MOdeling and Reduction of Aeroacoustics Sources of Interaction Noise in Aviation

Introduction

The target of climate-neutral aviation has led to a strong increase in the size of new propulsion systems, resulting in their lowered distance to the airframe components. This causes new aerodynamic interactions with heavy distortion of the turbulent flow, determining unpredictable sources of noise. Mitigating this interaction noise would allow for the deployment of radically new aircraft configurations capable of reducing up to 20% of the current aviation emissions.

Background

While studies from literature have tried to correct discrepancies larger than 10 dB from acoustic predictions by a-posteriori tuning the models to very specific flow patterns, recent results from my team have shed light on the physics behind the unpredictability of these noise sources. Results hinted that the geometrical deformation of the turbulent flow from its original pattern might explain the origin of interaction noise.

Objectives

To solve this puzzle, with MORASINA I aim at first understanding how the flow and the turbulence are distorted in archetypal interactions between rotating and stationary aerodynamic objects. My objective is to discover the unknown mathematical formulation to model this distortion mechanism and to use it to create the first holistic acoustic model for predictions of interaction noise.

Methodology

By innovatively describing the interaction mechanisms with mathematical functions related to the geometrical distortion of the flow, I will find an answer to whether different flow fields can be assimilated in a unique fundamental flow pattern. With this knowledge, I will create the first acoustic model based on a mathematical “flow twin” to accurately predict interaction noise.

Impact

For maximum impact on society, I will extend the model to equipollent interaction mechanisms with a neural network approach trained on the results, allowing the use of the prediction framework for reducing interaction noise in the design of the next generation of zero-emission and silent aircraft.