Optimizing flow control with ensemble Kalman method for mitigating flow-induced vibration

Abstract

The ensemble Kalman method is introduced for optimizing flow control strategies in order to mitigate the flow-induced vibration of structures. Different types of control strategies such as passive control, open-loop active control, and closed-loop active control are tested, showing the flexibility of the method in flow control optimization. The ensemble Kalman method is first tested to mitigate vortex shedding of flows around a circular cylinder by optimizing the placement of small cylinders downstream. Further, the method is assessed to suppress shock buffeting over the NACA 0012 airfoil by optimizing the movement of a compliant aileron. Our results for all test cases show that the ensemble-based method can effectively find optimal control strategies that significantly reduce the vibrations of aerodynamic force, and can be a useful alternative for flow control optimization, due to its merits in non-intrusiveness and ease of implementation.