Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has become an
indispensable tool in designing turbomachinery components in all sectors of
Rolls-Royce business units namely, Aerospace, Industrial, Marine and Nuclear.
Increasingly sophisticated search and optimisation techniques are used based on
both traditional optimisation methods as well as, design of computer experiment
techniques, advanced surrogate methods, and evolutionary optimisation
techniques. Geometry and data representation as well as access, queuing and
loading control of large high performance computing clusters are areas of
research to establish the most efficient techniques for improving the
performance of an already highly efficient modern jet engine.
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This presentation focuses on a high fidelity design
optimisation framework called SOPHY that is used in Rolls-Royce to provide
parametric geometry, automatic meshing, advanced design-space search
algorithms, accurate and robust CFD methodology and post-processing. The
significance of including the so-called real geometry features and interaction
of turbomachinery components in the optimisation cycle are discussed. Examples are drawn from real world
applications of the SOPHY design systems in an engine project.