The ability of linear stochastic response analysis to estimate coherent motions is investigated in turbulent channel flow at the friction Reynolds number $\text{Re}_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}}=1007$ . The analysis is performed for spatial scales characteristic of buffer-layer and large-scale motions by separating the contributions of different temporal frequencies. Good agreement between the measured spatio-temporal power spectral densities and those estimated by means of the resolvent is found when the effect of turbulent Reynolds stresses, modelled with an eddy-viscosity associated with the turbulent mean flow, is included in the resolvent operator. The agreement is further improved when the flat forcing power spectrum (white noise) is replaced with a power spectrum matching the measures. Such a good agreement is not observed when the eddy-viscosity terms are not included in the resolvent operator. In this case, the estimation based on the resolvent is unable to select the right peak frequency and wall-normal location of buffer-layer motions. Similar results are found when comparing truncated expansions of measured streamwise velocity power spectral densities based on a spectral proper orthogonal decomposition to those obtained with optimal resolvent modes.

Research on active control for the delay of laminar–turbulent transition in boundary layers has made a significant progress in the last two decades, but the employed strategies have been many and dispersed. Using one framework, we review model-based techniques, such as linear-quadratic regulators, and model-free adaptive methods, such as least-mean square filters. The former are supported by an elegant and powerful theoretical basis, whereas the latter may provide a more practical approach in the presence of complex disturbance environments that are difficult to model. We compare the methods with a particular focus on efficiency, practicability and robustness to uncertainties. Each step is exemplified on the one-dimensional linearized Kuramoto–Sivashinsky equation, which shows many similarities with the initial linear stages of the transition process of the flow over a flat plate. Also, the source code for the examples is provided.

We analyze the effects of different types and positions of actuators and sensors on controllers’ performance and robustness in the linearized 2D Blasius boundary layer. The investigation is carried out using direct numerical simulations (DNS). To facilitate controller design, we find reduced-order models from the DNS data using a system identification procedure called the Eigensystem Realization Algorithm. Due to the highly convective nature of the boundary layer and corresponding time delays, the relative position of the actuator and sensor has a strong influence on the closed-loop dynamics. We address this issue by considering two different configurations. When the sensor is upstream of the actuator, corresponding to disturbance-feedforward control, good performance is observed, as in previous work. However, feedforward control can be degraded by additional disturbances or uncertainties in the plant model, and we demonstrate this. We then examine feedback controllers in which the sensor is a short distance downstream of the actuator. Sensors farther downstream of the actuator cause inherent time delays that limit achievable performance. The performance of the resulting feedback controllers depends strongly on the form of actuation introduced, the quantities sensed, and the observability of the structures deformed by the controller's action. These aspects are addressed by varying the spatial distribution of actuator and sensor. We find an actuator-sensor pair that is well-suited for feedback control, and demonstrate that it has good performance and robustness, even in the presence of unmodeled disturbances.

The attenuation of three-dimensional wavepackets of streaks and Tollmien–Schlichting (TS) waves in a transitional boundary layer using feedback control is investigated numerically. Arrays of localized sensors and actuators (about 10–20) with compact spatial support are distributed near the rigid wall equidistantly along the spanwise direction and connected to a low-dimensional (r = 60) linear quadratic Gaussian controller. The control objective is to minimize the disturbance energy in a domain spanned by a number of proper orthogonal decomposition modes. The feedback controller is based on a reduced-order model of the linearized Navier–Stokes equations including the inputs and outputs, computed using a snapshot-based balanced truncation method. To account for the different temporal and spatial behaviour of the two main instabilities of boundary-layer flows, we design two controllers. We demonstrate that the two controllers reduce the energy growth of both TS wavepackets and streak packets substantially and efficiently, using relatively few sensors and actuators. The robustness of the controller is investigated by varying the number of actuators and sensors, the Reynolds number and the pressure gradient. This work constitutes the first experimentally feasible simulation-based control design using localized sensing and acting devices in conjunction with linear control theory in a three-dimensional setting.

Active linear control is applied to delay the onset of laminar–turbulent transition in the boundary layer over a flat plate. The analysis is carried out by numerical simulations of the nonlinear, transitional regime. A three-dimensional, localized initial condition triggering Tollmien–Schlichting waves of finite amplitude is used to numerically simulate the transition to turbulence. Linear quadratic Gaussian controllers based on reduced-order models of the linearized Navier–Stokes equations are designed, where the wall sensors and the actuators are localized in space. A parametric analysis is carried out in the nonlinear regime, for different disturbance amplitudes, by investigating the effects of the actuation on the flow due to different distributions of the localized actuators along the spanwise direction, different sizes of the actuators and the effort of the controllers. We identify the range of parameters where the controllers are effective and highlight the limits of the device for high amplitudes and strong control action. Despite the fully linear control approach, it is shown that the device is effective in delaying the onset of laminar–turbulent transition in the presence of packets characterized by amplitudes $a\approx 1\hspace{0.167em} \% $ of the free stream velocity at the actuator location. Up to these amplitudes, it is found that a proper choice of the actuators positively affects the performance of the controller. For a transitional case, $a\approx 0. 20\hspace{0.167em} \% $ , we show a transition delay of $\Delta {\mathit{Re}}_{x} = 3. 0\times 1{0}^{5} $ .