The Interaction of a Transient Forward Axial Disturbance Flow with a Rotor

This study presents a high-fidelity simulation to investigate the unsteady flow and acoustic fields generated by a scaled-down rotor from Joby Aviation, as well as its interaction with a disturbance designed to emulate realistic urban gust conditions. The primary objectives are twofold. First, the study validates a high-fidelity numerical noise prediction tool against experimental results, utilizing a hybrid LES-URANS approach to strike a balance between computational efficiency and accuracy. The scaled-down Joby rotor, subjected to uniform flow conditions of 20 m/s, is simulated, and its unsteady flow and noise results are compared with experimental data. Second, the validated numerical approach is applied to examine the effects of the transient generated by a rectangular wing undergoing a series of transient motions. The simulation employs the Ffowcs–Williams–Hawking method for predicting far-field acoustics and utilizes OpenFOAM for computational modeling. During disturbance ingestion, observable variations in thrust and torque were noted, accompanied by an increase in broadband noise attributed to ingestion of vortical structures.