A Broadband Noise Prediction Framework for Propellers

Master Thesis (2026)
Author(s)

J.R.P. Ottens (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)

Contributor(s)

R. Vos – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)

M. Snellen – Mentor (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)

Furkat Yunus – Mentor (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)

S. Nolet – Graduation committee member (Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre)

S.J. Heblij – Graduation committee member (Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre)

Faculty
Aerospace Engineering
More Info
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Publication Year
2026
Language
English
Graduation Date
09-03-2026
Awarding Institution
Delft University of Technology
Programme
Aerospace Engineering, Flight Performance and Propulsion
Faculty
Aerospace Engineering
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Abstract

Aviation faces increasing societal and regulatory pressure to reduce environmental impact, particularly noise in densely populated areas. Electric propulsion and Urban Air Mobility concepts aim to enable quieter flight. However, propeller generated aerodynamic noise remains a dominant contributor to the overall acoustic signature. Modelling broadband noise, associated with turbulent inflow and blade surface turbulence, is essential for realistic noise assessment.
This thesis develops a framework to evaluate broadband noise prediction models for (electrically driven) propellers in hover and forward flight. Two model are assessed: the classical Brooks, Pope, and Marcolini (BPM) model and the data-driven Gill and Lee (GL) model. Both are verified against literature and validated and compared using scaled hover experiments and full-scale flyover measurements.
Results show that the GL model performs well in hover but overpredicts noise in forward flight. The BPM model provides more consistent predictions across operating conditions.

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