UK scientists solve puzzle of loud next-gen aircraft as EU eyes quieter skies
The research will aid in design of quieter aircraft to be used for large scale air transport as well as eVTOLs.
A collaboration of researchers at the universities of Bristol and Salford in the UK has identified the cause that results in an irritating noise produced by next-generation engines that will be used to build hybrid and electric aircraft in the future. The discovery paves the way for airplanes that not only sound quieter but are also quiet when engine noise is measured.
The noise produced by jet engines is well known, and its impact on our health is well understood. Efforts are ongoing to reduce noise output from these engines. However, as we transition to a new era of aerial transportation powered by cleaner energy sources, the associated engine technology has also been developed to ensure that this revolution is quieter.
At the outset, electric engines come across as much quieter counterparts of the jet engine. While this is partly true, the noise produced by an electric engine is produced at different frequencies from their jet engine counterparts, which makes it sound quieter.