Numerical Simulations of a Landing Gear with Flow Through Fairings for Noise Mitigation

This study presents a numerical investigation of the noise mitigation effect provided by several fairings placed upstream of a simplified two-wheel landing gear. The chosen configuration is equipped with detachable elements that mimic realistic components, e.g. brakes and torque link, to include representative landing gear noise sources. Several numerical simulations of the flow developing around this landing gear have been carried out, with or without an additional upstream fairing to control the noise generation processes. The chosen configurations match those from related experiments performed at the Delft University of Technology. Both the numerical and the experimental studies are conducted in the framework of the European Union Horizon 2020 research project INVENTOR (INnoVative dEsign of iNstalled airframe componenTs for aircraft nOise Reduction). The numerical method is based on the Zonal Detached Eddy Simulation approach, applied on a set of Cartesian octree grids with a specific immersed boundary wall treatment. Both solid and wire mesh fairings are considered, the latter being accounted for thanks to a specific wire mesh numerical model. Overall, the simulations show a nice agreement with the measurements and allow a thorough analysis of the flow modifications responsible for noise mitigation when the fairings are introduced.