Extreme Aerodynamics: Flow Analysis and Control for Highly Gusty Conditions

This talk by Professor Kunihiko (Sam) Taira from UCLA explores the challenges of extreme aerodynamics in highly gusty conditions. Learn how air vehicles operating in adverse weather, urban canyons, or mountainous terrains face enormous transient forces that make flight control extremely difficult. The presentation focuses on analysis, modeling, and control of extreme aerodynamic flows with unsteadiness far larger in amplitude than traditional aerodynamics. Discover how Professor Taira's research group leverages data-driven techniques, including unsupervised and supervised machine learning, to extract essential inertial manifolds and develop sparse and reduced-order models for flow control. The talk showcases successful approaches to characterizing, modeling, and controlling extreme aerodynamic flows, followed by discussions on open problems and future directions. Professor Taira, a recipient of multiple prestigious awards including the 2022 DoD Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship, brings his expertise in unsteady aerodynamics and computational approaches to this complex subject that has significant implications for small to medium-sized aircraft operations.