Higher-order Foppl models of steady wake flows

In this paper we construct two-dimensional steady potential flows past a circular cylinder as generalizations of the point-vortex Foppl system. For a given classical Foppl system, these higher-order systems form a two-parameter family depending on the truncation order N and the area A of the vortex region desingularizing the original Foppl solution. We characterize the higher-order equilibria analytically and numerically, and show that their modified linear stability properties make the higher-order systems useful models for a class of flow control problems. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.