Drone noise reduced by porous vegetative surfaces
Noise pollution from drones and future eVTOL air taxis could be mitigated by porous land such as vegetation, researchers from Bristol University report.
The burgeoning Urban Air Mobility (UAM) sector has the potential to noisily disturb urban communities during take-off and landing, but porous surfaces have the potential to reduce this whilst optimising propellor performance.
The team’s findings are detailed in Nature Scientific Reports. Lead author Dr Hasan Kamliya Jawahar from Bristol University’s aeroacoustic group was able to demonstrate that porous ground treatments can reduce noise by up to 30dB in low-mid frequencies and enhance thrust and power coefficients compared to solid ground surfaces. This suggests that treating roofs of buildings, landing pads and vertiports with porous surfaces like grass or mosses will reduce noise when a drone is landing.
In a statement, Dr Kamliya Jawahar from Bristol’s Faculty of Science and Engineering said: “It was known that ground effects influence propeller performance and noise, particularly during take-off and landing.
“While noise issues are well-documented, solutions tailored to urban environments are limited.
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