Jay Gogue, Interim President of the NMSU System | New Mexico State University
Jay Gogue, Interim President of the NMSU System | New Mexico State University
Qiong Liu, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at New Mexico State University (NMSU), has been awarded a grant to study aerodynamics applications in aviation. Liu, who joined the NMSU College of Engineering faculty in January 2023, is leading the Flow Lab team in their quest to advance fluid mechanics through innovative research and development.
In February, Liu received a three-year grant worth $457,0777 from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. The grant will fund her project titled "Physics-Informed Reinforcement Learning-based Multiple-Input Multiple-Output Flow Control." The results of this research could impact not only aviation but also other industries where fluid dynamics are crucial such as automotive engineering, maritime transport, and wind energy. Associate Professors Andreas Gross and Fangjun Shu from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering are co-principal investigators on this project.
"The aim of this research is to enhance the theoretical understanding and practical applications of aerodynamics in aviation," said Liu. She added that integrating reinforcement learning with flow control could potentially improve the aerodynamic performance of air vehicles and pave the way for advanced machine learning-based flow control.
The inspiration for this project stems from ongoing discussions about improving aerodynamic control over airfoil to enhance airplane performance by reducing drag and increasing lift. Liu explained that designing effective flow control has become increasingly challenging due to requirements for maneuverability and agility.
She believes that one of the biggest challenges for this project could arise when the trained control agent encounters uncertainties in flow such as turbulence. To address this concern, she plans to train the control agent using various magnitudes of free stream turbulence.
This project holds significant importance for the U.S. Department of Defense as it investigates advanced active flow control strategies for high-performance aircraft. "The outcomes of this basic research project will provide valuable insights and advancements in aircraft control systems," said Liu.
Apart from its research components, the project will also include educational elements and funding for two graduate students. Interested undergraduate students will also have the opportunity to participate in the project.
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