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arXiv · 2506.15340

Optimal Control of Thin-Film Flow on a Flexible Topography

S. Alrashidy·A. Kalogirou·D. Kalise·K. G. van der Zee
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Abstract

This work presents a mathematical model for the optimal control of thin-film flows over a flexible substrate influenced by an external force. The objective is to find the optimal distributed force acting on the topography that minimises the differences between actual and desired thin-film profiles. A nonlinear lubrication equation governing the fluid dynamics and appropriate functional settings for this model are presented. It is also shown that this system satisfies a global energy-dissipation law for a suitable energy functional. Optimality conditions are derived for the solution of the minimisation problem of a specified cost function across a time horizon. These conditions are formulated at a continuous level as system of coupled, forward-backward PDEs, which are subsequently discretised for numerical investigation. To ensure computational efficiency and stability, first-order Implicit-Explicit (IMEX) time-stepping schemes are employed to handle the nonlinearities in the model, and a reduced gradient descent algorithm is applied to obtain a numerical approximation of the optimal control signal. Numerical results illustrate that controlling the thin film, even during rupture, achieves a precise film profile. This control strategy accelerates convergence towards a steady state, reduces instabilities, stabilises dewetting processes, and meets the desired profile specifications.

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S. Alrashidy, A. Kalogirou, D. Kalise, K. G. van der Zee. 2026-05-31. Optimal Control of Thin-Film Flow on a Flexible Topography. https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.15340

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