Multi-objective design optimization and experimental measurements for a submerged inlet

A multi-objective design optimization for a generic submerged inlet is conducted. The objective functions of the optimization problem are distortion and swirl indices defined by the distribution of flow parameters over the exit cross-section of the inlet. A fin type protrusion is introduced on the side walls of the baseline inlet. The geometrical parameters defining the fin protrusion; namely fin height, length and incidence angle are chosen to be the design variables of the optimization problem. The Trade Off (also known as ε-constraint) method is employed for finding the Pareto optimal set formed by the nondominated solutions of the feasible design space. An improvement in both objective functions (distortion and swirl indices) is observed. In order to verify the numerical results, an experimental setup for the same inlet geometry is prepared to run at the same flow conditions. Experimental measurements for the baseline inlet and for the selected optimum inlet designs are done. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the numerical and experimental approaches, to summarize their results and to compare the findings of the numerical analysis with the experimental study.