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NASA NTRS1990

The validation and application of a rotor acoustic prediction computer program

An essential prerequisite to reducing the acoustic detectability of military rotorcraft is a better understanding of main rotor noise which is the major contributor to the overall noise. A simple, yet accurate, Rotor Acoustic Prediction Program (RAPP) was developed to advance the understanding of main rotor noise. This prediction program uses the Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings (FW-H) equation. The particular form of the FW-H equation used is well suited for the coupling of the measured blade surface pressure to the prediction of acoustic pressure. The FW-H equation is an inhomogeneous wave equation that is valid in all space and governs acoustic pressure generated by thin moving bodies. The nonhomogeneous terms describe mass displacement due to surface motion and forces due to local surface stresses, such as viscous stress and pressure distribution on the surface. This paper examines two of the four types of main rotor noise: BVI noise and low-frequency noise. Blade-vortex interaction noise occurs when a tip vortex, previously shed by a rotor blade, passes close enough to a rotor blade to cause large variations in the blade surface pressures. This event is most disturbing when it happens on the advancing side of the rotor disk. Low-frequency noise includes hover and low to moderate speed forward flight. For these flight conditions, the low frequency components of the acoustic signal dominate.

Gallman, Judith M.↗

NASA NTRS1976

Measurement, analysis, and prediction of aircraft interior noise

Considerations of comfort of passengers and crew in light aircraft and helicopters indicate substantial benefits may be obtained by the reduction of interior noise levels. This paper discusses an ongoing research effort to reduce interior noise in such vehicles. Data from both field and laboratory studies for a light aircraft are presented. The laboratory data indicate that structural vibration is an efficient source of interior noise and should be considered in the reduction of interior noise. Flight data taken on a helicopter before and after installation of acoustic treatment demonstrate that over 30 dB of noise reduction can be obtained in certain portions of the spectra. However, subjective evaluations of the treated vehicle indicate that further reductions in interior noise are desirable. An existing interior noise prediction method which was developed for large jet transports was applied to study low-frequency noise in a light aircraft fuselage. The results indicate that improvements in the analytical model may be necessary for the prediction of interior noise of light aircraft.

Howlett, J. T.↗

NASA NTRS1954

Investigation of Noise Field and Velocity Profiles of an Afterburning Engine

Sound pressure levels, frequency spectrum, and jet velocity profiles are presented for an engine-afterburner combination at various values of afterburner fuel - air ratio. At the high fuel-air ratios, severe low-frequency resonance was encountered which represented more than half the total energy in the sound spectrum. At similar thrust conditions, lower sound pressure levels were obtained from a current fighter air craft with a different afterburner configuration. The lower sound pressure levels are attributed to resonance-free afterburner operation and thereby indicate the importance of acoustic considerations in afterburner design.

North, Warren J.↗

NASA NTRS1987

An Euler code calculation of blade-vortex interaction noise

An Euler code has been developed for calculation of noise radiation due to the interaction of a distributed vortex with a Joukowski airfoil. THe time-dependent incompressible flow field is first determined and then integrated to yield the resulting sound production through use of the elegant low-frequency Green's function approach. This code has several interesting numerical features involved in the vortex motion and in continuous satisfaction of the Kutta condition. In addition, it removes the limitations on Reynolds number and is much more efficient than an earlier Navier-Stokes code. Results indicate that the noise production is due to the deceleration and subsequent acceleration of the vortex as it approaches and passes the airfoil. Predicted acoustic levels and frequencies agree with measured data although a precise comparison would require the strength, size, and position of the incoming vortex to be known.

Hardin, J. C.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Cold-flow acoustic evaluation of a small scale, divergent, lobed nozzle for supersonic jet noise suppression

A supersonic jet noise suppressor was tested with cold flow for acoustic and thrust characteristics at nozzle- to atmospheric-pressure ratios of 1.5 to 4.0. Jet noise suppression and spectral characteristics of the divergent, lobed, suppressor (DLS) nozzle with and without an ejector are presented. Suppression was obtained at nozzle pressure ratios of 2.5 to 4.0. The largest, maximum-lobe, sound pressure level suppression with a hard-wall ejector was 14.6 decibels at a nozzle pressure ratio of 3.5. The thrust loss was 2 percent. In general, low-frequency jet noise was suppressed, leaving higher frequencies essentially unchanged. Without the ejector the nozzle showed a thrust loss of 11 percent together with slightly poorer noise suppression.

Huff, R. G.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Simulation of electrostatic turbulence in the plasma sheet boundary layer with electron currents and bean-shaped ion beams

Plasma data from ISEE-1 show the presence of electron currents as well as energetic ion beams in the plasma sheet boundary layer. Broadband electrostatic noise and low-frequency electromagnetic bursts are detected in the plasma sheet boundary layer, especially in the presence of strong ion flows, currents, and steep spacial gradients in the fluxes of few-keV electrons and ions. Particle simulations have been performed to investigate electrostatic turbulence driven by a cold electron beam and/or ion beams with a bean-shaped velocity distribution. The simulation results show that the counterstreaming ion beams as well as the counterstreaming of the cold electron beam and the ion beam excite ion acoustic waves with a given Doppler-shifted real frequency. However, the effect of the bean-shaped ion velocity distributions reduces the growth rates of ion acoustic instability. The simulation results also show that the slowing down of the ion bean is larger at the larger perpendicular velocity. The wave spectra of the electric fields at some points of the simulations show turbulence generated by growing waves.

Nishikawa, K.-I.↗

NASA NTRS1987

A comparative study of plasma heating by ion acoustic and modified two-stream instabilities at subcritical quasi-perpendicular shocks

Plasma heating due to the ion acoustic instability and the modified two-stream instability is examined for quasi-perpendicular subcritical shocks. Electron and ion heating is investigated as a function of upstream electron to ion temperature ratio and plasma beta using second-order heating rates. A simple shock model is employed in which the cross-field electron-ion drift speed is adjusted until the total (adiabatic plus anomalous) heating matches that required by the Rankine-Hugoniot relations. Quantities such as the width of the shock and the maximum electric field fluctuations are also calculated, and the results are compared with the ISEE data set of subcritical bow shock crossings. The observed width of the shock, the amount of plasma heating, and the low-frequency electric field intensity are in reasonably good agreement with the calculations for the modified two-stream instability. On the other hand, the wave intensities at higher frequency are about 4 orders of magnitude smaller than those predicted for the ion acoustic instability at saturation, consistent with the fact that the measured shock widths imply cross-field drift speeds that are below threshold for this instability. It is therefore concluded that the dissipation at these shocks is most likely due to the lowest frequency, modified two-stream instability.

Winske, D.↗

NASA NTRS1972

Radiation resistance of a rectangular panel.

The radiation resistance corresponding to the natural modes of a finite rectangular panel is theoretically determined from the total energy radiated to the farfield. The panel is assumed to be simply supported in an infinite baffle. Asymptotic solutions for the low-frequency region are derived, and curves covering the entire frequency range for various mode shapes and aspect ratios are obtained through numerical integration. When the ratio of the acoustic wavenumber to the panel wavenumber is a constant much less than unity, the radiation resistance for all modes is a minimum if the intranodal area (the area between adjacent node lines) is square, and increases with the aspect ratio of the intranodal area.

Wallace, C. E.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Full-scale experiments with an ejector to reduce jet engine exhaust noise

Experiments with a modified J65 turbojet engine and ejector resulted in noise power reductions as large as 13 decibels in the low-frequency range. High-frequency noise power, which appeared to originate mainly from the mixing processes within the ejector, increased. Peak velocities at the ejector exit were reduced by one-half to two-thirds, although survey rakes showed that mixing was not complete. Acoustical lining inside the ejector would reduce the perceived noise level (in PNdB) by removing much of the high-frequency noise.

Clark, B. J.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Propagation of plane waves in flow through a variable area duct

Duct geometry is an important factor that influences the transmission of sound in a duct. Nonconstant area produces variations in steady flow quantities through the duct, which can cause reflections of acoustic disturbances and the creation of standing wave patterns, and which can attenuate and disperse propagating waves. To study the problem, a second-order-accurate numerical method has been developed. The method of characteristics is used to solve the acoustic equations with the assumption of quasi-one-dimensional flow in the duct. Numerical results are presented over a broad range of frequencies. Low-frequency results are compared with approximate solutions for compact nozzles and high-frequency calculations are compared with results from the short-wave theory. The numerical results are also compared with an analytical solution of the acoustic equations for exponential horn sections with zero mean flow to further establish the validity of the numerical method.

King, L. S.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Acoustic characteristics of a large upper-surface blown configuration with turbofan engines

This paper presents acoustic results from static and simulated low forward velocity tests of a large-scale model of an aircraft configuration with two turbofan engines in the full-scale tunnel at the Langley Research Center. The turbofan engines were integrated into the model and equipped with rectangular nozzles to provide the upper-surface blowing. Results indicate that the upper-surface-blowing noise problem can be characterized, primarily, by the unsymmetrical radiation pattern due mainly to shielding of the high-frequency engine noise and the production of low-frequency noise by jet-surface interaction. The directivity of the low-frequency noise was found to depend on the trailing-edge flap angle when the thrust levels were low. Normalized sound pressure level spectral density data showed good agreement at low Strouhal number with other small- and large-scale model data from tests using simulated wing-flap systems. Forward speed effects were undetectable at the low tunnel speeds used during the tests.

Preisser, J. S.↗

NASA NTRS1976

Correlation of internal surface turbulence with far-field noise of the augmentor wing propulsive-lift concept

A wind tunnel investigation was conducted to determine the nature, strength, and variation with airspeed of the acoustic sources of the augmentor wing propulsive-lift concept. The augmentor wing overall noise is dominated by the high frequency jet mixing noise characteristic of the lobed primary nozzle. The augmentor modifies the intensity and propagation characteristics of the jet sources, especially those that exist inside the augmentor. The interaction of the turbulent flow with the augmentor creates low-frequency, low-intensity surface noise and trailing edge noise. These sources dominate any jet mixing noise that is present at the low frequencies and could become significant if the jet noise was suppressed by treating the augmentor with a lining tuned to the jet noise source location. The far-field noise of the untreated augmentor is unaffected by airspeed; however, this may not be the case when the jet noise is suppressed, because the trailing edge surface pressure and correlations with far-field noise do show a reduction with forward speed.

Falarski, M. D.↗

NASA NTRS1976

Low-frequency noise reduction of lightweight airframe structures

The results of an experimental study to determine the noise attenuation characteristics of aircraft type fuselage structural panels were presented. Of particular interest was noise attenuation at low frequencies, below the fundamental resonances of the panels. All panels were flightweight structures for transport type aircraft in the 34,050 to 45,400 kg (75,000 to 100,000 pounds) gross weight range. Test data include the results of vibration and acoustic transmission loss tests on seven types of isotropic and orthotropically stiffened, flat and curved panels. The results show that stiffness controlled acoustically integrated structures can provide very high noise reductions at low frequencies without significantly affecting their high frequency noise reduction capabilities.

Getline, G. L.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Possible generation mechanisms of low-frequency waves /less than about 50 Hz/ with application to the bow shock plasma

Generation mechanisms of waves observed at the earth's bow shock or in its vicinity within the frequency range extending up to about 50 Hz are reviewed. Observations and theories regarding waves in the solar wind upstream of the bow shock (both low-frequency 0.01-0.05 Hz and high-frequency 0.5-4 Hz waves), waves in the bow shock itself and magnetosheath waves arising from processes of generation or amplification in the bow shock are considered. Hydromagnetic, ion-acoustic and whistler type waves are discussed.

Dangelo, N.↗

NASA NTRS1981

The kilometric radio emission spectrum - Relationship to auroral acceleration processes

Using current theories for the generation of auroral kilometric radiation, the possibilities for obtaining information on the auroral acceleration processes from the spectrum of this radiation are discussed. It is shown, for example, that under certain conditions the low-frequency cutoff provides a direct indication of the upper altitude limit of the acceleration region. What is more, certain discrete features in the kilometric radiation spectrum show a very close similarity to whistler-mode emissions, thereby suggesting that the basic instability mechanisms are quite similar. Certain of these discrete features have frequency drifts which can be interpreted in terms of the propagation of shock-like disturbances along the auroral field lines at velocities near the ion-acoustic speed.

Gurnett, D. A.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Stimulation of plasma waves by electron guns on the ISEE-1 satellite

The results of the ISEE-1 satellite experiment relating to observations of the waves stimulated during electron injections, when the spacecraft is passing through the magnetosphere, the magnetosheath, and the solar wind, are discussed. It is shown that the injection of an electron beam current of the order of 10 to 60 microamperes with energies ranging from 0 to 40 eV produces enhancements in the electric wave spectrum. An attempt has been made to identify the low-frequency electrostatic wave observed below the ion plasma frequency as an ion acoustic mode, although the excitation mechanism is not clear. A coupling mechanism between the electron plasma mode and streaming electrons with energies higher than the thermal speed of the cold electron population has been proposed to explain the observations above the electron plasma frequency.

Lebreton, J.-P.↗

NASA NTRS1985

High time resolution plasma wave and magnetic field observations of the Jovian bow shock

High time resolution (60 ms) Voyager magnetometer and plasma wave measurements of a strong (fast Mach number 16), quasi-perpendicular Jovian bow shock reveal an abrupt change in the plasma wave spectrum at the leading edge of the shock foot. Upstream electron plasma waves terminate at the leading edge, and are replaced by a lower-frequency broadband spectrum of ion-acoustic-like waves, which terminates at the main shock ramp. The clear association with the foot region of the lower frequency component suggests that it is generated by reflected ions. If the upstream plasma waves are generated by an escaping electron heat flux, their termination at the leading edge suggests that electrons are heated by the low-frequency waves in the shock foot.

Moses, S. L.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Low-frequency electrostatic instabilities excited by injections of an electron beam in space

One-dimensional particle simulations have been carried out to study the low-frequency broadband electrostatic noise that propagates almost perpendicularly from the magnetic field line when a nonrelativistic electron beam is injected into space from a spacecraft. For T(e) = T(i) the electrostatic ion cyclotron waves appear as well as the waves near the lower hybrid frequency. When the magnetic field is reduced so that Omega(e) is much less than omega(pe) in a nonisothermal plasma, T(e) greater than T(i) oblique ion acoustic instabilities appear to propagate almost perpendicular to the magnetic field. In addition, a very low frequency mode at omega much less than Omega(i) is found to be generated by the electrons flowing into the conductor. Both the injected beam electrons as well as the ambient electrons flowing into the spacecraft are responsible for generating those instabilities, which accelerate ions perpendicular to the magnetic field.

Hwang, Y. S.↗