A Systems-Theory Approach to Flow Control

This project aims to deliver a general control-theoretical foundation for feedback flow control that is robust and which explicitly recognises the limitations associated with current actuation technologies, such as the requirement that all actuation and sensing is performed at the wall. The long-term goal is to control flows over a surface densely carpeted with sensors and actuators. These sensors will gather the kind of information required to make accurate control decisions based on real-time feedback control. Surface actuators will be used to alter the flow and bring it back to a desired state (of laminar flow). An embedded sensor will usually measure surface forces (shear and pressure) while actuation might be a deformable surface (an array of dimples), surface transpiration from jets of various types or electromagnetic forcing.