Noise comparisons of single and two stage demonstrator fans for advanced technology aircraft
A high-speed single-stage and a low-speed two-stage fan were designed, fabricated and tested to demonstrate their predicted low noise performance for an advanced 0.85-0.90 cruise Mach number aircraft requiring a 1.8-1.9 pressure ratio fan. Acoustic tests were made with both unsuppressed and suppressed configurations. The two-stage fan demonstrated that quiet fan technology developed for low-speed single-stage fan is applicable to two-stage designs. The unsuppressed two-stage fan was 3-5 dB quieter than the high-speed single-stage fan at the same pressure ratio. The unsuppressed high-speed single-stage fan demonstrated that significant reductions in inlet noise can be achieved from the sonic blockage caused by supersonic flow in the rotor blading. Both fans demonstrated suppressed inlet noise levels with treated sonic inlets that met advanced technology goals. Suppressed aft noise levels did not meet expectations for either fan. The aft noise problem is attributed to both excessive source noise and ineffective treatment performance.