Artificial neural networks trained through deep reinforcement learning discover control strategies for active flow control

Abstract

We present the first application of an Artificial Neural Network trained through a Deep Reinforcement Learning agent to perform active flow control. It is shown that, in a 2D simulation of the Kármán vortex street at moderate Reynolds number (Re = 100), our Artificial Neural Network is able to learn an active control strategy from experimenting with the mass flow rates of two jets on the sides of a cylinder. By interacting with the unsteady wake, the Artificial Neural Network successfully stabilizes the vortex alley and reduces drag by about 8 %. This is performed while using small mass flow rates for the actuation, on the order of 0.5 % of the mass flow rate intersecting the cylinder cross section once a new pseudo-periodic shedding regime is found. This opens the way to a new class of methods for performing active flow control.