Multi-Objective Aerodynamics Design of Supersonic Inlet for Laser Propulsion

Air-breathing pulse-laser vehicles generate thrust via laser-induced breakdown, and their performance depends strongly on the intake flow delivered to the focal region. This study optimizes a Lightcraft-inspired two-dimensional intake for supersonic operation using Bézier control points with a fixed parabolic nozzle. Designs are evaluated by the compression ratio at Mach 2.49 and Mach 5.00, and the population shifts toward higher compression at both conditions, reaching generation-6 mean improvements of 184.4 percent and 417.2 percent, respectively, while a representative design achieves 177.2 percent and 547.8 percent. Since drag and total-pressure recovery are not objectives, they appear as secondary trade-offs. The results demonstrate that a fixed intake geometry can markedly increase ram-compression performance, and they motivate further stability and unsteady assessments to address intake unstart and buzz.