Exhaust Jet Noise Reduction for Tactical Aircraft

The development of optimal engine exhaust noise reduction technology for tactical aircraft continues to rely heavily on laboratory-scale testing due to the absence of appropriate modeling and analysis capability. Thus, concept identification relies largely on engineering intuition, ad hoc reasoning, and exhaustive parametric testing. Another obstacle to the development of exhaust noise technology is the absence of integrated tools for simultaneous assessment of aero-acoustic and aerodynamic performance. The research proposed by TTC Technologies, Inc., (TTC) is to develop and demonstrate innovative methodologies for simultaneous nozzle acoustic and aerodynamic design applicable to supersonic jet exhaust noise reduction in tactical aircraft. Methodologies will be demonstrated via concept design/analysis, followed by experimental validation at model scale. Improved computational efficiency and turn-around will be achieved by developing more robust and efficient numerical procedures. The methodologies will be integrated into a design procedure and applied to nozzle geometries being developed in ongoing Department of Defense noise reduction programs. The proposed effort leverages existing advanced TTC tools, as well as novel jet noise modeling and experimental diagnostic capabilities currently being developed under a NAVAIR-funded effort involving TTC, United Technologies Research Center (UTRC) and California Institute of Technology (CIT).