Adjoint-Based Techniques in Computational Fluid Dynamics: Theory and Applications

A special issue of Aerospace (ISSN 2226-4310).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2025 | Viewed by 377

Special Issue Editors


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Department of Aerodynamics and Propulsion, Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial | INTA, 92811 Madrid, Spain
Interests: aeroelasticity; computational fluid dynamics; aerodynamics; numerical simulation; fluid mechanics; aeronautical engineering; mechanical engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial | INTA, Computational Aerodynamics, 92811 Madrid, Spain
Interests: aerodynamics; computational fluid dynamics; adjoint methods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to cover ongoing advances in the development and application of adjoint methods in fluid dynamics. In addition to original research articles, review papers, letters or communications, technical reports, and extended versions of conference papers are likewise accepted.

The main topics that we expect to cover include the following:

  • Properties of adjoint solutions, including analytic results;
  • Continuous, discrete and unsteady adjoint implementations, including new developments concerning robustness, accuracy and time-efficiency of adjoint solvers;
  • Shape parameterisation and robust mesh deformation;
  • Aplication of adjoint methods to multidisciplinary shape optimization, error estimation and goal-oriented mesh adaptation, uncertainty quantification and robust design, data assimilation, stability analysis, etc.

Dr. Jorge Ponsin
Dr. Carlos Lozano
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Aerospace is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • adjoint equations 
  • continuous adjoint method 
  • discrete adjoint method 
  • aerodynamic design 
  • properties of adjoint solutions 
  • gradient-based optimization 
  • computational fluid dynamics 
  • multidisciplinary optimization 
  • adjoint-based stability analysis 
  • error estimation and mesh adaptation 
  • uncertainty quantification

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

25 pages, 3155 KiB  
Article
On the Characteristic Structure of the Adjoint Euler Equations and the Analytic Adjoint Solution of Supersonic Inviscid Flows
by Carlos Lozano and Jorge Ponsin
Aerospace 2025, 12(6), 494; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12060494 - 30 May 2025
Viewed by 226
Abstract
The characteristic structure of the two-dimensional adjoint Euler equations is examined. The behavior is similar to that of the original Euler equations, but with the information traveling in the opposite direction. The compatibility conditions obeyed by the adjoint variables along characteristic lines are [...] Read more.
The characteristic structure of the two-dimensional adjoint Euler equations is examined. The behavior is similar to that of the original Euler equations, but with the information traveling in the opposite direction. The compatibility conditions obeyed by the adjoint variables along characteristic lines are derived. It is also shown that adjoint variables can have discontinuities across characteristics, and the corresponding jump conditions are obtained. It is shown how this information can be used to obtain exact predictions for the adjoint variables, particularly for supersonic flows. The approach is illustrated by the analysis of supersonic flow past a double-wedge airfoil, for which an analytic adjoint solution is obtained in the near-wall region. The solution is zero downstream of the airfoil and piecewise constant around it except across the expansion fan, where the adjoint variables change smoothly while remaining constant along each Mach wave within the fan. Full article
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