Adaptive Liners for Broadband Noise Reduction

This project will combine the advantages of adaptive materials with the simplistic passive design of state-of-the-art acoustic liners to provide the ability to tune them for specific operational frequencies (ex. take-off/cutback, cruise, and approach). The main deterrent to implementing these methods is not having the materials on hand to provide the functionality needed in a simplistic way. Many proposed solutions are not practical from a manufacturing/cost perspective: too complex or add weight to the aircraft that is not justifiable. CRG has already demonstrated feasibility of the ability to implement adaptive technologies into acoustic liners. The next step is to demonstrate repeatable liner control performance supported by more extensive acoustic testing runs to understand the initial shifting and increased suppression behaviors that have been observed. Also, automated cyclic testing of a given adaptive liner parameter will be executed to demonstrate the durability of the adaptive material and applicability to this application. CRG will focus liner adaptive design initially on demonstration of tuning liner reactance to TRL 3 in Phase I.

Supporting several of NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate projects and the Fundamental Aeronautics Program, this project's technologies directly address requirements for improvements in noise reduction and control for subsonic and supersonic vehicle systems, including fan, jet, turbomachinery, and airframe noise sources. This project's technologies offer system-level improvements in noise, emissions, and performance. The resulting adaptive liner capabilities could potentially be used by NASA to more quickly study different passive liner concepts.

The proposed adaptive acoustic liner technology has high potential for application in public and private sector commercial airline jet engine systems. This project's technologies, developed for NASA liner concepts, would directly apply to systems operated by other government and commercial enterprises. Government systems that would derive the same benefits would include improvements in noise reduction, prediction, measurement methods, and control for subsonic and supersonic vehicle systems, including fan, jet, turbo-machinery, and airframe noise sources operated by the DoD and all major commercial aviation companies. This technology's attributes for commercial jet engine manufacturers should yield a high potential for private sector commercialization for implementation of tunable characteristics for turbofan engine acoustic liners. Additionally, CRG also sees a future for resulting commercialization of the adaptive liner technologies with commercial turbine generators, marine turbine systems, and the rail industry.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.