Model-Based Analysis of Flow Separation Control in a Curved Diffuser by a Vibration Wall

Vibration wall control is an important active flow control technique studied by many researchers. Although current researches have shown that the control performance is greatly affected by the frequency and amplitude of the vibration wall, the mechanism hiding behind the phenomena is still not clear, due to the complex interaction between the vibration wall and flow separation. To reveal the control mechanism of vibration walls, we propose a simplified model to help us understand the interaction between the forced excitation (from the vibration wall) and self-excitation (from flow instability). The simplified model can explain vibration wall flow control behaviors obtained by numerical simulation, which show that the control performance will be optimized at a certain reduced vibration frequency or amplitude. Also, it is shown by the analysis of maximal Lyapunov exponents that the vibration wall is able to change the flow field from a disordered one into an ordered one. Consistent with these phenomena and bringing more physical insight, the simplified model implies that the tuned vibration frequency and amplitude will lock in the unsteady flow separation, promote momentum transfer from the main stream to the separation zone, and make the flow field more orderly and less chaotic, resulting in a reduction of flow loss.