Feature
Our skies are becoming busier. Despite the huge impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on air travel, the predictions are that the numbers of flights will continue to grow in years to come.
A QUIET REVOLUTION With the University and Rolls-Royce as partners, FANTASIA involves four additional universities: Cranfield University, Loughborough University, the University of Sheffield and Queen’s University Belfast. The project, led by the Aerospace Technology Institute, has a total cost of £11.2 million (with £2 million coming to the University of Southampton) and is running from December 2020 to November 2024.
The International Air Transport Association predicts air travel will increase from the end of this year, returning to pre-pandemic 2019 levels by 2024, and then continue growing. That means more noise for all of us, especially those living under flight paths or near airports. Or does it? For two decades, the University of Southampton has been Rolls-Royce’s main research partner for aircraft engine and airframe noise. Teams based in the University’s Institute for Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR) have developed noise modelling, measurement and mitigation technology that has been applied to every Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace engine project since the early 2000s. We can always fly higher (and quieter) A group of researchers is continuing the revolutionary journey to ensure that an increase in air travel won’t bring with it an increase in noise on the ground. A new grant from Innovate UK, worth £2 million to the University over the next four years, will enable the Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre (UTC) in Propulsion Systems Noise to take its pioneering research collaboration with RollsRoyce to the next level. The project is called FANTASIA (Future Noise Technologies and Systems Integration Analytics). Alec Wilson, Professor in Computational Aeroacoustics and Director of the UTC, said: “Aircraft noise, if we do nothing, will increase
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substantially simply because of the predicted increase in air traffic. FANTASIA is looking at aircraft noise, specifically engine noise, and is aimed at the next generation of aeroplane engines. It’s an exciting project that is only able to happen thanks to our strong and wellestablished relationship with Rolls-Royce.” FANTASIA follows on from the ACAPELLA project which set in train research that will be used in the development of UltraFan, RollsRoyce’s next generation of engines. UltraFan engines, for medium to large aircraft, have a large diameter fan that improves aircraft propulsion efficiency. Rolls-Royce is the lead partner on FANTASIA. Juan Vera, former PhD student at the UTC and now Aeroacoustics Specialist at RollsRoyce, is managing the FANTASIA project. He said: “FANTASIA seeks to develop, model and validate noise technologies to ensure integrated propulsion systems that will achieve the required noise levels for the novel UltraFan engine architecture, as well as for future hybrid-electric offerings. “Multidisciplinary optimisation techniques will be developed to design for the optimal noise and emissions levels. Computational fluid dynamics and source separation techniques will be enhanced to replace expensive testing and give early indications of design suitability.” The team from the UTC is working towards achieving noise and carbon emission targets set by ACARE (the Advisory Council for Aviation Research and Innovation in Europe).
