Optimization of a high through-flow design turbine using response surface method

Abstract

Enhancing the through-flow capability of the turbine facilitates the potential to decrease the external dimension of the engine, leading to a reduction in weight and an increase in the thrust-to-weight ratio. The optimization of blade profile in terms of aerodynamic design is an essential strategy to improve the overall performance of the high through-flow design turbine. This study aims to develop an automated optimization technique, utilizing the response surface method (RSM), to enable reliable prediction and rapid optimization of aerodynamic performance. A parametric modeling method is devised to generate blade profiles with continuous curvature throughout the automated optimization process. The Box–Behnken experimental design, in combination with Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes numerical calculation, is employed to construct a second-order polynomial RSM approximation model. The optimization process comprises two levels: improving the through-flow capability and reducing blade profile loss. The optimized profile, Opt1, achieves a substantial 13.19% improvement in through-flow capability at the cost of a 12.27% increase in blade profile loss. Thus, further optimization is performed to minimize blade profile loss based on the Opt1 scheme. Geometric constraints are applied to the most influential parameters affecting through-flow capability to mitigate their impacts. Compared to the Opt1, the final optimized profile, Opt2, achieves a substantial 31.83% decrease in blade profile loss with a negligible sacrifice of 0.23% in through-flow capability.