Abstract:
Aerodynamic optimization and design of airfoils with low Reynolds number was introduced in this paper. Objective setting for the optimization and its feasibility were analyzed. Parameterizing quality of the series of Hicks-Henne shape functions and the parsec method were studied. Based on the consideration of power factor maximum, improved Hicks-Henne shape functions were selected as parametric method. Kriging surrogate model and genetic algorithm were adopted in the optimization and design system. Furthermore, multi-point optimization method which is used to optimize conventional airfoils with high Reynolds number was extended to the case of airfoils with low Reynolds number. Four multi-point optimization cases set with different weighted coefficients in two different velocity design fields were calculated, with one velocity field spanned as long as 15m/s. Combined with single-point optimization study, the final results verified that multi-point optimization was more suitable for aerodynamic shape optimization for low Reynolds number airfoils. One of the multi-point optimized airfoils achieved the expected value of power factor increased by 29.54% and the variance of moment coefficient reduced by 27.79%. It’s conducive to flight endurance and the stability improved for engineering demand.