Evaluation of aeroacoustic optimisation strategies for a generic flight mission of a tilt-propeller aircraft

Balancing propeller performance between cruise and hover conditions is a critical challenge in eco-friendly aircraft design. This paper presents a novel serial multidisciplinary propeller optimisation approach, integrating blade element momentum theory for performance assessment and Farassat’s formulation 1 A for noise emission prediction. Combined with a genetic algorithm, three different propeller design strategies are systematically evaluated for their suitability in a multidisciplinary propeller optimisation routine. The novel serial optimisation approach reduces the parameter space in a stepwise manner. The assessment shows that, in the initial step, linear chord and parabolic twist distributions are sufficient for determining the optimal blade number and diameter, significantly accelerating the optimisation process. In contrast, detailed blade shape optimisation requires a parametric blade description. The assessment reveals that considering the propeller and motor mass is crucial for holistic optimisation, while motor efficiency mapping is less critical. This paper provides an innovative optimisation scheme that can be utilised in the propeller design for new aircraft, enhancing performance and reducing noise emissions.