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© 2019 Elsevier Inc. The sensitivity of long-time averages of a hyperbolic chaotic system to parameter perturbations can be determined using the shadowing direction, the uniformly-bounded-in-time solution of the sensitivity equations. Although its existence is formally guaranteed for certain systems, methods to determine it are hardly available. One practical approach is the Least-Squares Shadowing (LSS) algorithm (Wang (2014) [18]), whereby the shadowing direction is approximated by the solution of the sensitivity equations with the least square average norm. Here, we present an alternative, potentially simpler shadowing-based algorithm, termed periodic shadowing. The key idea is to obtain a bounded solution of the sensitivity equations by complementing it with periodic boundary conditions in time. We show that this is not only justifiable when the reference trajectory is itself periodic, but also possible and effective for chaotic trajectories. Our error analysis shows that periodic shadowing has the same convergence rates as LSS when the time span T is increased: the sensitivity error first decays as 1/T and then, asymptotically as 1/T. We demonstrate the approach on the Lorenz equations, and also show that, as T tends to infinity, periodic shadowing sensitivities converge to the same value obtained from long unstable periodic orbits (Lasagna (2018) [14]) for which there is no shadowing error. Finally, finite-difference approximations of the sensitivity are also examined, and we show that subtle non-hyperbolicity features of the Lorenz system introduce a small, yet systematic, bias. ispartof: JOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS vol:391 pages:119-141 status: published

One of the outstanding problems in the dynamical systems approach to turbulence is to find a sufficient number of invariant solutions to characterize the underlying dynamics of turbulence [Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech. 44, 203 (2012)10.1146/annurev-fluid-120710-101228]. As a practical matter, the solutions can be difficult to find. To improve this situation, we show how to find periodic orbits and equilibria in plane Couette flow by projecting pseudorecurrent segments of turbulent trajectories onto the left-singular vectors of the Navier-Stokes equations linearized about the relevant mean flow (resolvent modes). The projections are, subsequently, used to initiate Newton-Krylov-hookstep searches, and new (relative) periodic orbits and equilibria are discovered. We call the process project-then-search and validate the process by first applying it to previously known fixed point and periodic solutions. Along the way, we find new branches of equilibria, which include bifurcations from previously known branches, and new periodic orbits that closely shadow turbulent trajectories in state space.

This paper describes a robust linear time-invariant output-feedback control strategy to reduce turbulent fluctuations, and therefore skin-friction drag, in wall-bounded turbulent fluid flows, that nonetheless gives performance guarantees in the nonlinear turbulent regime. The novel strategy is effective in reducing the supply of available energy to feed the turbulent fluctuations, expressed as reducing a bound on the supply rate to a quadratic storage function. The nonlinearity present in the equations that govern the dynamics of the flow is known to be passive and can be considered as a feedback forcing to the linearised dynamics (a Lur'e decomposition). Therefore, one is only required to control the linear dynamics in order to make the system close to passive. The ten most energy-producing spatial modes of a turbulent channel flow were identified. Passivity-based controllers were then generated to control these modes. The controllers require measurements of streamwise and spanwise wall-shear stress, and they actuate via wall transpiration. Nonlinear direct numerical simulations demonstrated that these controllers were capable of significantly reducing the turbulent energy and skin-friction drag of the flow.

The effect of streamwise-varying steady transpiration on turbulent pipe flow is examined using direct numerical simulation at fixed friction Reynolds number $\mathit{Re}_{{\it\tau}}=314$. The streamwise momentum equation reveals three physical mechanisms caused by transpiration acting in the flow: modification of Reynolds shear stress, steady streaming and generation of non-zero mean streamwise gradients. The influence of these mechanisms has been examined by means of a parameter sweep involving transpiration amplitude and wavelength. The observed trends have permitted identification of wall transpiration configurations able to reduce or increase the overall flow rate $-36.1\,\%$ and $19.3\,\%$, respectively. Energetics associated with these modifications are presented. A novel resolvent formulation has been developed to investigate the dynamics of pipe flows with a constant cross-section but with time-mean spatial periodicity induced by changes in boundary conditions. This formulation, based on a triple decomposition, paves the way for understanding turbulence in such flows using only the mean velocity profile. Resolvent analysis based on the time-mean flow and dynamic mode decomposition based on simulation data snapshots have both been used to obtain a description of the reorganization of the flow structures caused by the transpiration. We show that the pipe flows dynamics are dominated by a critical-layer mechanism and the waviness induced in the flow structures plays a role on the streamwise momentum balance by generating additional terms.

This paper addresses the problem of obtaining low-order models of fluid flows for the purpose of designing robust feedback controllers. This is challenging since whilst many flows are governed by a set of nonlinear, partial differential-algebraic equations (the Navier-Stokes equations), the majority of established control theory assumes models of much greater simplicity, in that they are firstly: linear, secondly: described by ordinary differential equations, and thirdly: finite-dimensional. Linearisation, where appropriate, overcomes the first disparity, but attempts to reconcile the remaining two have proved difficult. This paper addresses these two problems as follows. Firstly, a numerical approach is used to project the governing equations onto a divergence-free basis, thus converting a system of differential-algebraic equations into one of ordinary differential equations. This dispenses with the need for analytical velocity-vorticity transformations, and thus simplifies the modelling of boundary sensing and actuation. Secondly, this paper presents a novel and straightforward approach for obtaining suitable low-order models of fluid flows, from which robust feedback controllers can be synthesised that provide a priori guarantees of robust performance when connected to the (infinite-dimensional) linearised flow system. This approach overcomes many of the problems inherent in approaches that rely upon model-reduction. To illustrate these methods, a perturbation shear stress controller is designed and applied to plane channel flow, assuming arrays of wall mounted shear-stress sensors and transpiration actuators. DNS results demonstrate robust attenuation of the perturbation shear-stresses across a wide range of Reynolds numbers with a single, linear controller., Accepted for publication in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics

We generate predictions for the fluctuating pressure field in turbulent pipe flow by reformulating the resolvent analysis of McKeon and Sharma (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 658, 2010, pp. 336–382) in terms of the so-called primitive variables. Under this analysis, the nonlinear convective terms in the Fourier-transformed Navier–Stokes equations (NSE) are treated as a forcing that is mapped to a velocity and pressure response by the resolvent of the linearized Navier–Stokes operator. At each wavenumber–frequency combination, the turbulent velocity and pressure field are represented by the most-amplified (rank-1) response modes, identified via a singular value decomposition of the resolvent. We show that these rank-1 response modes reconcile many of the key relationships among the velocity field, coherent structure (i.e. hairpin vortices), and the high-amplitude wall-pressure events observed in previous experiments and direct numerical simulations (DNS). A Green’s function representation shows that the pressure fields obtained under this analysis correspond primarily to the fast pressure contribution arising from the linear interaction between the mean shear and the turbulent wall-normal velocity. Recovering the slow pressure requires an explicit treatment of the nonlinear interactions between the Fourier response modes. By considering the velocity and pressure fields associated with the triadically consistent mode combination studied by Sharma and McKeon (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 728, 2013, pp. 196–238), we identify the possibility of an apparent amplitude modulation effect in the pressure field, similar to that observed for the streamwise velocity field. However, unlike the streamwise velocity, for which the large scales of the flow are in phase with the envelope of the small-scale activity close to the wall, we expect there to be a $\def \xmlpi #1{}\def \mathsfbi #1{\boldsymbol {\mathsf {#1}}}\let \le =\leqslant \let \leq =\leqslant \let \ge =\geqslant \let \geq =\geqslant \def \Pr {\mathit {Pr}}\def \Fr {\mathit {Fr}}\def \Rey {\mathit {Re}}\pi /2$ phase difference between the large-scale wall-pressure and the envelope of the small-scale activity. Finally, we generate spectral predictions based on a rank-1 model assuming broadband forcing across all wavenumber–frequency combinations. Despite the significant simplifying assumptions, this approach reproduces trends observed in previous DNS for the wavenumber spectra of velocity and pressure, and for the scale-dependence of wall-pressure propagation speed.

A new theory of coherent structure in wall turbulence is presented. The theory is the first to predict packets of hairpin vortices and other structure in turbulence, and their dynamics, based on an analysis of the Navier-Stokes equations, under an assumption of a turbulent mean profile. The assumption of the turbulent mean acts as a restriction on the class of possible structures. It is shown that the coherent structure is a manifestation of essentially low-dimensional flow dynamics, arising from a critical layer mechanism. Using the decomposition presented in McKeon & Sharma (J. Fluid Mech, 658, 2010), complex coherent structure is recreated from minimal superpositions of response modes predicted by the analysis, which take the form of radially-varying travelling waves. By way of example, simple combinations of these modes are offered that predicts hairpins and modulated hairpin packets. The phase interaction also predicts important skewness and correlation results known in the literature. It is also shown that the very large scale motions act to organise hairpin-like structures such that they co-locate with areas of low streamwise momentum, by a mechanism of locally varying the shear profile. The relationship between Taylor's hypothesis and coherence is discussed and both are shown to be the consequence of the localisation of the response modes around the critical layer. A pleasing link is made to the classical laminar inviscid theory, whereby the essential mechanism underlying the hairpin vortex is captured by two obliquely interacting Kelvin-Stuart (cat's eye) vortices. Evidence for the theory is presented based on comparison to observations of structure reported in the experimental, transitional flow and turbulent flow numerical simulation literature., Accepted for publication in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics. 41 pages

A family of compressible exact periodic solutions is reported for the first time in an open cavity flow setup. These are found using a novel framework which permits the computation of such solutions in an arbitrary complex geometry. The periodic orbits arise from a synchronised concatenation of convective and acoustic events which strongly depend on the Mach number. This flow-acoustic interaction furnishes the periodic solutions with a remarkable stability and it is found to completely dominate the system's dynamics and the sound directivity. The periodic orbits, which could be called `exact Rossiter modes', collapse with a family of equilibrium solutions at a subcritical Hopf bifurcation, occurring in the quasi-incompressible regime. This shows compressibility has a destabilising effect in cavity flows, which we analyse in detail. By establishing a connection with previous 2D and 3D stability studies of cavity flows, we are able to isolate the effect of purely compressible two-dimensional flow phenomena across Mach number. A linear stability analysis of the equilibria provides insight into the compressible flow mechanisms responsible for the instability. A close look at the adjoint modes suggests that an eigenvalue merge occurs at a Mach number between 0.35 and 0.4, which boosts the receptivity of the leading mode and determines the onset of the unstable character of the system. The effect of the choice of base flow over the transition dynamics is also discussed, where in the present case, the frequencies associated to the leading eigenmodes show a strong connection with the frequencies of the periodic orbits at the same Mach numbers.

Previous work has established the usefulness of the resolvent operator that maps the terms nonlinear in the turbulent fluctuations to the fluctuations themselves. Further work has described the self-similarity of the resolvent arising from that of the mean velocity profile. The orthogonal modes provided by the resolvent analysis describe the wall-normal coherence of the motions and inherit that self-similarity. In this contribution, we present the implications of this similarity for the nonlinear interaction between modes with different scales and wall-normal locations. By considering the nonlinear interactions between modes, it is shown that much of the turbulence scaling behaviour in the logarithmic region can be determined from a single arbitrarily chosen reference plane. Thus, the geometric scaling of the modes is impressed upon the nonlinear interaction between modes. Implications of these observations on the self-sustaining mechanisms of wall turbulence, modelling and simulation are outlined., Comment: Accepted for publication in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1409.6047

A novel method to estimate unsteady aerodynamic force coefficients from pointwise velocity measurements is presented. The methodology is based on a resolvent-based reduced-order model which requires the mean flow to obtain physical flow structures and pointwise measurement to calibrate their amplitudes. A computationally-affordable time-stepping methodology to obtain resolvent modes in non-trivial flow domains is introduced and compared to previous existing matrix-free and matrix-forming strategies. The technique is applied to the unsteady flow around an inclined square cylinder at low Reynolds number. The potential of the methodology is demonstrated through good agreement between the fluctuating pressure distribution on the cylinder and the temporal evolution of the unsteady lift and drag coefficients predicted by the model and those computed by direct numerical simulation., In review

A model-based description of the scaling and radial location of turbulent fluctuations in turbulent pipe flow is presented and used to illuminate the scaling behaviour of the very large scale motions. The model is derived by treating the nonlinearity in the perturbation equation (involving the Reynolds stress) as an unknown forcing, yielding a linear relationship between the velocity field response and this nonlinearity. We do not assume small perturbations. We examine propagating helical velocity response modes that are harmonic in the wall-parallel directions and in time, permitting comparison of our results to experimental data. The steady component of the velocity field that varies only in the wall-normal direction is identified as the turbulent mean profile. A singular value decomposition of the resolvent identifies the forcing shape that will lead to the largest velocity response at a given wavenumber–frequency combination. The hypothesis that these forcing shapes lead to response modes that will be dominant in turbulent pipe flow is tested by using physical arguments to constrain the range of wavenumbers and frequencies to those actually observed in experiments. An investigation of the most amplified velocity response at a given wavenumber–frequency combination reveals critical-layer-like behaviour reminiscent of the neutrally stable solutions of the Orr–Sommerfeld equation in linearly unstable flow. Two distinct regions in the flow where the influence of viscosity becomes important can be identified, namely wall layers that scale withR+1/2and critical layers where the propagation velocity is equal to the local mean velocity, one of which scales withR+2/3in pipe flow. This framework appears to be consistent with several scaling results in wall turbulence and reveals a mechanism by which the effects of viscosity can extend well beyond the immediate vicinity of the wall. The model reproduces inner scaling of the small scales near the wall and an approach to outer scaling in the flow interior. We use our analysis to make a first prediction that the appropriate scaling velocity for the very large scale motions is the centreline velocity, and show that this is in agreement with experimental results. Lastly, we interpret the wall modes as the motion required to meet the wall boundary condition, identifying the interaction between the critical and wall modes as a potential origin for an interaction between the large and small scales that has been observed in recent literature as an amplitude modulation of the near-wall turbulence by the very large scales.

This paper employs the theoretical framework developed by Luhar et al. (J. Fluid Mech., 768, 415-441) to consider the design of compliant walls for turbulent skin friction reduction. Specifically, the effects of simple spring-damper walls are contrasted with the effects of more complex walls incorporating tension, stiffness and anisotropy. In addition, varying mass ratios are tested to provide insight into differences between aerodynamic and hydrodynamic applications. Despite the differing physical responses, all the walls tested exhibit some important common features. First, the effect of the walls (positive or negative) is greatest at conditions close to resonance, with sharp transitions in performance across the resonant frequency or phase speed. Second, compliant walls are predicted to have a more pronounced effect on slower-moving structures because such structures generally have larger wall-pressure signatures. Third, two-dimensional (spanwise constant) structures are particularly susceptible to further amplification. These features are consistent with many previous experiments and simulations, suggesting that mitigating the rise of such two-dimensional structures is essential to designing performance-improving walls. For instance, it is shown that further amplification of such large-scale two-dimensional structures explains why the optimal anisotropic walls identified by Fukagata et al. via DNS (J. Turb., 9, 1-17) only led to drag reduction in very small domains. The above observations are used to develop design and methodology guidelines for future research on compliant walls.

A novel reduced-order model for time-varying nonlinear flows arising from a resolvent decomposition based on the time-mean flow is proposed. The inputs required for the model are the mean-flow field and a small set of velocity time-series data obtained at isolated measurement points, which are used to fix relevant frequencies, amplitudes and phases of a limited number of resolvent modes that, together with the mean flow, constitute the reduced-order model. The technique is applied to derive a model for the unsteady three-dimensional flow in a lid-driven cavity at a Reynolds number of 1200 that is based on the two-dimensional mean flow, three resolvent modes selected at the most active spanwise wavenumber, and either one or two velocity probe signals. The least-squares full-field error of the reconstructed velocity obtained using the model and two point velocity probes is of the order of 5 % of the lid velocity, and the dynamical behaviour of the reconstructed flow is qualitatively similar to that of the complete flow.

A novel adjoint-based framework oriented to optimal flow control in compressible direct numerical simulations is presented. Also, a new formulation of the adjoint characteristic boundary conditions is introduced, which enhances the stability of the adjoint simulations. The flow configuration chosen as a case study consists of a two dimensional open cavity flow with aspect ratio $L/H=3$ and Reynolds number $Re=5000$. This flow configuration is of particular interest, as the turbulent and chaotic nature of separated flows pushes the adjoint approach to its limit. The target of the flow actuation, defined as cost, is the reduction of the pressure fluctuations at the sensor location. To exploit the advantages of the adjoint method, a large number of control parameters is used. The control consists of an actuating sub-domain where a two-dimensional body force is applied at every point within the sub-volume. This results in a total of $2.256 \cdot 10^6$ control parameters. The final actuation achieved a successful reduction of the cost of $79.6\%$, by altering the directivity of the sound radiated by the trailing edge of the cavity and breaking up the large shear layer instabilities into smaller structures.

This paper considers the convergence upon grid refinement of control strategies derived from ODE aproxima- tions of diffusive boundary-controlled linear PDE systems. It focuses specifically on the Dirichlet boundary control of the heat equation as a canonical model for more general diffusive PDE systems. It treats two classes of problems: the controllability problem (that is, the determination of a control distribution to move a system exactly from a specified initial state to a specified terminal state in finite time) and the state feedback control problem (that is, the determination of an optimal feedback rule u = Kx which minimizes some quadratic cost function J measuring both the state of the system and the control input), in the latter problem focusing specifically, for simplicity, on the infinite-horizon (that is, constant-gain) case. Both classes of problems require special attention beyond the usual considerations commonly known for the control of low-order ODE systems. Specifically, convergence of the control strategies upon refinement of the ODE approximation used in the controller calculation is not guaranteed. Note that the present study considers sine, finite difference, and Chebyshev discretizations, all of which provide consistent results, indicating that the results reported are not a spurious artificat of any particular numerical discretization.

A new active-closed-loop linear time-invariant robust control strategy for reducing drag in a channel flow is presented. Using the theory of passive systems, controllers were designed so as to make the closed-loop system as close to passive as is possible. Physically, this means minimising the maximum bound on perturbation energy production within the system. Although the resulting controllers are linear, the nonlinearity, inherent in all fluidic systems, is accounted for and included as an exogenous feedback forcing. Passivity-based controllers were generated for a Re = 2230 channel flow for a range of spatial wavenumber pairs and then analysed. They were shown to be capable of greatly restricting transient energy growth.

We evaluate the efficacy of a gain-based rank-1 model, developed by McKeon & Sharma (J. Fluid Mech., 2010), for representing the energy spectra and the streamwise/wall-normal co-spectrum in a turbulent channel. This is motivated by our previous observation that the streamwise turbulent energy intensity is well approximated by the rank-1 model subject to a broadband forcing in the wall-parallel directions and a properly selected temporal intensity. In the present study, the evaluation is based on finding the optimal forcing spectrum that minimizes the deviation between the two-dimensional velocity spectra at different wall-normal locations obtained from direct numerical simulations at friction Reynolds number 2003 (Hoyas & Jiminenez, Phys. Fluids, 2006) and from the rank-1 model at equal Reynolds number. It is shown that the optimally forced rank-1 model captures the streamwise energy spectrum for streamwise wavelengths smaller than approximately 1000 viscous units throughout the channel. For larger wavelengths, the streamwise spectrum is matched in the outer region of the channel, i.e. wall-normal distances larger than approximately 0.15 times the channel half-height, and the mismatch close to the wall results in less than 5 percent error in the inner-scaled peak of the streamwise energy intensity. In addition, we show that the rank-1 model with optimal forcing captures the essential features of the wall-normal and spanwise spectra and the streamwise/wall-normal co-spectrum. We observe that the predicted magnitudes of the latter three spectra are smaller in the rank-1 model compared to the simulation results suggesting that a higher-order or different rank-1 model may be necessary for accurate representation of these spectra.

The resolvent-based analysis of wall turbulence (McKeon & Sharma 2010) is extended with an explicit treatment of the non-linearity in the Navier-Stokes equations. The equivalent of triadic interaction in the wall-normal direction is described, and it is found that the resulting forcing has a phase shift of π/2 in terms associated with symmetric spatial directions. Explicit forms for the nonlinearity in fully-developed pipe and channel flows, i.e. in cylindrical and Cartesian coordinate systems.

Bayesian estimation strategies represent the most fundamental formulation of the state estimation problem available, and apply readily to nonlinear systems with non-Gaussian uncertainties. The present paper introduces a novel method for implementing grid-based Bayesian estimation which largely sidesteps the severe computational expense that has prevented the widespread use of such methods. The method represents the evolution of the probability density function (PDF) in phase space, $p_{\x}(\x',t)$, discretized on a fixed Cartesian grid over {\it all} of phase space, and consists of two main steps: (i) Between measurement times, $p_{\x}(\x',t)$ is evolved via numerical discretization of the Kolmogorov forward equation, using a Godunov method with second-order corner transport upwind correction and a total variation diminishing flux limiter; (ii) at measurement times, $p_{\x}(\x',t)$ is updated via Bayes' theorem. Computational economy is achieved by exploiting the localised nature of $p_{\x}(\x',t)$. An ordered list of cells with non-negligible probability, as well as their immediate neighbours, is created and updated, and the PDF evolution is tracked {\it only} on these active cells. %The grid-based discretization of $p_{\x}(\x',t)$ in this approach avoids the requirement for resampling associated with particle-based representations of the PDF.

A method for finding reduced-order approximations of turbulent flow models is presented. The method preserves bounds on the production of turbulent energy in the sense of the [Formula: see text] norm of perturbations from a notional laminar profile. This is achieved by decomposing the Navier–Stokes system into a feedback arrangement between the linearized system and the remaining, normally neglected, nonlinear part. The linear system is reduced using a method similar to balanced truncation, but preserving bounds on the supply rate. The method involves balancing two algebraic Riccati equations. The bounds are then used to derive bounds on the turbulent energy production. An example of the application of the procedure to flow through a long straight pipe is presented. Comparison shows that the new method approximates the supply rate at least as well as, or better than, canonical balanced truncation.

We apply direct transient growth analysis in complex geometries to investigate its role in the primary and secondary bifurcation/transition process of the flow past a circular cylinder. The methodology is based on the singular value decomposition of the Navier-Stokes evolution operator linearized about a two-dimensional steady or periodic state which leads to the optimal growth modes. Linearly stable and unstable steady flow at Re=45 and 50 is considered first, where the analysis demonstrates that strong two-dimensional transient growth is observed with energy amplifications of order of 10(3) at U-infinity tau/D approximate to 30. Transient growth at Re=50 promotes the linear instability which ultimately saturates into the well known von-Kaacutermaacuten street. Subsequently we consider the transient growth upon the time-periodic base state corresponding to the von-Kaacutermaacuten street at Re=200 and 300. Depending upon the spanwise wavenumber the flow at these Reynolds numbers are linearly unstable due to the so-called mode A and B instabilities. Once again energy amplifications of order of 10(3) are observed over a time interval of tau/T=2, where T is the time period of the base flow shedding. In all cases the maximum energy of the optimal initial conditions are located within a diameter of the cylinder in contrast to the spatial distribution of the unstable eigenmodes which extend far into the downstream wake. It is therefore reasonable to consider the analysis as presenting an accelerator to the existing modal mechanism. The rapid amplification of the optimal growth modes highlights their importance in the transition process for flow past circular cylinder, particularly when comparing with experimental results where these types of convective instability mechanisms are likely to be activated. The spatial localization, close to the cylinder, of the optimal initial condition may be significant when considering strategies to promote or control shedding.

This paper presents a numerical algorithm for the linearized flow initial value problem involving complex geometries where analytical solution is impossible. The method centres around the calculation of an eigenvalue problem involving the linearised flow and its spatial adjoint, and yields the flow perturbations that grow the most in a prescribed time, the magnitude of that growth and the perturbations after the growth has occurred. Previous work has shown that classical stability analysis of flow past a low-pressure turbine blade gives only stable eigenvalues, which cannot explain transition to turbulence in this flow. The inital value problem for this fan blade is presented and demonstrates significant perturbation growth, indicating that this growth may be the facilitator for transition in this case.

The possibility of creating reduced-order models for canonical wall-bounded turbulent flows based on exploiting energy sparsity in frequency domain, as proposed by Bourguignon et al. [Phys. Fluids26, 015109 (2014)], is examined. The present letter explains the origins of energetically sparse dominant frequencies and provides fundamental information for the design of such reduced-order models. The resolvent decomposition of a pipe flow is employed to consider the influence of finite domain length on the flow dynamics, which acts as a restriction on the possible wavespeeds in the flow. A forcing-to-fluctuation gain analysis in the frequency domain reveals that large sparse peaks in amplification occur when one of the possible wavespeeds matches the local wavespeed via the critical layer mechanism. A link between amplification and energy is provided through the similar characteristics exhibited by the most energetically relevant flow structures, arising from a dynamic mode decomposition of direct numerical simulation data, and the resolvent modes associated with the most amplified sparse frequencies. These results support the feasibility of reduced-order models based on the selection of the most amplified modes emerging from the resolvent model, leading to a novel computationally efficient method of representing turbulent flows.

We review recent progress, based on the approach introduced by McKeon and Sharma [J. Fluid Mech. 658, 336–382 (2010)10.1017/S002211201000176X], in understanding and controlling wall turbulence. The origins of this analysis partly lie in nonlinear robust control theory, but a differentiating feature is the connection with, and prediction of, state-of-the-art understanding of velocity statistics and coherent structures observed in real, high Reynolds number flows. A key component of this line of work is an experimental demonstration of the excitation of velocity response modes predicted by the theory using non-ideal, but practical, actuation at the wall. Limitations of the approach and promising directions for future development are outlined.

The advances in the understanding compressible turbulent flows alongside with the im­provements in computing capacity, enable researchers to tackle more ambitious problems that surpass human intuition. Hence, it becomes necessary to rely on methods that give an insight on the underlying physical mechanisms that govern these turbulent flows to perform non-trivial tasks such as flow control. A recently developed adjoint-based opti­mal flow control framework for compressible flows with non-constant viscosity has been appended to an existing well validated in-house direct numerical simulation (DNS) code (HiPSTAR). A three-dimensional backward-facing step (BFS) flow is used as a simplified cabin noise problem. The turbulent flow over a target region is optimally controlled to minimize the potential flow-induced vibrations in a structure at the same location. A cost function defined in wavenumber space is used to guide the actuation towards a specific range of flow scales. A total cost reduction of 0.48% was achieved over the non-actuated case. Wavenumber-frequency decomposition is applied in both controlled and uncontrolled scenarios to achieve a further understanding of the optimal flow actuation. This analysis shows a change in the flow characteristics, shifting the wavenumber and directivity of some flow structures.

A systematic procedure to identify the plasma equilibrium response to the poloidal field coil voltages has been applied to the JT-60U tokamak. The required response was predicted with a high accuracy by a state-space model derived from first principles. The ab initio derivation of linearized plasma equilibrium response models is re-examined using an approach standard in analytical mechanics. A symmetric formulation is naturally obtained, removing a previous weakness in such models. RZIP, a rigid current distribution model, is re-derived using this approach and is compared with the new experimental plasma equilibrium response data obtained from Ohmic and neutral beam injection discharges in the JT-60U tokamak. In order to remove any bias from the comparison between modelled and measured plasma responses, the electromagnetic response model without plasma was first carefully tuned against experimental data, using a parametric approach, for which different cost functions for quantifying model agreement were explored. This approach additionally provides new indications of the accuracy to which various plasma parameters are known, and to the ordering of physical effects. Having taken these precautions when tuning the plasmaless model, an empirical estimate of the plasma self-inductance, the plasma resistance and its radial derivative could be established and compared with initial assumptions. Off-line tuning of the JT-60U controller is presented as an example of the improvements which might be obtained by using such a model of the plasma equilibrium response.