Combined Magnetohydrodynamic and Geometric Optimization of a Hypersonic Inlet

Abstract

This paper considers the numerical optimization of a double ramp scramjet inlet using magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects together with inlet ramp angle changes. The parameter being optimized is the mass capture at the throat of the inlet, such that spillage effects for less than design Mach numbers are reduced. The control parameters for the optimization include the MHD effects in conjunction with ramp angle changes. To enhance the MHD effects different ionization scenarios depending upon the alignment of the magnetic field are considered. The flow solution is based on the Advection Upstream Splitting Method (AUSM) that accounts for the MHD source terms as well. A numerical Broyden-Flecher-Goldfarb-Shanno- (BFGS-) based procedure is utilized to optimize the inlet mass capture. Numerical validation results compared to published results in the literature as well as the outcome of the optimization procedure are summarized to illustrate the efficacy of the approach.