Multiobjective Optimization of a Highly Maneuverable Supersonic Airfoil Using Multifidelity EGO

In supersonic flight regimes, maneuverability reduces owing to the retreat of the aerodynamic center. This paper describes an optimization that objective is the shift forward of the aerodynamic center to solve the maneuverability problem. For this optimization, multifidelity efficient global optimization (EGO) was used, which is an extension of EGO that uses a surrogate model for an efficient search and allows using two different evaluation functions with different fidelities. B-spline curves, which allow for a flexible airfoil shape, were used to generate the airfoil shape. We could determine the type of the airfoil shape that would move the aerodynamic center forward from the pressure distribution and control points of the B-spline curve based on the optimization results. Therefore, we succeeded in finding the geometric features that determine the tradeoff between the aerodynamic center position and lift–drag ratio. The contribution of the geometry of the airfoil to the aerodynamic center is discussed herein.