Aero-engine Nacelle Aerodynamics and Optimisation

The overall aim of the project is to determine the feasibility and potential benefits of using adjoint optimisation methods to reduce aircraft fuel burn by improving the aerodynamic integration between the powerplant and the airframe. The research will initially focus on the design of the integrated nacelle but could also extend to other components of the powerplant such as the exhaust, intake or pylon. The objectives of the work are centred around a systematic evaluation of the various building blocks and optimisation strategies that can be used in adjoint design. This includes aspects such the aerodynamic operating conditions, geometric constraints, as well as objective functions and constraints such as drag, lift, thrust and engine operating condition. The methodology will be based on computational methods that calculate the transonic steady flow, geometry handling tools to define the powerplant shape as well as the methods to locally and globally modify the geometry to the optimum shapes. Although the work will be based on a high bypass ratio engine configuration integrated with a long-range civil transport airframe, the research outcomes will also be pertinent to a range of future novel architectures.