An Aeroacoustic Investigation of a Tiltwing eVTOL Concept Aircraft

Abstract

With the advancement in electric battery design, aircraft designers and manufacturers are no longer constrained to established configurations. Developments in Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft have also been seen in recent times through the design of modern tiltrotor aircraft such as the AW609 and the V-280 Valor. 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 an eVTOL aircraft, due to acoustics being one of the key components in future certification. The study will consist of an investigation into the baseline design, followed by an optimisation study aiming to reduce the amount of noise generated.