Helicopter rotor trailing edge noise

An experimental and theoretical study was conducted to assess the importance of trailing edge noise as a helicopter main rotor broadband noise source. The noise mechanism was isolated by testing a rotor blade segment in an open jet acoustic wind tunnel at close to full scale Reynolds numbers. Boundary layer data and acoustic data were used to develop scaling laws and assess a first principles trailing edge noise theory. Conclusions from the isolated blade study were analytically transformed to the rotating frame coordinate system to develop a generalized rotor noise prediction. Trailing edge noise was found to contribute significantly to the total helicopter noise spectrum at high frequencies.