Controlling nonlinearity and chaos

Several unrelated experiments were conducted in which nonlinear and chaotic behaviors of structural vibration and shock waves from free shear flow were observed. Since each experiment is sensitive to the initial condition, this makes them highly receptive to active control. Control of the vibration of the structure and free shock shear layer was achieved by redistribution of energy, such that the energy in the system is nearly preserved. Experiments are conducted to illustrate the role of the initial conditions in the active control strategy.