We have been active in the development of temperature, shear and pressure sensors as well as plasma-discharge and synthetic jet actuators, all with characteristic scales from 1micron to 1 millimeter. Active Control of Complex Flows. Flow control promises increased performance from fluid systems by suppressing separation, decreasing drag, enhancing mixing, and so on. We study techniques to control complex flows by sensing the flow environment and actuating with the appropriate control laws. Current experiments include the active control of turbulent boundary layers and control of tip leakage flows in axial turbomachinery.
Gaseous slip flow in long microchannels.
The late stages of transition induced by a low-amplitude wavepacket in a laminar boundary layer. Proceedings of the Solid-State Sensor and Actuator Workshop, Hilton Head, SC, June 1998. To appear , J. Propulsion and Power , 1999. SEM photograph of a micro-turbine. The fluid mechanics, lubrication and rotor-dynamics are currently being studied and modelled.