Comparison of the noise characteristics of two low pressure ratio fans with a high throat Mach number inlet

Acoustics data obtained in experiments with two low pressure ratio 50.8 cm (20 in.) diameter model fans differing in design tip speed were compared. Determination of the average throat Mach number used to compare high Mach inlet noise reduction characteristics was based on a correlation of inlet wall static pressure measurements with a flow field calculation. The largest noise reductions were generally obtained with the higher tip speed fan. At a throat Mach number of 0.79, the difference in noise reduction was about 3.5 db with static test conditions. Although the noise reduction increased for the lower tip speed fan with a simulated flight velocity of 41 m/sec (80 knots), it was still about 2 db less than that of the high tip speed fan which was only tested at the static condition. However, variations in acoustic performance could not be absolutely attributed to the different fan designs because of differences in inlet lip contours which resulted in small variations of peak wall Mach number and axial extend of supersonic and near-sonic flow

Simulated flight effects on noise characteristics of a fan inlet with high throat Mach number

An anechoic wind tunnel experiment was conducted to determine the effects of simulated flight on the noise characteristics of a high throat Mach number fan inlet. Comparisons were made with the performance of a conventional low throat Mach number inlet with the same 50.8 cm fan noise source. Simulated forward velocity of 41 m/sec reduced perceived noise levels for both inlets, the largest effect being more than 3 db for the high throat Mach number inlet. The high throat Mach number inlet was as much as 7.5 db quieter than the low throat Mach number inlet with tunnel airflow and about 6 db quieter without tunnel airflow. Effects of inlet flow angles up to 30 deg were seemingly irregular and difficult to characterize because of the complex flow fields and generally small noise variations. Some modifications of tones and directivity at blade passage harmonics resulting from inlet flow angle variation were noted

Effect of entry-lip design on aerodynamics and acoustics of high throat Mach number inlets for the quiet, clean, short-haul experimental engine

Results of scale model tests of high-throat-Mach-number inlets designed to suppress inlet-emitted engine machinery noise produced in a V/STOL wind tunnel are presented. A vacuum system was used to induce inlet airflow with a siren as a noise source. Inlet mass flow was 11.68 kilograms (25.75 lb. min) per second at a throat Mach number of 0.79. The effect of entry-lip design (contraction ratio and diameter ratio) on inlet total-pressure recovery, steady-state pressure distortion, performance at high incidence angles, and noise suppression was determined. With proper entry-lip design, total-pressure recovery in excess of 0.988 could be obtained statically at an average throat Mach number of 0.79. Total-pressure distortion was 5 percent. The reduction in the siren tone sound pressure level transmitted through the inlet was 10 to 14 db relative to that measured at throat Mach 0.6

Low-speed wind tunnel tests of a 50.8-centimeter (20-in.) 1.15-pressure-ratio fan engine model

At a typical STOL aircraft takeoff and landing velocity, wind tunnel aerodynamic and acoustic measurements demonstrated that an inlet lip-area contraction ratio of 1.35 was superior to a ratio of 1.26 at high incidence angles. A 17 percent reduction in net thrust and an increase of 9 decibels in sound pressure level at the blade passing frequency resulted from inlet flow separation at an incidence angle of 50 deg with the 1.26-contraction-ratio inlet. Reverse-thrust forces obtained with blade rotation through the feathered angle were 1.8 times larger than with blade rotation through the flat angle. Reverse-thrust force was reduced from 30 to 50 percent and sound pressure level increased from 3 to 7 decibels at the blade passing frequency between the wind-tunnel-off condition and a typical STOL aircraft landing velocity

The 1995 scientific assessment of the atmospheric effects of stratospheric aircraft

This report provides a scientific assessment of our knowledge concerning the impact of proposed high-speed civil transport (HSCT) aircraft on the atmosphere. It comes at the end of Phase 1 of the Atmospheric Effects of Stratospheric Aircraft element of the NASA High-Speed Research Program. The fundamental problem with stratospheric flight is that pollutant residence times are long because the stratosphere is a region of permanent temperature inversion with stable stratification. Using improved two-dimensional assessment models and detailed fleet emissions scenarios, the assessment examines the possible impact of the range of effluents from aircraft. Emphasis is placed on the effects of NO(x) and H2O on the atmospheric ozone content. Measurements in the plume of an in-flight Concorde supersonic transport indicated a large number of small particles. These measurements, coupled with model sensitivity studies, point out the importance of obtaining a more detailed understanding of the fate of sulfur in the HSCT exhaust. Uncertainties in the current understanding of the processes important for determining the overall effects of HSCT's on the atmosphere are discussed and partially quantified. Research directions are identified to improve the quantification of uncertainties and to reduce their magnitude