Active control of low‐speed turbofan tonal noise Free

Active noise control has been proposed as a technique for reducing the tonal noise radiated from turbofan engines. The sound field in the duct of a turbofan engine is characterized by acoustic modes, which exhibit both a radial and a circumferential spatial dependence. The dominant circumferential modes are determined by the relationship between the number of rotor and stator blades. Using these concepts, an active noise control system has been developed to measure and minimize the modes in the duct of a turbofan engine. By using multiple source and sensor locations, it has also been shown that it is possible to control multiple radial modes within the engine duct. Some of the issues associated with the design of the control system will be reviewed, and results obtained using the Active Noise Control Fan (ANCF) at NASA Glenn Research Center will be presented. [Work supported by NASA.]