Analysis and control of unsteady separated flows

The active control of unsteady separated flows is considered, and the development of the separated flow following the formation and shedding of the starting vortex is characterized. In the method, the Navier-Stokes equations are formulated in time-dependent general orthogonal coordinates which remain boundary aligned for arbitrary boundary deformations. Results obtained for a backstep-channel flow with an oscillating flap demonstrate the effectiveness of the flap as a control mechanism.