Benchmark aerodynamic shape optimization with the POD-based CST airfoil parametric method

This paper conducts a benchmark aerodynamic shape optimization with the developed POD-based CST airfoil parametric method. The POD analysis transforms the basis functions of the CST parametric method into reduced orthogonal POD basis functions which are used to describe the geometric variation of the aerodynamic shape. A benchmark aerodynamic shape optimization for drag minimization of RAE2822 airfoil in transonic viscous flow provided by AIAA aerodynamic design optimization discussion group is used to verify the optimization effect of the developed parametric method. The optimized results indicate that developed parametric method can maintain almost the same ability to cover potential airfoils with much fewer parameters as the original high-dimensional CST method does, which can overcome the contradiction of high-dimensionality of design parameters and increase of optimization difficulty well. Moreover, the benchmark optimized results verify the optimization effect of the developed method by comparing with benchmark results optimized by other international counterparts in the field of aerodynamic shape optimization.