Aerostructural wing shape optimization assisted by algorithmic differentiation

With more efficient structures, last trends in aeronautics have witnessed an increased flexibility of wings, calling for adequate design and optimization approaches. To correctly model the coupled physics, aerostructural has progressively become important, being nowadays performed also considering higher-fidelity discipline methods, i.e., CFD aerodynamics FEM structures. In this paper a methodology high-fidelity gradient-based including aerodynamic structural nonlinearities, is presented. The main key feature method its modularity: each solver, independently employing algorithmic differentiation evaluation adjoint-based sensitivities, interfaced at high-level by means wrapper to both solve primal problem evaluate exact discrete gradients problem. implemented capability, ad-hoc created demonstrate methodology, freely available within open-source SU2 multiphysics suite, applied perform aeroelastic test cases based on ONERA M6 NASA CRM wings. Single-point optimizations, Euler or RANS flow models, are carried out find wing optimal outer mold line terms efficiency. Results remark importance taking into account coupling when performing shape optimization.