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At least 271 records · Page 15

Predicting the Inflow Distortion Tone Noise of the NASA Glenn Advanced Noise Control Fan with a Combined Quadrupole-Dipole Model

A combined quadrupole-dipole model of fan inflow distortion tone noise has been extended to calculate tone sound power levels generated by obstructions arranged in circumferentially asymmetric locations upstream of a rotor. Trends in calculated sound power level agreed well with measurements from tests conducted in 2007 in the NASA Glenn Advanced Noise Control Fan. Calculated values of sound power levels radiated upstream were demonstrated to be sensitive to the accuracy of the modeled wakes from the cylindrical rods that were placed upstream of the fan to distort the inflow. Results indicate a continued need to obtain accurate aerodynamic predictions and measurements at the fan inlet plane as engineers work towards developing fan inflow distortion tone noise prediction tools.

Koch, L. Danielle↗

Predicting the Inflow Distortion Tone Noise of the NASA Glenn Advanced Noise Control Fan with a Combined Quadrupole-Dipole Model

A combined quadrupole-dipole model of fan inflow distortion tone noise has been extended to calculate tone sound power levels generated by obstructions arranged in circumferentially asymmetric locations upstream of a rotor. Trends in calculated sound power level agreed well with measurements from tests conducted in 2007 in the NASA Glenn Advanced Noise Control Fan. Calculated values of sound power levels radiated upstream were demonstrated to be sensitive to the accuracy of the modeled wakes from the cylindrical rods that were placed upstream of the fan to distort the inflow. Results indicate a continued need to obtain accurate aerodynamic predictions and measurements at the fan inlet plane as engineers work towards developing fan inflow distortion tone noise prediction tools.

Koch, L. Danielle↗

Contribution of tonal components to the overall loudness, annoyance and noisiness of noise: Relation between single tones and noise spectral shape

A large scale laboratory investigation of loudness, annoyance, and noisiness produced by single-tone-noise complexes was undertaken to establish a broader data base for quanitification and prediction of perceived annoyance of sounds containing tonal components. Loudness, annoyance, and noisiness were distinguished as separate, distinct, attributes of sound. Three different spectral patterns of broadband noise with and without added tones were studied: broadband-flat, low-pass, and high-pass. Judgments were obtained by absolute magnitude estimation supplement by loudness matching. The data were examined and evaluated to determine the potential effects of (1) the overall sound pressure level (SPL) of the noise-tone complex, (2) tone SPL, (3) noise SPL, (4) tone-to-noise ratio, (5) the frequency of the added tone, (6) noise spectral shape, and (7) subjective attribute judged on absolute magnitude of annoyance. Results showed that, in contrast to noisiness, loudness and annoyance growth behavior depends on the relationship between the frequency of the added tone and the spectral shape of the noise. The close correspondence between the frequency of the added tone and the spectral shape of the noise. The close correspondence between loundness and annoyance suggests that, to better understand perceived annoyance of sound mixtures, it is necessary to relate the results to basic auditory mechanisms governing loudness and masking.

Hellman, R. P.↗

Structural Acoustic Characteristics of Aircraft and Active Control of Interior Noise

The reduction of aircraft cabin sound levels to acceptable values still remains a topic of much research. The use of conventional passive approaches has been extensively studied and implemented. However performance limits of these techniques have been reached. In this project, new techniques for understanding the structural acoustic behavior of aircraft fuselages and the use of this knowledge in developing advanced new control approaches are investigated. A central feature of the project is the Aircraft Fuselage Test Facility at Va Tech which is based around a full scale Cessna Citation III fuselage. The work is divided into two main parts; the first part investigates the use of an inverse technique for identifying dominant fuselage vibrations. The second part studies the development and implementation of active and active-passive techniques for controlling aircraft interior noise.

Fuller, C. R.↗

Aeroacoustic Simulation of a Nose Landing Gear in an Open Jet Facility Using FUN3D

Numerical simulations have been performed for a partially-dressed, cavity-closed nose landing gear configuration that was tested in NASA Langley s closed-wall Basic Aerodynamic Research Tunnel (BART) and in the University of Florida s open-jet acoustic facility known as UFAFF. The unstructured-grid flow solver, FUN3D, developed at NASA Langley Research center is used to compute the unsteady flow field for this configuration. A hybrid Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes/large eddy simulation (RANS/LES) turbulence model is used for these computations. Time-averaged and instantaneous solutions compare favorably with the measured data. Unsteady flowfield data obtained from the FUN3D code are used as input to a Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings noise propagation code to compute the sound pressure levels at microphones placed in the farfield. Significant improvement in predicted noise levels is obtained when the flowfield data from the open jet UFAFF simulations is used as compared to the case using flowfield data from the closed-wall BART configuration.

Vatsa, Veer N.↗

Noise of the Harrier in vertical landing and takeoff

The noise of the Harrier AV8C aircraft in vertical takeoff and landing was measured 100 feet to the side of the aircraft where jet noise dominates. The noise levels were quite high - up to 125 dB overall sound level at 100 feet. The increased noise due to jet impingement on the ground is presented as a function of jet height to diameter ratio. The impingement noise with the aircraft close to the ground was 14 to 17 dB greater than noise from a free jet. Results are compared with small-scale jet impingement data acquired elsewhere. The agreement between small-scale and full-scale noise increase in ground effect is fairly good except with the jet close to the ground. It is proposed that differences in the jet Reynolds numbers and the resultant character of the jets may be partially responsible for the disparity in the full-scale and small-scale jet impingement noise. The difference between single-jet impingement and multiple-jet impingement may also have been responsible for the small-scale and full-scale disagreement.

Soderman, Paul T.↗

Cyclic Background Noise Variations on Infrasound Microbarometers From Micrometeorology and Human Activity

Infrasound microbarometers deployed on the Earth's surface capture pressure fluctuations and acoustic signatures, revealing trends in surface wind speed and cycles in ambient sound. Previous studies investigated wind noise trends at quarter day resolution and urban acoustic background variations on hourly to weekly scales. Cyclic variations at sub-hourly resolution over local distances remain unaddressed. We show that topography-driven micrometeorology impacts diurnal background noise levels below 10 Hz. Anthropogenic noise occurs over daily and weekly cycles, with inputs from traffic, ventilation systems, and power lines. These noise patterns vary at stations spaced less than a kilometer apart. We observe these phenomena by using a circular spectrogram to visualize frequency trends over a periodic temporal scale. This study demonstrates that infrasound microbarometer deployments can highlight localized wind patterns and time scales of human activity. The results suggest that future microbarometer deployments may benefit from site noise surveys before selecting final sensor locations.

Malach, Amrit Kaur [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA),↗

Modeling of Sound Transmission through Shell Structures with Turbulent Boundary Layer Excitation

The turbulent boundary layer (TBL) pressure field is an important source of cabin noise during cruise of high subsonic and supersonic commercial aircraft. The broadband character of this excitation field results in an interior noise spectrum that dominates the overall sound pressure level (SPL) and speech interference metrics in the forward and midcabins of many aircraft. In the authors' previous study, sound transmission through an aircraft fuselage, modeled by two concentric cylindrical sandwich shells and excited by a TBL statistical model was investigated analytically. An assessment of point and global structural vibration levels and resulting interior noise levels was obtained for different TBL models, flight conditions and fuselage structural designs. However, due to the complication of the shell structure, the important noise transmission mechanisms were difficult to discern. Previous experience has demonstrated that a fundamental understanding of the range of modes (or wavenumbers) generated by the TBL source both in the structure and the acoustic cavity is key to the development of both active and passive control technologies. In an initial effort to provide this insight, the objective of this paper is to develop an analytical model of sound transmission through a simple unstiffened cylindrical aluminum shell excited by a TBL pressure field. The description of the turbulent pressure field is based on the Corcos formulation for the cross-spectral density (CSD) of the pressure fluctuations. The coupled shell and interior and exterior acoustic equations are solved for the structural displacement and the interior acoustic response using a Galerkin approach to obtain analytical solutions. Specifically, this study compares the real part of the normalized CSD of the TBL excitation field, the structural displacement and the interior acoustic field. Further the modal compositions of the structural and cavity response are examined and some inference of the dominant mechanism of noise transmission is made.

Tang, Yvette Y.↗

SEL and EPNL noise duration coefficients for the 747 and T-38 aircraft

Duration coefficient were calculated for Boeing 747 and T-38 airplanes for sound exposure level (SEL) and effective perceived noise level (EPNL) scales. The measured SEL suration coefficients were 8.4 for the Boeing 747 and 5.5 for the T-38 result was in good agreement with a previous result for a similar F-5 airplane. In EPNL, the duration coefficients were 7.2 for the Boeing 747 and 5.7 for the T-38. The difference in the results between the two airplanes is believed to be due to their different engine noise source spectra. The difference in the Boeing 747 results in the two different metric was due to the different frequency weighting of A-weighted sound pressure level, used in SEL, and tone-corrected perceived noise level, used in EPNL, when applied to the 747 spectra.

Willshire, W. L., Jr.↗

Robust Feedback Control of Flow Induced Structural Radiation of Sound

A significant component of the interior noise of aircraft and automobiles is a result of turbulent boundary layer excitation of the vehicular structure. In this work, active robust feedback control of the noise due to this non-predictable excitation is investigated. Both an analytical model and experimental investigations are used to determine the characteristics of the flow induced structural sound radiation problem. The problem is shown to be broadband in nature with large system uncertainties associated with the various operating conditions. Furthermore the delay associated with sound propagation is shown to restrict the use of microphone feedback. The state of the art control methodologies, IL synthesis and adaptive feedback control, are evaluated and shown to have limited success for solving this problem. A robust frequency domain controller design methodology is developed for the problem of sound radiated from turbulent flow driven plates. The control design methodology uses frequency domain sequential loop shaping techniques. System uncertainty, sound pressure level reduction performance, and actuator constraints are included in the design process. Using this design method, phase lag was added using non-minimum phase zeros such that the beneficial plant dynamics could be used. This general control approach has application to lightly damped vibration and sound radiation problems where there are high bandwidth control objectives requiring a low controller DC gain and controller order.

Heatwole, Craig M.↗

Noise from interaction of flow with rigid surfaces: A review of current status of prediction techniques

A brief review of some fundamental aspects of sound arising from turbulent boundary layers, noise due to flow past a single discontinuity (trailing edge), noise from airfoils operating in turbulent flow, and noise due to rigid flow discontinuities (spoilers) immersed in rigid ducts is presented. Emphasis is on dipole-like sound fields associated with turbulent flow past a trailing edge, rigid bodies in turbulence and in-duct spoilers. Representative available data are reviewed and evaluated in terms of theoretical considerations and, where possible, empirical prediction techniques are given in terms of convenient aerodynamic and geometric parameters. Limitations on current knowledge are discussed.

Hayden, R. E.↗

Annoyance caused by advanced turboprop aircraft flyover noise: Single-rotating propeller configuration

Two experiments were conducted to quantify the annoyance of people to advanced turboprop (propfan) aircraft flyover noise. The objectives were to: (1) determine the effects on annoyance of various tonal characteristics; and (2) compare annoyance to advanced turboprops with annoyance to conventional turboprops and jets. A computer was used to produce realistic, time-varying simulations of advanced turboprop aircraft takeoff noise. In the first experiment, subjects judged the annoyance of 45 advanced turboprop noises in which the tonal content was systematically varied to represent the factorial combinations of five fundamental frequencies, three frequency envelope shapes, and three tone-to-broadband noise ratios. Each noise was presented at three sound levels. In the second experiment, 18 advanced turboprop takeoffs, 5 conventional turboprop takeoffs, and 5 conventional jet takeoffs were presented at three sound pressure levels to subjects. Analysis indicated that frequency envelope shape did not significantly affect annoyance. The interaction of fundamental frequency with tone-to-broadband noise ratio did have a large and complex effect on annoyance. The advanced turboprop stimuli were slightly less annoying than the conventional stimuli.

Mccurdy, David A.↗

Investigation of acoustic properties of a rigid foam with application to noise reduction in light aircraft

A analytic model of sound transmission into an aircraft cabin was developed as well as test procedures which appropriately rank order properties which affect sound transmission. The proposed model agrees well with available data, and reveals that the pertinent properties of an aircraft cabin for sound transmission include: stiffness of cabin walls at low frequencies (as this reflects on impedance of the walls) and cabin wall transmission loss and interior absorption at mid and high frequencies. Below 315 Hz the foam contributes substantially to wall stiffness and sound transmission loss of typical light aircraft cabin construction, and could potentially reduce cabin noise levels by 3-5 db in this frequency range at a cost of about 0:2 lb/sq. ft. of treated cabin area. The foam was found not to have significant sound absorbing properties.

Holmer, C. I.↗

Supersonic propeller noise in a uniform flow

The sound field produced by a supersonic propeller operating in a uniform flow is investigated. The main interest is the effect of the finite forward flight speed on the directivity of the sound field as seen by an observer on the aircraft. It is found that there are cones of silence on the axis of the propeller. The semiapex angles on these cones are equal fore and aft of the propeller plane, and depend on the tip Mach number only. The Fourier coefficients of the acoustic pressure contain the Doppler amplification factor. The sound field weakens in the upstream direction and strengthen downstream. Kinematic considerations of the emitted Mach waves not only confirm these results, but also provide physical insight into the sound generation mechanism. The predicted zone of silence and the Doppler amplification factor are compared to the theoretical prediction of shock wave formation and the flight test of the SR3 propeller.

Jou, Wen-Huei↗

Evaluation of the impact of noise metrics on tiltrotor aircraft design

A subjective noise evaluation was conducted in which the test participants evaluated the annoyance of simulated sounds representative of future civil tiltrotor aircraft. The subjective responses were correlated with the noise metrics of A-weighted sound pressure level, overall sound pressure level, and perceived level. The results indicated that correlation between subjective response and A-weighted sound pressure level is considerably enhanced by combining it in a multiple regression with overall sound pressure level. As a single metric, perceived level correlated better than A-weighted sound pressure level due to greater emphasis on low frequency noise components. This latter finding was especially true for indoor noise where the mid and high frequency noise components are attenuated by typical building structure. Using the results of the subjective noise evaluation, the impact on tiltrotor aircraft design was also evaluated. While A-weighted sound pressure level can be reduced by reduction in tip speed, an increase in number of rotor blades is required to achieve significant reduction of low frequency noise as measured by overall sound pressure level. Additional research, however, is required to achieve comparable reductions in impulsive noise due to blade-vortex interaction, and also to achieve reduction in broad band noise.

Sternfeld, H.↗

The convergence of theory and experiment in direct combustion generated noise

Current theories of combustion generated noise are reviewed with regard to their ability to predict the sound power output and spectral characteristics of noise generated by several flame types. New experimental information on open turbulent flames and on gas turbine combustor cans is presented. Available information on gas phase diffusion flames is reviewed. It is concluded that if some of the gross turbulence features of the flame are known and if the acoustical behavior of any flame enclosure is known, then scaling rules for behavior of the sound power output and spectral content may be quite accurately produced by theory. On the other hand, the theory is not sufficiently advanced to make absolute predictions; such predictions must await more detailed knowledge of turbulent flame structure.

Strahle, W. C.↗

Evaluation of the annoyance due to helicopter rotor noise

A program was conducted in which 25 test subjects adjusted the levels of various helicopter rotor spectra until the combination of the harmonic noise and a broadband background noise was judged equally annoying as a higher level of the same broadband noise spectrum. The subjective measure of added harmonic noise was equated to the difference in the two levels of broadband noise. The test participants also made subjective evaluations of the rotor noise signatures which they created. The test stimuli consisted of three degrees of rotor impulsiveness, each presented at four blade passage rates. Each of these 12 harmonic sounds was combined with three broadband spectra and was adjusted to match the annoyance of three different sound pressure levels of broadband noise. Analysis of variance indicated that the important variables were level and impulsiveness. Regression analyses indicated that inclusion of crest factor improved correlation between the subjective measures and various objective or physical measures.

Sternfeld, H., Jr.↗