Acoustic Kinematics of Helicopter BVI Noise

Abstract

Helicopter blade-vortex interaction (BVI) noise is known as a critical source of noise annoyance from helicopters. A key feature of the noise is that the trace velocities of the sources generated by the BVI process are supersonic, and thus have high radiation efficiency. This further means that noise is generated selectively by only a limited part of the overall interaction. The consequences of this have been studied using a simple cycloidal shed wake model. This allows the whole process to be explicitly described mathematically. The trace velocity can be infinite for both forward and retreating blades. This will generate strong noise radiation in directions which can be simply defined as a function of advance ratio. Analysis shows that many features are functions of rotor disc position only, independent of the number of rotor blades. This offers a helpful simplification. Radiation generates a series of caustics which can be defined by the analysis. Simplified models of the blade-wake interaction show that both the advancing and retreating blade interactions can generate cusps in the noise. Under some conditions these cusps are predicted to continue to the far field in the rotor disc plane, due to a kinematic balance of the change in propagation direction of the basic source vector and the change in the Mach angle of the principal radiation. This gives a two-dimensional decay in sound levels and will give rise to locally intense BVI field. The model also shows areas of the stronger noise fields will be generated in the direction of motion of the interacting blade. A detailed analysis has been undertaken for a four blade rotor at an advance ratio of 0.2. Multiple caustics from successive blade interactions can be identified, some of which have cusps. The analysis shows that the BVI radiation field can have large levels locally and helps to explain why helicopters are often perceived to be noisier than a simple dBA level might suggest. Each part of the rotor disc noise radiation to the far field can be related back to specific positions on the blade and specific parts of the shed wake. This offers the prospect of providing local adjustments to minimize BVI sources under particular conditions. All these results are based on the two dimensional cycloidal model. However it is believed that these effects must be reflected in more complex computer models and in real helicopters.