Multidisciplinary Optimization Design of Low-Noise Propellers

In this paper, a multidisciplinary optimization design method and its verification of low-noise aircraft propellers considering aerodynamics, noise, and structural strength were carried out to further reduce the aerodynamic noise of the aircraft propellers. The Vortex Lattice Method-based Lift Surfa...

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Main Authors: Dongwen Xue, Qun Yan, Zhuohan Li, Kai Wei
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-03-01
Series:Aerospace
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/10/3/254
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author Dongwen Xue
Qun Yan
Zhuohan Li
Kai Wei
author_facet Dongwen Xue
Qun Yan
Zhuohan Li
Kai Wei
author_sort Dongwen Xue
collection DOAJ
description In this paper, a multidisciplinary optimization design method and its verification of low-noise aircraft propellers considering aerodynamics, noise, and structural strength were carried out to further reduce the aerodynamic noise of the aircraft propellers. The Vortex Lattice Method-based Lift Surface Method and the Frequency-Domain-based Hanson Method were deployed to evaluate the aerodynamic performance and far-field noise of the propeller with validation by benchmark test result comparison, respectively. Integrating both of the aforementioned methods, the constraints, and a genetic algorithm with coding, a joint program was successfully proposed so that the aircraft propeller performance could be optimized comprehensively. In this program, the design variables contain blade structural strength-constrained distribution patterns of the chord length, twist angle, and dihedral angle along the blade radius. A maximum amount of noise reduction was settled as an optimization target. Meanwhile, it ensured no penalty for aerodynamic thrust and efficiency. The optimized propeller was successfully delivered by performing the developed program. Its structure examined strength tests such as static load and dynamic response, and its aerodynamic and aeroacoustic performances were tested at an aeroacoustic wind tunnel. As a result, the optimized propeller reduced its far-field noise emission peak by 2.7 dB at the first BPF under typical conditions and performed a maximum noise reduction of 4 dB for lower-thrust operations compared with the baseline propeller. For the latter operation, noise reduction at the second BPF was also obviously observed.
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spelling doaj.art-992c291723ab408b899423dd2e6321452023-11-17T08:58:30ZengMDPI AGAerospace2226-43102023-03-0110325410.3390/aerospace10030254Multidisciplinary Optimization Design of Low-Noise PropellersDongwen Xue0Qun Yan1Zhuohan Li2Kai Wei3Aircraft Strength Research Institute, Xi’an 710065, ChinaAircraft Strength Research Institute, Xi’an 710065, ChinaAircraft Strength Research Institute, Xi’an 710065, ChinaAircraft Strength Research Institute, Xi’an 710065, ChinaIn this paper, a multidisciplinary optimization design method and its verification of low-noise aircraft propellers considering aerodynamics, noise, and structural strength were carried out to further reduce the aerodynamic noise of the aircraft propellers. The Vortex Lattice Method-based Lift Surface Method and the Frequency-Domain-based Hanson Method were deployed to evaluate the aerodynamic performance and far-field noise of the propeller with validation by benchmark test result comparison, respectively. Integrating both of the aforementioned methods, the constraints, and a genetic algorithm with coding, a joint program was successfully proposed so that the aircraft propeller performance could be optimized comprehensively. In this program, the design variables contain blade structural strength-constrained distribution patterns of the chord length, twist angle, and dihedral angle along the blade radius. A maximum amount of noise reduction was settled as an optimization target. Meanwhile, it ensured no penalty for aerodynamic thrust and efficiency. The optimized propeller was successfully delivered by performing the developed program. Its structure examined strength tests such as static load and dynamic response, and its aerodynamic and aeroacoustic performances were tested at an aeroacoustic wind tunnel. As a result, the optimized propeller reduced its far-field noise emission peak by 2.7 dB at the first BPF under typical conditions and performed a maximum noise reduction of 4 dB for lower-thrust operations compared with the baseline propeller. For the latter operation, noise reduction at the second BPF was also obviously observed.https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/10/3/254propelleraerodynamicaeroacousticsmultidisciplinarydesignexperiment
spellingShingle Dongwen Xue
Qun Yan
Zhuohan Li
Kai Wei
Multidisciplinary Optimization Design of Low-Noise Propellers
Aerospace
propeller
aerodynamic
aeroacoustics
multidisciplinary
design
experiment
title Multidisciplinary Optimization Design of Low-Noise Propellers
title_full Multidisciplinary Optimization Design of Low-Noise Propellers
title_fullStr Multidisciplinary Optimization Design of Low-Noise Propellers
title_full_unstemmed Multidisciplinary Optimization Design of Low-Noise Propellers
title_short Multidisciplinary Optimization Design of Low-Noise Propellers
title_sort multidisciplinary optimization design of low noise propellers
topic propeller
aerodynamic
aeroacoustics
multidisciplinary
design
experiment
url https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/10/3/254
work_keys_str_mv AT dongwenxue multidisciplinaryoptimizationdesignoflownoisepropellers
AT qunyan multidisciplinaryoptimizationdesignoflownoisepropellers
AT zhuohanli multidisciplinaryoptimizationdesignoflownoisepropellers
AT kaiwei multidisciplinaryoptimizationdesignoflownoisepropellers