Efficient thermal management is critical for future electric aircraft. An innovative approach (Outer Mold Line cooling) leverages the aircraft’s aerodynamic surfaces for heat dissipation, heating the adjacent boundary layer. It is known that wall-heating can have detrimental effects on laminar–turbulent transition driven by stationary crossflow instabilities (S-CFI). However, its impact remains largely unclear due to a lack of experimental studies. This work investigates the effect of a heated wall across all stages of S-CFI development, spanning linear growth, non-linear saturation, and laminar-turbulent transition. This is achieved through comprehensive wind-tunnel experiments, complemented by comparisons with Compressible Nonlinear Parabolized Stability Equations (CNPSE) results. Results show that wall-heating increases the boundary-layer momentum deficit and the crossflow velocity component, leading to increased destabilization of S-CFI. In turn, higher S-CFI amplitudes promote an earlier onset of non-linear interactions between stationary, traveling, and secondary instability modes. Notably, under equivalent freestream turbulence (Tu[jls-end-space/]) levels, wall-heating results in a higher S-CFI saturation amplitude compared to adiabatic conditions. In addition, spectral analysis reveals substantial amplification of unsteady perturbations with wall-heating. A key finding of this work is the strong destabilization of traveling CFI under wall-heating, which persists into the nonlinear regime and yields highly amplified type-III instabilities. One possible implication of the strong destabilization of T-CFI and type-III instabilities is that at sufficiently high wall-to-freestream temperature ratios, T-CFI could dominate the transition process, potentially leading to a transition scenario similar to that observed under high levels of freestream turbulence.

Surface roughness, such as forward-facing steps (FFS), significantly impacts the laminar-turbulent transition in swept-wing boundary layers. This study employs direct numerical simulations (DNS) to investigate the non-monotonic relationship between FFS height and transition location, complementing recent experimental findings. Two step heights and a baseline clean surface are analyzed under experimentally representative conditions. The simulations confirm a delay in transition for the shallow FFS and premature transition for the higher FFS, reproducing experimental trends while revealing some discrepancies in the abruptness of transition advancement for the larger step. DNS results provide detailed insights into the interaction of crossflow modes with the FFS, particularly near the step, highlighting the spanwise modulation and the formation of reverse flow regions.

This study examines the control capabilities of an array of spanwise-invariant roughness strips applied on a swept-wing boundary layer (BL) dominated by a cross-flow instability (CFI) that is forced by periodically spaced discrete roughness elements to a monochromatic wavelength. Several configurations of strip arrays are investigated, varying their height, width and chordwise periodicity. Infrared thermography is employed to track the impact on the BL transition location. Optimal configurations are identified, extending laminar flow by up to 10 % of the wing chord. Additionally, BL forced by patches of randomised surface roughness are considered, better representing realistic wing surfaces. In this scenario, the application of strip arrays with optimal geometry extends the laminar portion of the BL by almost 10 % chord and beyond when combined with a discrete roughness element array. Time-averaged particle image velocimetry (PIV) velocity fields are acquired to monitor the CFI amplitude for the various configurations. The BL spectral content in the spanwise direction is used to characterise the chordwise behaviour of individual disturbance modes, whose amplitude is found to be reduced by up to 17 % for the optimal strip configuration.

The effect of a smooth surface hump on laminar–turbulent transition over a swept wing is investigated using direct numerical simulation (DNS), and results are compared with wind tunnel measurements. When the amplitude of incoming crossflow (CF) perturbation is relatively low, transition in the reference (without hump) case occurs near 53% chord, triggered by the breakdown of type I secondary instability. Under the same conditions, no transition is observed in the hump case within the DNS domain, which extends to 69% chord. The analysis reveals a reversal in the CF velocity component downstream of the hump’s apex. Within this region, the structure and orientation of CF perturbations are linearly altered, particularly near the wall. These perturbations gradually recover their original state further downstream. During this recovery phase, the lift-up mechanism is weakened, reducing linear production, which stabilises the stationary CF perturbations and weakens spanwise gradients. Consequently, the neutral point of high-frequency secondary CF instability modes shifts downstream relative to the reference case, leading to laminar–turbulent transition delay in the presence of the surface hump. In contrast, when the amplitude of the incoming CF perturbation is relatively high, a pair of stationary counter-rotating vortices forms downstream of the hump. These vortices locally deform the boundary layer and generate regions of elevated spanwise shear. The growth of secondary instabilities in these high-shear regions leads to a rapid advancement of transition towards the hump, in agreement with experimental observations.

Understanding and controlling the dynamic interactions between fluid flows and solid materials and structures-a field known as fluid-structure interaction-is central not only to established disciplines such as aerospace and naval engineering, but also to emerging technologies such as energy harvesting, soft robotics, and biomedical devices. In recent years, the advent of metamaterials has provided exciting opportunities to rethink and redesign fluid-structure interactions. The idea of engineering the internal structure of materials that interface with fluid flows opens a new horizon for the precise and effective manipulation and control of coupled fluidic, acoustic, and elastodynamic responses. This review focuses on this relatively unexplored interdisciplinary theme with broad technological significance. Salient potential applications, such as reduction of fuel consumption in transport systems, efficiency of renewable energy extraction, noise mitigation, and resilience against structural fatigue, depend on controlling interactions among flow, acoustic, and vibration mechanisms. Flow control, for example, which spans a wealth of regimes such as laminar, transitional, turbulent, and unsteady separated flows, is strongly influenced by fluid-structure interaction. This review surveys and discusses conceptual frameworks that describe the interplay between fluids and elastic solids, with a focus on contemporary and emerging concepts. The paper is organised into three main sections: fluid-structure and flow-phonon interactions, flow-induced acoustic interactions with metamaterials, and exotic metamaterial concepts with potential impact on fluid-structure interaction. It concludes with perspectives on current challenges and future directions in this rapidly expanding area of research.

The interaction between a forward-facing step (FFS) and single-frequency Tollmien–Schlichting (TS) waves is investigated with experiments and two-dimensional (2-D) direct numerical simulations (DNS). Dedicated hot-wire anemometry and particle image velocimetry measurements in the vicinity of the FFS provide characterisation of the perturbation field, as well as validation of the DNS results. Comparison between experiments, 2-D DNS, and linear parabolised stability equations confirm the 2-D nature of the flow and the linearity of the instability mechanisms around the FFS. Upstream of the step, TS waves are gradually amplified by the increasing adverse pressure gradient. In the step vicinity, both mean flow and perturbation field exhibit abrupt distortion, with decoupling of the base flow-oriented growth rate components indicating significant non-modal evolution. Downstream of the step, the mean flow recovers to baseline conditions, but the perturbation field remains highly distorted. Linear stability theory results suggest the presence of superimposed modes on the original TS mode in this region. Despite their decay in the streamwise direction, their presence imprints modifications in the TS wave growth and shape, manifested as the tilting of the perturbation structure in and against the mean flow shear direction. This initiates a reversed Orr mechanism, characterised by a region of stabilisation followed by destabilisation further downstream. Eventually, the TS waves realign to their asymptotic (modal) behaviour. Overall, the FFS destabilises the TS wave far downstream. However, the streamwise extent and magnitude of the stabilisation downstream of the FFS remain significant.

Stationary velocity-perturbation streaks have recently been identified in laminar swept-wing boundary-layer flow interacting with a surface forward-facing step. Streaky structures at the step promote early laminar-turbulent transition under certain conditions. This work utilizes direct numerical simulations to explore the mechanisms of growth of stationary streaks at the step and provides insight into their origin, nature, and spatial organization. The analysis is mainly focused on, but not restricted to, incoming perturbations in the form of stationary crossflow instability. Stationary streaky structures are found to be universal to swept forward-facing-step flow subjected to three-dimensional perturbations in the incoming boundary layer. The streaks at the step are primarily ascribed to the lift-up effect. They appear as a linear perturbation response of the highly sheared step flow to the cross-stream pattern of incoming perturbations. A mechanism of base-flow deceleration additionally contributes to feeding growth to the streaks. Linear stability analysis carried out through the harmonic Navier-Stokes method confirms that the streaks are a linear perturbation phenomenon. Effects of spanwise perturbation wavelength and effective sweep angle on the mechanisms of the streaks are also assessed.

This work explores the use of a shallow surface hump for passive control and stabilisation of stationary crossflow (CF) instabilities. Wind tunnel experiments are conducted on a spanwise-invariant swept-wing model. The influence of the hump on the boundary layer stability and laminar-turbulent transition is assessed through infrared thermography and particle image velocimetry measurements. The results reveal a strong dependence of the stabilisation effect on the amplitude of the incoming CF disturbances, which is conditioned via discrete roughness elements at the wing leading edge. At a high forcing amplitude, weakly nonlinear stationary CF vortices interact with the hump and result in an abrupt anticipation of transition, essentially tripping the flow. In contrast, at a lower forcing amplitude, CF vortices interact with the hump during linear growth. Notable stabilisation of the primary CF disturbance and considerable transition delay with respect to the reference case (i.e. without hump) is then observed. The spatial region just downstream of the hump apex is shown to be key to the stabilisation mechanism. In this region, the primary CF disturbances rapidly change spanwise orientation and shape, possibly driven by the pressure gradient change-over caused by the hump and the development of CF reversal. The amplitude and shape deformation of the primary CF instabilities are found to contribute to a long-lasting suboptimal growth downstream of the hump, eventually leading to transition delay.

This work focuses on the suppression of Tollmien-Schlichting (TS) waves in a two-dimensional laminar boundary layer using optimized unsteady suction and blowing jets as an Active Flow Control (AFC) method. The suppression of TS waves via this AFC system is enabled through two artificial intelligence-based optimization methodologies: Single-Step Deep Reinforcement Learning (SDRL) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). The primary aim of this research is to assess the performance of these methods in optimizing the AFC parameters with respect to convergence rate, computational efficiency, and ability to find an optimum control state. The findings demonstrate the success of both methods in finding appropriate control parameters resulting in TS wave attenuation by up to 40 dB in the maximum convective instability amplitude for the linear and nonlinear stages of development. The comparative study in this paper presents the effectiveness of the SDRL algorithm in optimizing the AFC system for TS waves’ suppression and demonstrates that it can outperform PSO in terms of convergence rate and computational efficiency alongside a better performance in finding an improved optimum for linear control cases. However, the advantage of the SDRL-based controller over the PSO-based one diminishes in multi-frequency nonlinear control cases where the controller is located downstream and attempting to control highly amplified multi-modal TS waves.

This study reports the first time-resolved particle image velocimetry characterization of a planar two-phase mixing layer flow, whose velocity field is measured simultaneously in gas and liquid streams. Two parallel air and water flows meet downstream of a splitter plate, giving rise to an initially spanwise invariant configuration. The aim is to elucidate further the mechanisms leading to the flow breakup in gas-assisted atomization. The complete experimental characterization of the velocity field represents a database that could be used in data-driven reduced-order models to investigate the global behaviour of the flow system. After the analysis of a selected reference case, a parametric study of the flow behaviour is performed by varying the liquid and gas Reynolds numbers, and as a consequence also the gas-to-liquid dynamic pressure ratio , shedding light on both time-averaged (mean) and unsteady velocity fields. In the reference case, it is shown that the mean flow exhibits a wake region just downstream of the splitter plate, followed by the development of a mixing layer. By increasing both and, the streamwise extent of the wake decreases and eventually vanishes, the flow resulting in a pure mixing layer regime. The spectral analysis of the normal-to-flow velocity fluctuations outlines different flow regimes by variation of the governing parameters, giving more insights into the global characteristics of the flow field. As a major result, it is found that at high and values, the velocity fluctuations are characterized by low-frequency temporal oscillations synchronized in several locations within the flow field, which suggest the presence of a global mode of instability. The proper orthogonal decomposition of velocity fluctuations, performed in both gas and liquid phases, reveals finally that the synchronized oscillations are associated with a low-frequency dominant flapping mode of the gas-liquid interface. Higher-order modes correspond to interfacial wave structures travelling with the so-called Dimotakis velocity. For lower gas Reynolds numbers, the leading modes describe higher frequency fingers shedding at the interface.

A nonlinear Harmonic Navier-Stokes (HNS) framework is introduced for simulating instabilities in laminar spanwise-invariant shear layers, featuring sharp and smooth wall surface protuberances. While such cases play a critical role in the process of laminar-to-turbulent transition, classical stability theory analyses such as parabolized or local stability methods fail to provide (accurate) results, due to their underlying assumptions. The generalized incompressible Navier-Stokes (NS) equations are expanded in perturbed form, using a spanwise and temporal Fourier ansatz for flow perturbations. The resulting equations are discretized using spectral collocation in the wall-normal direction and finite-difference methods in the streamwise direction. The equations are then solved using a direct sparse-matrix solver. The nonlinear mode interaction terms are converged iteratively. The solution implementation makes use of a generalized domain transformation to account for geometrical smooth surface features, such as humps. No-slip conditions can be embedded in the interior domain to account for the presence of sharp surface features such as forward- or backward-facing steps. Common difficulties with Navier-Stokes solvers, such as the treatment of the outflow boundary and convergence of nonlinear terms, are considered in detail. The performance of the developed solver is evaluated against several cases of representative boundary layer instability growth, including linear and nonlinear growth of Tollmien-Schlichting waves in a Blasius boundary layer and stationary crossflow instabilities in a swept flat-plate boundary layer. The latter problem is also treated in the presence of a geometrical smooth hump and a sharp forward-facing step at the wall. HNS simulation results, such as perturbation amplitudes, growth rates, and shape functions, are compared to benchmark flow stability analysis methods such as Parabolized Stability Equations (PSE), Adaptive Harmonic Linearized Navier-Stokes (AHLNS), or Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS). Good agreement is observed in all cases. The HNS solver is subjected to a grid convergence study and a simple performance benchmark, namely memory usage and computational cost. The computational cost is found to be considerably lower than high-fidelity DNS at comparable grid resolutions.

This work explores the dynamic response of a turbulent boundary layer to large-scale reactive opposition control, at a friction Reynolds number of Reτ≈2240. A surface-mounted hot-film is employed as the input sensor, capturing large-scale fluctuations in the wall-shear stress, and actuation is performed with a single on/off wall-normal blowing jet positioned 2.4δ downstream of the input sensor, operating with an exit velocity of vj=0.4U∞. Our study builds upon the work of Abbassi et al. [Int. J. Heat Fluid Flow 67, 30 (2017)0142727X10.1016/j.ijheatfluidflow.2017.05.003] and includes a control-calibration experiment and a performance assessment using PIV- and PTV-based flow field analyses. With the control-off calibration-experiment conducted a priori, a transfer kernel is identified so that the velocity fluctuations that are to-be-controlled can be estimated. The controller targets large-scale high-speed zones in an "opposing"mode and low-speed zones in a "reinforcing"mode. A desynchronized mode was tested for reference and consisted of a statistically similar control mode, but without synchronization to the incoming velocity fluctuations. An energy-attenuation of about 40 % is observed for the opposing control mode in the frequency band corresponding to the passage of large-scale motions. This proves the effectiveness of the control in targeting large-scale motions: an energy-intensification of roughly 45% occurs for the reinforcing control mode instead, while no change in energy, within the wall-normal range targeted, appears with the desynchronized control mode. Moreover, direct measures of the skin-friction drag are inferred from PTV data. Results indicate that the opposing control logic yields the lowest wall-shear stress (3% lower than the desynchronized control, and 10% lower than the uncontrolled flow). Finally, a FIK-decomposition of the skin-friction coefficient revealed that the off-the-wall turbulence follows a consistent trend with the PTV-based wall-shear stress measurements, although biased by an increased shear in the wake of the boundary layer given the formation of a plume due to the jet-in-crossflow actuation.

A new experimental facility named Swept Transition Experimental Platform (STEP) has been designed and built for detailed studies of crossflow instability and its interaction with surface irregularities and varying wall temperature conditions. The STEP is designed for use in the anechoic low-turbulence wind tunnel facility at the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft). The new facility consists of a swept flat-plate model with a movable leading edge capable of precisely translating to create forward/backward-facing step irregularities. In addition, the plate’s wall temperature can be adjusted to study the potential of thermal laminar flow control. An adjustable pressure body provides the favorable pressure distribution required to enhance the development of crossflow instability. Static pressure measurements are conducted to characterize the nominal pressure distribution. In addition, detailed hot-wire measurements and theoretical stability calculations reveal that the combination of discrete roughness elements, pressure distribution, and experimental facility allows for a detailed study of the development of crossflow instability in the linear and non-linear growth regime. Consequently, the STEP enables further fundamental research on laminar flow control at TU Delft.

This work examines the control of cross-flow instabilities (CFIs) and laminar–turbulent transition on a swept wing, through the plasma-based base flow modification (BFM) technique. The effect of experimentally derived plasma body forces on the steady boundary layer base flow is explored through numerical simulations. Linear stability theory is subsequently used to predict the net BFM effect on CFIs. Based on these preliminary predictions, experiments are conducted in a low-turbulence wind tunnel where a spanwise-invariant plasma actuator is installed near the wing leading edge and operated at constant input voltage and frequency. Various flow parameters governing the plasma-based BFM technique are investigated, namely the Reynolds number, angle of attack and wavelength of excited stationary CFI modes. Stationary and travelling CFIs are quantified by planar particle image velocimetry while the transition topology and location are recorded by infrared thermography. The results confirm the stabilising effect of BFM on the swept-wing boundary layer. However, the plasma-based BFM is found to render the boundary layer more susceptible to travelling CFIs. In the presence of both net BFM effect and intrinsic plasma unsteady perturbations, the plasma-based BFM technique achieves transition delay with specific combinations of Reynolds number, angle of attack and wavelength of excited stationary CFI modes. The present findings provide insights into the fundamental principles of operating plasma actuators within the context of BFM control.

A novel mechanism is identified, through which a spanwise-invariant surface feature (a two-dimensional forward-facing step) significantly stabilizes the stationary crossflow instability of a three-dimensional boundary layer. The mechanism is termed here as reverse lift-up effect, inasmuch as it acts reversely to the classic lift-up effect; that is, kinetic energy of an already-existing shear-flow instability is transferred to the underlying laminar flow through the action of cross-stream perturbations. To characterize corresponding energy-transfer mechanisms, a theoretical framework is presented, which is applicable to generic three-dimensional flows and surface features of arbitrary shape with one invariant spatial direction. The identification of a passive geometry-induced effect responsible for dampening stationary crossflow vortices is a promising finding for laminar flow control applications.

One of the most critical technological challenges embedded in the electrification of future aircraft revolves around the thermal management of batteries and fuel cells. An innovative idea involves using the aircraft’s aerodynamic surfaces to dissipate the extra heat, thereby reducing the impact that traditional thermal management systems (e.g. ram air heat exchanger) have on the overall aerodynamic efficiency of the aircraft. However, the limited experimental research addressing the influence of a heated surface on the stability and transition of the crossflow instability (CFI) hinders the assessment of the aerodynamic impact of this technology for future aircraft, where swept wings are ubiquitous. Thus, the objective of this work is to experimentally study the effect of a heated wall on the stability and final breakdown of CF vortices. To do so, experiments are conducted on a 45◦ swept flat plate wind tunnel model, where the surface temperature is increased by means of a surface-embedded electrical heater, yielding a mean wall-temperature ratio of T _w/T _∞ = 1.055. Overall, the experimental (i.e. HWA) and numerical (i.e. CLST) results show that wall heating leads to significant destabilization of the stationary CFI. Interestingly, a spectral analysis of the HWA signal reveals substantial amplification of the traveling CF mode under wall-heating conditions, which in turn appears significantly more destabilized than the stationary CF mode. Additionally, inspection of the high-frequency content in the HWA measurements indicates premature breakdown of the CF vortices and advancement of the laminar-turbulent transition by Δ _x/c _x = 6.3% with wall heating. The results presented in this work render a first insight into the impact of a non-adiabatic wall on the development of the crossflow instability and subsequent breakdown to turbulence.

Achieving and maintaining laminar flow on large swept lifting surfaces of subsonic aircraft poses a considerable challenge.

The implementation of the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm is investigated to optimize the active attenuation of Tollmien–Schlichting (TS) waves developing in a two-dimensional zero pressure gradient boundary layer. This is done numerically, where the PSO algorithm optimizes the characteristics of harmonic suction and blowing jets, in a feedforward control framework. The PSO-based controller selects and modifies the phase and amplitude of the jets to minimize the pressure fluctuation amplitude downstream of the actuator. To allow for efficient simulation, the 2-dimensional incompressible Navier–Stokes equations are expanded in a harmonic perturbation form and solved in linear and nonlinear variants using harmonic balancing. This study explores the performance of control in both linear and nonlinear development regimes of TS waves through control of single and multi-frequency ensembles of instabilities. Respectively, linear and nonlinear controller design approaches are employed. The findings reveal that the integration of PSO into the control design produces an effective suppression of TS waves through opposition control. The linearly designed controller effectively attenuates single and multi-frequency disturbances. However, when applied in regions of strong nonlinear interactions among instability modes, performance degradation is observed. On the contrary, the nonlinearly designed controller proves effective in mitigating nonlinear multi-frequency instabilities dominating the later stages of growth. A near-complete elimination of TS waves is achieved by accounting for nonlinear interactions among harmonic modes detected by an input sensor. This highlights the benefit of integrating the PSO algorithm in control of TS waves, particularly in the nonlinear growth regime, where classical control methods are generally ineffective.

This work presents the first experimental characterization of the flow field in the vicinity of periodically spaced discrete roughness elements (DRE) in a swept wing boundary layer. The time-averaged velocity fields are acquired in a volumetric domain by high-resolution dual-pulse tomographic particle tracking velocimetry. Investigation of the stationary flow topology indicates that the near-element flow region is dominated by high- and low-speed streaks. The boundary layer spectral content is inferred by spatial fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis of the spanwise velocity signal, characterizing the chordwise behaviour of individual disturbance modes. The two signature features of transient growth, namely algebraic growth and exponential decay, are identified in the chordwise evolution of the disturbance energy associated with higher harmonics of the primary stationary mode. A transient decay process is instead identified in the near-wake region just aft of each DRE, similar to the wake relaxation effect previously observed in two-dimensional boundary layer flows. The transient decay regime is found to condition the onset and initial amplitude of modal crossflow instabilities. Within the critical DRE amplitude range (i.e. affecting boundary layer transition without causing flow tripping) the transient disturbances are strongly receptive to the spanwise spacing and diameter of the elements, which drive the modal energy distribution within the spatial spectra. In the super-critical amplitude forcing (i.e. causing flow tripping) the near-element stationary flow topology is dominated by the development of a high-speed and strongly fluctuating region closely aligned with the DRE wake. Therefore, elevated shears and unsteady disturbances affect the near-element flow development. Combined with the harmonic modes transient growth these instabilities initiate a laminar streak structure breakdown and a bypass transition process.

The present work details the steady and unsteady flow topology in the vicinity of an array of periodically spaced super-critical (i.e. causing flow tripping) discrete roughness elements (DRE) applied in a swept wing boundary layer. The stationary flow field is acquired by means of high-magnification dual-pulse tomographic particle tracking velocimetry (3D-PTV), while the unsteady instabilities are investigated through high-resolution hot wire anemometry (HWA). The 3D-PTV time-averaged velocity fields, indicate that the near-element flow region is dominated by the alternation of high- and low-speed streaks. A high-speed region substitutes the wake development shortly downstream of the DRE location, due to the high-speed streaks merging. This initiates a region of strong unsteady fluctuations that expands in the spanwise and wall-normal directions, ultimately leading to the boundary layer transition to turbulence. The spectral content of the stationary flow structures is investigated through a spanwise spatial Fourier transform. The extracted spectra and instability amplitudes, indicate the presence of non-modal mechanisms in the near-element stationary wake region. Nonetheless, the temporal spectral analysis of the HWA velocity signal, identifies the presence of strongly tonal shedding mechanisms initiating and the unsteady instabilities the element vicinity. Their rapid downstream growth and evolution retains a fundamental role in the transitional process.