About
Professor McAlpine is a researcher in the field of aeroacoustics – the generation of sound by fluid flow. His work focuses on understanding the physics of aircraft noise generation. He is an active member of the Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre in Propulsion Systems Noise at the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR).
In addition to his research, Professor McAlpine teaches across the ISVR’s undergraduate and master’s programmes in acoustical engineering. From 2020-2024 he was the Director of Graduate School for Engineering and Physical Sciences. He currently leads the Acoustical and Vibration Engineering MSc programme.
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Research
Research interests
- Aeroacoustics
- Aircraft engine noise
- Aircraft engine installation acoustics
- Theoretical duct acoustics
- Hydrodynamic stability
Current research
Alan McAlpine's research focuses on developing and validating theoretical methods to predict noise generated by aircraft engines. His work primarily employs analytical and semi-analytical approaches to understand how changes to design parameters affect the noise levels. His key areas of expertise include aeroacoustics, duct acoustics and nonlinear acoustics.
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Current research
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Supervision
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Teaching
Alan McAlpine teaches theoretical acoustics on the ISVR's undergraduate and master’s programmes in Acoustical Engineering. The undergraduate programme is the only acoustics degree in the UK accredited by both the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and the Institute of Acoustics. From 2026, he will also contribute to teaching on the Engineering Foundation Year. In addition, for over a decade, he has delivered a presentation skills course to postgraduate researchers as part of the core professional and research skills training within the doctoral programme.
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Courses and modules
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Biography
Alan McAlpine graduated with first-class honours in Mathematics from the University of Southampton in 1993, and with a PhD in Mathematics from the University of Bristol in 1997. In 1998, he returned to Southampton to join the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR), where he has been a member of the Rolls-Royce sponsored Propulsion Systems Noise (formerly Gas Turbine Noise) group since its inception in 1999.
Professor McAlpine’s research focuses on developing and validating theoretical methods to predict noise generated by aircraft engines. His expertise spans aeroacoustics, duct acoustics, and nonlinear acoustics. Some of his research highlights include the development of an engineering prediction scheme for supersonic fan tone noise, known as buzz-saw noise, which is a critical noise source during take-off. More recently, he has developed a new theoretical framework to predict the spectral broadening of turbine-tones caused by the sound propagating through turbulent jet shear layers in the engine’s exhaust, and new analytical models of fan tone radiation from an installed turbofan engine.
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Prizes
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