Local flow control by phononic subsurfaces over extended spatial domains

Abstract

Local phonon motion underneath a surface interacting with a flow may cause the flow to passively stabilize, or destabilize, as desired within the region adjacent to the subsurface motion. This mechanism has been extensively analyzed over only a spatial region on the order of the instability wavelength along the fluid–structure interface. Here, we uncover fundamental relations between the behavior of flow instabilities and the frequency response characteristics of the phononic subsurface structure admitting the elastic motion. These relations are then utilized to demonstrate the possibility of extensive spatial expansion of the control regime along the downstream direction with minimal loss of performance—potentially covering the entire surface exposed to the flow.