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The progress in propulsion system noise reduction is reviewed. The noise technology areas discussed include: fan noise; advances in suppression including conventional acoustic treatment, high Mach number inlets, and wing shielding; engine core noise; flap noise from both under-the-wing and over-the-wing powered-lift systems; supersonic jet noise suppression; and the NASA program in noise prediction.
High temperature engine materials, fatigue and fracture life prediction, composite materials, propulsion noise pollution, propulsion components, full-scale engine research, V/STOL propulsion, advanced engine concepts, and advanced general aviation propulsion research were discussed.
This presentation reviews past and current work done using inhomogeneous Rapid Distortion Theory (RDT) to develop reduced-order models for the prediction of noise generated by flow/surface interactions in geometries representative of propulsion systems which are tightly integrated with the airframe. The specific applications considered are: trailing-edge noise, generated by the interaction of a turbulent jet with a semi-infinite flat plate, and turbulence distortion and noise generation in a boundary-layer ingesting inlet. The inhomogeneous RDT formulation is briefly reviewed, a sampling of available results are shown and the current status and future plans for work on these two applications are discussed.
Contributions from the combustor to the overall propulsion noise of civilian transport aircraft are starting to become important due to turbofan design trends and advances in mitigation of other noise sources. Future propulsion systems for ultra-efficient commercial air vehicles are projected to be of increasingly higher bypass ratio from larger fans combined with much smaller cores, with ultra-clean burning fuel-flexible combustors. Unless effective noise-reduction strategies are developed, combustor noise is likely to become a prominent contributor to overall airport community noise in the future. The new NASA DGEN Aero0propulsion Research Turbofan (DART) is a cost-efficient testbed for the study of core-noise physics and mitigation. This presentation gives a brief description of the recently completed DART core combustor-noise baseline test in the NASA GRC Aero-Acoustic Propulsion Laboratory (AAPL). Acoustic data was simultaneously acquired using the AAPL overhead microphone array in the engine aft quadrant far field, a single midfield microphone, and two semi-infinite-tube unsteady pressure sensors at the core-nozzle exit. An initial assessment shows that the data is of high quality and compares well with results from a quick 2014 feasibility test. Combustor noise components of measured total-noise signatures were educed using a two-signal source-separation method an dare found to occur in the expected frequency range. The research described herein is aligned with the NASA Ultra-Efficient Commercial Transport strategic thrust and is supported by the NASA Advanced Air Vehicle Program, Advanced Air Transport Technology Project, under the Aircraft Noise Reduction Subproject.
Contributions from the combustor to the overall propulsion noise of civilian transport aircraft are starting to become important due to turbofan design trends and advances in mitigation of other noise sources. Future propulsion systems for ultra-efficient commercial air vehicles are projected to be of increasingly higher bypass ratio from larger fans combined with much smaller cores, with ultra-clean burning fuel-flexible combustors. Unless effective noise-reduction strategies are developed, combustor noise is likely to become a prominent contributor to overall airport community noise in the future. The new NASA DGEN Aeropropulsion Research Turbofan (DART) is a cost-efficient testbed for the study of core-noise physics and mitigation. This paper describes the recently completed DART core/combustor-noise baseline test in the NASA GRC Aero-Acoustic Propulsion Laboratory (AAPL). Acoustic data were simultaneously acquired using the AAPL overhead microphone array in the engine aft quadrant farfield, a single midfield microphone, and two semi-infinite-tube unsteady pressure sensors at the core-nozzle exit. Combustor-noise components of measured total-noise signatures were educed using a two-signal source-separation method and are found to occur in the expected frequency range. The acoustic data compare well with results from a limited 2014 feasibility test and will serve as a high-quality baseline for future research using the DART. The research described herein is aligned with the NASA Ultra-Efficient Commercial Transport strategic thrust and is supported by the NASA Advanced Air Vehicle Program, Advanced Air Transport Technology Project, under the Aircraft Noise Reduction Subproject.
Contributions from the combustor to the overall propulsion noise of civilian transport aircraft are starting to become important due to turbofan design trends and advances in mitigation of other noise sources. Future propulsion systems for ultra-efficient commercial air vehicles are projected to be of increasingly higher bypass ratio from larger fans combined with much smaller cores, with ultra-clean burning fuel-flexible combustors. Unless effective noise-eduction strategies are developed, combustor noise is likely to become a prominent contributor to overall airport community noise in the future. The new NASA DGEN Aeropropulsion Research Turbofan (DART) is a cost-efficient testbed for the study of core-noise physics and mitigation. This paper describes the recently completed DART core/combustor-noise baseline test in the NASA GRC Aero-Acoustic Propulsion Laboratory (AAPL). Acoustic data was simultaneously acquired using the AAPL overhead microphone array in the engine aft quadrant far field, a single midfield microphone, and two semi-infinite-tube unsteady pressure sensors at the core-nozzle exit. Combustor-noise components of measured total-noise signatures were educed using a two-signal source-separation method and are found to occur in the expected frequency range. The acoustic data compares well with results from a limited 2014 feasibility test and will serve as a high-quality baseline for future research using the DART. The research described herein is aligned with the NASA Ultra-Efficient Commercial Transport strategic thrust and is supported by the NASA Advanced Air Vehicle Program, Advanced Air Transport Technology Project, under the Aircraft Noise Reduction Subproject.
This report describes the work performed by General Electric Aircraft Engines (GEAE) and Allison Engine Company (AEC) on NASA Contract NAS3-27720 AoI 14.3. The objective of this contract was to generate quality jet noise acoustic data for separate-flow nozzle models and to design and verify new jet-noise-reduction concepts over a range of simulated engine cycles and flight conditions. Five baseline axisymmetric separate-flow nozzle models having bypass ratios of five and eight with internal and external plugs and 11 different mixing-enhancer model nozzles (including chevrons, vortex-generator doublets, and a tongue mixer) were designed and tested in model scale. Using available core and fan nozzle hardware in various combinations, 28 GEAE/AEC separate-flow nozzle/mixing-enhancer configurations were acoustically evaluated in the NASA Glenn Research Center Aeroacoustic and Propulsion Laboratory. This report describes model nozzle features, facility and data acquisition/reduction procedures, the test matrix, and measured acoustic data analyses. A number of tested core and fan mixing enhancer devices and combinations of devices gave significant jet noise reduction relative to separate-flow baseline nozzles. Inward-flip and alternating-flip core chevrons combined with a straight-chevron fan nozzle exceeded the NASA stretch goal of 3 EPNdB jet noise reduction at typical sideline certification conditions.
The noise shielding benefit of installing an open rotor above a simplified wing or tail is explored experimentally. The test results provide both a benchmark data set for validating shielding prediction tools and an opportunity for a system level evaluation of the noise reduction potential of propulsion noise shielding by an airframe component. A short barrier near the open rotor was found to provide up to 8.5 dB of attenuation at some directivity angles, with tonal sound particularly well shielded. Predictions from two simple shielding theories were found to overestimate the shielding benefit.
Methods of handling one-third-octave band noise data originating from the outdoor full-scale fan noise facility and the engine acoustic facility at the Lewis Research Center are presented. Procedures for standardizing, retrieving, extrapolating, and reporting these data are explained. Computer programs are given which are used to accomplish these and other noise data analysis tasks. This information is useful as background for interpretation of data from these facilities appearing in NASA reports and can aid data exchange by promoting standardization.
Computer programs have been developed for efficient handling of one-third-octave band noise data originating from outdoor full-scale fan noise facility and engine acoustic facility at Lewis Research Center.
Methods are presented for making overall and directional acoustic measurements with forward velocity in the Lewis 9 x 15 V/STOL wind tunnel. Overall acoustic measurements are discussed; the acoustic calibration methods, instrumentation features, and types of experiments are presented. Selected data are presented as examples of the various types of overall measurements that are possible. The method of making directional acoustic measurements is presented, and the necessary alterations to the tunnel, specialized acoustic instrumentation, and calibration details are described. The results indicate that relative overall acoustic measurements can be made successfully and that directional acoustic measurements are feasible.
Methods are presented for making overall and directional acoustic measurements with forward velocity in the Lewis 9 x 15 V/STOL Wind Tunnel. Overall acoustic measurements are discussed first. The acoustic calibration methods, instrumentation features, and types of experiments are presented. Selected data are presented as examples of the various types of overall measurements that are possible. The method of making directional acoustic measurements is then presented. The necessary alterations to the tunnel, specialized acoustic instrumentation, and calibration details are described. The results indicate that relative overall acoustic measurements can be made successfully and that directional acoustic measurements are feasible.
Turbofan engine noise research relevant to conventional aircraft is discussed. In the area of fan noise, static to flight noise differences were discussed and data were presented for two different ways of simulating flight behavior. Experimental results from a swept rotor fan design are presented which show that this concept has potential for reducing the multiple-pure-tone or buzz-saw noise related to the shock waves on a fan operating at supersonic tip speeds. Acoustic suppressor research objectives centered around the effect of the wave system generated by the fan stage that is the input to the treatment. A simplifying and unifying parameter, mode cutoff ratio was described. Results are presented which show that suppressor performance can be improved if the input wave is more precisely described. In jet noise, calculated results showing the potential noise reduction from the use of internal mixer nozzles rather than separate flow nozzles are presented.
In the first part of the paper, the contribution of airframe noise to total aircraft noise on approach is assessed for a large current technology transport and for the same airframe powered with bypass ratio 10 engines with an additional 5 dB noise suppression applied to the fan and turbine noise sources. The airframe noise of the envisioned advanced subsonic transport is 2 EPNdB less than the largest contributor to the total aircraft noise, the fan inlet. The noise impact of the airframe noise, as measured by noise contour area, is 1/4 that of fan noise. Further fan noise reduction efforts should not view airframe noise as an absolute noise floor. In the second part of the paper, the results from one recent cavity noise wind tunnel experiment is reported. A cavity of dimensions 11.25 in. (28.58 cm) long, 2.5 in. (6.35 cm) wide, and variable depth was tested in the Mach number range of .20 through .90. Reynolds number varied from 5 to 100 million per foot (16 to 328 million per meter). The 1/d ratio was varied from 4.4 to 20.0. The model was tested at yaw angles from 0 to 15 degrees. In general, the deeper the cavity, the greater the amplitude of the acoustic tones. Reynolds number appeared to have little effect on acoustic tone amplitudes. Tone amplitude and bandwidth changed with Mach number. The effect of yaw on acoustic tones varied with Reynolds number, Mach number, 1/h, and mode number. At Mach number 0.90, increased yaw shifted the tone frequencies of the higher modal frequencies to lower frequencies. As cavity depth decreased, the effect of yaw decreased.
This presentation discusses: Project Objectives, Approach and Goal; Baseline Nozzles and Test Cycle Definition; Repeatability and Baseline Nozzle Results; Noise Reduction Concepts; Noise Reduction Tests Configurations of BPR=5 Internal Plug Nozzle adn Acoustic Results; Noise Reduction Test Configurations of BPR=5 External Plug Nozzle and Acoustic Results; and Noise Reduction Tests Configurations of BPR=8 External Plug Nozzle and Acoustic Results.
The General Electric Reliable and Affordable Controls effort under the NASA Advanced Subsonic Technology (AST) Program has designed, fabricated, and tested advanced controls hardware and software to reduce emissions and improve engine safety and reliability. The original effort consisted of four elements: 1) a Hydraulic Multiplexer; 2) Active Combustor Control; 3) a Variable Displacement Vane Pump (VDVP); and 4) Intelligent Engine Control. The VDVP and Intelligent Engine Control elements were cancelled due to funding constraints and are reported here only to the state they progressed. The Hydraulic Multiplexing element developed and tested a prototype which improves reliability by combining the functionality of up to 16 solenoids and servo-valves into one component with a single electrically powered force motor. The Active Combustor Control element developed intelligent staging and control strategies for low emission combustors. This included development and tests of a Controlled Pressure Fuel Nozzle for fuel sequencing, a Fuel Multiplexer for individual fuel cup metering, and model-based control logic. Both the Hydraulic Multiplexer and Controlled Pressure Fuel Nozzle system were cleared for engine test. The Fuel Multiplexer was cleared for combustor rig test which must be followed by an engine test to achieve full maturation.
This report describes work performed on Contract NAS3–27720 AoI 13 as part of the NASA Advanced Subsonic Transport (AST) Noise Reduction Technology effort. Computer codes were developed to provide quantitative prediction, design, and analysis capability for several aircraft engine noise sources. The objective was to provide improved, physics-based tools for the exploration of noise-reduction concepts and the understanding of experimental results. Methods and codes focused on fan broadband and “buzz saw” noise and on low-emissions combustor noise and complement work done by other contractors under the NASA AST program to develop methods and codes for fan harmonic tone noise and jet noise. The methods and codes developed and reported herein employ a wide range of approaches, from the strictly empirical to the completely computational, with some being semiempirical, analytical, and/or analytical/computational. Emphasis was on capturing the essential physics while still considering method or code utility as a practical design and analysis tool for everyday engineering use. Codes and prediction models were developed for: (1) an improved empirical correlation model for fan rotor exit flow mean and turbulence properties, for use in predicting broadband noise generated by rotor exit flow turbulence interaction with downstream stator vanes; (2) fan broadband noise models for rotor and stator/turbulence interaction sources including 3D effects, noncompact-source effects, directivity modeling, and extensions to the rotor supersonic tip-speed regime; (3) fan multiple-pure-tone in-duct sound pressure prediction methodology based on CFD analysis; and (4) low-emissions combustor prediction methodology and computer code based on CFD and actuator disk theory. In addition, the relative importance of dipole and quadrupole source mechanisms was studied using direct CFD source computation for a simple cascade/gust interaction problem, and an empirical combustor-noise correlation model was developed from engine acoustic test results. This work provided several insights on potential approaches to reducing aircraft engine noise. Code development is described in Volume I, and those insights are discussed. Volume II documents the computer codes developed and gives instructions on how to use them.
Contributions from the combustor to the overall propulsion noise of civilian transport aircraft are starting to become important due to turbofan design trends and advances in mitigation of other noise sources. Future propulsion systems for ultra-efficient commercial air vehicles are projected to be of increasingly higher bypass ratio from larger fans combined with much smaller cores, with ultra-clean burning fuel-flexible combustors. Unless effective noise-reduction strategies are developed, combustor noise is likely to become a prominent contributor to overall airport community noise in the future. This presentation gives a brief overview of the NASA outlook on pertinent issues and far-term research needs as well as current and planned research in the core/combustor-noise area. The research described herein is aligned with the NASA Ultra-Efficient Commercial Transport strategic thrust and is supported by the NASA Advanced Air Vehicle Program, Advanced Air Transport Technology Project, under the Aircraft Noise Reduction Subproject. The overarching goal of the Advanced Air Transport Technology (AATT) Project is to explore and develop technologies and concepts to revolutionize the energy efficiency and environmental compatibility of fixed wing transport aircrafts. These technological solutions are critical in reducing the impact of aviation on the environment even as this industry and the corresponding global transportation system continue to grow.