Airfoil design and optimization methods: recent progress at NLR

The present paper considers the problem of aerodynamic airfoil shape optimization where the shape of an airfoil is to be determined such that a priori specified design criteria will be met to the best possible extent. The design criteria are formulated by defining an objective or cost function, the minimum of which represents the solution to the design problem. A survey is given of developments at NLR applying the adjoint operator approach, utilizing a compressible inviscid flow model based on the Euler equations and a compressible viscous flow model based on the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations. Computational results are presented for a two-point drag-reduction design problem.