Ultra-light, Quasi-active Noise Control Solution for Quiet UAVs

KCF Technologies in partnership with Insitu, Inc. proposes an ultra-light, quasi-active noise control method for quiet Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s). The main motivation of this proposed effort is reducing the SPL’s of the radiated tones of UAV’s, since stealth is critical to the success of their operation. In the present design of most UAV’s, the propeller is rear mounted and thus operates in a push rather than a pull mode that is common in say, turboprop engines. With the push-type propeller, noise is generated by rotor interaction with the time invariant flow distortions that are generated due to the presence of the upstream components of aircraft, e.g. the fuselage. Since this is an inherent feature of the design, the only recourse to reducing the radiation noise is to attenuate it, either actively or passively. In Phase I, KCF will demonstrate the technical feasibility of the quasi-active noise control method for UAVs without significant impact to UAV performance, and develop a detailed analysis of predicted performance of the proposed technology. In Phase II, KCF in partnership with Insitu, will develop, demonstrate, and validate the proposed technology integrated on a production UAV.