Aerodynamic Noise Prediction of Subsonic Rotors

Numerical prediction of aerodynamic noise radiated by subsonic rotors are carried out. A computer program has been developed which incorporates both the discrete frequency noise as well as the broadband noise arising from the ingestion of turbulence. Acoustic analogy is used in conjunction with Homicz's formulation of turbulence ingestion noise. Formulation 1A of Farassat is used to enhance the numerical analysis performance of Ffowcs-Williams Hawkings equation by eliminating the numericla time differentiation. Homicz's trubulence ingestion noise prediction technique is used to understand the characteristics of broadband noise radiated by isotropic trubulence in gestion. Numerical predictions are carried out for a number of rotor configurations and compared with experimental data. Monopole consideration of transonic rotor agrees well with both the experimental data and the linear theory. Noise radiation characteristics of rotor at lifting hover are investigated utilizing simple blade loading obtained by thin wing section theory. By incorporating discrete noise prediction of steady loading with broadband spectrum, much better agreement with experimental data is obtained in the low frequency region. The contributions from different noise mechanisms can also be analyzed through this method.