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NASA NTRS2019

Networked Array Recorder (NeAR) Microphones for Field-Deployed Phased Arrays

An innovative edge-computing concept known as NeAR (Networked Array Recorder) has been developed to provide enhancements to existing field-deployable microphone phased arrays utilized for aeroacoustic flyover measurements of airframe and propulsive noise sources. The proposed system allows for the elimination of multiple miles of sensor wiring in an array installation, thereby improving the scalability of the overall system, increasing the fault-tolerance of the hardware, and reducing the effort needed to build-up and tear-down an array in the field. A demonstration of the NeAR concept was performed at Edwards Air Force Base in California in March – April, 2018, where twelve individual NeAR microphones were deployed as a piggyback on a conventional phased array system deployed for airframe noise flyover testing. The microphones operated successfully during the demonstration with good time history and spectral correlations shown between the NeAR units and conventional microphones located nearby in the array. The NeAR concept has spinoffs beyond its use for phased arrays, including applications in remote environmental sensing and noise monitoring.

Cull.iton, William G.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Measurement of Model Noise in a Hard-Wall Wind Tunnel

Identification, analysis, and control of fluid-mechanically-generated sound from models of aircraft and automobiles in special low-noise, semi-anechoic wind tunnels are an important research endeavor. Such studies can also be done in aerodynamic wind tunnels that have hard walls if phased microphone arrays are used to focus on the noise-source regions and reject unwanted reflections or background noise. Although it may be difficult to simulate the total flyover or drive-by noise in a closed wind tunnel, individual noise sources can be isolated and analyzed. An acoustic and aerodynamic study was made of a 7-percent-scale aircraft model in a NASA Ames 7-by-10-ft (about 2-by-3-m) wind tunnel for the purpose of identifying and attenuating airframe noise sources. Simulated landing, takeoff, and approach configurations were evaluated at Mach 0.26. Using a phased microphone array mounted in the ceiling over the inverted model, various noise sources in the high-lift system, landing gear, fins, and miscellaneous other components were located and compared for sound level and frequency at one flyover location. Numerous noise-alleviation devices and modifications of the model were evaluated. Simultaneously with acoustic measurements, aerodynamic forces were recorded to document aircraft conditions and any performance changes caused by geometric modifications. Most modern microphone-array systems function in the frequency domain in the sense that spectra of the microphone outputs are computed, then operations are performed on the matrices of microphone-signal cross-spectra. The entire acoustic field at one station in such a system is acquired quickly and interrogated during postprocessing. Beam-forming algorithms are employed to scan a plane near the model surface and locate noise sources while rejecting most background noise and spurious reflections. In the case of the system used in this study, previous studies in the wind tunnel have identified noise sources up to 19 dB below the normal background noise of the wind tunnel. Theoretical predictions of array performance are used to minimize the width and the side lobes of the beam pattern of the microphone array for a given test arrangement. To capture flyover noise of the inverted model, a 104-element microphone array in a 622-mm-diameter cluster was installed in a 19-mm-thick poly(methyl methacrylate) plate in the ceiling of the test section of the wind tunnel above the aircraft model (see Figure 1). The microphones were of the condenser type, and their diaphragms were mounted flush in the array plate, which was recessed 12.7 mm into the ceiling and covered by a porous aromatic polyamide cloth (not shown in the figure) to minimize boundary-layer noise. This design caused the level of flow noise to be much less than that of flush-mount designs. The drawback of this design was that the cloth attenuated sound somewhat and created acoustic resonances that could grow to several dB at a frequency of 10 kHz.

Soderman, Paul T.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Overview of the Jet/Surface Interaction Test (JSIT1)

This material was presented at the Acoustics Technical Working Group Meeting on April22, 2011. It provides an overview of an experiment called the Jet / Surface Interaction Test which was conducted to expand the database available regarding how a planar surface interacts with a jet to shield and/or enhance the jet noise. This presentation focuses on data obtained during Phase 1 of the test, JSIT1, which was conducted using the Small Hot Jet Acoustic Rig located in the Aeroacoustics Propulsion Lab at NASA GRCduring January and February, 2011. A second phase of the test, JSIT2, is planned for 2012.There were two parts of the phase 1 test. In part 1, known as the shielding surface part of the test, a planar surface was placed between the jet and the microphones. In part 2, the reflecting surface part of the test, the surface was placed on the opposite side of the jet so that the jet noise was free to reflect off the surface toward the microphones. Phased array, pressure sensitive paint, and far field acoustic data obtained during JSIT1 are presented. The phased array data illustrate how the jet noise is blocked by the shielding surface. It also shows that the low frequency scrubbing noise generated when the surface is impacted by the jet comes predominantly from the surface trailing edge. The far field data show the trailing edge noise to be a dipole source. The pressure sensitive paint data show how the pressure distribution on the surface varies as the surface is traversed toward jet.This material was presented at the Acoustics Technical Working Group Meeting on April22, 2011. It provides an overview of an experiment called the Jet/Surface Interaction Test which was conducted to expand the database available regarding how a planar surface interacts with a jet to shield and/or enhance the jet noise. This presentation focuses on data obtained during Phase 1 of the test, JSIT1, which was conducted using the Small Hot Jet Acoustic Rig located in the Aeroacoustics Propulsion Lab at NASA GRCduring January and February, 2011. A second phase of the test, JSIT2, is planned for 2012.There were two parts of the phase 1 test. In part 1, known as the shielding surface part of the test, a planar surface was placed between the jet and the microphones. In part 2, the reflecting surface part of the test, the surface was placed on the opposite side of the jet so that the jet noise was free to reflect off the surface toward the microphones. Phased array, pressure sensitive paint, and far field acoustic data obtained during JSIT1 are presented. The phased array data illustrate how the jet noise is blocked by the shielding surface. It also shows that the low frequency scrubbing noise generated when the surface is impacted by the jet comes predominantly from the surface trailing edge. The far field data show the trailing edge noise to be a dipole source. The pressure sensitive paint data show how the pressure distribution on the surface varies as the surface is traversed toward jet.

Podboy, Gary↗

NASA NTRS2018

Initial Calibrations and Wind Tunnel Test Results for an In-Flow Reference Array Using New In-Flow Acoustic Sources in Four Array Mount Configurations

This paper describes efforts to develop a small in-flow phased microphone array as a reference acoustic sensor and quantify its level-measurement accuracy with new in-flow calibration sources. The devices can be applied to a wide variety of in- and out-of-flow measurement applications and test facilities. Recent tests of the array and two calibration sources in the NASA Anechoic Chamber and Army 7- by 10-foot Wind Tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center demonstrated that the array was functional over a frequency range of 2 to 100 kilohertz for emission angles of 92 degrees, 108 degrees, and 120 degrees, and Mach numbers of 0, 0.15, and 0.25. The array and calibration sources were then used to assess the relative effects of array installation on background noise and level measurement accuracy by locating the array in the flow (strut- and wall-mounted) as well as outside the flow behind a porous wall screen and a free shear layer. The wind tunnel array measurements were compared with anechoic chamber measurements using discrete microphones at the same source distance and emission angles. At 92 degrees, the noise floor and attenuation spectra were comparable (within 5 decibels) for each installation from 2 to 30 kilohertz. At higher angles, the array installation behind the Kevlar screen had the lowest noise floor at M = 0.15 and 0.25. The array installation 10 inches (maximum available distance) behind a free shear layer had higher background noise that is typically reduced to a lower level by moving the array back further from the flow. For emission angles greater than 92 degrees, both the Kevlar and free shear layer installations exhibited stronger attenuations in measured level, beginning at lower frequencies than either the wall- or strut-mount configurations. Additional array and calibration source units of the same design are being tested at NASA’s Glenn Research Center and Langley Research Center in their aeroacoustic research facilities in an effort to improve measurement accuracy and repeatability.

Aeroacoustic Wind Tunnel Research↗

NASA NTRS2016

Phased Acoustic Array Measurements of a 5.75 Percent Hybrid Wing Body Aircraft

Detailed acoustic measurements of the noise from the leading-edge Krueger flap of a 5.75 percent Hybrid Wing Body (HWB) aircraft model were recently acquired with a traversing phased microphone array in the AEDC NFAC (Arnold Engineering Development Complex, National Full Scale Aerodynamics Complex) 40- by 80-Foot Wind Tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center. The spatial resolution of the array was sufficient to distinguish between individual support brackets over the full-scale frequency range of 100 to 2875 Hertz. For conditions representative of landing and take-off configuration, the noise from the brackets dominated other sources near the leading edge. Inclusion of flight-like brackets for select conditions highlights the importance of including the correct number of leading-edge high-lift device brackets with sufficient scale and fidelity. These measurements will support the development of new predictive models.

Krueger noise↗

NASA NTRS2014

Acoustic Measurements from Wind Tunnel Test of AMELIA - Advanced Model for Extreme Lift and Improved Aeroacoustics

A wind tunnel test has been conducted to measure the aerodynamic and acoustic performance of an active circulation-control aircraft with leading- and trailing- edge slot blowing. The 11 Advanced Model for Extreme Lift and Improved Aeroacoustics (AMELIA) model was tested in the Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) National Full Scale Aerodynamics Complex (NFAC) 40- by 80-Ft wind tunnel. Forward velocities ranged from 0 to Mach 0.15 and total slot mass-flow was varied from 0 to 2.8 lbmsec. Angle-of-attack and sideslip ranges were -5 to 25 and -10 to 10, respectively.This reports summarizes acoustic measurements from the wind tunnel test and the corrections applied to the released acoustic data. The analysis focuses on measurements for the clean wing configuration (turbine propulsion simulators removed) with trailing-and leading-edge slot blowing and with trailing-edge blowing, for systematic variations in slot mass flow from nearly zero to the system maximum. The acoustic measurements from a fixed phased microphone array and seven fixed microphones were corrected for sensor directional response and atmospheric attenuation. Graphs of 13-octave spectra, narrowband spectra, and directional variations in OASPL are presented for each active lift configuration. This report is intended to document the corresponding set of corrected data that is now available for development and verification of new predictive models of the active lift source.For large slot mass flow conditions 13-octave spectral shapes were level and flat, typical of a pink noise source. Little source directivity was present in the OASPL levels for the 0 flap conditions and show only a slight downstream increase with the 60 flap configuration. For moderate to high slot mass flow conditions trailing-edge only blowing spectra were similar to leading- and trailing edge blowing cases. However for the lower mass flows variations of as much as 5 dB were observed.

CCW↗

NASA NTRS2011

Initial Assessment of Acoustic Source Visibility with a 24-Element Microphone Array in the Arnold Engineering Development Center 80- by 120-Foot Wind Tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center

Measurements of background noise were recently obtained with a 24-element phased microphone array in the test section of the Arnold Engineering Development Center 80- by120-Foot Wind Tunnel at speeds of 50 to 100 knots (27.5 to 51.4 m/s). The array was mounted in an aerodynamic fairing positioned with array center 1.2m from the floor and 16 m from the tunnel centerline, The array plate was mounted flush with the fairing surface as well as recessed in. (1.27 cm) behind a porous Kevlar screen. Wind-off speaker measurements were also acquired every 15 on a 10 m semicircular arc to assess directional resolution of the array with various processing algorithms, and to estimate minimum detectable source strengths for future wind tunnel aeroacoustic studies. The dominant background noise of the facility is from the six drive fans downstream of the test section and first set of turning vanes. Directional array response and processing methods such as background-noise cross-spectral-matrix subtraction suggest that sources 10-15 dB weaker than the background can be detected.

Horne, William C.↗

NASA NTRS2010

DAMAS Processing for a Phased Array Study in the NASA Langley Jet Noise Laboratory

A jet noise measurement study was conducted using a phased microphone array system for a range of jet nozzle configurations and flow conditions. The test effort included convergent and convergent/divergent single flow nozzles, as well as conventional and chevron dual-flow core and fan configurations. Cold jets were tested with and without wind tunnel co-flow, whereas, hot jets were tested only with co-flow. The intent of the measurement effort was to allow evaluation of new phased array technologies for their ability to separate and quantify distributions of jet noise sources. In the present paper, the array post-processing method focused upon is DAMAS (Deconvolution Approach for the Mapping of Acoustic Sources) for the quantitative determination of spatial distributions of noise sources. Jet noise is highly complex with stationary and convecting noise sources, convecting flows that are the sources themselves, and shock-related and screech noise for supersonic flow. The analysis presented in this paper addresses some processing details with DAMAS, for the array positioned at 90 (normal) to the jet. The paper demonstrates the applicability of DAMAS and how it indicates when strong coherence is present. Also, a new approach to calibrating the array focus and position is introduced and demonstrated.

Brooks, Thomas F.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Subspace-based Background Subtraction Applied to Aeroacoustic Wind Tunnel Testing

A subspace-based form of background subtraction is presented and applied to aeroacoustic wind tunnel data. A variant of this method has seen use in other fields such as climatology and medical imaging. The technique is based on an eigenvalue decomposition of the background noise cross-spectral matrix. Simulated results indicate similar performance to conventional background subtraction when the subtracted spectra are weaker than the true contaminating background levels. Superior performance is observed when the subtracted spectra are stronger than the true contaminating background levels, and when background data do not match between measurements. Experimental results show limited success in recovering signal behavior for data in which conventional background subtraction fails. The results also demonstrate the subspace subtraction technique's ability to maintain a physical coherence relationship in the modified cross-spectral matrix. Deconvolution results from microphone phased array data indicate that array integration methods are largely insensitive to subtraction type, and that background subtraction with appropriate background data is an effective alternative to diagonal removal.

deconvolution↗

NASA NTRS2016

J-FLiC UAS Flights for Acoustic Testing Research

The jet-powered flying testbed (J-FLiC) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) successfully completed twenty-six flights at Fort AP Hill, VA, from 27 August until September 3 2015, supporting tests of a microphone array system for aircraft noise measurement. The test vehicles, J-FLiC NAVY2 (N508NU), and J-FLiC 4 (N509NU), were flown under manual and autopiloted control in a variety of test conditions: clean at speeds ranging from 80 to 150 knots; and full landing configuration at speeds ranging from 50 to 95 knots. During the test campaign, autopilot capability was incrementally improved to ultimately provide a high degree of accuracy and repeatability of the critical test requirements for airspeed, altitude, runway alignment and position over the microphone array. Manual flights were performed for test conditions at the both ends of the speed envelope where autopiloted flight would have required flight beyond visual range and more extensive developmental work. The research objectives of the campaign were fully achieved. The ARMD Integrated Systems Research Program (ISRP) Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) Project aims to develop the enabling capabilities/technologies that will allow prediction/reduction of aircraft noise. A primary measurement tool for ascertaining and characterizing empirically the effectiveness of various noise reduction technologies is a microphone phased array system. Such array systems need to be vetted and certified for operational use via field deployments and overflights of the array with test aircraft, in this case with sUAS aircraft such as J-FLiC.

Motter, Mark A.↗

NASA NTRS2016

Acoustic Measurements of a Large Civil Transport Main Landing Gear Model

Microphone phased array acoustic measurements of a 26 percent-scale, Boeing 777-200 main landing gear model with and without noise reduction fairings installed were obtained in the anechoic configuration of the Virginia Tech Stability Tunnel. Data were acquired at Mach numbers of 0.12, 0.15, and 0.17 with the latter speed used as the nominal test condition. The fully and partially dressed gear with the truck angle set at 13 degrees toe-up landing configuration were the two most extensively tested configurations, serving as the baselines for comparison purposes. Acoustic measurements were also acquired for the same two baseline configurations with the truck angle set at 0 degrees. In addition, a previously tested noise reducing, toboggan-shaped fairing was re-evaluated extensively to address some of the lingering questions regarding the extent of acoustic benefit achievable with this device. The integrated spectra generated from the acoustic source maps reconfirm, in general terms, the previously reported noise reduction performance of the toboggan fairing as installed on an isolated gear. With the recent improvements to the Virginia Tech tunnel acoustic quality and microphone array capabilities, the present measurements provide an additional, higher quality database to the acoustic information available for this gear model.

Ravetta, Patricio A.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Aeroacoustic Computations of a Transonic Truss-Braced Wing Aircraft: Part 2 – Acoustic Signature and Noise Source Identification

High-fidelity, time-dependent simulations of a Boeing-designed, transonic, truss-braced-wing aircraft in cruise (clean) and landing configurations are leveraged to generate synthetic microphone-phased-array data for airframe noise prediction and assessment. These data sets are used to compute source localization (beamform) maps to determine the location and strength of primary and secondary airframe noise sources associated with this unique configuration. The synthetic phased-array implementation mimics the setup of a flight test. As this study is ongoing, preliminary integrated far-field spectra for the cruise configuration obtained at multiple spatial resolutions revealed significant tonal content that lacked convergence with increased resolution. The origin of several of these tones and their unusual convergence behavior was traced to the larger-than-normal trailing-edge thickness of the “as-tested” cruise model being simulated. Reducing the trailing-edge thickness to more realistic values eliminated most of the tones at low to moderate frequencies and improved spectrum convergence significantly. Applying lessons learned from the cruise simulations, several modifications to the geometry of the landing configuration were made and are described in this work. Results from permeable and solid Ffowcs-Williams and Hawkings surfaces at two different spatial resolutions (coarse and medium) are used to illustrate the major noise sources and determine convergence of the CLEAN integrated noise levels for the entire aircraft as well as major subcomponents. We demonstrate that the low-frequency content of the far-field spectrum is dominated by noise generated from the main landing gear, while the medium- and high-frequency content is dominated by the wing-leading-edge Krueger flaps. Since analysis of the acoustic maps for the landing configuration revealed several clusters of multiple sources along the wing leading edge, “high resolution” processing of the array data was used to distinguish more accurately the locations of sources.

Transonic Truss-Braced Wing↗

NASA NTRS1995

Acoustic Modifications of the Ames 40x80 Foot Wind Tunnel and Test Techniques for High-Speed Research Model Testing

The NFAC 40- by 80- Foot Wind Tunnel at Ames is being refurbished with a new, deep acoustic lining in the test section which will make the facility nearly anechoic over a large frequency range. The modification history, key elements, and schedule will be discussed. Design features and expected performance gains will be described. Background noise reductions will be summarized. Improvements in aeroacoustic research techniques have been developed and used recently at NFAC on several wind tunnel tests of High Speed Research models. Research on quiet inflow microphones and struts will be described. The Acoustic Survey Apparatus in the 40x80 will be illustrated. A special intensity probe was tested for source localization. Multi-channel, high speed digital data acquisition is now used for acoustics. And most important, phased microphone arrays have been developed and tested which have proven to be very powerful for source identification and increased signal-to-noise ratio. Use of these tools for the HEAT model will be illustrated. In addition, an acoustically absorbent symmetry plane was built to satisfy the HEAT semispan aerodynamic and acoustic requirements. Acoustic performance of that symmetry plane will be shown.

Soderman, Paul T.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Aeroacoustic Experiments in the NASA Langley Low-Turbulence Pressure Tunnel

A phased microphone array was used in the NASA Langley Low-Turbulence Pressure Tunnel to obtain acoustic data radiating from high-lift wing configurations. The data included noise localization plots and acoustic spectra. The tests were performed at Reynolds numbers based on the cruise-wing chord, ranging from 3.6 x 10(exp 6) to 19.2 x 10(exp 6). The effects of Reynolds number were small and monotonic for Reynolds numbers above 7.2 x 10(exp 6).

Choudhari, Meelan M.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Acoustic Quality of the 40- by 80- Foot Wind Tunnel Test Section After Installation of a Deep Acoustic Lining

A recessed, 42-inch deep acoustic lining has been designed and installed in the 40- by 80- Foot Wind Tunnel (40x80) test section to greatly improve the acoustic quality of the facility. This report describes the test section acoustic performance as determined by a detailed static calibration-all data were acquired without wind. Global measurements of sound decay from steady noise sources showed that the facility is suitable for acoustic studies of jet noise or similar randomly generated sound. The wall sound absorption, size of the facility, and averaging effects of wide band random noise all tend to minimize interference effects from wall reflections. The decay of white noise with distance was close to free field above 250 Hz. However, tonal sound data from propellers and fans, for example, will have an error band to be described that is caused by the sensitivity of tones to even weak interference. That error band could be minimized by use of directional instruments such as phased microphone arrays. Above 10 kHz, air absorption began to dominate the sound field in the large test section, reflections became weaker, and the test section tended toward an anechoic environment as frequency increased.

Soderman, Paul T.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Jet Noise Source Localization Using Linear Phased Array

A study was conducted to further clarify the interpretation and application of linear phased array microphone results, for localizing aeroacoustics sources in aircraft exhaust jet. Two model engine nozzles were tested at varying power cycles with the array setup parallel to the jet axis. The array position was varied as well to determine best location for the array. The results showed that it is possible to resolve jet noise sources with bypass and other components separation. The results also showed that a focused near field image provides more realistic noise source localization at low to mid frequencies.

Agboola, Ferni A.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Passive Wake Acoustics Measurements at Denver International Airport

From August to September 2003, NASA conducted an extensive measurement campaign to characterize the acoustic signal of wake vortices. A large, both spatially as well as in number of elements, phased microphone array was deployed at Denver International Airport for this effort. This paper will briefly describe the program background, the microphone array, as well as the supporting ground-truth and meteorological sensor suite. Sample results to date are then presented and discussed. It is seen that, in the frequency range processed so far, wake noise is generated predominantly from a very confined area around the cores.

Wang, Frank Y.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Reducing Propulsion Airframe Aeroacoustic Interactions With Uniquely Tailored Chevrons: 3. Jet-Flap Interaction

Propulsion airframe aeroacoustic (PAA) interactions, resulting from the integration of engine and airframe, lead to azimuthal asymmetries in the flow/acoustic field, e.g., due to the interaction between the exhaust jet flow and the pylon, the wing and its high-lift devices, such as, flaps and flaperons. In the first two parts of this series we have presented experimental results which show that isolated and installed nozzles with azimuthally varying chevrons (AVCs) can reduce noise more than conventional chevrons when integrated with a pylon and a wing with flaps at take-off conditions. In this paper, we present model-scale experimental results for the reduction of jet-flap interaction noise source due to these AVCs and document the PAA installation effects (difference in noise between installed and isolated nozzle configurations) at both approach and take-off conditions. It is found that the installation effects of both types of chevron nozzles, AVCs and conventional, are reversed at approach and take-off, in that there is more installed noise reduction at approach and less at take-off compared to that of the isolated nozzles. Moreover, certain AVCs give larger total installed noise benefits at both conditions compared to conventional chevrons. Phased microphone array results show that at approach conditions (large flap deflection, low jet speed and low ambient Mach number), chevrons gain more noise benefit from reducing jetflap interaction noise than they do from quieting the jet plume noise source which is already weak at these low jet speeds. In contrast, at take-off (small flap deflection, high jet speed and high ambient Mach number) chevrons reduce the dominant jet plume noise better than the reduction they create in jet-flap interaction noise source. In addition, fan AVCs with enhanced mixing near the pylon are found to reduce jet-flap interaction noise better than conventional chevrons at take-off.

Thomas, Russ H.↗