Planning Grant: I/UCRC For Applications In Flow Control

A new center is to be planned based at Florida State University, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and Ohio State University named the Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) for Applications in Flow Control (CAFC). CAFC is motivated by two major goals:(1)moving beyond the current design paradigm that relies on conventional steady aerodynamics and (2) integrating active flow control into engineered fluid systems. Active flow control is a multidisciplinary field that spans numerous technical disciplines, including fluid dynamics, controls, smart materials, actuators, sensors, and signal processing. Advances in these fields are often combined and first demonstrated in laboratory-scale experiments and subsequently scaled to industrial prototypes. Therefore, industry-driven collaborative research initiatives are required to catalyze and transition innovations from university research outcomes to industry.

The fluid dynamics and aeroacoustics communities are at the threshold of a paradigm shift as flow control is poised to alter the way many engineering fluid systems are designed. Once achieved there is a potential to revolutionize many areas, ranging from all modes of transportation to energy production to process engineering and more. The planned center will operate at the forefront of this transformation by connecting advances in fluid dynamics, controls, smart materials, actuators, sensors, and signal processing and applying to societally relevant problems with industry guidance. The proposed I/UCRC AFC will combine a team of complementary researchers and educators, train graduate students in interdisciplinary fields, actively recruit and mentor students from underrepresented groups, and team with entrepreneurial small businesses, industry, and government agencies.