Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
A test rig is assembled at NASA Glenn to evaluate the noise reduction of a newly
developed metallic foam liner. (NASA Glenn)
Glenn engineer Dan Sutliff had been partnering with NASAs Langley Research Center
(Hampton, VA) for a decade on researching aircraft noise reduction. He and a colleague
developed an experiment and fine-tuned the properties of metallic foam developed at
Langley. Partnering with Porvair Advanced Materials (Hendersonville, NC), they created
the metallic foam with exacting properties, including the pore sizes and density that
were optimal for engine-generated noise frequencies. They then installed the Foam
Metal Liner over the rotor of Glenns Advanced Noise Control Fan, an 8-foot-long, 4-footdiameter test fan that is about the size of an aircraft engine.
The foam reduced engine noise by more than half. The hope is that it can be used in the
commercial market to reduce engine noise effectively and without increasing the
operating costs or the weight and without performance penalties. The long-term goal is
1
that all objectionable airplane noise remains within the boundary of the airport, leaving
residential communities unaffected.
Metallic Foam Reduces Airplane Noise
12.15.09
Over the last century, airplanes have revolutionized society. It is possible to traverse the
country, coast to coast, to visit far-away family in a matter of hours. We can cross the
ocean, leaving at breakfast, and arrive in time for dinner in Paris thanks to airplanes.
People and goods from across the globe can travel farther and faster than our great
grandparents could have imagined.
For all the benefits of air travel, there are still a few areas of aviation that NASA and the
aeronautics industry are continuously striving to improve. One of these important areas
is noise reduction.
For people who live around airports, noise created by planes can cause a disturbance.
At NASA centers across the country, new and innovative technologies are being
researched and tested that can help reduce noise from planes. NASA's Glenn Research
Center in Cleveland, Ohio is one of the centers helping new ideas take flight.
engine and the hardware, and the manufacturing capability in their facility near Detroit,"
Sutliff says.
The undertaking also represented a collaboration between branches at Glenn. Bowman,
a Co-team lead for the project from the Structures & Materials Division (Advanced
Metallics Branch) and Sutliff, from the Acoustics Branch, each brought their specialized
knowledge to the project. After extensive testing, the results proved favorable.
"We found out the foam was very successfulit reduced the engine noise significantly,"
Sutliff says. "Over most of the operating range of the engine, we saw a reduction of 4-5
decibels, or cutting the noise by more than half," Sutliff says.
The project, which recently received a Federal Laboratory Consortium Technology
Transfer Excellence Award, isn't over yet. The team is hoping to continue working with
Williams on refining the technology for their needs, as well as working with
manufacturers who make larger engines.
"The hope is that it can be used in the commercial market to reduce engine noise
effectively and without increasing the operating costs or the weight and without
performance penalties. With more research and targeted design to different engines it
could be successful," Sutliff says. "The long term goal is that all objectionable airplane
noise remains within the boundary of the airport, leaving residential communities
unaffected."
Tori Woods (S.G.T.)
NASAs Glenn Research Center