Mach Wave Elimination
A new method for quieting high-speed
jets
(U.S. Patents 5590520 and 5916127)
| The top speed of air
transport has not increased since 1958, when the Boeing 707 ushered in
the era of jet age. Efforts to develop commercially-succesful supersonic jetliners
have been stymied by a host of challenges, the most formidable of which is arguably
reduction of take-off noise. Supersonic aircraft must adapt to the same
stringent airport noise regulations that apply to subsonic jets. Past attempts to
reduce supersonic jet noise resulted in very large silencers,
which penalized aircraft performance. This web section gives an overview of a new silencing method, Mach Wave Elimination, which exploits the unique physics of noise generation in high-speed jet flows. Substantial noise reduction is achieved with simple and efficient nozzle arrangements. It is anticipated that MWE will impact the development of future High-Speed Civil Transports, supersonic business jets, and supersonic military platforms. MWE may also help reduce noise of subsonic aircraft with high-specific-thrust engines.
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Press HERE to hear the noise difference
