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Effects of vortex dynamics on rotor aeroacoustics during blade–vortex interaction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2026

Xiangtian Li
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
Wangqiao Chen*
Affiliation:
School of Naval Architecture, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning, PR China
Zhenjun Peng
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
Peng Zhou*
Affiliation:
Division of Integrative Systems and Design, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, RP China
Xin Zhang
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
*
Corresponding authors: Wangqiao Chen, wqchen@ust.hk; Peng Zhou, pengzhou@ust.hk
Corresponding authors: Wangqiao Chen, wqchen@ust.hk; Peng Zhou, pengzhou@ust.hk

Abstract

Content of image described in text.

Blade-vortex interaction (BVI) is a significant aerodynamic phenomenon for rapidly developed electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, which generates high-amplitude noise when a rotor blade passes tip vortices. In this work, we experimentally investigate effects of vortex dynamics on rotor aeroacoustics during BVI in edgewise flows at a low Reynolds number (Re) range from $3.9\times 10^4$ to $1.0\times 10^5$, and over a practical advance ratio ($\mu$) range from 0 to 0.5, using anechoic wind tunnel tests. Thrust and power coefficients exhibit a linear relationship with $\mu$. The BVI process can be categorized into three flow regimes based on difference in vortex dynamics, each with distinct tonal and broadband noise characteristics. In regime 1 ($\mu \lt 0.1$), the interaction between the vortex and the blade boundary layer is dominant, with viscous effects on the blade surface, resulting in multiple harmonics tones over a wide frequency range. Amplitudes of high-order tones reduce with increasing $\mu$ due to downstream convection of small-scale turbulence. In regime 2 ($0.1\lt \mu \lt 0.23$), the blade interacts with the vortex shear layer, and the pressure gradient due to the leading edge becomes a primary factor during BVI. In regime 3 ($\mu \gt 0.23$), the blade directly passes through the vortex centre. Here, BVI-related tones at the middle frequency range further increase with increasing $\mu$, while spectra exhibit a broadband nature at high frequencies. Across various flow regimes at low Re, the broadband noise can be scaled using the law of $\mu ^kM_{\mathit{tip}}^5$, where $k$ is a constant determined in different flow regimes and $M_{\mathit{tip}}$ is the tip Mach number.

Information

Type
JFM Papers
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press

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