Design of a partial cowling attached to a Propfan Engine to aid in noise reduction

Abstract

The Propfan engine, a revolutionary design that combines the benefits of turbofan and turboprop engines, has been revived in the aviation industry after being abandoned 40 years ago. Engineers eliminated the cowling on a turbofan engine and attached propellor blades, creating a highly fuel-efficient and powerful engine but causing noise. This issue and regulatory issues made it difficult to use. Modern technology has improved methods to reduce noise, including propeller blade design and computational fluid dynamics. Partial cowlings, a concept tested on turbofan engines, have not been fully explored for propfans. This paper investigates the potential benefits of partial cowlings in propfan engine design and performance, aiming to improve their perception among stakeholders in the aviation industry. The study aims to test the effect of partial cowlings on propfan engine performance and design.