A computational fluid dynamic acoustic investigation of a tiltwing eVTOL concept aircraft

Abstract

With the advancement in electric propulsion systems, aircraft designers and manufacturers are no longer constrained to established configurations. Developments in Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft have been seen in recent times through the design of modern tiltrotor aircraft, tiltwing concepts and multi-rotor designs. The combination of these developments allowed engineers to propose designs which utilise the vertical take-off and landing capabilities of a tiltrotor aircraft with electrically driven propulsion systems, deemed eVTOL (Electrically driven Vertical Take-off and Landing). This investigation aims to develop an understanding of the aeroacoustic emissions associated with the non-linear interaction resulting from multi-rotor integrated propellers and a tiltwing eVTOL airframe. Acoustics is one of the key requirements of any future eVTOL aircraft certification, hence, an investigation was conducted into the baseline design, followed by an optimisation study aiming to reduce the amount of noise generated.