Laminar flow control with distributed surface actuation: damping Tollmien-Schlichting waves with active surface displacement

Control strategies for laminar flow control above an unswept wing are investigated. An actuation method based on a flexible membrane displaced by multiple piezo-polymer composite elements is developed for wind tunnel experiments. A model predictive control algorithm is applied to control the multi-bar actuator. The direct negative superposition method of damping Tollmien-Schlichting waves is compared to a biomimetic approach imitating the damping mechanisms of a compliant skin. In both cases, a model predictive control algorithm is applied to control the multi-bar actuator segments. For the biomimetic approach, reduced, real-time solvable models of compliant surfaces are developed and parametrized by direct optimization and according to numerically generated optimal wall properties. Damping results of up to 85 % RMS value are achieved, shifting the onset of transition about 100 mm downstream with a single actuation membrane. Additional experiments with cascaded multiple membranes show the potential for a further shift.