Adaptive Liners for Broadband Noise Reduction

This project will combine the advantages of adaptive materials with the simplistic passive design of state-of-the-art acoustic liners to provide the ability to tune them for specific operational frequencies (ex. take-off/cutback, cruise, and approach). The main deterrent to implementing these methods is not having the materials on hand to provide the functionality needed in a simplistic way. Many proposed solutions are not practical from a manufacturing/cost perspective: too complex or add weight to the aircraft that is not justifiable. CRG has already demonstrated feasibility of the ability to implement adaptive technologies into acoustic liners. The next step is to demonstrate repeatable liner control performance supported by more extensive acoustic testing runs to understand the initial shifting and increased suppression behaviors that have been observed. Also, automated cyclic testing of a given adaptive liner parameter will be executed to demonstrate the durability of the adaptive material and applicability to this application. CRG will focus liner adaptive design initially on demonstration of tuning liner reactance to TRL 3 in Phase I.