Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - IMAGE (Innovative Methodologies and technologies for reducing Aircraft noise Generation and Emission)

Teaser

The project, IMAGE (Innovative Methodologies and technologies for reducing Aircraft noise Generation and Emission), aims at investigating experimentally and numerically innovative airframe and engine noise-reduction technologies and, in a systematic conjunction, to develop...

Summary

The project, IMAGE (Innovative Methodologies and technologies for reducing Aircraft noise Generation and Emission), aims at investigating experimentally and numerically innovative airframe and engine noise-reduction technologies and, in a systematic conjunction, to develop robust numerical and experimental methodologies of addressing these technologies. Airframe noise is addressed by tackling landing gears and high-lift devices, and engine noise through its fan component. Fundamental investigations of three key control strategies are carried out: plasma actuation, turbulence screens and innovative porous materials, on a platform of three configurations, relevant to airframe and aero-engine noise generation and control, including a wing mock-up, tandem cylinder and engine-fan duct. Beyond this, IMAGE explores further the installation effect of aeroacoustic engine-jet/wing interaction, as well as low-noise concepts and optimal noise actuation methods by means of aeroacoustic optimization.

The overall objectives of the IMAGE project are:
• to investigate innovative control technologies and strategies that are able to effectively manipulate airframe and engine noise in terms of suppression of noise generation and propagation;
• to understand the physical mechanism of noise control and reduction in deployment of these technologies;
• to improve current methodologies and technologies in aero-acoustic measurements and numerical analysis;
• to investigate low-noise concepts with minimum or null penalty for aerodynamic performance, loads and cost;
• to reinforce at European level the EU-China collaboration and mutual understanding in dealing with global environmental problems in relation to aircraft noise emission footprint.

Work performed

\"The activities have been progressed in line with the project plan and complying with the project objectives. The main activities and achievements attained in the reporting period are summarized below.

- Project progress meetings have been well scheduled and coordinated. All the contractual documents have been signed on time. Increasing activities observed in “dissemination and exploitation” of the project results. The Project has established its own website, used for storing/transferring data and files, and further for “knowledge preservation”.

- The fundamental Test Cases (TC), TC01 (Tandem cylinders), TC02 (Wing mock-up) and TC03 (Acoustic liners), have been well defined and documented, w./w.o. noise control strategies (plasma, turbulence screen and acoustic liner) implemented. Experiments and numerical analysis have been being conducted for baseline TCs. Numerical analysis has also been conducted for TC04 (Wing/Engine-jet installation).

- The activities have been remarkably progressed in developing high performance acoustic measurement techniques include a noise source localization tool, a duct Modal Decomposition Method (MDM) and a liner impedance technique.

- The acoustic liner impedance eduction technology has been further upgraded. The parameters of targeted liners have been determined and adopted in manufacturing liner samples, which have been used in experiments for characterizing liner impedance, supporting consequently impedance modelling development. The design of the different experimental facilities has been completed, of which most are in operation for measuríng the test cases subjected to noise control.

- The data from the experiment of TC02 baseline configuration, performed from a previous project, have been collected and re-documented, which have been being used in validation of CFD/CAA methods.

- In the simulation for the baseline cases the CFD/CAA methodologies and tools have been well demonstrated and verified. Development of advanced numerical methods and modelling approaches has been undertaken, including, among others, high-order numerical scheme for predicting noise propagation, advanced turbulence models for robust formulation of noise generation. For effective numerical analysis of noise-control technologies, new numerical modelling methods for, respectively, plasma, turbulence screen and acoustic liner, have been proposed and are undergoing implementation and validation.

- In studies of low-noise concepts and aero-acoustic optimization, the numerical solver and optimization techniques, as well as their coupling, have been re-adapted and improved. Low-noise concepts have been proposed and investigated, showing noticeable noise reduction, as demonstrated in CFD/CAA computations and in experimental investigation.

- In addressing the (wing/engine-jet) installation effect, the CFD/CAA methods have been undergoing further improvement and verification. The improvement and verification of acoustic optimization methods have been reported and demonstrated in minimizing airfoil trailing-edge noise reduction.

- Two important documents have been prepared and finalized, led by industrial partners, concerning, respectively, “Definition of assessment criteria” and the “Templates and structure of Best Practice Guidelines (BPG)”. This has paved the way towards a relevant technical assessment and establishing \"\"Best-Practice Guidelines\"\" serving potential industrial use.\"

Final results

The work covered by the IMAGE project is to push European and Chinese research a significant step forward beyond the current state of the art, in the following fields:
• advanced beamforming and modal identification techniques,
• flow and acoustic control through turbulence screens and plasma actuation technologies,
• sound absorption by innovative porous materials,
• advanced modelling and simulation methodologies.

Along with new experimental database, the experimental techniques target improving the phased-array or conventional beamforming techniques, in-duct mode analysis and source localization, as well as the impedance eduction method. Three advanced noise-control/reduction strategies, plasma actuators, turbulent screen and acoustic liners, will be comprehensively and systematically investigated, aiming at enhanced TRL. Advanced and improved modelling and simulation methodologies will be explored, targeting accurate predictions of noise generation and propagation. Supported with CFD/CAA analysis, improved acoustic optimization techniques and experiments, low-noise concepts and engine-jet/wing installation effect will be verified.

The potential Impacts of IMAGE are particularly outlined in: (1) Mature the level of readiness of noise-control technologies and the methodologies to address these technologies; (2) Achieve project results that will be of mutual benefit to the EU and Chinese sides, and (3) Achieve a leveraging effect resulting from the coordination of research and innovation funding between the EU and China. The IMAGE project serves the goal of noise reduction set in “Flightpath 2050”, and contributing to European aviation underpinned by world-class capabilities and facilities in research, testing and validation as well as in education. To the end of the project, the noise control methods and the methodologies developed should be facilitated towards potential industrial use.

Website & more info

More info: http://www.cimne.com/image.