Engineering topics
Brian Howerton
Publications and source records attributed to Brian Howerton.
A Comparison of Impedance Eduction Test Rigs with Different Flow Profiles
The experimental characterization of acoustic liners applied for turbofan engines has been in the spotlight of the community for the last few decades. In general, such characterization is done by measurements of the liner acoustic impedance using different techniques in conditions as close as possible to those encountered in turbofan engines. Although a great amount of work has been published related to these techniques, few comparisons between different experimental setups using identical samples are available. The goal of the present study is to provide a comparison between educed acoustic impedances for two nominally identical liner samples in theUFSC Impedance Test Rig and the NASA Langley Research Center Grazing Flow ImpedanceTube (GFIT). Due to the geometrical differences between the test rigs, it is possible to consider the effect of different grazing flow profiles on the educed impedance. Impedance measurements between the two facilities show similar results in absence of grazing flow, while different ones when the grazing flow is present. Results are presented with both test rigs targeted to two different conditions: (i) same centerline Mach number and; (ii) same average Mach number.Both comparisons suggest a higher acoustic resistance obtained with the UFSC Impedance TestRig. A comparison using semi-empirical predictive models was also conducted. The results suggest that the main source for the observed difference is the grazing flow profile, represented by its boundary layer displacement thickness.
A Comparison of Impedance Eduction Test Rigs with Different Flow Profiles
The experimental characterization of acoustic liners applied for turbofan engines has been in the spotlight of the community for the last few decades. In general, such characterization is done by measurements of the liner acoustic impedance using different techniques in conditions as close as possible to those encountered in turbofan engines. Although a great amount of work has been published related to these techniques, few comparisons between different experimental setups using identical samples are available. The goal of the present study is to provide a comparison between educed acoustic impedances for two nominally identical liner samples in theUFSC Impedance Test Rig and the NASA Langley Research Center Grazing Flow ImpedanceTube (GFIT). Due to the geometrical differences between the test rigs, it is possible to consider the effect of different grazing flow profiles on the educed impedance. Impedance measurements between the two facilities show similar results in absence of grazing flow, while different ones when the grazing flow is present. Results are presented with both test rigs targeted to two different conditions: (i) same centerline Mach number and; (ii) same average Mach number.Both comparisons suggest a higher acoustic resistance obtained with the UFSC Impedance TestRig. A comparison using semi-empirical predictive models was also conducted. The results suggest that the main source for the observed difference is the grazing flow profile, represented by its boundary layer displacement thickness.
NASA Investigation of Flow Direction Effects on Impedance Eduction for Acoustic Liners
In support of a collaboration with the International Forum for Aviation Research (IFAR), the NASA Langley Liner Physics Team has acquired a detailed dataset for use in the evaluation of flow direction effects on the acoustic liner impedance eduction process. Measurements are acquired with four acoustic liners designed to cover a range of sensitivities to source sound pressure level and tangential mean flow effects, specifically at source levels of 120 and 140 dB and centerline Mach numbers of 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3. These measurements include detailed flow profile surveys upstream and downstream of the liner test window, as well as acoustic pressure data over the extent of the test window. The results clearly demonstrate the importance of the choice of Mach number used in the impedance eduction analysis. Average Mach number differences of less than 0.01 result in significant variation in the educed impedance spectra. These data will soon be supplied to the IFAR partners and will be made available for the general public within the next year.