A methodology for the shape optimization of flexible wings

Mariano Vázquez Alain Dervieux (INRIA Sophia-Antipolis) Bruno Koobus (Université de Montpellier)

Article in Engineering Computations (31 pages)

Abstract: In this paper, we propose a methodology for the shape optimization of flexible wings. This methodology is based on a loose coupling between a high-fidelity aeroelastic analyser and an aerodynamic optimizer. The shape update is formulated in a CAD-free representation, and a transpiration-based optimization is performed using an exact gradient method with a single adjoint state. The iterative process yields optimal shapes in the at-rest condition (i.e. with the aeroelastic deformations substracted). This shape optimization methodology is applied to the reduction of the sonic boom production while preserving the aerodynamic performances of wings, taking into account the aeroelastic deformations suffered by wings in flight conditions. With this end in view, the objective function model contains both aerodynamic parameters and an acoustic term based on the sonic boom downwards emission. Applications to the optimization of a supersonic civil jet wing and the AGARD Wing 445.6 are presented. The aeroelastic effects on the final optimized shapes are clearly apparent. We also observe that the convergence towards the optimal shapes is obtained after few optimization/aeroelastic coupling iterations.

Keywords: adjoint methods, optimization, optimal shape design, CFD, aeroelasticity, sonic boom,

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@article{VDK06,
  author = {V{\`a}zquez, M. and Dervieux, A. and Koobus, B.},
  title ={A methodology for the shape optimization of flexible wings},
  journal = {Engineering Computations},
  Volume = 23,
  Number = 4,
  pages = "344-367",
  year = 2006
}