Prediction-based psychoacoustic analysis of multirotor noise under gusty wind conditions

Jeongwoo Ko; Younghoon Kim; Jaeheon Jeong; Soogab Lee

doi:10.1121/10.0022352

Prediction-based psychoacoustic analysis of multirotor noise under gusty wind conditions

J Acoust Soc Am. 2023 Nov 1;154(5):3004-3018. doi: 10.1121/10.0022352.

Authors

Jeongwoo Ko¹, Younghoon Kim², Jaeheon Jeong², Soogab Lee³

Affiliations

¹ Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA.
² Department of Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
³ Department of Aerospace Engineering, Institute of Engineering Research, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.

PMID: 37955567
DOI: 10.1121/10.0022352

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive numerical framework for auralizing multirotor noise during complex maneuvers, incorporating rotor tonal and broadband noise prediction, synthesis, and psychoacoustic analysis. Validation studies for various flight scenarios, including single rotors and quadrotors, confirm the capability of this framework in the prediction-based psychoacoustic analysis of multirotor configurations. The primary focus of this research is to assess the flyover and takeoff noise of multirotors under diverse operating conditions. When tracking the mission profile under gusty wind conditions, the multirotor noise is characterized by frequency and amplitude modulations induced by rotational speed control for each rotor. A high-resolution time-frequency analysis is conducted for the tonal noise to highlight these modulation characteristics. Additionally, the prediction-based psychoacoustic analysis is performed for cross- and plus-type quadrotor configurations to clarify the effects of gusty wind profiles and flight control. The results demonstrate that variations in the rotational speed of each rotor, influenced by mission profiles and gusty wind conditions, contribute to the distinct acoustic characteristics of multirotor configurations in both physical and psychological aspects. The synthesized noise time signal and modulation characteristics provide valuable insights into the impact of operational environments on psychoacoustic metrics and annoyance.