International audienceThe control of separated fluid flow by reduced-order models is studied using the two-dimensional incompressible flow over an open square cavity at Reynolds numbers where instabilities are present. Actuation and measurement locations are taken on the upstream and downstream edge of the cavity. A bi-orthogonal projection is introduced to arrive at reduced-order models for the compensated problem. Global modes, proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) modes and balanced modes are used as expansion bases for the model reduction. The open-loop behaviour of the full and the reduced systems is analysed by comparing the respective transfer functions. This analysis shows that global modes are inadequate to sufficiently represent the inputoutput behaviour whereas POD and balanced modes are capable of properly approximating the exact transfer function. Balanced modes are far more efficient in this process, but POD modes show superior robustness. The performance of the closed-loop system corroborates this finding: while reduced-order models based on POD are able to render the compensated system stable, balanced modes accomplish the same with far fewer degrees of freedom. © 2009 Cambridge University Press

This review article addresses the dynamics and control of low-frequency unsteadiness, as observed in some aerodynamic applications. It presents a coherent and rigorous linearized approach, which enables both to describe the dynamics of commonly encountered open-flows and to design open-loop and closed-loop control strategies, in view of suppressing or delaying instabilities. The approach is global in the sense that both cross-stream and streamwise directions are discretized in the evolution operator. New light will therefore be shed on the streamwise properties of open-flows. In the case of oscillator flows, the unsteadiness is due to the existence of unstable global modes, i.e., unstable eigenfunctions of the linearized Navier–Stokes operator. The influence of nonlinearities on the dynamics is studied by deriving nonlinear amplitude equations, which accurately describe the dynamics of the flow in the vicinity of the bifurcation threshold. These equations also enable us to analyze the mean flow induced by the nonlinearities as well as the stability properties of this flow. The open-loop control of unsteadiness is then studied by a sensitivity analysis of the eigenvalues with respect to base-flow modifications. With this approach, we manage to a priori identify regions of the flow where a small control cylinder suppresses unsteadiness. Then, a closed-loop control approach was implemented for the case of an unstable open-cavity flow. We have combined model reduction techniques and optimal control theory to stabilize the unstable eigenvalues. Various reduced-order-models based on global modes, proper orthogonal decomposition modes, and balanced modes were tested and evaluated according to their ability to reproduce the input-output behavior between the actuator and the sensor. Finally, we consider the case of noise-amplifiers, such as boundary-layer flows and jets, which are stable when viewed in a global framework. The importance of the singular value decomposition of the global resolvent will be highlighted in order to understand the frequency selection process in such flows.

International audienceThe two-dimensional, incompressible flow over a rounded backward-facing step at Reynolds number Re = 600 is characterized by a detachment of the flow close to the step followed by a recirculation zone. Even though the flow is globally stable, perturbations are amplified as they are convected along the shear layer, and the presence of upstream random noise renders the flow unsteady, leading to a broadband spectrum of excited frequencies. This paper is aimed at suppressing this unsteadiness using a controller that converts a shear-stress measurement taken from a wall-mounted sensor into a control law that is supplied to an actuator. A comprehensive study of various components of closed-loop control design - covering sensor placement, choice and influence of the cost functional, accuracy of the reduced-order model, compensator stability and performance - shows that successful control of this flow requires a judicious balance between estimation speed and estimation accuracy, and between stability limits and performance requirements. The inherent amplification behaviour of the flow can be reduced by an order of magnitude if the above-mentioned constraints are observed. In particular, to achieve superior controller performance, the estimation sensor should be placed upstream near the actuator to ensure sufficient estimation speed. Also, if high-performance compensators are sought, a very accurate reduced-order model is required, especially for the dynamics between the actuator and the estimation sensor; otherwise, very minute errors even at low energies and high frequencies may render the large-scale compensated linearized simulation unstable. Finally, coupling the linear compensator to nonlinear simulations shows a gradual deterioration in control performance as the amplitude of the noise increases

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Feedback control applications for flows with a large number of degrees of freedom require the reduction of the full flow model to a system with significantly fewer degrees of freedom. This model-reduction process is accomplished by Galerkin projections using a reduction basis composed of modal structures that ideally preserve the input-output behaviour between actuators and sensors and ultimately result in a stabilized compensated system. In this study, global modes are critically assessed as to their suitability as a reduction basis, and the globally unstable, two-dimensional flow over an open cavity is used as a test case. Four criteria are introduced to select from the global spectrum the modes that are included in the reduction basis. Based on these criteria, four reduced-order models are tested by computing open-loop (transfer function) and closed-loop (stability) characteristics. Even though weak global instabilities can be suppressed, the concept of reduced-order compensators based on global modes does not demonstrate sufficient robustness to be recommended as a suitable choice for model reduction in feedback control applications. The investigation also reveals a compelling link between frequency-restricted input-output measures of open-loop behaviour and closed-loop performance, which suggests the departure from mathematically motivated H ∞ -measures for model reduction toward more physically based norms; a particular frequency-restricted input-output measure is proposed in this study which more accurately predicts the closed-loop behaviour of the reduced-order model and yields a stable compensated system with a markedly reduced number of degrees of freedom.

International audienceThe application of control tools to fluid problems often requires model reduction to correctly capture the input-output behavior of the associated initial-value problem In this study a model combining global modes (for the unstable subspace) and balanced modes (for the stable subspace) is considered. We show that this model succeeds in removing the global instability or the flow over an incompressible cavity. Comparison with other reduced models clearly demonstrates the superiority of this approach for control problems

Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) control is a promising tool to control §ows. Initially developed for systems of moderate size, it is not directly applicable to §uid mechanics problems, requiring a reduced model. Three popular ways of reducing the system will be presented and their ability to control the global instability of an incompressible cavity §ow will be studied. A comparison between reduced models based on global modes, Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) modes and Balanced POD (BPOD) modes permits to discuss the relevant quantities to be captured by the reduced model to insure a successful control.

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