Modeling and optimization of a propeller by means of inverse problems

The aerodynamic optimization problem of turbomachinery blades is addressed by means of an inverse problem and its adjoint equations. The blade geometry is simplified by considering it a thickless flow surface. The shape of the blade leading edge and the load distribution over the blades are the design variables. The flow is modeled by the compressible Euler equations in an axisymmetric framework. A set of discrete adjoint equations are employed to determine the sensitivities of the blade aerodynamic characteristics with respect to the above mentioned design parameters. Finally, the sensitivities are fed to a gradient based algorithm to optimize performance.