arXiv subjects

Max Howell

Publications and source records attributed to Max Howell.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Time-Spectral Resolvent Analysis For Periodic Dynamical Systems

Traditional resolvent analysis is a powerful framework for identifying the most amplified input-output structures in fluid flows from a stationary base state. Extending this resolvent analysis to periodic base flows poses computational challenges due to quasi-periodic responses and expensive linearization around a time-varying base flow. This work proposes a time-spectral resolvent operator formulated using the time-spectral method and Fourier collocation that operates directly in the time domain. Rather than mapping between truncated Fourier coefficients as in frequency-domain approaches, the proposed operator maps forcing and response envelopes defined on a discrete temporal grid, enabling direct Jacobian evaluation at collocation points without computing Fourier coefficients of the base flow. The time-spectral resolvent achieves spectral convergence and offers simplified implementation that integrates easily with existing scientific computing tools. The time-spectral resolvent method is validated numerically in three examples including the parametrically forced Mathieu oscillator, the autonomous van der Pol oscillator and the complex Ginzburg-Landau partial differential equation to show that the proposed method accurately predicts the maximum energy amplification and optimal response mode when the system is subject to optimal quasi-periodic forcing. The proposed framework provides a foundation for extending resolvent-based analysis and control to high-dimensional periodic dynamical systems.

math.DS↗

arXiv2026

Efficient Adjoint-based Design Optimization with Optimal Control

Multidisciplinary engineering system design typically employs a sequential process, progressing from system dynamics to design variables and control. However, this process is inefficient and may lead to a suboptimal design. We propose formulating the optimal control and multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) problems as a single problem with linear quadratic regulator (LQR) control. We use the coupled adjoint method to compute the design variable derivatives, which are critical for gradient-based design optimization. The computational cost of the derivative computation using the adjoint method is independent of the number of design variables, making it suitable for large-scale problems. We show that the coupled adjoint can be solved indirectly and more efficiently by solving three smaller adjoint equations that leverage the feedforward structure of the problem. We demonstrate this new approach on two test problems: design optimization of a classic cart-pole problem and the aerodynamic shape of a quadrotor blade. For the quadrotor blade design problem, we reduce the control cost by 10% by optimizing the blade for a specific control task with a slight penalty in steady hovering power consumption.

math.OC↗

arXiv2025

Adjoint-based Hopf-bifurcation Instability Suppression via First Lyapunov Coefficient

Many physical systems exhibit limit cycle oscillations induced by Hopf bifurcations. In aerospace engineering, limit cycle oscillations arise from undesirable Hopf bifurcation phenomena such as aeroelastic flutter and transonic buffet. In some cases, the resulting limit cycle oscillations can themselves be unstable, leading to amplitude divergence or hysteretic transitions that threaten structural integrity and performance. Avoiding such phenomena when performing gradient based design optimization requires a constraint that quantifies the stability of the bifurcations and the derivative of that constraint with respect to the design variables. To capture the local stability of bifurcations, we leverage the first Lyapunov coefficient, which predicts whether the resulting limit cycle oscillation is stable or unstable. We develop an accurate and efficient method for computing derivatives of the first Lyapunov coefficient. We leverage the adjoint method and reverse algorithmic differentiation to efficiently compute the derivative of the first Lyapunov coefficient. We demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed adjoint method in three design optimization problems that suppress unstable bifurcation: an algebraic Hopf bifurcation model, an aeroelastic model of a typical section, and a nonlinear problem based on the complex Ginzburg-Landau partial differential equation. While the current formulation addresses only a single bifurcation mode, the proposed adjoint shows great potential for efficiently handling Hopf bifurcation constraints in large scale nonlinear problems governed by partial differential equations. Its accuracy, versatility and scalability make it a promising tool for aeroelastic and aerodynamic design optimization as well as other engineering problems involving Hopf bifurcation instabilities.

math.DS↗