| A numerical model was developed to investigate the possibility of implementing active control (ANC) to minimize noise radiation from high-bypass turbofan engines. Previous experimental work on the NASA Glenn Research Center active noise control fan (ANCF) was encouraging, but the question remained whether the modal approach investigated could be effective on real engines. The engine model developed for this research project uses an indirect boundary element method, implemented with Sysnoise, and a multi-mode Newton's algorithm, implemented with MATLAB™, to simulate the active control. Noise from the inlet was targeted.; Both the experimental and numerical results based on the NASA ANCF simplified cylindrical engine geometry indicate overall reductions in the m = 2 component of the noise. Reductions obtained at the numerical sensor rings range from 17 dB to 63 dB and at a plane in the duct inlet, −8 dB to 33 dB. Rings mounted on the inlet duct are unable to accurately predict the total reduction of the inlet field, but the controller is still able to effectively reduce the total acoustic field. Generally, one sensor ring and one actuator ring per propagating mode were necessary to control the inlet field. At frequencies close to the cut-off frequency of a mode, an additional sensor and actuator ring were needed to adequately control the inlet field due to the evanescent mode.; A more realistic, but still axisymmetric, engine geometry based on the GE CF6-80C engine was developed and the same algorithm used. Reductions obtained at the sensor rings range from 4 dB to 56 dB and at the duct inlet plane, from 12 dB to 26 dB. The overall far field noise radiation from the engine remained unchanged (0.4 dB) or decreased slightly (3.6 dB). The inlet noise was controlled at all frequencies but the noise from the exhaust was increased. The effect of inlet control on the exhaust radiation suggests the need for a controller that targets both the inlet and exhaust noise simultaneously. The results of this simulation indicate that a modal ANC approach should still be effective for controlling turbofan noise in a more realistic engine geometry. |
