Development of Optimizer for Noise Reduction for Military Airfields and Surrounding Areas Navy SBIR FY2009.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2009.1 Topic No.: N091-016 Topic Title: Development of Optimizer for Noise Reduction for Military Airfields and Surrounding Areas Proposal No.: N091-016-0484 Firm: Blue Ridge Research and Consulting 13 1/2 W. Walnut Street Asheville, North Carolina 28801 Contact: Micah Downing Phone: (828) 252-2209 Web Site: www.blueridgeresearch.com Abstract: Emerging new military high-performance aircraft and most current fighter aircraft generate community noise footprints that are in many cases 10 times or larger in size than current transport commercial aircraft. These higher levels lead to community annoyance, expensive and restrictive noise mitigation, and restriction of operations. Noise reduction technologies have been developed and employed on commercial aircraft engines giving significant reductions in community noise. However, few, if any, of these technologies have direct application to military high-performance jet engines. DoD is funding research to develop advanced modeling tools for community noise exposure and for noise reduction techniques. These tools are being developed to improve the military's capabilities to assess and to potentially reduce its operational noise. However, for these tools to achieve their full potential, a system needs to be developed to optimize operational flight procedures that reduce community noise exposure while minimizing nonstandard flight procedures. This optimization system will provide the most cost effective near-term solution for jet noise reduction for the military that can be applied to any military aircraft at any airfield for relatively small incremental costs. The initial localized noise reduction expected from operational modifications is expected to be approximately 3 to 6 dB DNL. Benefits: This effort would provide data, algorithms, and computer-based tools for military units operating high- performance aircraft at individual airfields to define the optimum noise reduction take-off and approach to landing procedures and show the resulting reduction in the community noise footprint on impacted areas. The reduction in levels, estimated to be as much as 10 dB, should be perceived as a significant reduction in noise. (New levels will be less than half as loud as prior levels.) These procedures could be implemented at very low cost for all aircraft across the US high performance inventory. Additionally, the same procedures could be applied to transport category aircraft once their 3-D noise signature data are available for those aircraft. Return