Acoustic Impact Analysis of Optimized eVTOL Rotor Designs

The aviation industry is a significant contributor to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, and the influence of these emissions is exacerbated by the fact that they are emitted at high altitudes. This project advances the development of fully electric Urban Air Mobility (UAM) systems, which have the potential to significantly reduce emissions relative to existing jet fuel powered aircraft. Unlike conventional aircraft, which use jet fuel-based propulsion systems, UAM is expected to utilize fully Electric Vertical TakeOff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. These aircraft are novel in that they will have near zero direct greenhouse gas emissions and will be suitable for operation in urban environments that are inaccessible with current generation aircraft such as helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. Industrial partner Limosa Inc. is in the process of designing an all new eVTOL aircraft for operation in Canada: LimoConnect. A curcial aspect for the adoption of these new aircraft concerns the determination and the mitigation of the noise generated during urban mission operations. Currently, most of the noise impact analysis relies on empirical correlations, wind tunnel testing and low-fidelity computational methods. These inefficiencies in accurate acoustic footprint prediction, prevent the development of cost-effective and reliable design cycles for eVTOL.

Faculty Supervisor:

Brian Vermeire

Student:

Partner:

Limosa

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

Concordia University

Program: