Imposing C 0 and C 1 continuity constraints during CAD‐based adjoint optimization

This article presents a method for performing adjoint‐based aerodynamic shape optimization by manipulating the standard CAD geometry of the shape to be optimized. A standard CAD file gives access to the boundary representation (BRep) of the shape and consequently its boundary surfaces which are usually trimmed patches. This is a sensible choice as the open format of such files is a requirement for the computation of the shape derivatives. The method addresses the continuity issues that emerge during the update of the shape by imposing up to C 1 constraints between different CAD patches. A parameterization scheme based on NURBS surfaces is then defined, in which the aforementioned constraints are inherently satisfied. The proposed method is firstly demonstrated in a simple geometric case and then in the full‐scale optimization of industrial‐like cases such as the S‐section of a cooling duct and the tail surface of a passenger car.