Work

Airfoil optimization using Design-by-Morphing with minimized design-space dimensionality

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Effective airfoil geometry optimization requires exploring a diverse range of designs using as few design variables as possible. This study introduces AirDbM, a Design-by-Morphing (DbM) approach specialized for airfoil optimization that systematically reduces design-space dimensionality. AirDbM selects an optimal set of 12 baseline airfoils from the UIUC airfoil database, which contains over 1600 shapes, by sequentially adding the baseline that most increases the design capacity. With these baselines, AirDbM reconstructs 99% of the database with a mean absolute error below 0.005, which matches the performance of a previous DbM approach that used more baselines. In multi-objective aerodynamic optimization, AirDbM demonstrates rapid convergence and achieves a Pareto front with a greater hypervolume than that of the previous larger-baseline study, where new Pareto-optimal solutions are discovered with enhanced lift-to-drag ratios at moderate stall tolerances. Furthermore, AirDbM demonstrates outstanding adaptability for reinforcement learning (RL) agents in generating airfoil geometry when compared to conventional airfoil parameterization methods, implying the broader potential of DbM in machine learning-driven design.

Source: Journal of Computational Design and Engineering

DOI: 10.1093/jcde/qwaf124

Authors: Sangjoon Lee, Haris Moazam Sheikh

Institutions: Stanford University, University of Southampton

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Multi-Objective Optimization Algorithms

Subfield: Computational Theory and Mathematics

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,650