Efficient Toroidal Propeller Optimization via Hybrid Free-Form Deformation Parameterization and Data-Driven Method

The toroidal propeller, as a high-performance propulsor with a unique geometric configuration, presents challenges in parameterizing its complex geometry and conducting design optimization. This paper proposes a hybrid Free-Form Deformation (FFD) based parametric method, which integrates global FFD control with local parameters to achieve flexible and efficient description of the complex surfaces of toroidal propellers. Building upon this, an automated design framework integrating Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), a Kriging surrogate model, and a data-driven optimization algorithm is constructed to explore a high-dimensional design space comprising 14 variables. The goal is to minimize torque while satisfying thrust and geometric constraints. Optimization results show that the optimized propeller achieves approximately 3.63% higher propulsive efficiency at the design condition and requires about 4.32% less power for the required thrust, compared with the best design from Design of Experiments (DOE) sampling. Further flow field analysis reveals that the optimized design achieves a more gradual pressure distribution, which effectively suppresses flow separation and cavitation risk, thereby maintaining better performance across a wider operational range. This study provides a systematic parametric modeling method and optimization strategy for the efficient design of toroidal propellers, demonstrating clear engineering application value.