Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SENECA ((LTO) noiSe and EmissioNs of supErsoniC Aircraft)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2022-07-01 do 2023-12-31
In WP2 “Specification of Platforms” the geometry of two business jets cruising at Mach 1.4 and 1.6 and the geometry of two different airliners cruising at Mach 1.8 and 2.2 respectively were designed and their aerodynamic characteristics determined. The mission profiles were iteratively altered to achieve a perfect match with the engines designed in WP3. Advanced take-off trajectories with variations in e.g. take-off speed, delayed rotation, Programmed Lapse Rate were generated and transferred to WP5 for noise evaluation
In WP3, the final engine designs were developed in consultation with WP2. The main challenges were the continuous thermal load due to the high thrust required in supersonic flight and the LTO noise restrictions. Special attention was paid to the perfect match between engine performance and mission profiles, especially in the transonic regimes and supersonic cruise.
In WP4 "Emissions and Environmental Impact", the expected routes and number of flights of a hypothetical civil supersonic fleet were defined in collaboration with EUROCONTROL. Based on the engine data from WP3, emission indices were calculated and mapped to the planned routes, which will allow a prediction of the global climate impact of a supersonic fleet. A first numerical sensitivity study was carried out to investigate the impact of supersonic aircraft emissions (NOx and H2O) on the atmosphere and climate as a function of altitude and the geographical distribution of routes.
In order to improve the reliability of noise emission predictions, a comprehensive benchmark study on empirical jet noise prediction was carried out as part of Work Package 5 "LTO Noise". A small scale jet noise test was also conducted. These measurements will complement the benchmark test cases by considering additional geometric variations such as the number of mixer lobes. Together with WP2, the advanced take-off trajectories were developed and first noise assessments for the four aircraft were performed.
Within the scope pf WP6 "Dissemination / Exploitation", the Advisory Board attends each bi-annual meeting of the consortium. In addition, presentations have been made at the ICAO CAEP 13 cycle WG1 and WG3 meetings to ensure that the work undertaken is in line with the ICAO CAEP work programme and the needs of the CAAs and is up to date with the latest developments. Together with the MORE&LESS project, a workshop is planned for the ICAS2024 conference.
SENECA is a step toward reinforcing Europe as a key player in the development of ICAO noise and emission standards and strengthening the European aviation industry in the field of sustainable civil supersonic aircraft. This will be achieved by contributions to future regulations for supersonic aircraft with project results delivered in stages along the CAEP 13 regulation setting requirements. The work in SENECA will likely be of significance to a wide range of potential users through exploitation of both knowledge generated and tools developed throughout the project, thereby increasing the competitiveness of both EU members and associated countries in this field. Overall, SENECA will contribute to maintain world-class knowledge and skills in the field of sustainable civil supersonic aviation in Europe. Noise reduction technologies as well as emissions trade-offs, which are investigated in the frame of SENECA, will not be limited to supersonic aircraft applications. In fact, as landing and take-off will be subsonic, many of the technologies developed in SENECA can be transferred to other aerospace segments and may provide disruptive innovation in civil aviation.