Our Technology

Plasma actuators represent a breakthrough in aerodynamic flow control, using ionized gas to manipulate airflow without moving parts.

Key Applications

Subsonic Flow Control

Subsonic Boundary Layer Control

High-Speed Flow Control

Shock-Boundary Layer Interactions

Rocket Nozzle Control

Over-Expanded Rocket Nozzles

Turbine Blade Control

Turbomachinery Tip Leakage

Supersonic Intake Control

Supersonic Air-Intake Control

Radar Cross Section Reduction

Radar Cross Section Reduction

Anti-icing System

Anti-icing based on pulsed dielectric barrier discharge plasma

Innovating the Future of Aerospace

Our plasma actuator technology offers a revolutionary approach to active flow control, enabling more efficient and responsive aircraft designs.

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Fusion Dynamics Corporation Ltd, 1 Bishops Gate, Mill Street, Oxford, OX2 0XJ, England
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Subsonic Boundary Layer Control

Plasma actuators provide precise control over boundary layer behavior in subsonic flow conditions, offering revolutionary capabilities for civil aviation and drone applications.

Key Applications:

  • Commercial Aviation: Enhanced lift-to-drag ratios for improved fuel efficiency
  • Drone Technology: Extended flight times and improved maneuverability
  • Flow Separation Prevention: Maintaining attached flow at high angles of attack
  • Active Flow Control: Real-time boundary layer manipulation for optimal performance

Key Benefits:

  • Enhanced Efficiency: Significant drag reduction and lift enhancement for improved fuel economy
  • Precise Control: Millisecond response times with selective activation for real-time optimization
  • Superior Reliability: Solid-state design with no moving parts ensures consistent performance
  • Environmental Benefits: Reduced emissions through improved aerodynamic efficiency

Technical Impact:

Subsonic applications represent the most mature area for plasma actuator technology, where the lower power requirements and proven effectiveness make immediate commercial implementation viable. These systems can significantly improve aircraft efficiency while reducing noise and emissions.

High-Speed Shock-Boundary Layer Interactions

DBD plasma actuators have shown remarkable potential for controlling airflow around spacecraft during the demanding phases of launch and atmospheric re-entry, where speeds can reach supersonic or even hypersonic levels.

Technical Capabilities:

  • High-Speed Operation: Effective at hight Mach numbers ( >> 4)
  • Shock Wave Management: Localized heating and momentum addition near stagnation regions
  • Heat Load Reduction: Pushes bow shocks forward to reduce local heat flux

Key Benefits:

  • Versatile Performance: Effective across wide speed ranges from subsonic to hypersonic conditions
  • Enhanced Efficiency: Improved aerodynamic performance through controlled shock interactions
  • Precise Control: Real-time flow management during critical flight phases
  • Superior Reliability: Robust operation in extreme temperature and pressure environments
  • Environmental Benefits: Reduced heat loads leading to lower thermal protection requirements

Applications:

These systems are crucial for spacecraft re-entry vehicles, hypersonic aircraft, and advanced propulsion systems. Even at extreme speeds, DBD actuators can influence the near-surface flow, providing opportunities for heat load management and vehicle stability enhancement.

Over-Expanded Rocket Nozzles

A revolutionary approach using plasma actuators to control flow separation in highly over-expanded nozzles at low altitude, enabling larger expansion ratios and increased rocket performance without destructive side loads.

Innovation Features:

  • Ring-Configuration Actuators: Arranged along the nozzle wall upstream of shock positions
  • Dynamic Shock Control: Anchors or shifts separation shock location as rocket ascends
  • Side Load Prevention: Eliminates dangerous unsteady separations during lift-off
  • Performance Enhancement: Allows larger area ratios for boosters and first-stage engines

Key Benefits:

  • Enhanced Efficiency: Optimized nozzle performance through controlled flow separation
  • Superior Reliability: Eliminates catastrophic side loads that could damage rocket structure
  • Cost-Effective: Enables larger expansion ratios without complex mechanical systems
  • Precise Control: Dynamic adjustment as atmospheric conditions change during ascent
  • Versatile Performance: Effective throughout the critical first 3-5 km of flight

Technical Impact:

This technology represents a breakthrough in rocket engine design, allowing engineers to optimize nozzle expansion ratios without the traditional constraints imposed by flow separation. The system operates effectively until 3-5 km altitude, providing critical performance gains during the most demanding phase of launch.

Turbomachinery Tip Leakage Reduction

Multiple DBD plasma actuators strategically placed along turbine blade tips significantly reduce leakage flow in the tip clearance region, addressing a major source of efficiency loss in turbomachinery.

System Configuration:

  • Selective Activation: Individual control for optimal flow management
  • Vortex Suppression: Reduces strength of tip leakage vortices
  • Pressure Recovery: Improves overall blade performance and efficiency

Key Benefits:

  • Enhanced Efficiency: Significant reduction in tip leakage losses improving overall turbomachinery performance
  • Precise Control: Individual actuator control allows for targeted flow management strategies
  • Superior Reliability: No mechanical wear in harsh turbomachinery environment
  • Cost-Effective: Reduced maintenance requirements and improved operational efficiency
  • Versatile Performance: Effective across various turbomachinery applications

Performance Benefits:

This technology directly addresses one of the most persistent challenges in turbomachinery design. By controlling tip leakage flow, these systems can significantly improve the efficiency of gas turbines, jet engines, and other turbomachinery applications, leading to reduced fuel consumption and enhanced performance.

Supersonic Air-Intake Control

Advanced plasma actuator systems for drag reduction and flow stabilization in supersonic air-intake applications, critical for high-speed aircraft and scramjet propulsion systems.

Supersonic Applications:

  • Scramjet Engines: Flow conditioning for hypersonic propulsion systems
  • Supersonic Aircraft: Intake efficiency optimization for military and research aircraft
  • Drag Reduction: Minimizing losses in high-speed internal flow passages
  • Flow Stabilization: Preventing flow instabilities in supersonic inlets

Key Benefits:

  • Versatile Performance: Maintains effectiveness from supersonic to hypersonic flight conditions
  • Enhanced Efficiency: Optimized air intake performance for maximum propulsion efficiency
  • Precise Control: Real-time flow conditioning for varying flight conditions
  • Superior Reliability: Consistent performance in extreme high-speed environments
  • Environmental Benefits: Improved propulsion efficiency reduces overall emissions

Strategic Importance:

This technology is essential for the next generation of hypersonic vehicles and advanced propulsion systems. By managing supersonic internal flows, these systems enable more efficient air-breathing engines operating at extreme speeds, supporting the development of revolutionary aerospace vehicles.

Radar Cross Section Reduction

Revolutionary filamentary dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma technology for radar cross section (RCS) reduction without the high power requirements and thermal risks of traditional plasma stealth approaches.

Innovative Technology:

  • Filamentary Discharge Mode: Concentrated plasma channels with high local density while maintaining low average power
  • Spatial Distribution: Discrete filaments (100-200 μm diameter) arranged in quasi-uniform patterns
  • X-band Performance: Over 15 dB RCS reduction at frequencies critical for radar detection
  • Low Power Operation: Effective at average electron densities below 10¹² cm⁻³

Key Benefits:

  • Enhanced Stealth: Significant RCS reduction exceeding 15 dB compared to uncoated metallic surfaces
  • Cost-Effective: Low average plasma density reduces power consumption and thermal management requirements
  • Superior Reliability: Solid-state technology with no moving parts for consistent performance
  • Versatile Performance: Optimizable filament characteristics for specific radar frequency bands
  • Practical Implementation: Suitable for conformal surfaces and real-world stealth applications

Technical Advantages:

By concentrating ionization into narrow channels, local electron densities become sufficient to strongly scatter and absorb incident microwaves while overall plasma mass and power requirements remain manageable. This approach positions filamentary DBD as a promising low-power, low-thermal-load technology for active stealth coatings.

Anti-icing based on pulsed dielectric barrier discharge plasma

Advanced pulsed DBD plasma actuator technology for preventing ice accretion on aircraft surfaces through localized heating without bulky hardware or high energy consumption.

System Configuration:

  • Striped Electrode Layout: Parallel exposed electrodes with superior anti-icing performance
  • Leading Edge Placement: Strategic positioning for maximum ice prevention effectiveness
  • Dual-Mode Operation: Gas-phase and liquid-phase discharge modes for varying conditions
  • Temperature Control: Surface heating 10-15°C above ambient in active regions

Key Benefits:

  • Enhanced Safety: Effective ice prevention on critical airfoil surfaces during flight
  • Cost-Effective: Low power consumption (~10W per strip) compared to traditional thermal systems
  • Superior Reliability: Lightweight, low-maintenance alternative to conventional anti-icing systems
  • Precise Control: Localized heating prevents ice formation while minimizing energy usage
  • Versatile Performance: Effective across temperature ranges from -18°C to 0°C

Operating Principle:

The system operates through two plasma-water interaction modes: gas-phase glow discharges when electrodes are partially exposed, providing optimal heating through electron-neutral collisions and UV emission, and liquid-phase mode for covered electrodes, generating Joule heating within the water film. Both modes maintain surface temperatures above freezing point, preventing ice adhesion under realistic icing conditions.