Engineering topics

Jones, M. G.

Publications and source records attributed to Jones, M. G..

At least 19 records

NASA NTRS2019

Influence of Source Propagation Direction and Shear Flow Profile in Impedance Eduction of Acoustic Liners

The acoustic impedance of liners is a key parameter for their design, and depends on the flow conditions, i.e., the sound pressure level and the presence of a grazing flow. The surface impedance of a locally reacting liner is defined as a local intrinsic property relating the acoustic pressure to the normal acoustic particle velocity at the liner surface. Impedance eduction techniques are now widely used to retrieve the impedance of liners in aeroacoustic facilities in the presence of a shear grazing flow. While surface impedance is intrinsic by definition, the educed impedance has recently been shown to depend on the direction of the incident waves relative to the mean flow. Different studies have investigated this issue by considering different acoustic propagation models used in the education process in the hope of matching the educed values. The purpose of the present work is to continue the previous investigations by evaluating the influence of the shear flow profile on the educed impedance, while considering a Bayesian inference process in order to evaluate the uncertainty on the educed values. The identified uncertainties were not able to totally account for the observed discrepancies between educed impedances.

Roncen, R.↗

NASA NTRS2019

Evaluation of a Multizone Impedance Eduction Method

A computational study is used to evaluate the PyCHE impedance eduction method developed at the NASA Langley Research Center. This method combines an aeroacoustic duct propagation code based on numerical solution to the convected Helmholtz equation with a global optimizer that uses the Differential Evolution algorithm. The efficacy of this method is evaluated with acoustic pressure data simulated to represent that measured with one-zone, two-zone, and three-zone liners mounted in the NASA Langley Grazing Flow Impedance Tube. The PyCHE method has a normalized impedance error of approximately 0.2 for (uniform) one-zone liners with a length of at least 5”, and produces quite reasonable results for liners as short as 2”. Whereas the impedance of the liner has an effect on eduction accuracy, the amount of attenuation is shown to be the dominant parameter. Similar results are observed for two-zone liners, for which the impedance of each zone is unique. The two-zone results also indicate it is more difficult to accurately educe resistance than reactance, and a zone length of at least 6” (slightly longer than for uniform liners) is needed to limit the normalized error to 0.2. The PyCHE method is also demonstrated to successfully educe the impedances for each zone of a three-zone liner. These results are sufficiently encouraging to warrant the continued usage of the PyCHE impedance eduction method for single and multizone liners.

Jones, M. G.↗

NASA NTRS2019

Investigation of Liner Axial Displacement in a Complex Acoustic Environment

This paper investigates the effects of axial liner displacement on modal attenuation and scattering. Tests are conducted with a uniform liner mounted in the NASA Langley Curved Duct Test Rig, with a multimode source at flow conditions of Mach 0.0 and 0.3. The impedance of the liner is educed from data acquired in the NASA Langley Grazing Flow Impedance Tube. This impedance is then used as input to the CDUCT-LaRC propagation code to enable comparisons of predicted and measured modal content upstream and downstream of the liner as the axial displacement is varied. Results show that the liner position has a clear effect on the sound field as the number of modes is increased from two to six. The comparison of measured and predicted modal content is very good when only a few modes are present. For frequencies in which more modes are present, this comparison is less favorable very near resonance, but improves for frequencies away from resonance.

Brown, M. C.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Applications of Parallel-Element, Embedded Mesh-Cap Acoustic Liner Concepts

This study explores progress achieved with 2DOF, 3DOF, and MDOF acoustic liners constructed with mesh caps embedded within a honeycomb core. These liner configurations offer potential for broadband noise reduction, and are suitable for conventional aircraft implementation. Samples for each configuration are tested in the NASA normal incidence tube and grazing flow impedance tube, with and without a wire mesh facesheet. Impedances based on these measured data compare favorably with those predicted using a transmission line impedance prediction model. Predicted impedances are then used as input for an aeroacoustic propagation code to compute axial acoustic pressure distributions in the grazing flow tube. These predicted distributions compare favorably with the corresponding measured distributions at frequencies away from the frequency of peak attenuation, but suffer slight degradation for frequencies very near the peak attenuation frequency, where the predicted results are sensitive to input impedance changes. As expected, the noise reduction frequency range increases as more degrees of freedom are included. Although the specific results achieved herein may differ from those that would be achieved with other 2DOF, 3DOF, and MDOF liners, this comparison highlights some of the key features that can be exploited in the design of parallel-element, embedded mesh-cap liners.

Jones, M. G.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Impedance Eduction for Multisegment Liners

This paper explores the validity of an indirect method for impedance eduction of multisegment liners. This is accomplished via results obtained with two uniform liners and one two-segment liner, where each segment is constructed to match the geometry of one of the uniform liners. Each uniform liner is evaluated using direct and indirect impedance eduction methods. An indirect impedance eduction method is used to educe the impedance for each segment of the two-segment liner, and the results are compared with those educed for the uniform liners. These impedance spectra are shown to compare favorably for the majority of test conditions. Poorer comparisons are achieved for those test conditions where one segment of the two-segment liner provides little attenuation. Poor attenuation is a wellknown cause for impedance eduction difficulties. Overall, this multisegment impedance eduction method offers the potential to study complicated liners in a more efficient manner (i.e., without the requirement to build and test separate liners to duplicate each unique segment of the multisegment liner). More detailed studies are required to further validate this tool, and are intended to be the focus of future research.

Jones, M. G.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Effects of Cavity Diameter on Acoustic Impedance in a Complex Acoustic Environment

This paper investigates the effects of cavity diameter on the acoustic performance of conventional perforate-over-honeycomb liners. This investigation is a follow up to a previous study where it was demonstrated that the cavity diameter has a relatively small effect on the acoustic impedance for core cavity diameters up to 2.0 inches. In the current study, liner concepts are exposed to a complex acoustic environment, where higher-order modes are present. Four liner configurations are explored in this investigation, which include two cavity cores of different cavity diameters combined with two facesheets. These configurations are tested in the Grazing Flow Impedance Tube (GFIT) at Mach 0.0, 0.3, and 0.5 at a source sound pressure level of 150 dB. A comparison of the acoustic performance of these samples suggests that the cavity diameter has a relatively small effect on the acoustic impedance for core cavity diameters up to 2.0 inches at these conditions. These configurations are exposed to a more complex acoustic environment (e.g., higher-order modes) in the Curved Duct Test Rig (CDTR) at Mach 0.0 and 0.3.

Brown, M. C.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Evaluation of Spanwise Variable Impedance Liners with Three-Dimensional Aeroacoustics Propagation Codes

Three perforate-over-honeycomb liner configurations, one uniform and two with spanwise variable impedance, are evaluated based on tests conducted in the NASA Grazing Flow Impedance Tube (GFIT) with a plane-wave source. Although the GFIT is only 2" wide, spanwise impedance variability clearly affects the measured acoustic pressure field, such that three-dimensional (3D) propagation codes are required to properly predict this acoustic pressure field. Three 3D propagation codes (CHE3D, COMSOL, and CDL) are used to predict the sound pressure level and phase at eighty-seven microphones flush-mounted in the GFIT (distributed along all four walls). The CHE3D and COMSOL codes compare favorably with the measured data, regardless of whether an exit acoustic pressure or anechoic boundary condition is employed. Except for those frequencies where the attenuation is large, the CDL code also provides acceptable estimates of the measured acoustic pressure profile. The CHE3D and COMSOL predictions diverge slightly from the measured data for frequencies away from resonance, where the attenuation is noticeably reduced, particularly when an exit acoustic pressure boundary condition is used. For these conditions, the CDL code actually provides slightly more favorable comparison with the measured data. Overall, the comparisons of predicted and measured data suggest that any of these codes can be used to understand data trends associated with spanwise variable-impedance liners.

Jones, M. G.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Variable-Depth Liner Evaluation Using Two NASA Flow Ducts

Four liners are investigated experimentally via tests in the NASA Langley Grazing Flow Impedance Tube. These include an axially-segmented liner and three liners that use reordering of the chambers. Chamber reordering is shown to have a strong effect on the axial sound pressure level profiles, but a limited effect on the overall attenuation. It is also shown that bent chambers can be used to reduce the liner depth with minimal effects on the attenuation. A numerical study is also conducted to explore the effects of a planar and three higher-order mode sources based on the NASA Langley Curved Duct Test Rig geometry. A four-segment liner is designed using the NASA Langley CDL code with a Python-based optimizer. Five additional liner designs, four with rearrangements of the first liner segments and one with a redistribution of the individual chambers, are evaluated for each of the four sources. The liner configuration affects the sound pressure level profile much more than the attenuation spectra for the planar and first two higher-order mode sources, but has a much larger effect on the SPL profiles and attenuation spectra for the last higher-order mode source. Overall, axially variable-depth liners offer the potential to provide improved fan noise reduction, regardless of whether the axially variable depths are achieved via a distributed array of chambers (depths vary from chamber to chamber) or a group of zones (groups of chambers for which the depth is constant).

Jones, M. G.↗

NASA NTRS2016

Evaluation of Novel Liner Concepts for Fan and Airframe Noise Reduction

This paper presents a review of four novel liner concepts: soft vanes, over-the-rotor liners, external liners, and flap side-edge liners. A number of similarities in the design and evaluation of these concepts emerged during these investigations. Since these were the first attempts to study these particular liner concepts, there was limited information to guide the design process. In all cases, the target frequencies (or frequency range) were known, but the optimum acoustic impedance and optimum liner placement were typically not known. For these cases, the maximum available surface was used and a c-impedance was targeted based on the assumption the sound field impinges on the surface at normal incidence. This choice proved fruitful for every application. An impedance prediction model was used to design variable-depth liner configurations, and a graphical design code (ILIAD) was developed to aid in this process. The ability to build increasingly complex liner configurations via additive manufacturing was key, such that multiple designs could quickly be tested in a normal incidence impedance tube. The Two-Thickness Method was used to evaluate available bulk materials, such that bulk liners could also be considered for each application. These novel liner concepts provide sufficient noise reduction to warrant further investigations.

Jones, M. G.↗

NASA NTRS2016

Effects of Liner Length and Attenuation on NASA Langley Impedance Eduction

This study explores the effects of liner length and attenuation on the CHE (convected Helmholtz equation) impedance eduction method, in which the surface impedance of an acoustic liner is inferred through an iterative process based on repeated solutions to the convected Helmholtz equation. Wire mesh-over-honeycomb and perforate-over-honeycomb acoustic liners are tested in the NASA Langley Grazing Flow Impedance Tube, and the resultant data are processed using two impedance eduction methods. The first is the CHE method, and the second is a direct method (labeled the KT method) that uses the Kumaresan and Tufts algorithm to compute the impedance directly. The CHE method has been extensively used for acoustic liner evaluation, but experiences anomalous behavior under some test conditions. It is postulated that the anomalies are related to the liner length and/or attenuation. Since the KT method only employs data measured over the length of the liner, it is expected to be unaffected by liner length. A comparison of results achieved with the two impedance eduction methods is used to explore the interactive effects of liner length and attenuation on the CHE impedance eduction method.

Jones, M. G.↗

NASA NTRS2016

Optimization of Variable-Depth Liner Configurations for Increased Broadband Noise Reduction

This paper employs three acoustic propagation codes to explore variable-depth liner configurations for the NASA Langley Grazing Flow Impedance Tube (GFIT). The initial study demonstrates that a variable impedance can acceptably be treated as a uniform impedance if the spatial extent over which this variable impedance occurs is less than one-third of a wavelength of the incident sound. A constrained optimization study is used to design a variable-depth liner and to select an optimization metric. It also provides insight regarding how much attenuation can be achieved with variable-depth liners. Another optimization study is used to design a liner with much finer chamber depth resolution for the Mach 0.0 and 0.3 test conditions. Two liners are designed based on spatial rearrangement of chambers from this liner to determine whether the order is critical. Propagation code predictions suggest this is not the case. Both liners are fabricated via additive manufacturing and tested in the GFIT for the Mach 0.0 condition. Predicted and measured attenuations compare favorably across the full frequency range. These results clearly suggest that the chambers can be arranged in any order, thus offering the potential for innovative liner designs to minimize depth and weight.

Jones, M. G.↗

NASA NTRS2015

Optimization of Microphone Locations for Acoustic Liner Impedance Eduction

Two impedance eduction methods are explored for use with data acquired in the NASA Langley Grazing Flow Impedance Tube. The first is an indirect method based on the convected Helmholtz equation, and the second is a direct method based on the Kumaresan and Tufts algorithm. Synthesized no-flow data, with random jitter to represent measurement error, are used to evaluate a number of possible microphone locations. Statistical approaches are used to evaluate the suitability of each set of microphone locations. Given the computational resources required, small sample statistics are employed for the indirect method. Since the direct method is much less computationally intensive, a Monte Carlo approach is employed to gather its statistics. A comparison of results achieved with full and reduced sets of microphone locations is used to determine which sets of microphone locations are acceptable. For the indirect method, each array that includes microphones in all three regions (upstream and downstream hard wall sections, and liner test section) provides acceptable results, even when as few as eight microphones are employed. The best arrays employ microphones well away from the leading and trailing edges of the liner. The direct method is constrained to use microphones opposite the liner. Although a number of arrays are acceptable, the optimum set employs 14 microphones positioned well away from the leading and trailing edges of the liner. The selected sets of microphone locations are also evaluated with data measured for ceramic tubular and perforate-over-honeycomb liners at three flow conditions (Mach 0.0, 0.3, and 0.5). They compare favorably with results attained using all 53 microphone locations. Although different optimum microphone locations are selected for the two impedance eduction methods, there is significant overlap. Thus, the union of these two microphone arrays is preferred, as it supports usage of both methods. This array contains 3 microphones in the upstream hard wall section, 14 microphones opposite the liner, and 3 microphones in the downstream hard wall section.

Jones, M. G.↗

NASA NTRS2015

Impedance Eduction in Sound Fields With Peripherally Varying Liners and Flow

A two-dimensional impedance eduction theory is extended to three-dimensional sound fields and peripherally varying duct liners. The approach is to first measure the acoustic pressure field at a series of flush-mounted wall microphones located around the periphery of the flow duct. The numerical solution for the acoustic pressure field at these microphones is also obtained by solving the three-dimensional convected Helmholtz equation using the finite element method. A quadratic objective function based on the difference between the measured and finite element solution is constructed and the unknown impedance function is obtained by minimizing this objective function. Impedance spectra educed for two uniform-structure liners (a wire-mesh and a conventional liner) and a hard-soft-hard peripherally varying liner (for which the soft segment is that of the conventional liner) are presented. Results are presented at three mean flow Mach numbers and fourteen sound source frequencies. The impedance spectra of the uniform-structure liners are also computed using a two-dimensional impedance eduction theory. The primary conclusions of the study are: 1) when measured data is used with the uniform-structure liners, the three-dimensional theory reproduces the same impedance spectra as the two-dimensional theory except for frequencies corresponding to very low or very high liner attenuation; and 2) good agreement between the educed impedance spectra of the uniform structure conventional liner and the soft segment of the peripherally varying liner is obtained.

Watson, W. R.↗

NASA NTRS2015

Evaluation of Variable-Depth Liner Configurations for Increased Broadband Noise Reduction

This paper explores the effects of variable-depth geometry on the amount of noise reduction that can be achieved with acoustic liners. Results for two variable-depth liners tested in the NASA Langley Grazing Flow Impedance Tube demonstrate significant broadband noise reduction. An impedance prediction model is combined with two propagation codes to predict corresponding sound pressure level profiles over the length of the Grazing Flow Impedance Tube. The comparison of measured and predicted sound pressure level profiles is sufficiently favorable to support use of these tools for investigation of a number of proposed variable-depth liner configurations. Predicted sound pressure level profiles for these proposed configurations reveal a number of interesting features. Liner orientation clearly affects the sound pressure level profile over the length of the liner, but the effect on the total attenuation is less pronounced. The axial extent of attenuation at an individual frequency continues well beyond the location where the liner depth is optimally tuned to the quarter-wavelength of that frequency. The sound pressure level profile is significantly affected by the way in which variable-depth segments are distributed over the length of the liner. Given the broadband noise reduction capability for these liner configurations, further development of impedance prediction models and propagation codes specifically tuned for this application is warranted.

Jones, M. G.↗

NASA NTRS2014

Evaluation of a Variable-Impedance Ceramic Matrix Composite Acoustic Liner

As a result of significant progress in the reduction of fan and jet noise, there is growing concern regarding core noise. One method for achieving core noise reduction is via the use of acoustic liners. However, these liners must be constructed with materials suitable for high temperature environments and should be designed for optimum absorption of the broadband core noise spectrum. This paper presents results of tests conducted in the NASA Langley Liner Technology Facility to evaluate a variable-impedance ceramic matrix composite acoustic liner that offers the potential to achieve each of these goals. One concern is the porosity of the ceramic matrix composite material, and whether this might affect the predictability of liners constructed with this material. Comparisons between two variable-depth liners, one constructed with ceramic matrix composite material and the other constructed via stereolithography, are used to demonstrate this material porosity is not a concern. Also, some interesting observations are noted regarding the orientation of variable-depth liners. Finally, two propagation codes are validated via comparisons of predicted and measured acoustic pressure profiles for a variable-depth liner.

Jones, M. G.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Evaluation of Wall Boundary Conditions for Impedance Eduction Using a Dual-Source Method

The accuracy of the Ingard-Myers boundary condition and a recently proposed modified Ingard-Myers boundary condition is evaluated for use in impedance eduction under the assumption of uniform mean flow. The evaluation is performed at three centerline Mach numbers, using data acquired in a grazing flow impedance tube, using both upstream and downstream propagating sound sources, and on a database of test liners for which the expected behavior of the impedance spectra is known. The test liners are a hard-wall insert consisting of 12.6 mm thick aluminum, a linear liner without a facesheet consisting of a number of small diameter but long cylindrical channels embedded in a ceramic material, and two conventional nonlinear liners consisting of a perforated facesheet bonded to a honeycomb core. The study is restricted to a frequency range for which only plane waves are cut on in the hard-wall sections of the flow impedance tube. The metrics used to evaluate each boundary condition are 1) how well it educes the same impedance for upstream and downstream propagating sources, and 2) how well it predicts the expected behavior of the impedance spectra over the Mach number range. The primary conclusions of the study are that the same impedance is educed for upstream and downstream propagating sources except at the highest Mach number, that an effective impedance based on both the upstream and downstream measurements is more accurate than an impedance based on the upstream or downstream data alone, and that the Ingard-Myers boundary condition with an effective impedance produces results similar to that achieved with the modified Ingard-Myers boundary condition.

Watson, W. R.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Validation of a New Procedure for Impedance Eduction in Flow

A new impedance eduction procedure is validated by comparing the educed impedance spectrum to that of an older but well-tested eduction procedure. The older procedure requires the installation of a microphone array in the liner test section but the new procedure removes this requirement. A 12.7-mm stainless steel plate and a conventional liner consisting of a perforated plate bonded to a honeycomb core are tested. Test data is acquired from a grazing flow, impedance tube facility for a range of source frequencies and mean flow Mach numbers for which only plane waves are cut on. For the stainless steel plate, the educed admittance spectrum using the new procedure shows an improvement over that of the old procedure. This improvement shows up primarily in the educed conductance spectrum. Both eduction procedures show discrepancies in educed admittance in the mid-frequency range. Indications are that this discrepancy is triggered by an inconsistency between the measured eduction data (that contains boundary layer effects) and the two eduction models (for which the boundary layer is neglected). For the conventional liner, both eduction procedures are in very good agreement with each other. Small discrepancies occur for one or two frequencies in the mid-frequency range and for frequencies beyond the cut on frequency of higher-order duct modes. This discrepancy in the midfrequency range occurs because an automated optimizer is used to educe the impedance and the objective function used by the optimizer is extremely flat and therefore sensitive to initial starting values. The discrepancies at frequencies beyond the cut on frequency of higher order duct modes are due to the assumption of only plane waves in the impedance eduction model, although higher order modes are propagating in the impedance tube facility.

Watson, W. R.↗

NASA NTRS2009

A Finite Element Theory for Predicting the Attenuation of Extended-Reacting Liners

A non-modal finite element theory for predicting the attenuation of an extended-reacting liner containing a porous facesheet and located in a no-flow duct is presented. The mathematical approach is to solve separate wave equations in the liner and duct airway and to couple these two solutions by invoking kinematic constraints at the facesheet that are consistent with a continuum theory of fluid motion. Given the liner intrinsic properties, a weak Galerkin finite element formulation with cubic polynomial basis functions is used as the basis for generating a discrete system of acoustic equations that are solved to obtain the coupled acoustic field. A state-of-the-art, asymmetric, parallel, sparse equation solver is implemented that allows tens of thousands of grid points to be analyzed. A grid refinement study is presented to show that the predicted attenuation converges. Excellent comparison of the numerically predicted attenuation to that of a mode theory (using a Haynes 25 metal foam liner) is used to validate the computational approach. Simulations are also presented for fifteen porous plate, extended-reacting liners. The construction of some of the porous plate liners suggest that they should behave as resonant liners while the construction of others suggest that they should behave as broadband attenuators. In each case the finite element theory is observed to predict the proper attenuation trend.

Watson, W. R.↗