We demonstrate the stabilization of an isolated unstable periodic orbit in a liquid bridge, con- vection experiment. A model independent, nonlinear control algorithm uses temperature measure- ments near the liquid interface to compute control perturbations which are applied by a thermo- electric element. The algorithm employs a time series reconstruction of a nonlinear control surface in a high dimensional phase space to alter the system dynamics.
Petrov, V., Schatz, M.F., Muehlner, K.A., Van Hook, S.J., McCormick, W.D., Swift, J.B., Swinney, H.L., Experimental Control of Thermocapillary Convection in a Liquid Bridge, 3rd Microgravity Fluid Physics Conference, NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, OH, CP 3338, pp. 487-492, June 13, 1996.