Using Mesh Adjoint for Shock Bump Deployment and Optimisation on Transonic Wings

Shock control bumps are a promising device for improving the aerodynamic efficiency of high subsonic aircraft. From the previous research, the peak location and bump height are the most sensitive parameters, therefore the deployment position and size of the shock control bump are key factors. However, the position and size of shock control bumps are based on the designer’s experience and their view of shock location. In this paper, the mesh adjoint approach is employed to identify the sensitive areas on the wing surface in terms of the drag coefficient. An array of shock control bumps are then deployed in this areas and optimized. Moreover, a new shock control bump function is proposed based on the Class/Shape Transformation Methods (CST) to provide more flexibility of the design space and improved geometric continuity to satisfy C2 condition at the edge of the bumps. The results show that the mesh adjoint approach successfully identifies the drag sensitive areas on the upper wing and assist in the deployment of the shock control bump quickly, and the CST bump provides a highly flexible design space to achieve an optimal solution.