CGNS-Based Data Model for Turbine Blade Optimization

This paper presents a CFD data model specifically designed to address the needs of the OPALE project, whose goal is to automate the design optimization of hydraulic turbine blades. The purpose of this CFD model, based on the CGNS system, is to enable the integration of commercial and in-house analysis and design applications, and to allow the management and exchange of data in order to provide a support to MDO. The paper first presents the OPALE CFD data model structure based on the CGNS system. Some constraints in the use of CGNS are proposed in the context of the OPALE project, some interpretation problems concerning the CGNS system are resolved and the specific choices made are justified. The result is a complete CFD data model directly based on the CGNS standard specifications. The second part of the paper presents a flexible method, based on XML, proposed to drive the filtering process of the CGNS data files produced by commercials CFD solvers, with the aim of bringing them in the OPALE standardized CGNS form.