HPCwire: Ranger Simulations Help Quiet Jet's Roar

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June 24, 2009

Ranger Simulations Help Quiet Jet's Roar

NASA research on engine noise relies on Ranger to enable first of their kind simulations

June 24 -- If you've ever lived near the airport, or sat in the back row of a 747, you know that jets are noisy. Today's aircraft have many sources of noise, but among them, the clatter of the exhaust system is a prime contributor. The higher the speed of the jet, the louder the noise it generates. But with the help of supercomputers, the roar overhead will soon be softened.

"Jet noise has been a subject of intensive research since early 1950s," said Ali Uzun, research associate at Florida State University. "One way to minimize jet noise is to modify the turbulent mixing process using special control devices, such as chevrons. Since noise is a by-product of the turbulent mixing of jet exhaust with ambient air, one can attempt to reduce the noise by modifying the mixing process."

In aerodynamics, a chevron refers to a triangle-shaped protrusion at the end of the nozzle. A crown of four to six chevrons set around the end of the nozzle has been shown to reduce turbulence, and consequently noise, as compared to the usual circular nozzle. Chevron-shaped nozzles are one of the most promising jet noise reduction devices, but it remains unclear why chevrons reduce noise, and how their designs can be optimized to minimize output.

Uzun uses the Ranger supercomputer at the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) as a 21st century virtual wind-tunnel, simulating the turbulence and noise generated by virtual exhaust passing though a virtual engine.

Working with a grant from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), his research is answering fundamental questions about turbulence and noise, including how complex physical phenomena generate sound waves in a jet exhaust flow, and how noise suppression devices, such as chevrons, modify the way exhaust mixes with air to reduce noise levels.

For the rest of the story, visit http://www.tacc.utexas.edu/research/users/features/dynamic.php?m_b_c=nozzle.

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Source: Aaron Dubrow, Texas Advanced Computing Center

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