Integrated passage design based on extended free-form deformation and adjoint optimization

Inspired by the three-dimensional design of flow passages in turbomachinery, this study proposes the concept of integrated passage design. The capability of adjoint method for efficient optimization and the flexibility of the parameterization method based on extended free-form deformation have been considered to develop a feasible approach to design an integrated passage. This concept was applied to redesign a typical transonic fan, Rotor 67, and the results were analyzed by CFX. It is shown that the passage was adequately adjusted in all three dimensions and reduced the strength of shock wave and wake-induced flow. In particular, the secondary flow was appropriately reorganized and the corner separation was well controlled in the end wall region, leading to significant improvements in adiabatic efficiency and diffusion.