Improved aerodynamic design of turbomachinery bladings by numerical optimization

Numerical optimization of helicopter rotor aerodynamic performance in hover

“…For example, the application of a gradient-based method in one hand, and a genetic algorithm in the other hand, on the optimization of a 2.5D section of compressor blade of an aircraft engine, shows that the genetic algorithm requires around 10 times more CFD computations. Because of this too high CPU time required, a local gradient-based method is chosen [4].…”

“…In the present optimization procedure, Bézier curves [3] have been used to define the blade shape geometry. These curves are well adapted to the shape design in aeronautics and are mainly used in aerodynamics optimization procedures [4]. In this case, the design variables are the control points of the Bézier curves.…”

“…Such optimization strategies involving Navier-Stokes solvers have been applied in aeronautics on fixed wing configurations [11,17], and via adjoint formulation on aircraft configurations [9,15], and have demonstrated their efficiency to be successfully integrated in design cycles. Only few authors apply numerical optimization coupled with CFD codes on rotary wing, these automatic design tools being only applied for turbomachinery problems in quasi 3D and 3D [4,7]. This paper describes an aerodynamic optimization strategy for helicopter rotor blades shape, based on the coupling of an optimizer (gradient method) with a 3D Navier-Stokes solver.…”

Inverse-design and optimization methods for centrifugal pump impellers

“…Jang et al [41] optimized the blade sweep in a transonic axial compressor rotor (NASA rotor 47) using a response surface method and a three-dimensional Navier-Stokes analysis to increase its efficiency. Burguburu et al [8,9] presented an optimization method based on a quasi three-dimensional Navier-Stokes analysis. They employed the conjugate-gradient method (and a genetic algorithm for verification [8]) to find the optimum of a cost function, which was based on efficiency.…”

“…Burguburu et al [8,9] presented an optimization method based on a quasi three-dimensional Navier-Stokes analysis. They employed the conjugate-gradient method (and a genetic algorithm for verification [8]) to find the optimum of a cost function, which was based on efficiency. They applied their method to the design of both compressor rotor blades and turbine stator blades.…”