Three-Dimensional Large-Scale Aerodynamic Shape Optimization Based on Shape Calculus

Large-scale three-dimensional aerodynamic shape optimization based on the compressible Euler equations is considered. Shape calculus is used to derive an exact surface formulation of the gradients, enabling the computation of shape gradient information for each surface mesh node without having to calculate further mesh sensitivities. Special attention is paid to the applicability to large-scale three dimensional problems like the optimization of an Onera M6 wing or a complete blended-wing–body aircraft. The actual optimization is conducted in a one-shot fashion, in which the tangential Laplace operator is used as a Hessian approximation, thereby also preserving the regularity of the shape.