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Numerical aeroacoustic analysis of propeller designs

Part of: 75 year anniversary of Aeronautical Engineering at Glasgow University

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2017

G. Chirico ,
G. N. Barakos  and
N. Bown
G. Chirico
Affiliation:
CFD Laboratory, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
G. N. Barakos*
Affiliation:
CFD Laboratory, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
N. Bown
Affiliation:
Dowty Propellers, Anson Business Park Cheltenham Road East, Gloucester, UK
*
[email protected]
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Abstract

As propeller-driven aircraft are the best choice for short/middle-haul flights but their acoustic emissions may require improvements to comply with future noise certification standards, this work aims to numerically evaluate the acoustics of different modern propeller designs. Overall sound pressure level and noise spectra of various blade geometries and hub configurations are compared on a surface representing the exterior fuselage of a typical large turboprop aircraft. Interior cabin noise is also evaluated using the transfer function of a Fokker 50 aircraft. A blade design operating at lower RPM and with the span-wise loading moved inboard is shown to be significantly quieter without severe performance penalties. The employed Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method is able to reproduce the tonal content of all blades and its dependence on hub and blade design features.

Keywords

propeller acousticsCFDdesigns analysisinterior cabin sound
Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 122 , Issue 1248 , February 2018 , pp. 283 - 315
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 2017 

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Footnotes

This is a version of a paper first presented at the RAeS Applied Aerodynamics Conference held in Bristol, UK, 19-21 July 2016.

References

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