Efficient Surrogate-based Optimization of the Aerodynamic Performance of a Contra-rotating Open Rotor Utilizing an Infilling Criterion

This study presents an efficient surrogate-based optimization (SBO) method of the aerodynamic performance of a contra-rotating open rotor (CROR). The objective was to maximize propulsion efficiency while reaching the target thrust coefficient at the cruise condition. To reduce the sample size and improve the optimization convergence speed, an infilling criterion was proposed based on the features of the interaction between the CROR front and rear rotors. The efficient front and rear rotors of the initial samples were selected and then combined to form the infilled samples. The results show that the infilled samples were closer to the Pareto front than the initial samples. For the six optimization parameters, 20 initial sample points were used, 11 samples were infilled