Propulsion Integration

Apart from the optimisation of isolated aircraft engines, the efficient integration of engines to the airframe is also of crucial importance to maximise aircraft performance and minimise noise emissions. One major ongoing project within this domain focusses on the aerodynamic and acoustic performance of propellers integrated on the airframe. Apart from the analysis and optimization of the isolated propeller system, also the interactions between the airframe and the propeller need to be considered. The goal of the investigations is to reduce the performance and noise penalties associated with these airframe interaction effects. Students involved in the project perform experiments in the faculty’s various wind tunnel facilities using powered propeller test rigs and advanced measurement techniques, while also CFD tools are applied for numerical evaluations.