Determination of rocket engine noise damage to community dwellings near launch sites, volume 1 final report
Determination of rocket engine noise damage thresholds of community dwellings near John F. Kennedy Space Center
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Determination of rocket engine noise damage thresholds of community dwellings near John F. Kennedy Space Center
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Noise field from ground testing of nuclear rocket engines operated at various reactor power levels
Experiment design and construction for rocket engine noise protection, and grounding of amplifier circuit
Noise measurements pertaining mainly to the static firing, launch, 0 and exit flight phases are presented for three rocket-powered vehicles 4 in the Project Mercury test program. Both internal and external data 4 from onboard recordings are presented for a range of Mach numbers and dynamic pressures and for different external vehicle shapes. The main sources of noise are noted to be the rocket engines during static firing and launch and the aerodynamic boundary layer during the high-dynamic-pressure portions of the flight. Rocket-engine noise measurements along the surface of the Mercury Big Joe vehicle were noted to correlate well with data from small models and available data for other large rockets. Measurements have indicated that the aerodynamic noise pressures increase approximately as the dynamic pressure increases and may vary according to the external shape of the vehicle, the highest noise levels being associated with conditions of flow separation. There is also a trend for the aerodynamic noise spectra to peak at higher frequencies as the flight Mach number increases.
Rocket engine noise study in infrasonic range from launching pad ignition phase through flight phase, including ignition signals from upper stages
Noise spectra in nuclear rocket engine ground test
J-2 rocket engine acoustical noise source - Saturn space vehicles
Saturn systems field acoustic data are used to derive mid- and far-field prediction parameters for rocket engine noise. The data were obtained during Saturn vehicle launches at the Kennedy Space Center. The data base is a sorted set of acoustic data measured during the period 1961 through 1971 for Saturn system launches SA-1 through AS-509. The model assumes hemispherical radiation from a simple source located at the intersection of the longitudinal axis of each booster and the engine exit plane. The model parameters are evaluated only during vehicle holddown. The acoustic normalized power spectrum and efficiency for each system are isolated as a composite from the data using linear numerical methods. The specific definitions of each allows separation. The resulting power spectra are nondimensionalized as a function of rocket engine parameters. The nondimensional Saturn system acoustic spectrum and efficiencies are compared as a function of Strouhal number with power spectra from other systems.
Optimal digital controller based on linear approximation of acoustical test facility, for determining effects of supersonic rocket engine noise on vehicle surface
A 70 microphone, 10-foot by 10-foot, microphone phased array was built for use in the harsh environment of rocket launches. The array was setup at NASA Wallops launch pad 0A during a static test firing of Orbital Sciences' Antares engines, and again during the first launch of the Antares vehicle. It was placed 400 feet away from the pad, and was hoisted on a scissor lift 40 feet above ground. The data sets provided unprecedented insight into rocket noise sources. The duct exit was found to be the primary source during the static test firing; the large amount of water injected beneath the nozzle exit and inside the plume duct quenched all other sources. The maps of the noise sources during launch were found to be time-dependent. As the engines came to full power and became louder, the primary source switched from the duct inlet to the duct exit. Further elevation of the vehicle caused spilling of the hot plume, resulting in a distributed noise map covering most of the pad. As the entire plume emerged from the duct, and the ondeck water system came to full power, the plume itself became the loudest noise source. These maps of the noise sources provide vital insight for optimization of sound suppression systems for future Antares launches.
Noise problems associated with launching large space vehicles
Atmospheric acoustics in Saturn static testing to investigate sound suppression as it effects scaling upward in thrust and dimension
Low frequency noise measurements of Saturn rocket engine, and combustion noise contribution to overall rocket exhaust jet noise
Far-field acoustic environmental predictions for launch of Saturn V and Saturn V MLV CONFIGURATION
A new, phased array of microphones, suitable for the harsh environment of a rocket launch, was built and tested during a static firing of a RS-25 engine. It uses 70 piezo-resistive, dynamic pressure sensors, optimally distributed on a 10.5ft diameter open frame dome structure, and has a 200-ft long cable bundle to carry the signals to a weather-protected cabinet containing the data systems. The test stand was imaged using an infra-red camera and a visible wavelength camera, and the beamformed noise maps were superimposed on the photographs. The first-time data from a full-scale engine test stand showed that the plume deflector at the bottom of the engine to be the primary noise source. The openings of the test stand around the nozzle exit were also found to be noise sources particularly at higher frequencies. The final goal is to use the array during NASA’s Artemis-II launch at Kennedy Space Center.
Atmospheric wind profiles from ground to high altitudes measured from large rocket engine exhaust noise data
The unique space shuttle vehicle size, weight, and configuration gave rise to problems in determining vibration requirements and in verifying structural integrity for anticipated mission environments. The applications of large-scale vibration testing played a prominent part in qualifying the shuttle for its intended missions. Severe vibration excitation from rocket engines, aerodynamic noise, and onboard equipment are expected on each shuttle flight. Scale-model wind tunnel and rocket firing tests, as well as full-size rocket engine tests were relied on to define the random forcing functions. The determination of structural response to these environments is described as well as evaluations of measured flight data and comparison with predicted design and test criteria.