Parallel global optimisation based control of boundary layer transition

Turbulent flow has a significantly higher drag than the corresponding laminar flow at the same flow conditions. The presence of turbulent flow over a large part of an aircraft therefore incurs a significant penalty in the form of increased fuel consumption due to the extra thrust required. One possible way of decreasing the drag is to apply surface suction to delay the transition from laminar to turbulent flow. In this paper we report further progress on the development of optimisation based control algorithms for this problem area.