Abstract
Modifications to the vortex shedding dynamics from a circular cylinder of diameter D are investigated experimentally in a free surface water channel. The vortex shedding is modified via the placement of a control cylinder of diameter \textit{D}/8 in the vicinity of the main cylinder. A methodology is presented to link changes in the wake dynamics and loading on the main cylinder. The analysis combines Fourier Modal Decomposition, Proper Orthogonal Decomposition, and phase averaging. Based on differences in the wake dynamics, the influence of the control cylinder can be classified according to its placement: (i) in the free stream outside the main cylinder shear layer; (ii) within the main cylinder shear layer; and (iii) in the recirculation region. While fluctuating lift is significantly reduced in all cases, the mean and fluctuating drag are affected differently. A generalized model-free method to optimize parameters for open-loop and closed-loop control in fluid mechanics applications is then presented. A multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA) is employed to minimize the oscillating lift caused by vortex shedding from the main cylinder. The control cylinder is prescribed a position as well as a periodic motion in two dimensions. The MOEA efficiently handles the larger optimization parameter space. The first objective of the algorithm is to minimize the fluctuating force coefficient $C_{L_{RMS}}$, while the second objective is to minimize of the actuation power required to drive the control cylinder. The final solution suppresses $C_{L_{RMS}}$ by over 90\% using near-zero actuation power. Further, the MOEA automatically provides a sensitivity study as to the influence of the different parameters and also in which spatial area the greatest influence is expressed.
