This paper describes the use of a combination of a two-dimensional inverse method with
an optimization algorithm for the aerodynamic design of impulse turbine rotor blade cascades for wave power conversion. The inverse method imposes constant pressure-load along the axial chord, which can be shown to be related with the camber line slope. The camber line is iteratively modified until the specified pressure-load is achieved. The blade thickness distribution is optimized separately because the inverse method does not change it. The goal of the current optimization is to flatten the pressure distribution provided by the inverse method. The flow analysis is performed with a fast panel method for blade cascades. The use of the optimized airfoil thickness distribution reduces the variations on the pressure distribution and decreases the intensity of suction peaks. Most of the pressure distribution is kept almost unchanged for small angles of incidence. An impulse turbine rotor blade is generated stacking three optimized sections along the spanwise direction.
