DUCTED FAN EXTERNAL NOISE REDUCTION

IN COLLABORATION WITH BELL

Over the last five years, significant advances have been achieved in the field of urban air mobility (ex. Uber) and airborne parcel delivery (ex. Amazon). Among the challenges that must be overcome before air taxis and UAVs can be deployed within our cities and neighbourhoods, aircraft noise emissions and their impact on the public’s acceptance will need to be addressed.

As a leader in vertical lift technologies, Bell Textron Canada ltd. and its innovation team based in Mirabel (QC) are actively pursuing noise mitigation strategies applicable to aircraft propulsion systems. The objective of this project was to investigate the acoustic signature of a ducted fan under specific operating conditions and assess noise reduction strategies.

This project, partly funded by the SAGE program, was achieved in partnership with Université de Sherbrooke and the Quebec company Mecanum.

THE MANDATE

  • Project management;
  • Numerical prediction of ducted fan performance in various phases of flight using CFD;
  • Evaluate tonal and broadband noise signature using OptiSound™;
  • Compare numerical noise predictions with experimental data obtained in Université de Sherbrooke’s anechoic chamber;
  • Perform sensitivity study of ducted fan noise with respect to design features and operating parameters;
  • Provide recommendations on most beneficial noise mitigation strategies.

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING COLLABORATORS