Airfoil design method using the Navier-Stokes equations

An airfoil design procedure is described that has been incorporated into an existing two-dimensional Navier-Stokes airfoil analysis method. The resulting design method, an iterative procedure based on a residual-correction algorithm, permits the automated design of airfoil sections with prescribed surface pressure distributions. The paper describes the inverse design method and the technique used to specify target pressure distributions. It presents several example problems to demonstrate application of the design procedure. These examples illustrate that the inverse design method can be used to develop useful airfoil configurations with a reasonable expenditure of computer resources.