eVTOL and Urban Air Mobility Noise
C2604
- Content
This session is one of a 4-part series. Successful completion of each course in the series comes with an SAE badge and certificate
C2601 Rotor Aerodynamics, Dynamics & eVTOL Aircraft Fundamentals
C2602 High-Voltage Better System Design for eVTOL Aircraft
C2603 Brushless Permanent Magnet Machines and Motor Drives for AircraftThis course provides a comprehensive foundation in the principles of rotary-wing aeroacoustics, bridging classical fluid mechanics with the pressing environmental challenges of modern aviation. Students will explore the fundamental physics of flow-induced sound generation, focusing on the mathematical frameworks—such as Lighthill’s Analogy and the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings (FW-H) equation—used to model thickness, loading, and broadband self-noise. By establishing these core mechanisms, the curriculum transitions from traditional helicopter dynamics to the highly complex, multi-rotor configurations characteristic of distributed electric propulsion (DEP) and Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
Special emphasis is placed on identifying and mitigating the unique noise profiles of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) systems, where high-frequency prominence, wave interference, and severe rotor-wake-airframe interactions dictate community acceptance. Through a systematic analysis of open rotors and ducted fan installations, participants will evaluate state-of-the-art acoustic reduction strategies, ensuring compliance with relevant certification standards. This course equips engineers and researchers with the multi-fidelity predictive insights and design methodologies necessary to engineer the next generation of quiet, sustainable aircraft.
- Content
- By attending this course, you will be able to:
- Deconstruct the primary fluid dynamics mechanisms that generate aerodynamic sound, distinguishing clearly between thickness noise, steady/unsteady loading noise, and broadband self-noise
- Evaluate various acoustic metrics (e.g., dBA, PNdB, EPNL) to quantify noise levels, mapping how physical sound pressure levels correlate with psychoacoustics and human perception
- Formulate near-field and far-field noise estimations at arbitrary observer locations by implementing the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings (FW-H) acoustic analogy and the Brooks, Pope, and Marcolini (BPM) semi-empirical model
- Execute multi-fidelity computational workflows—ranging from lower-fidelity analytical methods to high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools—to predict the acoustic footprints of diverse propulsors and aircraft configurations
- Design targeted passive and active noise-reduction strategies, including the optimization of rotor sizing, airframe placement, blade planform geometry, and active rotor synchrophasing
- Interpret baseline global noise certification standards to ensure new, unconventional eVTOL architectures are designed with regulatory airworthiness pathways in mind
- Content
- Aeroacoustics Engineers / Noise Research Scientists
- CFD / Aerodynamics Engineers
- Propulsion / Rotor Design Engineers
- Aircraft Design Engineers
- eVTOL Systems Integration Engineers
- Flight Control / GNC (Guidance, Navigation, and Control) Engineers
- Psychoacoustics / Sound Quality Engineers
- Airworthiness & Certification Engineers
- Duration
- 04:00
- CEU
- 0.4