Enhanced Acoustical Environment for Modern Weapons Bays

The F-35 main weapons bay experiences severe acoustic loading when exposed to the freestream. The severity and attenuation of this loading is exacerbated by the very complex geometry of the weapons bay and the highly non-uniform approach flow. This extremely harsh aeroacoustic environment can also impact components that are mounted within the bay itself, including carriage stores that contain sensitive electronics and control surfaces. CRAFT Tech proposes the development and demonstration of a robust, highly integratable flow control strategy that effectively lowers the high dynamic loading of the F-35 main weapons bay, while minimizing additional aircraft weight. This hybrid strategy, entitled HyFACT, considers flow control techniques applied to either the forward or the aft portions of the bay, producing attenuation over the entire subsonic and supersonic flight envelope. Phase II will involve technology maturation through high-resolution Large Eddy Simulation (LES), complemented by comprehensive wind tunnel testing. The noise suppression technology will be scaled-up to flight. A full-scale, flightworthy HyFACT demonstration prototype hardware will be developed and delivered to the Air Force for flight-testing on the F-35 aircraft. BENEFIT: The Phase II F-35 flight demonstration of the HyFACT noise suppression system, which will reduce flow-induced cavity acoustic loads to acceptable levels without significantly impacting the aircraft weight, will provide the necessary proof-of-concept for future technology commercialization. CRAFT Tech will engage in strategic partnering and licensing with airframe prime contractors and/or sub-contractors. CRAFT Tech will provide the knowledge, expertise and understanding necessary to develop HyFACT kits for the F-35, based on the success of a follow-on flight test. Spin-off applications of this flow control technology include: jet engine noise reduction, Directed Energy (DE) beam rectification, IR signature reduction for military, as well as commercial aircraft, etc.