Experimental closed-loop control of separated-flow over a plain flap using extremum seeking

The lift coefficient of a configuration made of a flat plate with a trailing-edge plain flap is maximized at post-stall conditions by driving automatically the forcing frequency of a fluidic control system to an optimal value. The flap is equipped with pulsed blowing slots whose actuation frequency can be varied at constant actuation amplitude. The post-stall flow over the deflected flap is fully separated and organized around the natural vortex shedding at St = 0.2. It appears to be sensitive to the forcing frequency so that the lift coefficient is maximized if actuation is precisely the Strouhal number. Since this frequency depends on the flap deflection angle and the upstream velocity, an extremum seeking algorithm is implemented in order to drive the forcing frequency and thus guarantees that lift remains maximum whatever the geometric configuration is. Finally, a fuzzy-logic regulator is synthesized and integrated into the extremum seeking control scheme in order to speed up the convergence while maintaining stability and accuracy.