An Efficient Global Optimization Approach for Transonic Airfoil Design Using Network-Distributed Computation

Thang Tran-Ngoc
aerospace engineering department, Ulsan of University, Republic of Korea

Chang-Yeol Joh
aerospace engineering department, Ulsan of University, Republic of Korea

Abstract
An automatic design optimization framework in distributed computing environment is applied for optimal design of transonic airfoils. Airfoil shapes are produced by the NURBS-based shape functions with ten design variables. Elliptic grid generation and Euler solver involving implicit time-marching and Roe scheme are utilized for aerodynamic analyses of airfoils in transonic flow regime. The total aerodynamic analyses needed for global optimization are divided into several lot-jobs and allocated to associated PC clients through network. This is not a parallel process based on domain decomposition rather than a simultaneous distributed-analyses process using network-distributed computers. Response Surface Method (RSM), one of the most effective global optimization algorithms in distributed computing environment, is used to find the optimal solution. The framework is tested by a typical lift maximization problem with drag and area constraints. The result demonstrates that the framework works very efficiently and successfully generates supercritical airfoil shape.
Key words: design optimization, distributed computing, Euler solver, response surface method.