Fluid dynamic design optimization of the intake of a small turbojet

This paper proposes an efficient gradient-based optimization procedure for black-box simulation codes and its application to the fluid-dynamic design optimization of the intake of a small-size turbojet, at high load and zero flight speed. Two simplified design criteria have been considered, which avoid to simulate the flow in any turbojet components other than the intake itself. Both design optimizations have been completed in a computational time corresponding to that required by eight flow analyses and have provided almost coincident optimal profiles for the intake. The flow fields computed with the original and the optimal profiles are compared to demonstrate the flow pattern improvements that can be theoretically achieved. Finally, the original and the optimal profiles have been mounted on the same small-size turbojet and experimentally tested, to assess the resulting improvements in terms of overall performances. All numerical and experimental results can be obviously extended to the intake of a microturbine for electricity generation