Optimizations of Airfoil and Wing Using Genetic Algorithm

The present study demonstrates how the Genetic Algorithm (GA), coupled with the CFD solvers ARC2D for 2D and KTRAN for 3D problems, can successfully be applied to the airfoil and wing aerodynamic drag minimization. The geometry of airfoil and wing sections is represented by a B-spline curve. The actual values of the coordinates of the control nodes for the B-spline curve are designated as the design variables. The NACA0012 airfoil is optimized for a free stream Mach number M∞=0.30, at which the drag coefficient is reduced by 46.1% for a constant lift coefficient of CL = 0.55. For the corresponding straight wing, the Mach number is set at M∞=0.80. The drag coefficient is reduced by 13.5% under the constant lift coefficient of CL = 0.30. The results demonstrates the powerful reliability and robustness of this technique.