Adaptive High-Order Methods for the Concurrent Mesh and Shape Optimization of Aerodynamic Surfaces for the Design of Next-Generation Environmentally Responsible Aircraft

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The long-term objective of the research program is to establish a common framework using adaptive high-order methods for the concurrent mesh adaptation and shape optimization of aerodynamic surfaces. Future aerodynamic shape optimization algorithms must facilitate the design of the next generation of commercial aircraft to meet future global standards on the environmental impact of aviation. However, the current industry practice of employing multiple numerical tools to analyze and design aircraft wings for improved aerodynamic performance and acoustic signature, both prolongs the design cycle and converges to sub-optimal designs. Methodologies, for example, that will allow aircraft manufacturers to design aircraft with superior high-lift aerodynamic performance, and accurately resolve the far-field airframe acoustic signatures within a single numerical framework, would be an invaluable computational tool. An adjoint-based high-order aerodynamic shape optimization framework has the potential to realize this transformative impact on the industry. The past decade has seen the application of adjoint-based optimization frameworks for the multidisciplinary design of aerodynamic surfaces as well as mesh adaptation to increase the accuracy of integrated functions such as lift and drag coefficients. Both adjoint-based design optimization and mesh adaptation have been advanced independently but not investigated concurrently. The research objectives requires two major efforts. First, develop novel techniques for adjoint-based hp-adaptation, by evaluating the sensitivity of the objective function, such as integrated quantities, with respect to the addition of a degree of freedom either through h- or p-adaptation. The approach will allow the adaptation process to achieve a large reduction in the solution error for the least amount of computational cost. Second, develop high-order methods for aerodynamic shape optimization. The expected significance of the work will be the ability to modify the shape of the aircraft using the adjoint method with a high degree of accuracy in a truly industrial capacity. This research will produce highly skilled personnel and enable Canada to remain a leader in current aircraft technology.