[freebeard]

Putting plasma actuators all over a car would be akin to putting golf ball dimples all over one. Friction drag is not the goal.

4 Flow control applications

4.1 Vortex generator
4.2 Active noise control
4.3 Supersonic and Hypersonic flow control
4.4 Flight control

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_actuator

Modeling
Various numerical models have been proposed to simulate plasma actuations in flow control. They are listed below according to the computational cost, from the most expensive to the cheapest.

• Monte carlo method plus particle-in-cell;
• Electricity modeling coupled with Navier-Stokes equations[19];
• Lumped element model coupled with Navier-Stokes equations[20]
• Surrogate model to simulate plasma actuation.[21][12][22]

The most important potential of plasma actuators is its ability to bridge fluids and electricity. A modern closed-loop control system and the following information theoretical methods can be applied to the relatively classical aerodynamic sciences.

Interestingly, Monte Carlo processing may improve CFD analysis:
https://sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200629124108.htm

Analysis of complex geometric models made simple
Monte Carlo method dispenses with troublesome meshes
Date:
June 29, 2020
Source:
Carnegie Mellon University
Summary:
Researchers have developed an efficient new way to quickly analyze complex geometric models by borrowing a computational approach that has made photorealistic animated films possible.
.....
Crane and Sawhney's work revives a little-used "walk on spheres" algorithm* that makes it possible to simulate a particle's long, random walk through a space without determining each twist and turn. Instead, they calculate the size of the largest empty space around the particle -- in the lung, for instance, that would be the width of a bronchial tube -- and make that the diameter of each sphere. The program can then just jump from one random point on each sphere to the next to simulate the random walk.

While it might take a day just to build a mesh of a geometric space, the CMU approach allows users to get a rough preview of the solution in just a few seconds. This preview can then be refined by taking more and more random walks.

*Comports with Bucky Fuller's Synergetic Geometry.