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Article
Publication date: 24 May 2013

A.S. Zymaris, D.I. Papadimitriou, E.M. Papoutsis‐Kiachagias, K.C. Giannakoglou and C. Othmer

The purpose of this paper is to propose the use of the continuous adjoint method as a tool to identify the appropriate location and “type” (suction or blowing) of steady jets used…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose the use of the continuous adjoint method as a tool to identify the appropriate location and “type” (suction or blowing) of steady jets used in active flow control systems.

Design/methodology/approach

The method is based on continuous adjoint and covers both internal and external aerodynamics. The adjoint equations, including the adjoint to the SpalartAllmaras turbulence model and their boundary conditions are formulated. At the cost of solving the flow and adjoint equations just once, the sensitivity derivatives of the objective function with respect to hypothetical (normal) jet velocities at all wall nodes are computed. Comparisons of the computed sensitivities with finite differences and parametric studies to assess the present method are included.

Findings

Though the sensitivities are computed for zero jet velocities, they adequately support decision making on: the recommended location of jet(s), at boundary nodes with high absolute valued sensitivities; and the selection between suction or blowing jets, based on the sign of the computed sensitivities. Regarding adjoint methods, two important findings of this work are: the role of the adjoint pressure which proves to be an excellent sensor in flow control problems; and the prediction accuracy of the proposed adjoint method compared to the commonly made assumption of “frozen turbulence”.

Originality/value

First use of the continuous adjoint method using full differentiation of the turbulence model, in flow control optimization. A low‐cost design tool for recommending some of the most important jet characteristics.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. 30 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 May 2012

Domenico Lahaye and Wouter Mulckhuyse

The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework for the implementation of an adjoint sensitivity formulation for least‐squares partial differential equations constrained…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework for the implementation of an adjoint sensitivity formulation for least‐squares partial differential equations constrained optimization problems exploiting a multiphysics finite elements package. The estimation of the diffusion coefficient in a Poisson‐type diffusion equation is used as an example.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors derive the adjoint formulation in a continuous setting allowing to attribute to the direct and adjoint states the role of different fields to be solved for. They are one‐way coupled through the mismatch between measured and direct states acting as a source term in the adjoint equation. Having solved for the direct and adjoint state, the sensitivity of the cost function with respect to the design variables can then be obtained by a suitable post‐processing procedure. This sensitivity can then be used to efficiently solve the least‐squares problem.

Findings

The authors derived the adjoint formulation in a continuous setting allowing the direct and adjoint states to be attributed the role of different fields to be solved. They are one‐way coupled through the mismatch between measured and direct states acting as a source term in the adjoint equation. It is found that, having solved for the direct and adjoint state, the sensitivity of the cost function with respect to the design variables can then be obtained by a suitable post‐processing procedure.

Research limitations/implications

This paper implies that modern multiphysics finite elements packages provide a flexible and extendable software environment for the experimentation with different adjoint formulations. Such tools are therefore expected to become increasingly important in solving notoriously difficult partial differential equation (PDE)‐constrained least‐squares problems. The framework also provides the possibility of experimentation with different regularization techniques (total variation and multiscale techniques for instance) to handle the ill‐posedness of the problem.

Originality/value

In this paper the adjoint sensitivity computation is casted as a multiphysics problem allowing for a flexible and extendable implementation.

Details

COMPEL - The international journal for computation and mathematics in electrical and electronic engineering, vol. 31 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0332-1649

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 May 2013

Michiel H. Straathof, Giampietro Carpentieri and Michel J.L. van Tooren

An aerodynamic shape optimization algorithm is presented, which includes all aspects of the design process: parameterization, flow computation and optimization. The purpose of…

Abstract

Purpose

An aerodynamic shape optimization algorithm is presented, which includes all aspects of the design process: parameterization, flow computation and optimization. The purpose of this paper is to show that the Class‐Shape‐Refinement‐Transformation method in combination with an Euler/adjoint solver provides an efficient and intuitive way of optimizing aircraft shapes.

Design/methodology/approach

The Class‐Shape‐Transformation method was used to parameterize the aircraft shape and the flow was computed using an in‐house Euler code. An adjoint solver implemented into the Euler code was used to compute the required gradients and a trust‐region reflective algorithm was employed to perform the actual optimization.

Findings

The results of two aerodynamic shape optimization test cases are presented. Both cases used a blended‐wing‐body reference geometry as their initial input. It was shown that using a two‐step approach, a considerable improvement of the lift‐to‐drag ratio in the order of 20‐30 per cent could be achieved. The work presented in this paper proves that the CSRT method is a very intuitive and effective way of parameterizating aircraft shapes. It was also shown that using an adjoint algorithm provides the computational efficiency necessary to perform true three‐dimensional shape optimization.

Originality/value

The novelty of the algorithm lies in the use of the Class‐Shape‐Refinement‐Transformation method for parameterization and its coupling to the Euler and adjoint codes.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. 30 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 November 1997

H.A. Machado and H.R.B. Orlande

Solves the inverse problem of estimating the wall heat flux in a parallel plate channel, by using the conjugate gradient method with adjoint equation. The unknown heat flux is…

Abstract

Solves the inverse problem of estimating the wall heat flux in a parallel plate channel, by using the conjugate gradient method with adjoint equation. The unknown heat flux is supposed to vary in time and along the channel flow direction. Examines the accuracy of the present function estimation approach, by using transient simulated measurements of several sensors located inside the channel. The inverse problem is solved for different functional forms of the unknown wall heat flux, including those containing sharp corners and discontinuities, which are the most difficult to be recovered by an inverse analysis. Addresses the effects on the inverse problem solution of the number of sensors, as well as their locations.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 7 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2014

Ajit Kumar Parwani, Prabal Talukdar and P.M.V. Subbarao

The purpose of this paper is to develop a numerical model for estimating the unknown boundary heat flux in a parallel plate channel for the case of a hydrodynamically and…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a numerical model for estimating the unknown boundary heat flux in a parallel plate channel for the case of a hydrodynamically and thermally developing laminar flow.

Design/methodology/approach

The conjugate gradient method (CGM) is used to solve the inverse problem. The momentum equations are solved using an in-house computational fluid dynamics (CFD) source code. The energy equations along with the adjoint and sensitivity equations are solved using the finite volume method.

Findings

The effects of number of measurements, distribution of measurements and functional form of unknown flux on the accuracy of estimations are investigated in this work. The prediction of boundary flux by the present algorithm is found to be quite reasonable.

Originality/value

It is noticed from the literature review that study of inverse problem with hydrodynamically developing flow has not received sufficient attention despite its practical importance. In the present work, a hydrodynamically and thermally developing flow between two parallel plates is considered and unknown transient boundary heat flux at the upper plate of a parallel plate channel is estimated using CGM.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 24 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 July 2006

Hokyung Shim, Heegon Moon and Semyung Wang

This research aims to present a 3D multi‐objective approach regarding both magnetic and thermal characteristics associated with design of actuators.

Abstract

Purpose

This research aims to present a 3D multi‐objective approach regarding both magnetic and thermal characteristics associated with design of actuators.

Design/methodology/approach

The adjoint variable topology sensitivity equations are derived using the continuum method for 3D optimization. Convection interpolation function is proposed for density method of topologies such that convection term can be taken into consideration for practical design in the process of the optimization. In application of a C‐core actuator, the sensitivity is verified using the finite difference method (FDM). The proposed method is applied to the C‐core actuator and a single‐phase induction motor.

Findings

The thermal field is much more sensitive than electromagnetics that the weighing factor is investigated in the SPIM. Optimal topology result shows that cutting is needed.

Originality/value

A 3D topology optimization for magnetic and thermal systems using the finite element method is proposed.

Details

COMPEL - The international journal for computation and mathematics in electrical and electronic engineering, vol. 25 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0332-1649

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 June 2011

Yi Heng, Maka Karalashvili, Adel Mhamdi and Wolfgang Marquardt

The purpose of this paper is to present an efficient algorithm based on a multi‐level adaptive mesh refinement strategy for the solution of ill‐posed inverse heat conduction…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present an efficient algorithm based on a multi‐level adaptive mesh refinement strategy for the solution of ill‐posed inverse heat conduction problems arising in pool boiling using few temperature observations.

Design/methodology/approach

The stable solution of the inverse problem is obtained by applying the conjugate gradient method for the normal equation method together with a discrepancy stopping rule. The resulting three‐dimensional direct, adjoin and sensitivity problems are solved numerically by a space‐time finite element method. A multi‐level computational approach, which uses an a posteriori error estimator to adaptively refine the meshes on different levels, is proposed to speed up the entire inverse solution procedure.

Findings

This systematic approach can efficiently solve the large‐scale inverse problem considered without losing necessary detail in the estimated quantities. It is shown that the choice of different termination parameters in the discrepancy stopping conditions for each level is crucial for obtaining a good overall estimation quality. The proposed algorithm has also been applied to real experimental data in pool boiling. It shows high computational efficiency and good estimation quality.

Originality/value

The high efficiency of the approach presented in the paper allows the fast processing of experimental data at many operating conditions along the entire boiling curve, which has been considered previously as computationally intractable. The present study is the authors' first step towards a systematic approach to consider an adaptive mesh refinement for the solution of large‐scale inverse boiling problems.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 21 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 February 2018

Ajay Vadakkepatt, Sanjay R. Mathur and Jayathi Y. Murthy

Topology optimization is a method used for developing optimized geometric designs by distributing material pixels in a given design space that maximizes a chosen quantity of…

Abstract

Purpose

Topology optimization is a method used for developing optimized geometric designs by distributing material pixels in a given design space that maximizes a chosen quantity of interest (QoI) subject to constraints. The purpose of this study is to develop a problem-agnostic automatic differentiation (AD) framework to compute sensitivities of the QoI required for density distribution-based topology optimization in an unstructured co-located cell-centered finite volume framework. Using this AD framework, the authors develop and demonstrate the topology optimization procedure for multi-dimensional steady-state heat conduction problems.

Design/methodology/approach

Topology optimization is performed using the well-established solid isotropic material with penalization approach. The method of moving asymptotes, a gradient-based optimization algorithm, is used to perform the optimization. The sensitivities of the QoI with respect to design variables, required for optimization algorithm, are computed using a discrete adjoint method with a novel AD library named residual automatic partial differentiator (Rapid).

Findings

Topologies that maximize or minimize relevant quantities of interest in heat conduction applications are presented. The efficacy of the technique is demonstrated using a variety of realistic heat transfer applications in both two and three dimensions, in conjugate heat transfer problems with finite conductivity ratios and in non-rectangular/non-cuboidal domains.

Originality/value

In contrast to most published work which has either used finite element methods or Cartesian finite volume methods for transport applications, the topology optimization procedure is developed in a general unstructured finite volume framework. This permits topology optimization for flow and heat transfer applications in complex design domains such as those encountered in industry. In addition, the Rapid library is designed to provide a problem-agnostic pathway to automatically compute all required derivatives to machine accuracy. This obviates the necessity to write new code for finding sensitivities when new physics are added or new cost functions are considered and permits general-purpose implementations of topology optimization for complex industrial applications.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 28 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 May 2017

Lei Chen and Jiang Chen

This paper aims to conduct the optimization of the multi-stage gas turbine with the effect of the cooling air injection based on the adjoint method.

163

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to conduct the optimization of the multi-stage gas turbine with the effect of the cooling air injection based on the adjoint method.

Design/methodology/approach

Continuous adjoint method is combined with the S2 surface code.

Findings

The optimization of the stagger angles, stacking lines and the passage can improve the attack angles and restrain the development of the boundary, reducing the secondary flow loss caused by the cooling air injection.

Practical implications

The aerodynamic performance of the gas turbine can be improved via the optimization of blade and passage based on the adjoint method.

Originality/value

The results of the first study on the adjoint method applied to the S2 surface through flow calculation including the cooling air effect are presented.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 89 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 October 2016

Slawomir Koziel and Adrian Bekasiewicz

Development of techniques for expedited design optimization of complex and numerically expensive electromagnetic (EM) simulation models of antenna structures validated both…

Abstract

Purpose

Development of techniques for expedited design optimization of complex and numerically expensive electromagnetic (EM) simulation models of antenna structures validated both numerically and experimentally. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The optimization task is performed using a technique that combines gradient search with adjoint sensitivities, trust region framework, as well as EM simulation models with various levels of fidelity (coarse, medium and fine). Adaptive procedure for switching between the models of increasing accuracy in the course of the optimization process is implemented. Numerical and experimental case studies are provided to validate correctness of the design approach.

Findings

Appropriate combination of suitable design optimization algorithm embedded in a trust region framework, as well as model selection techniques, allows for considerable reduction of the antenna optimization cost compared to conventional methods.

Research limitations/implications

The study demonstrates feasibility of EM-simulation-driven design optimization of antennas at low computational cost. The presented techniques reach beyond the common design approaches based on direct optimization of EM models using conventional gradient-based or derivative-free methods, particularly in terms of reliability and reduction of the computational costs of the design processes.

Originality/value

Simulation-driven design optimization of contemporary antenna structures is very challenging when high-fidelity EM simulations are utilized for performance utilization of structure at hand. The proposed variable-fidelity optimization technique with adjoint sensitivity and trust regions permits rapid optimization of numerically demanding antenna designs (here, dielectric resonator antenna and compact monopole), which cannot be achieved when conventional methods are of use. The design cost of proposed strategy is up to 60 percent lower than direct optimization exploiting adjoint sensitivities. Experimental validation of the results is also provided.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. 33 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

Keywords

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