Inverse aerodynamic design for distributed propulsion wing with expected circulation distribution

Distributed Propulsion Wing (DPW) technology offers significant advantages in terms of flight energy savings, but the strong aerodynamic coupling between the propulsive internal flow and aerodynamic external flow brings significant design challenges. As the primary DPW profile design is of great significance, this paper proposes a hybrid method to solve the inverse problem mainly based on the formula relationship between the required aerodynamic loads and the profile shape, which is more direct and instructive compared with traditional parametric iterative methods. The aerodynamic characteristics are described by the circulation distribution in the Fourier series form, then the mean camber line of the profile is solved through the re-derived airfoil theory considering disk’s influence. Further CFD correction methods are also proposed. To validate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed hybrid inverse method, several DPW profile design tests are then conducted. Finally, the relationship between 2D and realistic 3D unit shape is also researched. The results show that the proposed inverse design method has great accuracy and convergence speed in the design tests, and shows good robustness against changes of the design parameters. The 2D profile shape and the actual 3D shape of DPW unit can establish an aerodynamic-propulsion equivalent relationship based on the same internal mass fluxes.