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Numerical optimizations of subsonic airfoils featuring a detailed representation of the complete contour are hardly known. To reduce the computational eort, potential-ow methods coupled with integral boundary-layer procedures are preferred for the aerodynamic analysis, the number of optimization cycles is limited and a moderate number of design variables (usually below 10 15) is considered. Actually, most of the numerically optimized subsonic airfoils published so far show a great similarity to the initial shape. 3. Example on Numerical Shape Optimization of Subsonic NLF Airfoils The objective of numerical optimizations performed by the present author was to design natural laminar ow (NLF) airfoils which show minimized average drag for a user-specied design lift region [1], [2]. In order to enable a detailed airfoil representation a large number of 34 design variables was considered. Contrary to the usual approach the airfoil was not parameterized by geometric shape functions. Instead, an inverse conformal mapping procedure according to Eppler was applied to generate the airfoil contour. The input parameters of this method directly control the local outer-ow velocity gradient and nally the boundarylayer development. A spline representation of the critical leading-edge region is avoided with this approach. The potential-ow method was coupled with an integral boundary-layer procedure utilizing closure relations according to Eppler for laminar ow. The method proposed by Drela with a new shape-factor relation is used to calculate turbulent boundary-layers. To predict the laminar to turbulent transition location, an en database method based on spatial stability analysis for Falkner-Skan self-similar proles was implemented. The effect of short transitional separation bubbles is considered by means of a new ecient bubble model. The complete aerodynamic model was coupled with a commercial hybrid optimizer which consists of a combination of genetic algorithm, downhill simplex and a gradient method. One optimization result is depicted in Figs. 1 and 2. The objective was to minimize the average drag coecient for angles of attack design = [2 , 3 , ..., 8 ] relative to the zero-lift line. Two Reynolds numbers were considered, namely Redesign = 3 106 and 9 106 . In order to prevent a breakdown in lift at o-design conditions and to enhance the stall characteristics, the curvature of the lift curve was limited for = [2 , 3 , ..., 15 ]. The resulting airfoil shows features which are well-known from manual airfoil design such as smooth transition ramps or a Stratford-like turbulent pressure recovery on the lower side (see Fig. 1).
1.5 cl 1.0 Present method, ncrit. = 11.13 Eppler code Experiment IAG
Re=3x106
0.5
0.0 0.000
0.005
cd
0.010
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xtra/c
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Figure 2: Predicted and measured drag polar for the optimized airfoil
Wind-tunnel tests for the optimized airfoil showed very low drag coecients inside the laminar bucket which exactly coincides with the design lift region, see Fig. 2. The optimization method has furthermore been applied to design of airfoils which show minimized trailing-edge noise or minimal derivation to a user-specied drag polar. 4. References
1 Lutz, Th.: Berechnung und Optimierung subsonisch umstrmter Prole und Rotationskrper. VDI FortschrittBerichte, o o Reihe 7: Strmungstechnik, Nr. 378, ISBN 3-18-337807-8. o 2 Lutz, Th. and Wagner, S.: Numerical Shape Optimization of Subsonic Airfoil Sections. Proc. ECCOMAS 2000: European Congress on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences and Engineering, Barcelona, September 1114, 2000.
Addresses: Thorsten Lutz, Institute for Aerodynamics and Gas Dynamics, University of Stuttgart (IAG), Pfaenwaldring 21, D-70550 Stuttgart, email: lutz@iag.uni-stuttgart.de