Artificial intelligence control of flow separation from a curved ramp

Abstract

This work aims to control flow separation from a two-dimensional curved ramp. The Reynolds number examined is Reθ = 5700 based on the momentum thickness of the turbulent boundary layer right before the ramp. Three steady jets, blowing tangentially along the ramp from three spanwise slits, are deployed at the most likely flow separation position, upstream and downstream of this position, respectively. Three different control modes are investigated, i.e., a single jet, multiple jets, and genetic algorithm-optimized blowing rates of three jets. The single jet placed at the time-averaged flow separation position is found to be most effective and efficient in eliminating flow separation among the first and second control modes. However, it is the third control mode that may not only eliminate the separation bubble completely but also cut down the energy consumption, by up to 30%, compared to the single jet blowing at the flow separation position. The flow physics underlying the control modes is also discussed.