Patent ID: 7293001

Claim:
A method for aerodynamic design optimization of an aerodynamic component, the method comprising: providing a computer that is programmed: (1) to provide a group of M parameters that define a design shape of a selected aerodynamic component, and to provide a vector p=p0 of initial values for each parameter in the group, where M is a selected integer ≧1; (2) to provide data point values and at least one numerical criterion for an optimal design at one or more selected location values of the aerodynamic component; (3) to provide an M-simplex in parameter space, centered at a vector location p=p0 and having a selected diameter d0; (4) to provide a design function f k at each location value k on the aerodynamic component, depending on the choice of the parameter vector p, for the parameter vector p0 and for each parameter vector corresponding to a vertex of the M-simplex, and for an expanded M-simplex centered at p0; (5) to provide a selected first objective function OBJ(p;p0;1), dependent upon the parameter vector p and upon a difference between the optimal design data point value and a first design function data point value at one or more of the location values; (6) to determine a parameter vector p=p(min) within the expanded M-simplex for which the first objective function attains a minimum value; (7) to compute a selected second objective function OBJ(p;p0;2) for p=p(min) and for p=p0; (8) when OBJ(p(min);p0;2) is not less than OBJ(p0;p0;2), to provide a modified expanded M-simplex, with a modified diameter d′ satisfying d0<d′<d and to repeat steps (6) and (7) at least once; and (9) when OBJ(p(min);p0;2) is less than OBJ(p0;p0;2), to determine if OBJ(p(min);p0;2) is no greater than a selected threshold value; (10) when OBJ(p(min);p0;2) is greater than the threshold value, to provide a substitute M-simplex, centered at p=p′0=p(min) with the selected diameter d0, and an expanded substitute M-simplex, centered at p′0 with the diameter d, and repeat steps (4), (5), (6), (7), (8) and (9) at least once; and (11) when OBJ(p(min);p0;2) is not greater than the threshold value, to interpret the parameter set p=p(min) as an optimal design set; and (12) constructing an aerodynamic component with a shape according to the optimal design set.