Characteristics of the transmission loss apparatus at NASA Langley Research Center

A description of the Transmission Loss Apparatus at NASA Langley Research Center, which is specifically designed to accommodate general aviation type aircraft structures, is presented. The measurement methodology, referred to as the Plate Reference Method, is discussed and compared with the classical method as described in the Standard of the American Society for Testing and Materials. This measurement procedure enables reliable and accurate noise transmission loss measurements down to the 50 Hz one-third octave band. The transmission loss characteristics of add-on acoustical treatments, applied to the basic structure, can be established by inclusion of appropriate absorption corrections for the treatment

A research program to reduce interior noise in general aviation airplanes: Investigation of the characteristics of an acoustic panel test facility

Sound pressure levels in the test facility were studied that are caused by varying: (1) microphone positions; (2) equalizer setting; and (3) panel clamping forces. Measurements were done by using a Beranek tube or this Beranek tube in combinations with an extension tube and a special test section. In all configurations tests were executed with and without a test panel installed. The influence of the speaker back panel and the back panel of the Beranek tube on the sound pressure levels inside the test tube were also investigated. It is shown that the definition of noise reduction is more useful in relation to this test facility than transmission loss

Sound attenuation apparatus

An apparatus is disclosed for reducing acoustic transmission from mechanical or acoustic sources by means of a double wall partition, within which an acoustic pressure field is generated by at least one secondary acoustic source. The secondary acoustic source is advantageously placed within the partition, around its edges, or it may be an integral part of a wall of the partition

The effect of oblique angle of sound incidence, realistic edge conditions, curvature and in-plane panel stresses on the noise reduction characteristics of general aviation type panels

Experiments and a theoretical analysis were conducted to predict the noise reduction of inclined and curved panels. These predictions are compared to the experimental results with reasonable agreement between theory and experiment for panels under an oblique angle of sound incidence. Theoretical as well as experimental results indicate a big increase in noise reduction when a flat test panel is curved. Further curving the panel slightly decreases the noise reduction. Riveted flat panels are shown to give a higher noise reduction in the stiffness-controlled frequency region, while bonded panels are superior in this region when the test panel is curved. Experimentally measured noise reduction characteristics of flat aluminum panels with uniaxial in-plane stresses are presented and discussed. These test results indicate an important improvement in the noise reduction of these panels in the frequency range below the fundamental panel/cavity frequency

Wind turbine acoustic standards

A program is being conducted to develop noise standards for wind turbines which minimize annoyance and which can be used to design specifications. The approach consists of presenting wind turbine noise stimuli to test subjects in a laboratory listening chamber. The responses of the subjects are recorded for a range of stimuli which encompass the designs, operating conditions, and ambient noise levels of current and future installations. Results to date have established the threshold of detectability for a range of impulsive stimuli of the type associated with blade/tower wake interactions. The status of the ongoing psychoacoustic tests, the subjective data, and the approach to the development of acoustic criteria/standards are described

Broad band sound from wind turbine generators

Brief descriptions are given of the various types of large wind turbines and their sound characteristics. Candidate sources of broadband sound are identified and are rank ordered for a large upwind configuration wind turbine generator for which data are available. The rotor is noted to be the main source of broadband sound which arises from inflow turbulence and from the interactions of the turbulent boundary layer on the blade with its trailing edge. Sound is radiated about equally in all directions but the refraction effects of the wind produce an elongated contour pattern in the downwind direction

Investigation of fuselage acoustic treatment for a twin-engine turboprop aircraft in flight and laboratory tests

A flight and laboratory study of sidewall acoustic treatment for cabin noise control is described. In flight, cabin noise levels were measured at six locations with three treatment configurations. Noise levels from narrow-band analysis are reduced to one-third octave format and used to calculate insertion loss, IL, defined as the reduction of interior noise associated with the addition of a treatment. Laboratory tests used a specially constructed structural panel modeled after the propeller plane section of the aircraft sidewall, and acoustic treatments representing those used in flight. Lab measured transmission loss and absorption values were combined using classical acoustic procedures to obtain a prediction of IL. Comparison with IL values measured in flight for the boundary layer component of the noise indicated general agreement

Guide to the evaluation of human exposure to noise from large wind turbines

Guidance for evaluating human exposure to wind turbine noise is provided and includes consideration of the source characteristics, the propagation to the receiver location, and the exposure of the receiver to the noise. The criteria for evaluation of human exposure are based on comparisons of the noise at the receiver location with the human perception thresholds for wind turbine noise and noise-induced building vibrations in the presence of background noise

Large Civil Tiltrotor (LCTR2) Interior Noise Predictions due to Turbulent Boundary Layer Excitation

The Large Civil Tiltrotor (LCTR2) is a conceptual vehicle that has a design goal to transport 90 passengers over a distance of 1800 km at a speed of 556 km/hr. In this study noise predictions were made in the notional LCTR2 cabin due to Cockburn/Robertson and Efimtsov turbulent boundary layer (TBL) excitation models. A narrowband hybrid Finite Element (FE) analysis was performed for the low frequencies (6-141 Hz) and a Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) was conducted for the high frequency one-third octave bands (125- 8000 Hz). It is shown that the interior sound pressure level distribution in the low frequencies is governed by interactions between individual structural and acoustic modes. The spatially averaged predicted interior sound pressure levels for the low frequency hybrid FE and the high frequency SEA analyses, due to the Efimtsov turbulent boundary layer excitation, were within 1 dB in the common 125 Hz one-third octave band. The averaged interior noise levels for the LCTR2 cabin were predicted lower than the levels in a comparable Bombardier Q400 aircraft cabin during cruise flight due to the higher cruise altitude and lower Mach number of the LCTR2. LCTR2 cabin noise due to TBL excitation during cruise flight was found not unacceptable for crew or passengers when predictions were compared to an acoustic survey on a Q400 aircraft

Reverberation Time Measurements in the NASA Langley Exterior Effects Room (EER)

One-third octave band background noise and reverberation time measurements were conducted in the Exterior Effect Room (EER) at the NASA Langley Research Center. The related overall acoustic absorption of the room was calculated. The acoustic field in the room was characterized. Reverberation time measurements were performed using the integrated impulse response method. The results were compared with independent measurements using the interrupted noise reverberation time method and different instrumentation. Reasonable agreement was obtained between the reverberation times of the two methods