Multi-point aerodynamic inverse design of flying wing using the conditional diffusion model

A multi-point aerodynamic design method using a conditional diffusion model addresses aerodynamic challenges across speed regimes for flying wing configurations. The model is based on classifier-free guidance and adopts a three-dimensional (3D) airfoil profile design method for a flying wing layout to perform fast design for five wing profiles of a flying wing layout. The differences between the predicted profiles and aerodynamic performance of the method in the high and low speed integrated design states and the intended target are analyzed, and the aerodynamic performance of the flying wing layout before and after the prediction is compared. The results show that the errors of each of the profile parameters predicted by the method and the real profile parameters are within 3%. Furthermore, the aerodynamic performance of the airfoils derived from the inverse design closely matches the real aerodynamic data at each profile station, meeting the requirements of the inverse design methodology. In addition, the lift coefficient of each profile predicted by the given better aerodynamic performance is improved by about 7.78% on average at high speed, and the drag coefficient is reduced by about 9.23% on average at low speed, which is in line with the predetermined performance enhancement target. Replacing original airfoils with optimized designs improves the flying wing's lift-to-drag ratios in both flight conditions, confirming the method's potential for inverse aerodynamic design in multi-operational flying wing configurations.