CAMBRIDGE UGTP WHOLE ENGINE COMPUTATIONAL AEROACOUSTICS CONSORTIUM

With the projected demand for air transport set to double the world aircraft fleet by 2020 it is becoming urgent to take steps to reduce the environmental impact of take off noise from aircraft. In worst case noise can be more than just annoying, potentially being a contributory factor towards illnesses such as hypertension. Hence, the Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe (ACRE) has set the target of reducing perceived noise levels by 50% by the 2020. A key noise source is caused by the powerfully turbulent flow field generated at the high Reynolds numbers associated with aerospace flows. Hence, the acoustician must be able to accurately predict the turbulent flow field, and its interaction, where necessary with combustion, and then manipulate it to reduce the acoustic signature. The only means of reliably predicting turbulence is through direct or near direct simulation of the Navier-Stokes equations. This, at realistic Reynolds numbers needs massive computational resources. Hence, access to the HECToR resource is sought to study various aeroengine flows/systems to produce noise reductions. The areas considered include the engine inlet rotor/fan zones, the combustor, turbine and exhaust.