Predicting Noise From Aircraft Turbine-Engine Combustors

NASA Tech Briefs, Feb 2005 by Gliebe, P, Mani, R, Salamah, S, Coffin, R, Mehta, Jayesh

COMBUSTOR and CNOISE are computer codes that predict far-field noise that originates in the combustors of modern aircraft turbine engines - especially modern, low-gaseous-emission engines, the combustors of which sometimes generate several decibels more noise than do the combustors of older turbine engines. COMBUSTOR implements an empirical model of combustor noise derived from correlations between engine-noise data and operational and geometric parameters, and was developed from databases of measurements of acoustic emissions of engines. CNOISE implements an analytical and computational model of the propagation of combustor temperature fluctuations (hot spots) through downstream turbine stages. Such hot spots are known to give rise to far-field noise. CNOISE is expected to be helpful in determining why low-emission combustors are sometimes noisier than older ones, to provide guidance for refining the empirical correlation model embodied in the COMBUSTOR code, and to provide insight on how to vary downstream turbine-stage geometry to reduce the contribution of hot spots to far-field noise.

These programs were imtten by P. Gliebe, R. Mani, S. Salamah, and R. Coffin of General Electric Co. andjayesh Mehta of Diversitec, Inc., yorGlenn Research Center. For further information, access the Technical Support Package (TSP) free on-line at urww.techbriefs.com/tsp under the Software category.

Inquiries concerning rights for the commercial use of this invention should be addressed to NASA Glenn Research Center, Commercial Technology Office, Attn: Steve Fedor, Mail Stop 4-8, 21000 Brookpark Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44135. Refer to LEW-17385-1.