This volume contributes to one of the most important topics of Fluid Mechanics in future and presents recent research results on control theory and applied control methods. Understanding and handling of control methods of nonlinear systems, typical of Fluid Mechanics, is the key to reduce losses and to improve the efficiency and safety of technical processes.

At the 37th Prandtl memorial lecture on Regions of Viccous Flow, H.Oertel 1994 developed for the first time the stability theory of local perturbations in boundary layers and wake flows, as well as their practical application in the flow control of vehicle flows and the boundary layer of civil aircraft wings.This work presents how the stability theory concept of absolute instability has advanced and proven in practice in the last 15 years in terms of the efficient flow control.

Addressing classical material as well as new perspectives, Instabilities of Flows and Transition to Turbulence presents a concise, up-to-date treatment of theory and applications of viscous flow instability. It covers materials from classical instability to contemporary research areas including bluff body flow instability, mixed convection flows, and application areas of aerospace and other branches of engineering. Transforms and perturbation techniques are used to link linear instability with receptivity of flows, as developed by the author. The book: Provides complete coverage of transition concepts, including receptivity and flow instability Introduces linear receptivity using bi-lateral Fourier-Laplace transform techniques Presents natural laminar flow (NLF) airfoil analysis and design as a practical application of classical and bypass transition Distinguishes strictly between instability and receptivity, which leads to identification of wall- and free stream-modes Describes energy-based receptivity theory for the description of bypass transitions Instabilities of Flows and Transition to Turbulence has evolved into an account of the personal research interests of the author over the years. A conscious effort has been made to keep the treatment at an elementary level requiring rudimentary knowledge of calculus, the Fourier-Laplace transform, and complex analysis. The book is equally amenable to undergraduate students, as well as researchers in the field.

Developing clean, sustainable energy systems is a pre-eminent issue of our time. Most projections indicate that combustion-based energy conversion systems will continue to be the predominant approach for the majority of our energy usage. Unsteady combustor issues present the key challenge associated with the development of clean, high-efficiency combustion systems such as those used for power generation, heating or propulsion applications. This comprehensive study is unique, treating the subject in a systematic manner. Although this book focuses on unsteady combusting flows, it places particular emphasis on the system dynamics that occur at the intersection of the combustion, fluid mechanics and acoustic disciplines. Individuals with a background in fluid mechanics and combustion will find this book to be an incomparable study that synthesises these fields into a coherent understanding of the intrinsically unsteady processes in combustors.

A coordinated set of experimental research projects on flow control is being conducted by a team with experience in fluid mechanics and automatic control. The primary objective of this work is to develop new ways to control flows of technical interest and a generic approach to the design of flow control systems. Included are studies of mixing enhancement by excitation of jets, active control of unsteady turbulent boundary layers and separated flows, and active control of the vortical flow over delta wings using leading-edge blowing. Keywords: Boundary layer control, Flow control, Turbulent mixing, Unsteady boundary layers, Separated flow, Delta wings. (EDC).

Master the theory, applications and control mechanisms of flow control techniques.