Aerodynamic Design on Unstructured Grids for Turbulent

An aerodynamic design algorithm for turbulent flows using unstructured grids is described. The current approach uses adjoint (costate) variables to obtain derivatives of the cost function. The solution of the adjoint equations is obtained by using an implicit formulation in which the turbulence model is fully coupled with the flow equations when solving for the costate variables. The accuracy of the derivatives is demonstrated by comparison with finite-difference gradients and a few sample computations are shown. In addition, a user interface is described that significantly reduces the time required to set up the design problems. Recommendations on directions of further research into the Navier-Stokes design process are made. 2 Superscripts: Subscripts: Governing Equations Flow equations The governing equations are the time-dependent Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations. The equations are expressed as a system of conservation laws that relate the time rate of change of mass, ..