Aerodynamic Optimization of Low Observable Engine Intake Duct

Sammanfattning

An aerodynamic shape optimization procedure was performed on a low observable engineintake duct. The intake duct was fixed in its throat and aerodynamic interface plane (AIP)sections, while leaving up to 7 design parameters free to deformation in the centroid curveand mid section profile. The optimization setup consisted of an optimizer block implementedin MATLAB, where the NSGA-II optimization algorithm was implemented, and a simulationblock using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The objective functions for the optimizationprocess were the pressure recovery and the DC60 distortion coefficient in the AIP section.In total, four optimizations with gradually increasing degrees of deformation were conducted.The first optimization process was a validation case, performed on a test duct design, whilethe remaining optimizations were performed using a duct designed by the Swedish DefenceResearch Agency (FOI) as a starting point, for cruise and take-off conditions. The connection of NSGA-II and the CFD setup proved useful, as the distortion was decreasedby up to 52.8% relative the original value while keeping the pressure recovery within 0.06% ofthe original duct. The algorithm was successful in finding an improvement for both consideredoperating conditions, with the largest improvement for the cruise case. In total 975 duct designswere evaluated in the four processes, using a uniform inflow boundary condition on a boundaryextruded one meter from the throat of the intake duct. The importance of the handling of non-converged solutions in the automated optimizationprocess was also pointed out, as an oscillating solution affected the third optimization, therebyrendering that solution useless.