Adjoint Techniques and Acoustic Three Zone Method for the Accurate Design of Low Boom Maneuvers (ATAtZM-DLBM)

Under this collaborative effort, Creative Aero Engineering Solutions (CAES) and its partner, Wyle Laboratories, will integrate within our MDO framework the latest development of the three zone method, which is expected to eliminate the need for far-field results beyond 25 spans that typical Sonic-Boom prediction two-zone methods currently use. We will use the adjoint solution of the near-field pressure functional of the flowfield (more specifically sonic boom related functionals) to create new design variables, which will better characterize the design space more accurately and allow for more efficient low-boom configuration design. Subsequently, a similar methodology can be utilized for trajectory optimization (i.e. avoidance of focused booms at certain locations) during climb and descent of typical supersonic aircraft. We will use a different set of variables for such purposes (i.e. control surface deflections/thrust schedules). During Phase I we will establish the feasibility of the three zone approach within our MDO framework and verify the functionality of the design variables. Under Phase II, we will apply the new methodology to a NASA Low Boom configuration.