arXiv subjects

Ricard Montalà

Publications and source records attributed to Ricard Montalà.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

High-lift Wing Separation Control via Bayesian Optimization and Deep Reinforcement Learning

This study investigates active flow control (AFC) of a 30P30N high-lift wing at a Reynolds number Re$_c$ = 450,000 and angle of attack $α$ = 23$^\circ$ using wallresolved large-eddy simulations (LES). Two optimization strategies are explored: open-loop Bayesian optimization (BO) and closed-loop deep reinforcement learning (DRL), both targeting the mitigation of stall and the improvement of aerodynamic efficiency via synthetic jets on the slat, main, and flap elements. The uncontrolled configuration was validated against literature data, confirming the reliability of the LES setup. The BO framework successfully identified steady jet velocities that increased efficiency by +10.9% through a -9.7% drag reduction while maintaining lift. In contrast, the DRL agent, despite leveraging instantaneous flow information from distributed sensors, achieved only minor improvements in lift and drag, with negligible efficiency gain. Training analysis indicated that the penalty-dominated reward constrained exploration. These results highlight the need for carefully designed rewards and computational acceleration strategies in DRL-based flow control at high Reynolds numbers.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2025

SmartFlow: A CFD-solver-agnostic deep reinforcement learning framework for computational fluid dynamics on HPC platforms

Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) is emerging as a powerful tool for fluid-dynamics research, encompassing active flow control, autonomous navigation, turbulence modeling and discovery of novel numerical schemes. We introduce SmartFlow, a CFD-solver-agnostic framework for both single- and multi-agent DRL algorithms that can easily integrate with MPI-parallel CPU and GPU-accelerated solvers. Built on Relexi and SmartSOD2D, SmartFlow uses the SmartSim infrastructure library and our newly developed SmartRedis-MPI library to enable asynchronous, low-latency, in-memory communication between CFD solvers and Python-based DRL algorithms. SmartFlow leverages PyTorch's Stable-Baselines3 for training, which provides a modular, Gym-like environment API. We demonstrate its versatility via three case studies: single-agent synthetic-jet control for drag reduction in a cylinder flow simulated by the high-order FLEXI solver, multi-agent cylinder wake control using the GPU-accelerated spectral-element code SOD2D, and multi-agent wall-model learning for large-eddy simulation with the finite-difference solver CaLES. SmartFlow's CFD-solver-agnostic design and seamless HPC integration is promising to accelerate RL-driven fluid-mechanics studies.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2024

Towards Active Flow Control Strategies Through Deep Reinforcement Learning

This paper presents a deep reinforcement learning (DRL) framework for active flow control (AFC) to reduce drag in aerodynamic bodies. Tested on a 3D cylinder at Re = 100, the DRL approach achieved a 9.32% drag reduction and a 78.4% decrease in lift oscillations by learning advanced actuation strategies. The methodology integrates a CFD solver with a DRL model using an in-memory database for efficient communication between

cs.LG↗

arXiv2024

Turbulent Boundary Layer in a 3-Element High-LiftWing: Coherent Structures Identification

A wall-resolved large-eddy simulation (LES) of the fluid flow around a 30P30N airfoil is conducted at a Reynolds number of Rec=750,000 and an angle of attack (AoA) of 9 degrees. The simulation results are validated against experimental data from previous studies and further analyzed, focusing on the suction side of the wing main element. The boundary layer development is investigated, showing characteristics typical of a zero-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layer (ZPG TBL). In particular, the boundary layer exhibits limited growth, and the outer peak of the streamwise Reynolds stresses is virtually absent, distinguishing it from an adverse-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layer (APG TBL). A proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) analysis is performed on a portion of the turbulent boundary layer, revealing a significant energy spread across higher-order modes. Despite this, TBL streaks are identified, and the locations of the most energetic structures correspond to the peaks in the Reynolds stresses.

physics.flu-dyn↗