ABSTRACT The proposed work is an effort to use active feedback control to suppress free convection in the Rayleigh-Benard geometry. In addition to raising the threshold for the onset of convection, an attempt will be made to stabilize chaotic convection, so that transient flow occurs at a higher Grashof number. Distributed sensors, microactuators, and other MEMS technology will be used to provide the control. The fundamental knowledge gained in this study is expected to be important for future applications in materials processing, casting, and crystal growth.
