Although the mathematical derivation of the adjoint equations and their numerical implementation is well established, there is scant discussion on the understanding of the adjoint solution by itself. As this is a field solution of similar resolution of the flowfield, there is a wealth of data that can be used for design guidance. The aim is to tie the adjoint solution to the flowfield, which has physical properties. The adjoint solution of four representative cases taken from turbomachinery aerodynamic problems are used to identify the physical insight it provides. The focus is on changes related to geometry, but the changes can also be realized using other inputs to the flow solver (e.g., boundary conditions). It is shown how the adjoint counterpart of the density and velocity field can be used to provide insights into the nature of changes the designer can induce to cause improvement in the performance metric of interest. Discussion on how to use adjoint solutions for problems with constraints to further refine the changes is also included. Finally, a turbine strut problem is discussed where it is not immediately apparent what geometry changes need to be used for further evaluation with optimization algorithms. The adjoint and flow solutions are used to determine the kind of end-wall treatments that reduce the loss. These changes are then implemented to show that the loss is actually reduced. The results in this paper show there is a twofold use of the adjoint method: one for guiding the automatic optimization as such and the second for guiding the designer in the choice of the design space.
Interpretation of Adjoint Solutions for Turbomachinery Flows
AIAA Journal ; 51 , 7 ; 1733-1744
2013-05-20
12 pages
Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch
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