Multicriteria Design Optimization of Integrated Three-Dimensional Supersonic Inlets

Automated optimization by means of numerical simulation is a very promising technique now mainly used for research studies. However, its application in an industrial context is not very common. Optimization of a supersonic inlet is presented in the context of the development of an actual airbreathing missile. The automated optimization loop is described in detail. The aerodynamic evaluation tool (the computational fluid dynamics software 2ES3D) is described, and its validation on realistic cases is presented. The use of the optimization loop on a realistic and complex problem is compared with classical methodology for inlet design. The results are very promising in terms of design cycle time and cost reduction.