Abstract:
Coaxial counter-rotating propellers exhibit non-negligible aerodynamic and acoustic challenges due to the close spacing between the two rotors and significant mutual aerodynamic interference. This study establishes a Bayesian optimization-based aerodynamic shape optimization framework for high-speed coaxial contra-rotating propeller blades, aiming to enhance aerodynamic efficiency under cruise conditions. Within this framework, the multiple reference frame (MRF) method coupled with Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations was adopted to accurately evaluate the aerodynamic characteristics, including the blade-to-blade aerodynamic interaction between the blades, air compressibility effects at high rotational speeds, and the influence of complex blade geometry. A Kriging surrogate model was developed to map the relationships between design parameters and aerodynamic responses, with a composite infill criterion implemented to accelerate convergence. Aerodynamic-structural integrated parameterization was implemented, independently defining chord length, twist distribution, and sweep configuration for both forward and aft propellers. The optimized configuration demonstrates a comprehensive aerodynamic efficiency of
0.8413 when accounting for spinner and rotating shaft effects, representing a 1.53% improvement over the baseline design. Load distribution analysis reveals that the peak loading positionsvare located at 0.75
R for the forward propeller and 0.7
R for the aft propeller. The optimized design scheme obtained in this study elucidates the geometric characteristics of high-efficiency and high-speed coaxial counter-rotating propeller blades.