A reconfigurable multi-axis cyber-physical framework for multi-regime fluid--structure interaction experiments
Abstract
Fluid--structure interaction (FSI) experiments are typically built around mechanical dynamics and constraints imposed by the physical apparatus, so changing mass, stiffness, damping, or allowable motion often requires hardware reconfiguration. Here we present a reconfigurable cyber-physical framework in which these properties are instead assigned through software-defined dynamics. The system provides three translational and one rotational degree of freedom, each independently configurable as prescribed, load-responsive, or locked, with operating roles that can also be reassigned during a running experiment. Measured forces and torques are incorporated into real-time virtual dynamic models, while a common supervisory architecture coordinates multi-axis motion, mode switching, synchronized data acquisition, and diagnostic positioning. The prescribed-motion pathway is validated using a pitching hydrofoil by comparison with published thrust and power scaling trends, while the load-responsive pathway is evaluated using an active-heave/passive-pitch benchmark that reproduces the expected frequency-dependent resonant response over the tested conditions. The same platform is then reconfigured for intra-cycle active--passive pitching, coordinated vertical-axis turbine-surrogate motion, force-driven passive surge, and automated multilayer stereoscopic particle image velocimetry. These results demonstrate that distinct FSI boundary conditions and measurement requirements can be implemented within a common motion, sensing, and control architecture. By treating mechanical roles and constraints as software-defined experimental variables, the framework provides a reusable basis for reconfigurable FSI experiments without redesigning the underlying platform for each application.
Related
- A hybrid GAN-CNN surrogate framework for wave-structure interaction: Coupled prediction of free-surface fields and hydrodynamic forces
- Toward Interaction Dynamics: A Predictive Framework for Safe Physical Human Robot Interaction
- An arbitrary-order time-sub-cycling framework for conservative partitioned fluid–structure interaction
- Fault-tolerant quantum processing of physical experiments
- FT-Weave: Real-Time Compilation Framework for Reconfigurable Fault-Tolerant Quantum Architectures
BibTeX
@misc{zhang2026reconfigurable,
title = {{A reconfigurable multi-axis cyber-physical framework for multi-regime fluid--structure interaction experiments}},
author = {Zihan Zhang and Alex Sorensen and Qimin Feng and Orion Roberts and Linhao Jin and Qiang Zhong},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.01701},
eprint = {2609.01701},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.01701},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - A reconfigurable multi-axis cyber-physical framework for multi-regime fluid--structure interaction experiments
AU - Zihan Zhang
AU - Alex Sorensen
AU - Qimin Feng
AU - Orion Roberts
AU - Linhao Jin
AU - Qiang Zhong
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/22
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.01701
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.01701
AB - Fluid--structure interaction (FSI) experiments are typically built around mechanical dynamics and constraints imposed by the physical apparatus, so changing mass, stiffness, damping, or allowable motion often requires hardware reconfiguration. Here we present a reconfigurable cyber-physical framework in which these properties are instead assigned through software-defined dynamics. The system provides three translational and one rotational degree of freedom, each independently configurable as prescribed, load-responsive, or locked, with operating roles that can also be reassigned during a running experiment. Measured forces and torques are incorporated into real-time virtual dynamic models, while a common supervisory architecture coordinates multi-axis motion, mode switching, synchronized data acquisition, and diagnostic positioning. The prescribed-motion pathway is validated using a pitching hydrofoil by comparison with published thrust and power scaling trends, while the load-responsive pathway is evaluated using an active-heave/passive-pitch benchmark that reproduces the expected frequency-dependent resonant response over the tested conditions. The same platform is then reconfigured for intra-cycle active--passive pitching, coordinated vertical-axis turbine-surrogate motion, force-driven passive surge, and automated multilayer stereoscopic particle image velocimetry. These results demonstrate that distinct FSI boundary conditions and measurement requirements can be implemented within a common motion, sensing, and control architecture. By treating mechanical roles and constraints as software-defined experimental variables, the framework provides a reusable basis for reconfigurable FSI experiments without redesigning the underlying platform for each application.
ER -