Commercial Space Operations Noise and Sonic Boom Modeling and Analysis (2018)

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

6‐1  CHAPTER 6. Future Research ACRP Project 02-66 required the development of RUMBLE and PCBoom which will be used to predict environmental noise from commercial space operations. Research completed during the project is described in detail in other sections of this report. To enhance these model’s databases/inputs/outputs, noise modeling methodology, user experience and move towards validated and standardized models within AEDT, the following areas of future work/research would be helpful. RUMBLE: Database, Inputs, and Outputs  Spaceport Database: create database of existing spaceports to include active runways along with launch, landing, and static pads.  Spacecraft Database: expand database to include additional spacecraft.  Standard Profiles: develop standardized flight trajectories and/or procedures.  Metrics: expand the available supplemental noise metrics and weightings.  Noise Impact Criteria: psychoacoustic studies are required to develop rocket propulsion noise specific impact criteria. Noise Modeling Methodology  Sound Propagation: improve modeling physics including impedance and terrain effects, non- linear propagation, curved rays, and wind.  Pad Effects: research the effects of deflected exhaust, ducted exhaust, open trenches, and deluge systems, and determine best methods to include these effects in the model.  Measurement Campaigns: perform measurements to strengthen the rocket propulsion noise measurement databases, ensuring a sufficiently diverse dataset to produce statistically significant analyses over the existing vehicle and operation types.  Validation: benchmark RUMBLE using acoustic measurements collected over a diverse set of spacecraft, operations, and missions.  Standards: vet the noise modeling methodology through a standards committee such as SAE A-21 “Aircraft Noise Measure and Aircraft Noise/Aviation Emissions Modelling”.  Approval: seek formal modeling approval of AEE. User Experience  Graphic User Experience (GUI): expand GUI features to advance user experience.  Error Handling: implement schema checks directly in RUMBLE and improve error communication and correction.  Graphic Information System (GIS) Capabilities: improve contouring routines and mapping functionality.  Feedback: seek feedback from the commercial space community.  AEDT: perform full integration of RUMBLE into AEDT. PCBOOM: Database, Inputs, and Outputs  Spacecraft Database: expand database to include additional spacecraft.

6‐2     Advanced Sonic Boom Source (F-function) Development: develop high fidelity modeling capability for vehicle inputs/sonic boom sources using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to improve the accuracy of sonic boom source definitions.  Standard Profiles: develop standardized flight trajectories and/or procedures.  Metrics: incorporate FAA’s official sonic boom metric (when available) and expand the supplemental noise metrics, as necessary.  Noise Impact Criteria: laboratory or field psychoacoustic studies may be required to develop an annoyance threshold for the chosen (official) sonic boom metric. Noise Modeling Methodology  Propagation: add statistical/turbulence modeling capability to enable the prediction of sonic boom with atmospheric turbulence variations.  Measurement Campaigns: perform measurements of sonic boom for existing vehicle and operation types.  Validation: benchmark PCBOOM using acoustic measurements collected over a diverse set of spacecraft, operations, and missions. User Experience  Graphic User Experience (GUI): develop GUI features to advance user experience.  Feedback: seek feedback from the commercial space community.  AEDT: perform full integration of PCBOOM into AEDT.