Nonconsistent mesh movement and sensitivity calculation on adjoint aerodynamic optimization

This paper presents an investigation of the influence of a nonconsistent approach in terms of mesh movement and mesh sensitivity calculationin a discrete adjoint-based optimization. Some mesh movement methods are more robust or of higher quality, whereas others can be more efficient for calculating mesh sensitivity. It is found that a nonconsistent approach gives comparable results when compared to a consistent approach. Therefore, an appropriate combination of nonconsistent approaches can be achieved for efficient adjoint optimization. This paper investigates and compares various consistent and nonconsistent combinations by using linear elasticity, Delaunay graph mapping, and radial basis function mesh movement methods. An investigation is presented, using a liftconstrained drag minimization, to assess which step of the chain introduces a deviation, if any, and to which degree this affects the final result.