Fundamental investigation using active plasma control to reduce blade–vortex interaction noise

Blade vortex interaction noise is a problematic and dominant component of rotor noise. Plasma actuators strategically placed at the tip of the rotor blades can reduce the strength of the tip vortices. This reduction has the potential to significantly reduce blade vortex interaction noise. A combined experimental, numerical, and theoretical program shows supporting evidence that low power plasma actuators can effectively lower coherence of the blade tip vortex and reduce blade vortex interaction noise over-pressure by up to 80%. For a nominal small five-bladed unmanned aerial vehicle, we predict an approximate 8.88 maximum ΔdB reduction for a 150 m/s tip speed. Experimental, computational, and acoustic modeling support these predictions. This study represents a fundamental investigation in the fixed-frame, which provides evidence for higher level research and testing in a rotating framework.