Computational aeroacoustic simulations of leading-edge slat flow

Abstract

High-lift devices on modern airliners are a major contributor to overall airframe noise. In this paper the aeroacoustics of leading-edge slat devices in a high-lift configuration are investigated computationally. A hierarchical methodology is used to enable the rapid evaluation of different slat configurations. The overall goal is to gain a deeper understanding of the noise generation and amplification mechanisms in and around the slat, and the effects of slat system geometry. In order to perform parametric studies of the aeroacoustics, a simplified 2-D model of the slat is used. The flow and aeroacoustics are computed using a compressible, unsteady, Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes code. A robust buffer zone boundary condition is used to prevent the reflection of outgoing acoustic waves from contaminating the long-time solution. A Ffowcs Williams–Hawkings solver is used to compute the far field acoustic field from the unsteady flow solution and determine the directivity. The spanwise correlation length used is derived from experimental data of this high-lift configuration. The effect of spanwise correlation length on the acoustic far field is examined. The aeroacoustics of the slat system are largely governed by the geometry, especially in terms of slat overlap. We perform a study of the effects of trailing edge thickness, horizontal and vertical overlap settings for the slat on near field wave propagation and far field directivity. The implications for low-noise leading edge slat design are discussed.