Effects of Disk Loading, Solidity, and Tip Speed on Acoustics of Multi-Passenger eVTOL Aircraft Rotors

This study investigates the acoustic performance of a single rotor representative of those seen on multi-passenger UAM-sized vehicles, focusing on the effects of blade count, disk loading, solidity, and tip Mach number in both hover and propeller operating conditions. Using PSU-WOPWOP and ANOPP2, unweighted and A-weighted overall sound pressure levels (OASPL) are computed in-plane for 2- and 5-bladed rotors across a range of design parameters and operating conditions. Unweighted results show that reducing blade count significantly increases total noise levels (14.1 dB on average) and reduces sensitivity to design parameters. In contrast, A-weighted results demonstrate that broadband noise dominates perceived acoustic performance and shows a decreased sensitivity to blade count (1.9 dBA average difference). Minimum noise levels occur at tip Mach numbers ranging from 0.35-0.45 for unweighted results and 0.4-0.5 for A-weighted results, and are primarily governed by broadband noise sensitivity to disk loading and solidity. The rotor in propeller mode, with axial flow and reduced disk loading, showed less sensitivity to variation in disk loading and solidity than the rotor in hover, indicating weaker acoustic dependence in cruise conditions.