Design optimization of unsteady airfoils with continuous adjoint method

In this paper, a new unsteady aerodynamic design method is presented based on the Navier-Stokes equations and a continuous adjoint approach. A basic framework of time-accurate unsteady airfoil optimization which adopts time-averaged aerodynamic coefficients as objective functions is presented. The time-accurate continuous adjoint equation and its boundary conditions are derived. The flow field and the adjoint equation are simulated numerically by the finite volume method (FVM). Feasibility and accuracy of the approach are perfectly validated by the design optimization results of the plunging NACA0012 airfoil.