Session: 39-01 Adjoint-based and adjoint-enhanced design optimization methods and applications

Paper Number: 80906

80906 - CAD Integrated Gradient-Based Aero Optimization of the NASA Rotor 37 

The present paper aims to optimize one of the highly loaded, compact, axial compressors investigated by NASA, using modern RANS-based optimization techniques. The NASA rotor 37 blade is used as a starting point and has been approximated by a CAD-based parametrization. Predictions by the RANS solver are compared with experimental and numerical data to validate the models. A gradient-based aero-optimization is performed to improve the performance on a single operating point while maintaining the same mass flow. The gradients are obtained through an adjoint approach where the cost is nearly independent of the number design variables. A total of 53 design variables from the blade, hub and shroud geometry are used to define the design space of the compressor. A 5.5% relative improvement in total-to-total efficiency is achieved by a Sequential Quadratic Programming optimization algorithm. While the efficiency is improved at a single operating point, the full operating map shows a narrow efficiency peak with a wider operating range towards the stall condition. Nonetheless, the overall performance of the optimized design is significantly improved compared to the baseline performance, within a limited computational effort. The optimization methodology and a discussion on the results of the aero optimization is presented in this paper.

Presenting Author: Thanh-Son Tran von Karman Institute

Presenting Author Biography: PhD Student at UMons and von Karman Institute.

Authors:

Thanh-Son Tran von Karman Institute
Tom De Bruyn von Karman Institute
Tom Verstraete von Karman Institute