ELISA: A Tool for Optimization of Rotor Hover Performance at Low Reynolds Number in the Mars Atmosphere

The Evolutionary aLgorithm for Iterative Studies of Aeromechanics (ELISA) was developed in support of the Rotorcraft Optimization for the Advancement of Mars eXploration (ROAMX) project. ELISA was developed to enable aerodynamic rotor hover optimization for low Reynolds number flows in the Mars atmosphere. The first module of the algorithm allows for unconventional airfoil parameterization and multiobjective airfoil geometry optimization using OVERFLOW. The Pareto-optimal airfoil sets are converted to a set of Pareto-optimal airfoil decks, providing the lowest drag airfoil geometry for each angle of attack. The second module allows for rotor geometry optimization with simultaneous maximization of blade loading and minimization of rotor power using the comprehensive analysis CAMRADII. The result is a Pareto-optimal rotor set, providing the lowest power rotor for each attainable blade loading, and one of the first tools for hover-optimized rotors for high-subsonic low Reynolds number conditions. The airfoil thickness can be modified after the airfoil optimization is complete, allowing for a post-airfoil optimization adjustment of blade thickness to facilitate conforming to external structural analysis requirements. The relevance of the code is demonstrated with case studies for the ROAMX rotor optimization for Ingenuity-sized single rotors in the Mars atmosphere and a performance study optimizing the chord and twist of Ingenuity’s coaxial rotor resulting in the Sample Recovery Helicopters candidate rotor.