Separation Control Using Lorentz Forces: Recent Experimental and Numerical Results

The flow around bodies moving in weakly electrically conducting fluids can be controlled by applying electromagnetic forces originating from electrodes and permanent magnets suitably placed on the surface of the body. Here we consider the
possibility of separation control for a two-dimensional bluff body and an inclined flat plate by inducing Lorentz forces parallel to the surface. We present physical and numerical experiments at diameter/chord Reynolds numbers in the range of 300--4,000 for the circular cylinder and 2,000--20,000 for the plate. Both steady and time-periodic forcing are applied. The physical experiments are conducted in an open channel with sodium hydroxide as the working fluid. Dramatic separation delays are observed on both bodies for a modest expenditure of energy. Special attention is drawn to lift enhancement due to separation delay for the inclined plate. Direct numerical simulations at low Reynolds numbers confirm the physical tendencies of the experiments.