Resumen de Flow with the glow
Hambling explores the the latest innovations on plasma and its benefits. According to Thomas Corke, an aerospace engineer at the University of Notre Dame, retrofitting plasma actuators should increase the performance of existing turbines by up to 15%, and help make the cost of electricity generated by wind more competitive. Corke's team will be running field trials later this year in a bid to demonstrate this. They have two wind turbines operating and one will be fitted with plasma actuators. "All the electronics to support this are already installed," according to Corke. Then there are road vehicles to consider. In one study on cars, a team from the University of Orleans in France showed that plasma actuators fitted along the top of the rear window can smooth the airflow behind the vehicle, cutting drag by as much as 8%. Though offering only a tiny improvement in fuel efficiency, rolled out on national scales it could significantly cut fuel consumption and CO^sub 2^ emissions.
