arXiv subjects

Fabio Pino

Publications and source records attributed to Fabio Pino.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Linear feedback control of liquid film on moving substrate via free-surface stresses

Liquid films on moving substrates are used in dip-coating processes to form uniform protective layers. Controlling free-surface waves is essential due to the film's inherent linear instability. Therefore, we develop a linear feedback controller to regulate the film toward a desired flat state by modulating the free-surface shear and pressure, with feedback gains derived analytically from linearised equations. Control performance is assessed for finite-amplitude waves using a Weighted Integral Boundary-Layer (WIBL) model at reduced Reynolds number $\delta = 8$. We identify parameter regimes in which pressure feedback is linearly destabilising while shear is stabilising, and vice versa, with the control mechanisms determined by the balance between the kinematic and dynamic wave velocities. Both stabilising and destabilising combinations of feedback coefficients can drive finite-amplitude waves toward the flat state $\bar{h}=1.1$ in finite time. In pressure-unstable regimes, the control induces a limit-cycle behaviour, in which long waves decay slowly due to the interplay between thickness and slope terms. The travelling-wave solution, although it decays slowly, moves against gravity, whereas other combinations reduce the wave amplitude in the direction of uncontrolled propagation. These results provide a foundation for higher-Reynolds-number studies and the design of industrially feasible actuator layouts.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2025

Integral modelling of weakly evaporating 3D liquid film with variable substrate heating

Analysing the dynamics of phase-changing liquid films is essential for enhancing the performance of thermal management systems. Still, direct simulation of the full governing equations is computationally expensive. To circumvent this limitation, I derived a weighted-integral boundary-layer (WIBL) model under long-wave assumptions, weak evaporation, and strong surface tension, also accounting for variable substrate heating. In the linear regime, the WIBL reproduces growth rates and the cutoff wavenumber of unstable modes with significantly higher accuracy than commonly used Benney-type models for Re<40, as compared to the Orr-Sommerfeld equations. The linear analysis further reveals a threshold separating streamwise- and spanwise-dominated instabilities in hanging films, arising from the competition between Kapitza and Rayleigh-Taylor mechanisms; the WIBL predicts this threshold accurately for small Re and inclination angles. In the nonlinear regime, with substrate heating that varies in both space and time, the WIBL model captures the evolution of free-surface thickness and temperature within approximately 6% of the original Navier-Stokes equations. Three-dimensional simulations show that a condensing film undergoes dry-out due to Kapitza instability, whereas unsteady substrate heating promotes spanwise momentum spreading, modifies wave dynamics, and prevents dry-out. The WIBL model provides a good level of accuracy at a low computational cost, enabling extensive parametric studies, nonlinear stability analyses, and the design of optimal substrate-heating control strategies.

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arXiv2025

Integral modelling and Reinforcement Learning control of 3D liquid metal coating on a moving substrate

Metallic coatings are used to enhance the durability of metal surfaces by protecting them from corrosion. These protective layers are typically deposited in a fluid state via a liquid film. Controlling instabilities in the liquid film is crucial to achieving uniform, high-quality coatings. This study explores the possibility of controlling liquid films on a moving substrate using a combination of gas jets and electromagnetic actuators. To model the 3D liquid film, we extend existing integral models to incorporate the effects of electromagnetic actuators. The control strategy was developed within a reinforcement learning framework, in which the Proximal Policy Optimisation (PPO) algorithm interacts with the liquid film via pneumatic and electromagnetic actuators to optimise a reward function that accounts for instability-wave amplitude through a trial-and-error process. The PPO identified an optimal control law that reduced interface instabilities via a novel mechanism: gas jets push crests, and electromagnets raise troughs via the Lorentz force.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2024

Linear stability analysis of a vertical liquid film over a moving substrate

The stability of liquid film flows are important in many industrial applications. In the dip-coating process, a liquid film is formed over a substrate extracted at a constant speed from a liquid bath. We studied the linear stability of this film considering different thicknesses $\hat{h}$ for four liquids, spanning a large range of Kapitza numbers ($\rm Ka$). By solving the Orr-Sommerfeld eigenvalue problem with the Chebyshev-Tau spectral method, we calculated the neutral curves, investigated the instability mechanism and computed the absolute/convective threshold. The instability mechanism was studied through the analysis of vorticity distribution and the kinetic energy balance of the perturbations. It was found that liquids with low $\rm Ka$ (e.g. corn oil, $\text{Ka}$ = 4) have a smaller area of stability than a liquid at high $\rm Ka$ (e.g. Liquid Zinc, $\rm Ka$ = 11525). Surface tension has both a stabilizing and a destabilizing effect, especially for large $\rm Ka$. For long waves, it curves the vorticity lines near the substrate, reducing the flow under the crests. For short waves, it fosters vorticity production at the interface and creates a region of intense vorticity near the substrate. In addition, we discovered that the surface tension contributes to both the production and dissipation of perturbation's energy depending on the $\rm Ka$ number. In terms of absolute/convective threshold, we found a window of absolute instability in the $\text{Re}-\hat{h}$ space, showing that the Landau-Levich-Derjaguin solution ($\hat{h}=0.945 \text{Re}^{1/9}\text{Ka}^{-1/6}$) is always convectively unstable. Moreover, we show that for $\text{Ka}<17$, the Derjaguin's solution ($\hat{h}=1$) is always convectively unstable.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2024

Multi-objective optimization of the magnetic wiping process in dip-coating

Electromagnetic wiping systems allow to pre-meter the coating thickness of the liquid metal on a moving substrate. These systems have the potential to provide a more uniform coating and significantly higher production rates compared to pneumatic wiping, but they require substantially larger amounts of energy. This work presents a multi-objective optimization accounting for (1) maximal wiping efficiency (2) maximal smoothness of the wiping meniscus, and (3) minimal Joule heating. We present the Pareto front, identifying the best wiping conditions given a set of weights for the three competing objectives. The optimization was based on a 1D steady-state integral model, whose prediction scales according to the Hartmann number (Ha). The optimization uses a multi-gradient approach, with gradients computed with a combination of finite differences and variational methods. The results show that the wiping efficiency depends solely on Ha and not the magnetic field distribution. Moreover, we show that the liquid thickness becomes insensitive to the intensity of the magnetic field above a certain threshold and that the current distribution (hence the Joule heating) is mildly affected by the magnetic field's intensity and shape.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2023

Absolute and convective instabilities in a liquid film over a substrate moving against gravity

The drag-out problem for small Reynolds numbers ($\rm Re$) admits the Landau-Levich-Derjaguin (LLD) solution for small capillary numbers ($\rm Ca$), and Derjaguin's solution for large $\rm Ca$. We investigate whether these solutions are absolutely or convectively unstable, solving the Orr-Sommerfeld eigenvalue problem. For Derjaguin's solution, we show that the LLD solution is convectively unstable for $\text{Ka}<17$ and absolutely unstable for $\text{Ka} \gtrsim 0.15 \,\text{Re}^{1.7}$ for $\text{Re} > 10$. For water ($\text{Ka}=3400$), the LLD solution is always convectively unstable. The absolute instability is observed only when the dip-coated film is additionally fed from above.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2023

Evolution of waves in liquid films on moving substrates

Accurate and computationally accessible models of liquid film flows allow for optimizing coating processes such as hot-dip galvanization and vertical slot-die coating. This paper extends the classic three-dimensional integral boundary layer (IBL) model for falling liquid films (FF) to account for a moving substrate (MS). We analyze the stability of the liquid films on vertically moving substrates in a linear and a nonlinear setting. In the linear analysis, we derive the dispersion relation and the temporal growth rates of an infinitesimal disturbance using normal modes and linearized governing equations. In the nonlinear analysis, we consider disturbances of finite size and numerically compute their evolution using the set of nonlinear equations in which surface tension has been removed. We present the region of (linear) stability of both FF and MS configurations, and we place the operating conditions of an industrial galvanizing line in these maps. A wide range of flow conditions was analyzed and shown to be stable according to linear and nonlinear stability analyses. Moreover, the nonlinear analysis, carried out in the absence of surface tension, reveals a nonlinear stabilizing mechanism for the interface dynamics of a liquid film dragged by an upward-moving substrate.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2022

Comparative analysis of machine learning methods for active flow control

Machine learning frameworks such as Genetic Programming (GP) and Reinforcement Learning (RL) are gaining popularity in flow control. This work presents a comparative analysis of the two, bench-marking some of their most representative algorithms against global optimization techniques such as Bayesian Optimization (BO) and Lipschitz global optimization (LIPO). First, we review the general framework of the model-free control problem, bringing together all methods as black-box optimization problems. Then, we test the control algorithms on three test cases. These are (1) the stabilization of a nonlinear dynamical system featuring frequency cross-talk, (2) the wave cancellation from a Burgers' flow and (3) the drag reduction in a cylinder wake flow. We present a comprehensive comparison to illustrate their differences in exploration versus exploitation and their balance between `model capacity' in the control law definition versus `required complexity'. We believe that such a comparison paves the way toward the hybridization of the various methods, and we offer some perspective on their future development in the literature on flow control problems.

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