University of Bristol teams up with Skyportz and Swinburne University of Technology in Australia to address electric air taxi noise
Skyportz has announced a new research collaboration with the aerodynamic and aeroacoustic research group at University of Bristol, bringing world-leading expertise in aeroacoustics and noise amelioration to the ongoing refinement of the Aeroberm™ modular vertipad.
Building on groundbreaking computational modelling with Swinburne University of Technology, the project is advancing testing of the first full-scale Aeroberm™ prototype — an elevated, modular vertipad system designed to mitigate the three key issues for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM): downwash, noise, and fire safety.
Researchers Dr. Esmaeel Masoudi and Professor Mahdi Azarpeyvand from University of Bristol are experts in aerodynamics and aeroaocustics and will collaborate to investigate how disrupting downwash vortices can also reduce noise generation from eVTOL aircraft during take-off and landing.
The announcement was made at the annual Aerial Cities Conference which was held in Dublin this week.
Dr. Masoudi, who is assistant professor at the University of Bristol, said: “We are excited to join Swinburne University and Skyportz to work on a much-needed technology such as Aeroberm™ that could significantly reduce both downwash-induced turbulence and associated noise, providing a quieter and safer vertiport environment.”
The Aeroberm™ employs a patented sub-deck airflow management system that disrupts and redirects high-energy rotor vortices created by eVTOL operations.
By breaking up these flow patterns, the system not only reduces downwash and outwash, but also has the potential to reduce acoustic emissions — a link now being investigated jointly by Swinburne University and the University of Bristol.
Skyportz expects to announce the first Aeroberm™ prototype sites in 2026, marking a major milestone in the creation of scalable, deployable vertiport infrastructure to support the next generation of sustainable air mobility.
Clem Newton-Brown, CEO of Skyportz, said: “Noise is one of the most significant barriers to public acceptance of Advanced Air Mobility. By combining Bristol’s expertise in aeroacoustics with our Australian-led research into downwash/outwash and fire suppression, we’re closing the loop on many of the critical safety and environmental challenges facing the industry.”
Professor Justin Leontini from Swinburne University, added: “This partnership extends our research into real-world applications. We’re resolving key aerodynamic parameters through CFD modelling, and we’re excited to test how these might correlate with acoustic performance in collaboration with the University of Bristol.”
