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Aerofoil profile and sweep optimisation for a blended wing-body aircraft using a discrete adjoint method

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 February 2016

A. Le Moigne  and
N. Qin
A. Le Moigne
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
N. Qin
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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Abstract

Aerodynamic optimisations of a blended wing-body (BWB) aircraft are presented. A discrete adjoint solver is used to calculate efficiently the gradients, which makes it possible to optimise for a large number of design variables. The optimisations employ either a variable-fidelity method that combines low- and high-fidelity models or a direct sequential quadratic programming (SQP) method. Four Euler optimisations of a BWB aircraft are then presented. The optimisation is allowed to change a series of master sections defining the aircraft geometry as well as the sweep angle on the outer wing for two of the optimisations. Substantial improvements are obtained, not only in the Euler mode but also when the optimised geometries are evaluated using Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes solutions. Some interesting features of the optimised wing profiles are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 110 , Issue 1111 , September 2006 , pp. 589 - 604
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 2006 

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