Periodic Reporting for period 3 - VENUS (inVestigation of distributEd propulsion Noise and its mitigation through wind tUnnel experiments and numerical Simulations)
Reporting period: 2022-10-01 to 2023-09-30
The VENUS project is devoted to an improved understanding of key aspects involved in Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) configurations, at experimental and numerical level and with a specific attention on the acoustic impact. Indeed, the physical mechanisms driving the noise generated by many propellers, very close to each other, and often one in the wake of the other, are very complex. Moreover, finding information about methods, tools and strategies for aeroacoustic assessment of DEP in literature is nearly impossible.
VENUS project is moved by the motivation to develop new knowledge, and spread it across Europe for the benefit of researchers and aircraft manufacturers. The design of an Open-Test-Case DEP configuration for a regional aircraft has been provided and investigated through a comprehensive experimental campaign aimed at measuring aerodynamic and aeroacoustic performances in a wide range of different engine installation configurations and operational conditions.
Apart from the increase of propulsion efficiency, the successful adoption of DEP can create indirect benefits in terms of wing structural weight and thus fuel consumption. Fuel and weight reductions are both enablers for cheaper and more affordable flights, with consequent benefits in terms of business and societal impacts.
In terms of noise, it has been shown that a strong benefit can be gained in terms of acoustic performance from DEP configurations against conventional propulsion system, mainly at take-off. On the other hand, due to the lack of extensive acoustic investigations, the annoyance ratings in terms of psychoacoustic cannot be valuated accurately. VENUS will overcome these limitations by providing numerical and experimental data to cover this gap, and thus letting the scientific community improve aeroacoustic studies with the aim to improve comfort of passengers and people living in the neighbourhood of airports. The consequent impact of VENUS on the whole society is then immediate and tangible.
The overall impact of VENUS can thus be far reaching. An experimental data-base under open access aimed at improving knowledge, methods and procedures for more performing DEP configurations will find its implementation in the future commercial regional aircraft with a clear impact on business (cost reduction), environment (greener aircraft in terms of both noise and pollution) and society (safer and more affordable flights).The aim of VENUS is to design an advanced DEP configuration for regional aircraft, and to understand key design features driving the aeroacoustic performance by both numerical and experimental analyses, with the objective to generate high-resolution aerodynamic and aeroacoustic experimental data, to be finally disclosed under open access for the European scientific community.
To reach this macro objective the following activities have been carried out:
• Methods and tools enabling a concurrent aerodynamic and aeroacoustic design of DEP configuration aircraft, have been developed;
• A new regional aircraft configuration, in terms of wing and engines’ installation, to target a DEP which is optimized in terms of aerodynamic and aeroacoustic performance, has been designed;
• Possible benefits of different technologies aimed at mitigating noise emissions, have been assessed;
• A representative test article for WT aeroacoustic tests, able to allow for configuration changes, in terms of engine-wing and engine-engine installation configurations, and to test the selected noise mitigation technologies, has been designed and manufactured;
• Test article and WT have been instrumented, and experimental parameterized tests have been performed successfully;
• A final experimental-numerical assessment has been carried out for calibrating and validating numerical models;
• Open access to all the produced models, data and documents for other institutions for in-house developed methods validation, have been provided with the objective to establish an “open test-case” for the whole European scientific community, unique in the aircraft design landscape.
VENUS project is moved by the motivation to develop new knowledge, and spread it across Europe for the benefit of researchers and aircraft manufacturers. The design of an Open-Test-Case DEP configuration for a regional aircraft has been provided and investigated through a comprehensive experimental campaign aimed at measuring aerodynamic and aeroacoustic performances in a wide range of different engine installation configurations and operational conditions.
Apart from the increase of propulsion efficiency, the successful adoption of DEP can create indirect benefits in terms of wing structural weight and thus fuel consumption. Fuel and weight reductions are both enablers for cheaper and more affordable flights, with consequent benefits in terms of business and societal impacts.
In terms of noise, it has been shown that a strong benefit can be gained in terms of acoustic performance from DEP configurations against conventional propulsion system, mainly at take-off. On the other hand, due to the lack of extensive acoustic investigations, the annoyance ratings in terms of psychoacoustic cannot be valuated accurately. VENUS will overcome these limitations by providing numerical and experimental data to cover this gap, and thus letting the scientific community improve aeroacoustic studies with the aim to improve comfort of passengers and people living in the neighbourhood of airports. The consequent impact of VENUS on the whole society is then immediate and tangible.
The overall impact of VENUS can thus be far reaching. An experimental data-base under open access aimed at improving knowledge, methods and procedures for more performing DEP configurations will find its implementation in the future commercial regional aircraft with a clear impact on business (cost reduction), environment (greener aircraft in terms of both noise and pollution) and society (safer and more affordable flights).The aim of VENUS is to design an advanced DEP configuration for regional aircraft, and to understand key design features driving the aeroacoustic performance by both numerical and experimental analyses, with the objective to generate high-resolution aerodynamic and aeroacoustic experimental data, to be finally disclosed under open access for the European scientific community.
To reach this macro objective the following activities have been carried out:
• Methods and tools enabling a concurrent aerodynamic and aeroacoustic design of DEP configuration aircraft, have been developed;
• A new regional aircraft configuration, in terms of wing and engines’ installation, to target a DEP which is optimized in terms of aerodynamic and aeroacoustic performance, has been designed;
• Possible benefits of different technologies aimed at mitigating noise emissions, have been assessed;
• A representative test article for WT aeroacoustic tests, able to allow for configuration changes, in terms of engine-wing and engine-engine installation configurations, and to test the selected noise mitigation technologies, has been designed and manufactured;
• Test article and WT have been instrumented, and experimental parameterized tests have been performed successfully;
• A final experimental-numerical assessment has been carried out for calibrating and validating numerical models;
• Open access to all the produced models, data and documents for other institutions for in-house developed methods validation, have been provided with the objective to establish an “open test-case” for the whole European scientific community, unique in the aircraft design landscape.
All the planned activities have been carried out and no relevant criticalities have been experienced.
The design and manufacturing phase were successful and a very complex modular scaled model, consisting of three propellers installed on a wing equipped with a flap, was realized. The propellers were installed on properly designed nacelles that could be moved in the spanwise and streamwise directions. Prior the wind tunnel tests, the propellers were properly balanced and the whole driving system, including the control units, was tested and verified.
The model has been installed in the Pininfarina Wind Tunnel and the tests have been completed on June 2023. Several parameters have been varied during the tests, including the angle of attack, the flap deflection and the position of the propellers. Measurements provided both aerodynamic (forces, moments and pressure) and aeroacoustic (fluctuating pressures in the near- and far-field) quantities. The data processing has been completed and optimal configurations in terms of both aerodynamic performances and acoustic impact have been identified.
In the final stage of the projects, numerical simulations have been carried out reproducing a selection of the configurations tested experimentally. The numerical approaches included CFD, BEM and far-field noise propagation. The aerodynamic and acoustic numerical results have been compared with the experiments and satisfactory results have been achieved. Some criticalities have been outlined addressing useful indications for future developments.
A Dissemination and Exploitation Plan was established and upgraded year by year. The dissemination measurable targets set at the VENUS proposal phase, were reached to a great extent.
The design and manufacturing phase were successful and a very complex modular scaled model, consisting of three propellers installed on a wing equipped with a flap, was realized. The propellers were installed on properly designed nacelles that could be moved in the spanwise and streamwise directions. Prior the wind tunnel tests, the propellers were properly balanced and the whole driving system, including the control units, was tested and verified.
The model has been installed in the Pininfarina Wind Tunnel and the tests have been completed on June 2023. Several parameters have been varied during the tests, including the angle of attack, the flap deflection and the position of the propellers. Measurements provided both aerodynamic (forces, moments and pressure) and aeroacoustic (fluctuating pressures in the near- and far-field) quantities. The data processing has been completed and optimal configurations in terms of both aerodynamic performances and acoustic impact have been identified.
In the final stage of the projects, numerical simulations have been carried out reproducing a selection of the configurations tested experimentally. The numerical approaches included CFD, BEM and far-field noise propagation. The aerodynamic and acoustic numerical results have been compared with the experiments and satisfactory results have been achieved. Some criticalities have been outlined addressing useful indications for future developments.
A Dissemination and Exploitation Plan was established and upgraded year by year. The dissemination measurable targets set at the VENUS proposal phase, were reached to a great extent.
VENUS is targeting the design and the experimental validation of an innovative DEP configuration, leading to significant weight savings due to the wing size reduction, and characterized by a high efficiency in terms of fuel consumption, with consequent enhancements in terms of costs and environmental impact. The project succeeded in generating an extensive and fully comprehensive aerodynamic and aeroacoustic experimental dataset, used to calibrate and validate numerical models, and disclosed under open access for the benefit of the whole European scientific community. The ambitious part of VENUS has been the testing of a powered and highly instrumented aerodynamic and aeroacoustic modular WT model designed to allow for parameterized WT testing. Therefore, with the new conceived configuration and related test data, the main result of the project has been a more complete insight regarding DEP aeroacoustic performance in both nominal operational and critical conditions for many different DEP engine-wing installation configurations. A special advantage of VENUS is that the new design, accompanied by a validation by tests, has allowed for final models’ calibration, and the full opening of all the data generated in the project.
VENUS data and results will have an impact at several levels within three major areas:
• Society and Environment
• A larger impact on innovation and knowledge integration
• Transversal and applicant impact.
All the planned numerical simulations and experimental tests have been completed successfully, thus the expected impact can be considered realistic and pursuable.
VENUS data and results will have an impact at several levels within three major areas:
• Society and Environment
• A larger impact on innovation and knowledge integration
• Transversal and applicant impact.
All the planned numerical simulations and experimental tests have been completed successfully, thus the expected impact can be considered realistic and pursuable.