PLASMATECH

Comprehensive methodology to design, manufacture, characterize, and simulate high-performance plasma actuators for industrial applications, with a focus on electronic device cooling and aerodynamic system optimization.

Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) plasma actuators have emerged as an innovative technology with great potential, thanks to the absence of moving parts, their high response speed, and design flexibility. However, their development is still limited by the lack of holistic studies analysing the effect of multiple design, material, and control variables, as well as by the absence of accurate simulation models capable of reliably predicting their behaviour.

In this context, the PLASMATECH project proposes a comprehensive methodology covering the entire plasma actuator development cycle: from design and manufacturing, including advanced functional printing techniques, to experimental characterization using automated test benches and vision-based systems, as well as the implementation of multiphysics numerical models. This approach will significantly reduce trial-and-error processes and shorten the development time for new solutions.

The project focuses particularly on two key use cases. On the one hand, the improvement of aerodynamic efficiency through boundary-layer flow control, with relevant applications in wind turbines.  On the other hand, the cooling of electronic devices through ionic ventilation, offering a quieter, more compact, and more energy-efficient alternative to conventional cooling systems.

The project consortium is led by YPlasma, a spin-off of the National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA), with extensive experience in the development and commercialization of plasma actuators.

The consortium also includes the participation of Eurecat, which contributes a multidisciplinary approach through several specialized units. The Product Innovation & Multiphysics Simulation unit is responsible for developing an automated test bench for the experimental characterization of plasma actuators and for advancing numerical modelling based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Finite Element Method (FEM) techniques to simulate and predict their multiphysics response.

Moreover, the New Manufacturing Processes unit evaluates the feasibility of applying advanced photonic techniques to implement an agile characterization method. Additionally, the Functional Printing & Embedded Systems unit leads the development of plasma actuators through experimental functional printing techniques.