Airfoil design optimization based on lattice Boltzmann method and adjoint approach

We present a new aerodynamic design method based on the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) and the adjoint approach. The flow field and the adjoint equation are numerically simulated by the GILBM (generalized form of interpolation supplemented LBM) on non-uniform meshes. The first-order approximation for the equilibrium distribution function on the boundary is proposed to diminish the singularity of boundary conditions. Further, a new treatment of the solid boundary in the LBM is described particularly for the airfoil optimization design problem. For a given objective function, the adjoint equation and its boundary conditions are derived analytically. The feasibility and accuracy of the new approach have been perfectly validated by the design optimization of NACA0012 airfoil.