Different Techniques of Aerodynamic Shape Optimization for Civil Transport Aircrafts

Abstract

Within the next few years, numerical shape optimization based on high fidelity methods is likely to play a strategic role in future aircraft design. In this context, suitable tools have to be developed for solving aerodynamic shape optimisation problems. Based on the unstructured RANS solver TAU, the major key components recently developed, like for instance the free form deformation or the adjoint approach, are described and applied for optimising the DLR-F6 wing-body and DLR-F6 wing-body-nacelle-pylon aircraft configuration. Such application has permitted to assess the flexibility and the efficiency of the mesh procedure, the optimization strategy, the adjoint approach and the parametrization.