The wake dynamics of a linear truncated aerospike will be investigated; the purpose of this investigation is to understand the flow separations and shock formations on an aerospike and the potential effects of integrating single barrier charge plasma actuators improving the flow control. Experimenting on different spike truncation levels could also lead to optimal design parameters for future industrial applications. Flow controllers have been proven to stabilize and induce more efficient flow across airfoils. Implementing plasma actuators on an aerospike nozzle could minimize drag the aerospike experiences thus improving engine performance. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations using ANSYS Fluent will be validated against Schlieren imaging results taken from a small-scale experimental model. In future work, the validated CFD setup may be used to simulate the flow controller's effects at higher altitudes.
