Project outline
This PhD project focuses on improving aircraft noise prediction for emerging technologies at early design stages. It involves developing whole-aircraft noise models, incorporating operational factors and fleet-level scenarios. The research will support Rolls-Royce’s noise prediction systems and inform certification standards and airport noise policies.
Project Partners
This PhD project will be hosted within the Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre (UTC) in Propulsion Systems Noise at the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR), University of Southampton. The UTC is a world-leading hub for aeroacoustics research, offering close collaboration with the Rolls-Royce noise engineering team. This provides a unique opportunity to contribute to real-world challenges and make a tangible impact on the future of quieter, more sustainable aviation.
Further project information
This PhD project focuses on advancing noise prediction and mitigation methods for emerging aircraft technologies, including next-generation gas turbine architectures and propeller-based propulsion systems. A key challenge is estimating noise emissions during the conceptual design phase, where trade-offs between noise and performance are often overlooked. The project will build on ongoing research at ISVR to adapt existing scaling laws for different noise sources, ensuring their relevance to novel aircraft configurations. It will also involve developing whole-aircraft noise models that incorporate operational characteristics such as take-off profiles, power requirements, and flight trajectories. These models will be extended to fleet-level scenarios, enabling assessment of noise impacts across various aircraft categories and compositions. The aviation industry stands at a pivotal moment, with disruptive concepts such as UltraFan and RISE redefining the future of flight. This PhD places you at the forefront of that transformation, shaping the next generation of sustainable propulsion.
Note: This project is open to fully UK nationals and students from the EU and Horizon Europe-associated countries.
Subject Areas
- Acoustics
- Acoustics Engineering
- Aerospace Engineering
- Fluid Mechanics
- Mechanical Engineering
- Applied Mathematics
- Mathematical Modelling
Required qualifications/skills
Essential
- A UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent in a maths, physics or engineering subject.
Desirable
- It is advantageous to have some experience in aerospace engineering, particularly in flight mechanics, aircraft operations or aeroacoustics.
- Coding experience in MATLAB or Python is also advantageous.
Student
Commencing in October 2026