Methodology for designing aircraft having optimal sound signatures

This paper presents a methodology with which aircraft designs can be modified such that they produce optimal sound signatures on the ground. With optimal sound it is implied in this case sounds that are perceived as less annoying by residents living near airport vicinities. A novel design and assessment chain has been developed which combines the aircraft design process with an auralization and sound quality assessment capability. It is demonstrated how different commercial aircraft can be designed, their sounds auralized at representative locations in airport vicinities and subsequently assessed for sound quality. As sound quality is closely related to the perceived annoyance, it is expected that designs with improved sound quality would also be perceived as less annoying. By providing a feedback to the design optimizer in terms of one of the sound quality metrics or a suitable combination thereof, the designs of aircraft can be altered to produce potentially less annoying sounds. The paper will focus on three current aircraft and will demonstrate the application of the novel design chain to auralize and alter their sounds toward improved sound quality. The presented methodology can also be extended to unconventional aircraft configurations and propulsion concepts, for optimizing future aircraft sounds.