The 9- by 15-Foot Low Speed Wind Tunnel at NASA Glenn was purpose-built to analyze aircraft engine airflow and noise at takeoff and landing speeds, crucial for mitigating community noise pollution near airports. Since major upgrades in 2019, it features enhanced flow conditions and lower background noise with an advanced microphone rake to precisely capture sound from experimental propulsors.
The Aero-Acoustic Propulsion Laboratory (AAPL), a pioneering 65-foot geodesic dome anechoic chamber, facilitates noise testing on aircraft engines by minimizing echoes and sound reflections using thousands of fiberglass wedges. Housing several advanced rigs and research turbofans, AAPL supports comprehensive aeroacoustic investigations to validate noise control technologies.
Source & further reading
Experimental Facilities ↗Source published 2026-10-19. This report was prepared with AI assistance from the linked primary-source material. Claims and limitations should be checked against the original announcement or research.