15 - Guest lectures

METAMATERIALS FOR CONTROL OF FLUID FLOWS

M. Kotsonis, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands

Achieving extensive laminar flow can reduce aircraft drag by up to 15%, offering breakthrough potential for curbing polluting emissions in aviation and other energy-intensive sectors. To achieve this, wave-like flow instabilities growing in laminar boundary layers need to be controlled and attenuated, to delay transition from laminar to turbulent flow. However, their complex, multi-scale, and broadband nature makes these instabilities extremely challenging to control.rnrnIn this presentation, we outline a new disruptive concept for flow control, first born in classical wave physics: Metamaterials. These are engineered composite structures, invoking dispersive wave phenomena to gain exotic properties that go beyond what is considered possible in Nature. The main such property we explore is the bandgap, a range in which waves are suppressed when interacting with the Metamaterial. rnrnThe work aims to uncover the complex dynamic behaviour of flow instabilities under dispersive interaction with Metamaterials and will help us understand and fully exploit bandgap mechanisms in transitional flows. Ultimately we aim to create a new class of Metamaterials for flow control and pave the way to ultra-low drag wings for the next generation of emission-free aviation.rn

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