Measured differences in the sound emission of multi-rotor unmanned aerial systems during hover and cruisea).

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Title: Measured differences in the sound emission of multi-rotor unmanned aerial systems during hover and cruisea).
Authors: Meister, Jonas1,2 (AUTHOR) jonas.meister@empa.ch, Jäggi, Jonas1 (AUTHOR), Van Renterghem, Timothy2 (AUTHOR), Pieren, Reto1 (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. Mar2026, Vol. 159 Issue 3, p2398-2415. 18p.
Subjects: Acoustic measurements, Transition flow, Acoustic radiation, Drone aircraft, Propellers, Noise
Abstract: This study investigates the differences in sound emissions of multi-rotor unmanned aerial systems (UAS) between hover and cruise. We therefore conducted onboard acoustic measurements on two different UAS types, each equipped with multiple propeller configurations. The recorded data allowed for a detailed comparison of noise emissions at fixed emission angles, focusing on both traditional acoustic metrics and psychoacoustic parameters. The results reveal notable differences between hover and cruise, with certain configurations exhibiting a sudden increase in sound emission levels of up to 4 dB above specific cruise speeds. While some UAS/propeller combinations showed a linear relationship between cruise speed and sound emission levels, others experienced abrupt level increases beyond a critical velocity of 2–4 m/s, along with changes in loudness and roughness. These variations were not directly correlated with rotor speed changes, indicating that aerodynamic transitions, such as shifts in blade-wake/blade-vortex interactions, strongly influence sound generation. Spectral analyses support the occurrence of an aerodynamic regime change between hover and cruise, with the effect saturating at higher cruise speeds. Consequently, noise and auralization models, but also evaluations on low-noise propellers that are based on measurements at hover state only may yield substantial inaccuracies when extrapolated to cruise state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of the Acoustical Society of America is the property of American Institute of Physics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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DbLabel: Engineering Source
An: 192669296
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  Data: Measured differences in the sound emission of multi-rotor unmanned aerial systems during hover and cruisea).
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+the+Acoustical+Society+of+America%22">Journal of the Acoustical Society of America</searchLink>. Mar2026, Vol. 159 Issue 3, p2398-2415. 18p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Acoustic+measurements%22">Acoustic measurements</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Transition+flow%22">Transition flow</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Acoustic+radiation%22">Acoustic radiation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Drone+aircraft%22">Drone aircraft</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Propellers%22">Propellers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Noise%22">Noise</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: This study investigates the differences in sound emissions of multi-rotor unmanned aerial systems (UAS) between hover and cruise. We therefore conducted onboard acoustic measurements on two different UAS types, each equipped with multiple propeller configurations. The recorded data allowed for a detailed comparison of noise emissions at fixed emission angles, focusing on both traditional acoustic metrics and psychoacoustic parameters. The results reveal notable differences between hover and cruise, with certain configurations exhibiting a sudden increase in sound emission levels of up to 4 dB above specific cruise speeds. While some UAS/propeller combinations showed a linear relationship between cruise speed and sound emission levels, others experienced abrupt level increases beyond a critical velocity of 2–4 m/s, along with changes in loudness and roughness. These variations were not directly correlated with rotor speed changes, indicating that aerodynamic transitions, such as shifts in blade-wake/blade-vortex interactions, strongly influence sound generation. Spectral analyses support the occurrence of an aerodynamic regime change between hover and cruise, with the effect saturating at higher cruise speeds. Consequently, noise and auralization models, but also evaluations on low-noise propellers that are based on measurements at hover state only may yield substantial inaccuracies when extrapolated to cruise state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of the Acoustical Society of America is the property of American Institute of Physics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1121/10.0043028
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: Acoustic measurements
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Transition flow
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Acoustic radiation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Drone aircraft
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Propellers
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      – SubjectFull: Noise
        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: Measured differences in the sound emission of multi-rotor unmanned aerial systems during hover and cruisea).
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            NameFull: Meister, Jonas
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            NameFull: Van Renterghem, Timothy
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              Text: Mar2026
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              Y: 2026
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