Brief
NASA Glenn unveils suite of jet‑noise prediction software tools
The Glenn Research Center details four acoustic prediction codes and how they support low‑noise aircraft design.
By Felo News Desk · Published
NASA’s Glenn Research Center says it has developed four software tools—JeNo, MGBK, V072 and TFaNS—to predict noise from aircraft engines and fan stages, and it invites requests for copies via its Software Catalog.
What happened
The center’s JeNo code uses Lilley’s Acoustic Analogy together with mean‑flow solutions from a Reynolds‑Averaged Navier‑Stokes (RANS) solver to calculate far‑field sound spectral density for axisymmetric jets. It has been validated for subsonic and low‑supersonic, unheated jets. The earlier MGBK code was employed to study noise trends for complex exhaust nozzles, including the chevron serrations now common on many turbofan engines. V072, based on simplified fan‑flow models, estimates rotor‑stator interaction tone noise and helps designers choose blade counts, spacing and sweep. TFaNS extends V072 by accounting for acoustic coupling between blade rows and can propagate tone noise to the far field. All four tools run quickly, making them suitable for early‑stage design studies.
What the reports add
The NASA release notes that RANS‑based predictions like JeNo are faster than alternatives such as Large‑Eddy Simulations (LES) or Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS). It also highlights that MGBK was specifically used to quantify the noise‑reduction benefits of chevron‑shaped nozzle edges. V072 is described as useful for “quick noise estimates early in the design cycle,” while TFaNS adds the capability to model transmission, reflection and far‑field propagation of tone noise.
What was said
The agency’s description states, “Copies of our software can be requested from NASA’s Software Catalog,” and adds that each code “can help you make smart choices for such important design parameters as blade and vane counts, rotor‑stator spacing, and stator vane sweep and lean.”
How it came about
Development of these acoustic tools follows a broader NASA effort to reduce aircraft‑engine noise, a theme also seen in recent Glenn research on biodegradable plastics for lunar manufacturing (NASA biodegradable plastic moon‑mars) and in the center’s historic work on flight‑software reliability, exemplified by the legacy of Apollo software pioneer Margaret Hamilton (Margaret Hamilton dies at 90).
Key facts
- JeNo predicts far‑field sound spectral density for axisymmetric jets using Lilley’s Acoustic Analogy and RANS flow solutions. (nasa.gov)
- MGBK was used to evaluate noise‑reduction benefits of chevron serrations on turbofan nozzles. (nasa.gov)
- V072 estimates rotor‑stator interaction tone noise for low‑noise fan design. (nasa.gov)
- TFaNS adds blade‑row acoustic coupling effects and far‑field propagation to tone‑noise predictions. (nasa.gov)
- All four codes are available for request through NASA’s Software Catalog. (nasa.gov)
Sources
- [1] nasa.gov — originally reported as “Software - NASA”
