Active learning of data-assimilation closures using graph neural networks

The spread of machine learning techniques coupled with the availability of high-quality experimental and numerical data has significantly advanced numerous applications in fluid mechanics. Notable among these are the development of data assimilation and closure models for unsteady and turbulent flows employing neural networks (NN). Despite their widespread use, these methods often suffer from overfitting and typically require extensive datasets, particularly when not incorporating physical constraints. This becomes compelling in the context of numerical simulations, where, given the high computational costs, it is crucial to establish learning procedures that are effective even with a limited dataset. Here, we tackle those limitations by developing NN models capable of generalizing over unseen data in low-data limit by: (i) incorporating invariances into the NN model using a Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) architecture; and (ii) devising an adaptive strategy for the selection of the data utilized in the learning process. GNNs are particularly well-suited for numerical simulations involving unstructured domain discretization and we demonstrate their use by interfacing them with a Finite Elements (FEM) solver for the supervised learning of Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations. We consider as a test-case the data-assimilation of meanflows past generic bluff bodies, at different Reynolds numbers 50≤Re≤150, characterized by an unsteady dynamics. We show that the GNN models successfully predict the closure term; remarkably, these performances are achieved using a very limited dataset selected through an active learning process ensuring the generalization properties of the RANS closure term. The results suggest that GNN models trained through active learning procedures are a valid alternative to less flexible techniques such as convolutional NN.