Flow Topology and Noise Sources of a Deflected Spoiler Mounted to a Flat Plate

What is it about?

This paper investigated the noise created by aircraft spoilers during landing. When deployed, spoilers help slow down the aircraft, but they can also be noisy. We wanted to understand exactly how much noise the spoilers themselves generate, separate from the aerodynamic noise generated by other parts of the wing. Computer simulations were done for a simplified spoiler geometry deflected at a 30° angle attached to a flat plate to examine the flowfield around the spoiler and to determine the kind of noise this creates. The numerical results were compared with real-world experimental data, highlighting good agreement. The results revealed specific unsteady flow features which generate fluctuating pressure changes on the spoiler's surface and the flat mounting plate, resulting in the generation of aerodynamic noise.

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Photo by Jason Rosewell on Unsplash

Photo by Jason Rosewell on Unsplash

Why is it important?

When spoilers are deflected on wings, the spoiler varies the flow field around the whole wing and, as a result, changes the behaviour of the noise generated from the other parts of the wing. The research isolates the flow field around the spoiler, and hence the noise sources it generates, without taking into consideration variations of the other components on the wing. Ultimately this helps engineers to better understand how spoilers contribute to aircraft noise during landing, which leads to quieter aircraft designs in the future.