators are located closer to inlets of the flow passage than to outlets of the flow passages. A method of operating the compressor is disclosed.

A blower including a duct configured to allow air to flow in and out and a plurality of blades disposed to be parallel to the duct. Each of the blades including a first part, a second part, and an airflow generator configured to generate airflow in a direction from the inlet to the outlet by applying a voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode which are disposed between a first electrode on a side of the inlet, a second electrode on a side of the outlet, and a dielectric. In a cross section of the blade in the airflow direction when cut in a cross section perpendicular to each of the blades, the first part has a thickness decreasing in a direction toward the inlet and the second part has a thickness decreasing in a direction toward the outlet.

A rotor support device includes a plurality of first electrodes, a plurality of second electrodes, a dielectric material, and at least one alternating-current power supply. The dielectric material is disposed between the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes. The at least one AC power supply is configured to apply an alternating-current voltage across the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes and induce flows of gas by causing dielectric barrier discharge between the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes. At least one of the plurality of first electrodes or the plurality of second electrodes is disposed apart from each other in a static system that is stationary with respect to a rotor provided in an aircraft. The static system is adjacent to the rotor.

An example engine for producing thrust includes: a fuel supply to supply a fuel; a chamber fluidly coupled to the fuel supply to receive the fuel; an induction heating assembly operatively coupled to the chamber to inductively energize the fuel in the chamber; and an exhaust nozzle coupled to the chamber to receive energized fuel from the chamber to produce thrust.