The effects of entropy-patch shape, size, and strength on the upstream acoustic response generated by entropy-patch choked-nozzle interactions are investigated. Numerical-simulation-based investigations, using a two-dimensional planar Euler code, reveal the existence of two distinct modeling regimes: the quasi-steady (matching-condition) regime and the inertial regime, respectively. The ratio of the entropy-patch streamwise length scale to the nozzle throat height was found to be an order parameter, which allows one to determine which of the two modeling regimes applies. Indeed, for entropy patches with a streamwise length scale smaller or equal to the nozzle throat height, the inertial model provides a satisfactory prediction of the upstream acoustic response. For entropy patches with a streamwise length scale larger than the nozzle throat height, the matching condition model has superior predictive accuracy. The entropy patch's shape was judged to have only a slight impact on the applicable modeling regime. Additionally, the study examined entropy-patch strength using the ratio of area-specific perturbation energy to area-specific upstream energy as an order parameter, establishing that both above-mentioned linear models are only valid for weak entropy patches. These findings provide a framework for furthering the fundamental understanding of indirect noise-driven combustion instability.

Elbakly et al. [Elbakly, K., Hulshoff, S. J., Olivon, F., Genot, A., Bake, F., Venner, C. H., and Hirschberg, L., “Entropy-patch choked-nozzle interaction: quasi-steady and inertial modeling regimes mapped and limits of linearization established,” 32nd AIAA/CEAS Aeroacoustics Conference (2026), American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2026] established for a fixed nozzle geometry the existence of two linear modeling regimes for entropy-patch choked-nozzle interaction noise; viz., the essentially unsteady inertial & quasi-steady matching-condition modeling regimes. Here, a study is presented that sought to elucidate the influence the choked nozzle convergent section's geometry on the acoustic response generated due to the interaction of an entropy block (rectangular slug-like entropy patch) with a choked nozzle. Four dimensionless geometric parameters which affect sound production were identified: the nozzle-inlet length ratio, the degree of the nozzle, the contraction ratio and the quasi-1D parameter. State-of-the-art numerical simulation code based ceteris paribus parameter studies were carried out and used to further establish the limits of the inertial & matching-condition modeling regimes.

Cyclorotors are a unique propulsion type offering rapid, 360° thrust vectoring, which is especially attractive for urban air mobility (UAM) applications. For UAM, noise is a key consideration. However, there is currently little research into cyclorotor noise. This study presents the first high-fidelity aeroacoustic simulations of cyclorotors, using the lattice Boltzmann method with very large eddy simulation (LBM-VLES). A detailed investigation of the noise-generating mechanisms is conducted. Furthermore, a comparison is made with a conventional propeller of equivalent dimensions that provides the same thrust. The results show that cyclorotor noise is dominated by unsteady loading associated with blade-vortex interactions, which offsets the acoustic benefit of the lower blade velocity. In our results, the cyclorotor is not inherently quieter than a conventional propeller operating at similar thrust under isolated conditions.

This study is a collaborative effort within the NATO Science & Technology Organization, bringing together multiple institutions to advance reduced-order modeling. Aerodynamic reduced-order models were developed using two pseudorandom binary sequence (PRBS) training maneuvers, where the angle of attack and pitch rate varied in a periodic, deterministic manner with white-noise-like properties. The first maneuver maintained a constant Mach number of 0.85, while the second varied Mach from 0.1 to 0.9. The test case involved a generic triple-delta wing, simulated using the DoD HPCMP CREATE™-AV/Kestrel/Kestrel tools. Prescribed-body motion was used to vary input parameters under given freestream conditions. The resulting models predicted static and stability derivatives across different angles of attack and Mach numbers. They were also used to predict aerodynamic responses to arbitrary motions, including sinusoidal, chirp, Schroeder, and step inputs, showing good agreement with full-order data. Additionally, models predicting surface pressure accurately captured upper surface pressures across different spanwise and chordwise locations for both static and dynamic conditions.

This work extends our previous study from S. Shrestha et al. (2024) by introducing a new abstract framework for Variational Multiscale (VMS) methods at the discrete level. We introduce the concept of what we define as the optimal projector and present a discretisation approach that yields a numerical solution closely approximating the optimal projection of the infinite-dimensional continuous solution. In this approach, the infinite-dimensional unresolved scales are approximated in a finite-dimensional subspace using the numerically computed Fine-Scale Greens’ function of the underlying symmetric problem. The proposed approach involves solving the VMS problem on two separate meshes: a coarse mesh for the full PDE and a fine mesh for the symmetric part of the continuous differential operator. We consider the 1D and 2D steady advection–diffusion problems in both direct and mixed formulations as the test cases in this paper. We first present an error analysis of the proposed approach and show that the projected solution is achieved as the approximate Greens’ function converges to the exact one. Subsequently, we demonstrate the working of this method where we show that it can exponentially converge to the chosen optimal projection. We note that the implementation of the present work employs the Mimetic Spectral Element Method (MSEM), although, it may be applied to other Finite/Spectral Element or Isogeometric frameworks. Furthermore, we propose that VMS should not be viewed as a stabilisation technique; instead, the base scheme should be inherently stable, with VMS enhancing the solution quality by supplementing the base scheme.

In this paper, we build on the work of Hughes and Sangalli (2007) dealing with the explicit computation of the Fine-Scale Greens’ function. The original approach chooses a set of functionals associated with a projector to compute the Fine-Scale Greens’ function. The construction of these functionals, however, does not generalise to arbitrary projections, higher dimensions, or Spectral Element methods. We propose to generalise the construction of the required functionals by using dual functions. These dual functions can be directly derived from the chosen projector and are explicitly computable. We show how to find the dual functions for both the L² and the H₀¹ projections. We then go on to demonstrate that the Fine-Scale Greens’ functions constructed with the dual basis functions consistently reproduce the unresolved scales removed by the projector. The methodology is tested using one-dimensional Poisson and advection–diffusion problems, as well as a two-dimensional Poisson problem. We present the computed components of the Fine-Scale Greens’ function, and the Fine-Scale Greens’ function itself. These results show that the method works for arbitrary projections, in arbitrary dimensions. Moreover, the methodology can be applied to any Finite/Spectral Element or Isogeometric framework.

In §II. Theory, two reduced-order models are proposed, which the authors have termed: the quasi-steady model (§II.A. Quasi-steady one-dimensional model) & the inertial/hybrid model (§II.B. Quasi-one-dimensional pointmass model), respectively. N.b., in both cases time dependence isn’t explicitly modeled, i.e., technically speaking both models are quasi-steady. Ergo, in hindsight, it would have been more apt to call the model proposed in §II.A.: the matching-condition model. With that in mind, the readership is encouraged to substitute “matching-condition model/modeling regime” instead of “quasi-steady model/modeling regime,” when reading this conference paper. Moreover, the following title would have been more suitable: “Entropy-patch chokednozzle interaction: matching-condition and inertial modeling-regimes mapped”.

Efficient input data generation for reduced-order model applications to accurately predict aerodynamic performance and stability characteristics over a large part of a fighter aircraft’s flight envelope is a major challenge. In this paper, aerodynamic reduced-order models are created from two pseudorandom binary sequence (PRBS) training maneuvers. During these maneuvers, the angle of attack and pitch rate change in a periodic and deterministic manner which is characterized by white-noise-like properties. Typical PRBS signals include sudden input variations between two distinct values, such as minimum and maximum angles of attack. However, the signals used in this paper were modified to have the step changes to depend on the simulation time. In the first motion, the aircraft undergoes a signal at a constant Mach number of 0.85. In the second motion, the Mach number varies in an optimized manner from 0.1 to 0.9. The test case is a generic triple-delta wing configuration. Simulations were run using the DoD HPCMP CREATE^RM-AV/Kestrel simulation tools. A prescribed-body motion was used to vary input parameters under given freestream conditions (Mach number and angle of attack). Different reduced-order methods were applied, that comprise regression, feed-forward neural network and auto-regressive surrogate modeling techniques to predict integrated force and moment coefficients and a proper-orthogonal decomposition based neural network approach for surface pressure prediction. Once models of integrated forces and moments were created, they were used to predict static and stability derivatives at different angles of attack and Mach numbers. Models were then used to predict aerodynamic responses to arbitrary motions including pitch sinusoidal, chirp, Schroeder, and step. Model predictions were compared with actual CFD data. Overall, a good agreement was found for all models. Models to predict surface pressure data were also able to accurately predict the upper surface pressure data at different spanwise and chordwise locations at different angles of attack for both static and dynamic runs.

A nonlinear Harmonic Navier-Stokes (HNS) framework is introduced for simulating instabilities in laminar spanwise-invariant shear layers, featuring sharp and smooth wall surface protuberances. While such cases play a critical role in the process of laminar-to-turbulent transition, classical stability theory analyses such as parabolized or local stability methods fail to provide (accurate) results, due to their underlying assumptions. The generalized incompressible Navier-Stokes (NS) equations are expanded in perturbed form, using a spanwise and temporal Fourier ansatz for flow perturbations. The resulting equations are discretized using spectral collocation in the wall-normal direction and finite-difference methods in the streamwise direction. The equations are then solved using a direct sparse-matrix solver. The nonlinear mode interaction terms are converged iteratively. The solution implementation makes use of a generalized domain transformation to account for geometrical smooth surface features, such as humps. No-slip conditions can be embedded in the interior domain to account for the presence of sharp surface features such as forward- or backward-facing steps. Common difficulties with Navier-Stokes solvers, such as the treatment of the outflow boundary and convergence of nonlinear terms, are considered in detail. The performance of the developed solver is evaluated against several cases of representative boundary layer instability growth, including linear and nonlinear growth of Tollmien-Schlichting waves in a Blasius boundary layer and stationary crossflow instabilities in a swept flat-plate boundary layer. The latter problem is also treated in the presence of a geometrical smooth hump and a sharp forward-facing step at the wall. HNS simulation results, such as perturbation amplitudes, growth rates, and shape functions, are compared to benchmark flow stability analysis methods such as Parabolized Stability Equations (PSE), Adaptive Harmonic Linearized Navier-Stokes (AHLNS), or Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS). Good agreement is observed in all cases. The HNS solver is subjected to a grid convergence study and a simple performance benchmark, namely memory usage and computational cost. The computational cost is found to be considerably lower than high-fidelity DNS at comparable grid resolutions.

Indirect combustion noise due to the interaction of flow inhomogeneities with a choked combustion-chamber exit is an important cause of combustion instability in solid rocket motors. Moreover, it is believed to be an issue in electrical-power generation turbines and aero-engines. If these flow inhomogeneities are essentially characterized by the fluid having a locally appreciably-different thermodynamic state, the acoustic response engendered by its interaction with the combustion-chamber exit is commonly referred to as entropy noise. In this paper, dedicated numerical-simulation results of entropy-patch choked-nozzle interactions are presented. Two types of entropy patches were considered: rectangular slugs and circular spots. Moreover, analytical-model-based analysis, of said simulation results, is presented. Based on said analysis, the authors posit the existence of three modeling regimes: the quasi-steady-modeling regime, the blended-physical-effects regime, and the inertial-modeling regime.

The authors present an energy-biased training approach for predicting exact closure terms of the Navier-Stokes equations discretised in a Variational Multiscale framework. The approach initially involves formulating a constrained objective function, which is transformed into an unconstrained problem suitable for neural network training using the Augmented Lagrangian method. The constraints induce a prediction bias by enforcing the predicted closure term energy contributions to be smaller than the exact values, both for excessive backscatter or insufficient dissipation. Effectively, the approach controls energy contributions through a-priori measures rather than a-posteriori measures. The approach was applied to obtain the H¹ projection of a Re_τ = 180 turbulent channel flow on a 32 × 32 × 32 uniform mesh. Eight MLPs were trained to predict the closure terms associated with the weighting functions of each linear hexahedral element. Each network used 217 features, and five hidden layers with 600 neurons each. The final data-to-parameter ratio was ∼19.6: 1 (30 932 992: 1 575 604) per neural network. A-priori evaluation of the networks’ outputs demonstrated its ability to predict closure terms yielding the desired behaviour in energy transfer. This was true for both closure terms that yield energy gain and energy loss. In spite of the energy bias, the closure term predictions retained correlations greater than 0.85 with their exact value for all positions between the channel walls.

Data-driven parameterizations offer considerable potential for improving the fidelity of General Circulation Models. However, ensuring that these remain consistent with the governing equations while still producing stable simulations remains a challenge. In this paper, we propose a combined Variational-Multiscale (VMS) Artificial Neural Network (ANN) discretization which makes no a priori assumptions on the model form, and is only restricted in its accuracy by the precision of the ANN. Using a simplified problem, we demonstrate that good predictions of the required closure terms can be obtained with relatively compact ANN architectures. We then turn our attention to the stability of the VMS-ANN discretization in the context of a single implicit time step. It is demonstrated that the ANN parameterization introduces nonphysical solutions to the governing equations that can significantly affect or prevent convergence. We show that enriching the training data with nonphysical states from intra-time step iterations is an effective remedy. This indicates that the lack of representative ANN-induced errors in our original, exact training inputs underpin the observed instabilities. In turn, this suggests that data set enrichment might aid in resolving instabilities that develop over several time steps.

This work presents a transpacific airliner designed for minimal climate impact, incorporating several novel design features. These include open rotor engines, sustainable aviation fuels, natural laminar flow airfoils, and riblets. The design’s configuration and mission have been optimised simultaneously using a combination of standard preliminary techniques, experimental data, a multi-point mission analysis, and a model of average temperature response. It is demonstrated that, on an 8000 km mission, the design offers an 89.8% reduction in average temperature response relative to an Airbus A330-200, at the expense of a 7.3% increase in direct operating cost. The sensitivity of these results is investigated by comparing the performance over a range of operating conditions. In addition, several alternative designs incorporating only some of the above-mentioned features are analysed, allowing for an assessment of their individual contribution. Finally, a life-cycle average temperature response analysis is presented to place the climate impact of operation, manufacturing and end-of-life procedures in context

The downstream acoustic response due to the interaction of main-flow oriented vorticity with a choked nozzle in a swirl-free flow was experimentally demonstrated. The response was obtained by means of impulsive radial air injection in the pipe upstream from the nozzle. The resulting downstream acoustic data are shown to obey a scaling rule that differs, from the one for swirl-nozzle interaction, which according to the literature is proportional to the square of the swirl number. In contrast, here evidence is presented that points to the scaling of main-flow oriented vorticity noise with the cross-sectional average of the square of the transversal velocity at the throat divided by the square of the critical sound speed.

Entropy inhomogeneities and vorticity spots induce so-called indirect combustion noise when passing through a choked nozzle; referred to as entropy noise and vorticity noise, respectively. We note that vorticity noise depends on the orientation of the vorticity; viz., oriented normal or parallel to the axial main flow. An experimental investigation of parallel component vorticity noise is presented. In the experiment a time-dependent swirling flow was induced by unsteady tangential injection in the pipe upstream of a choked convergent-divergent nozzle. As the resulting swirling flow passes through the nozzle, the axial stretching of the fluid caused an increase in rotation energy. The steady energy conservation in an isentropic flow implies a Mach number higher than unity at the throat and an associated reduction of density. Ergo, the critical mass-flow rate (for fixed reservoir pressure and temperature) decreases quadratically with increasing swirl intensity. The acoustic waves radiated downstream of the nozzle are due to the change in the mass flow through the nozzle. These are a direct measure for this mass-flow modulation. Using a semi-empirical model, this sound production mechanism is demonstrated to be quasi steady.

An experimental cold-gas study of the response of a choked convergent–divergent nozzle to swirl perturbations is presented. The perturbations were obtained by means of upstream unsteady tangential injections into initially steady flows with different values of steady background swirl. The swirl perturbations induced changes in the axial mass-flow rate, due to either their ingestion or evacuation by the nozzle. This in turn caused a downstream acoustic response. For low-intensity background swirl the responses were found to be similar to those obtained without steady background swirl. Perturbations of a high-intensity background swirl led to different effects. For long injection times, the negative mass-flow rate modulation occurred in two stages. The first stage was similar to that of the background-swirl free case. The second stage occurred after a short time delay, and induced a much stronger negative acoustic response. This unexpected behavior suggests that a significant part of the tangentially injected fluid flows upstream inducing an accumulation of swirl, which is – after tangential injection is ceased – suddenly cleared out through the nozzle. A scaling rule for the amplitudes of these acoustic responses is reported. Furthermore, quasi-steady models, based on steady-state measurements are proposed. These models predict the downstream acoustic response amplitude within a factor two. Additionally, preliminary empirical evidence of the effect of swirl on the downstream acoustic response due to the interaction of entropy patches with a choked nozzle is reported. This was obtained by comparison of sound produced by abrupt radial or tangential sonic injection, upstream from the choked nozzle, of air from a reservoir at room temperature to that from a reservoir with a higher stagnation temperature. Because the mass flow through the nozzle does not increase instantaneously, the injected higher-enthalpy air accumulates upstream of the injection-port position in the main flow. This eventually induces a large downstream acoustic pulse when tangential injection is interrupted. The magnitude of the resulting sound pulse can reach that of a quasi-steady response of the nozzle to a large air patch with a uniform stagnation temperature equal to that of the upstream-injected heated air. This hypothesis is consistent with the fact that the initial indirect-sound pulse is identical to one obtained with unheated air injection. The authors posit that – given all of the insight gleaned from them in this case – acoustic measurements of indirect sound appear to be a potentially useful diagnostic tool.

The underlying physical mechanism of the residual-based large eddy simulation (LES) based on the variational multiscale (VMS) method is clarified. Resolved large-scale energy transportation equation is mathematically derived for turbulent kinetic energy budget analysis. Firstly, statistical results of benchmark turbulent channel flow at Re_τ=180 obtained using a coarse mesh are compared with the results obtained by the classical LES with the Smagorinsky and dynamic subgrid stress (SGS) model. The present LES shows an advantage in predicting the statistical results of the incompressible turbulent flows. Secondly, the contributions of the unresolved small-scale presentation terms (Term I-IV in Eq. (10)) to the turbulent kinetic dissipation are analysed for the VMS method. The results show that the turbulent kinetic dissipation provided by the numerical diffusion in the VMS method is smaller in the inner layer, larger in the outer layer of the channel flow than those by the Smagorinsky and dynamic SGS model. The turbulent kinetic dissipation in the VMS method is mainly given by the numerical diffusion provided by one of the “cross-stress” terms (Term I, same as the stabilization term in the SUPG method) and LSIC term (Term IV). The other one of the “cross-stress” terms (Term II) gives rise to the positive turbulent kinetic energy budget, and does not dissipate the turbulent kinetic energy. The so-called “Reynolds stress” term (Term III) dissipates the turbulent energy but provides a very small numerical diffusion. Finally, on the basis of the turbulent kinetic energy dissipation analysis, a new residual-based stabilized finite element formulation is proposed by modifying the large-scale equation in the VMS method. Numerical experiments of 2D lid-driven cavity flow and 3D incompressible turbulent channel flow are tested to validate the proposed formulation. It is shown that all the stabilization terms in the proposed formulation produce additional numerical diffusions and physically increase the total turbulent kinetic dissipation. Consequently, an apparent improvement in both the first-order and second-order statistical quantities are pursued by the new stabilized finite element formulation.

Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) plays an important role in the analysis of complex nonlinear systems governed by partial differential equations (PDEs), since it can describe the full-order system in a simplified but representative way using a handful of dominant dynamic modes. However, determining a POD from the results of complex unsteady simulations is often impractical using traditional approaches due to the need to store a large number of high-dimensional solutions. As an alternative, the incremental Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) has been developed, which can be used to avoid the storage problem by performing the POD analysis on the fly using a single-pass updating algorithm. Nevertheless, the total computing cost of incremental SVD is more than traditional approaches. In order to reduce this total cost, we incorporate POD mode truncation into the incremental procedure, leading to an enhanced algorithm for incremental SVD. Two error estimators are formulated for this enhanced incremental SVD based on an aggregated expression of the snapshot solutions, equipping the proposed algorithm with criteria for choosing the truncation number. The effectiveness of these estimators and the parallel efficiency of the enhanced algorithm are demonstrated using transient solutions from representative model problems. Numerical results show that the enhanced algorithm can significantly improve the computing efficiency for different kinds of datasets, and that the proposed algorithm is scalable in both the strong and weak sense.

Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) is potentially an effective way to automatically generate computational meshes for high-fidelity simulations such as Large Eddy Simulation (LES). When combined with adjoint methods, which are able to localize error contributions, AMR can generate meshes that are optimal for computing a physical quantity of interest (e.g. lift or drag). In order to apply adjoint-based AMR techniques to LES, primal flow solutions are needed to solve the adjoint problem backward in time. However, the resources required to store primal flow solutions can be huge, even prohibitive, in practical problems because of the typically very fine meshes and long averaging times for computing the statistical quantities of interest. Here, a Reduced-Order Representation (ROR) based upon proper orthogonal decomposition is introduced to address this issue. We develop an Enhanced Online Algorithm (EOA) based on incremental singular value decomposition to build this ROR online, which makes adjoint-based AMR feasible for practical applications. An adjoint-based error estimation procedure is first introduced, and verified using a manufactured solution. Then a ROR-driven AMR strategy is studied using a 1D unsteady Burgers problem with a multi-frequency forcing term. This is also used to evaluate the EOA for ROR-driven AMR. Numerical results demonstrate that the enhanced online algorithm generates RORs that are sufficiently accurate for AMR, avoiding the storage of almost all of the primal solution data.

Indirect noise due to the interaction of flow inhomogeneities with a choked nozzle is an important cause of combustion instability in solid rocket motors and is believed to be important in aircraft engines. A previously published experiment (Kings, N., and Bake, F., “Indirect Combustion Noise: Noise Generation by Accelerated Vorticity in a Nozzle Flow,” International Journal of Spray and Combustion Dynamics, Vol. 2, No. 3, 2010, pp. 253–266.) demonstrated that interaction of a nozzle with time-dependent axial swirl can also be a source of sound. This axial swirl was generated by intermittent tangential mass injection upstream from a choked nozzle in a so-called vortex wave generator. The present work discusses the impact of swirl–nozzle interaction in this experiment on the acoustic waves detected downstream of the nozzle. The main source of sound appears to be the reduction in mass flux through the choked nozzle, which depends quadratically on the swirl number. This effect is quantitatively predicted by a quasi-steady and quasi-cylindrical analytical model. The model, combined with empirical data for the decay of axial swirl in pipe flows, predicts the observed influence of the distance between the vortex wave generator and the nozzle. The findings presented here contradict the hypothesis found in the literature, which presumes that sound production in the aforementioned experiment is due to the acceleration of vorticity waves through the nozzle.