The discrete adjoint method was used to optimize the aerodynamic configuration in order to increase the efficiency and precision of design. The fully unstable simulation of propeller rotation was avoided using the quasi approach. In the meantime, the gradient-based optimization approach was extended to the rotating coordinate in which the propeller blades were running, thereby increasing the dimension of the shape parameters as multi-coordinates were taken into account. However, the precision of the propeller optimization was improved by expanding the range of variation for design parameters. Using the current design framework, the propeller’s torsion angle, blade chord length, and blade profile were modified independently by an optimization solver, resulting in a notable acceleration.

The accumulation of ice on aircraft is a typical meteorological issue. The ice accretion on the wing’s leading edge can cause an earlier stall and significantly increase the safety risks. Because the equivalent shape of the wing will change based on the ice pattern on the leading edge, it is crucial to predict the ice pattern of the aircraft and design the anti-icing device. The ice accretion is predicted in the present work through a multi-shot approach. In the current study, a bio-inspired leading edge that can generate multiple pairs of counter-rotating vortices is used to alter the trajectory of the water droplets. This results in a lowering of the ratio of droplet attachment on the leading edge, hence and the ice accretion time, which is an indication of hazardous flight conditions, can be delayed. As a result, the spanwise continuous ice transforms into the discontinuous ice. Meanwhile, the Procrustes analysis provides a result for the thickness of the ice pattern on the wing model based on a variety of parameters for the leading edge.