Thanks to advanced design and specialty materials, today’s jet engines are on the average 95% quieter than their ear-piercing predecessors, introduced over 80 years ago. With more crowded skies and stricter noise regulations around airports worldwide, progress is still being made … because the quest for the quieter jet is never-ending.
It’s good to have fans.
One of the keys to the big hush is the high-bypass turbofan engine. You can recognize one of these engines by its large intake section, which houses a large fan. The engine’s high-bypass configuration routes airflow from the fan along two paths: directly into the engine and around it. This two-way airflow increases performance without adding to fuel consumption. This design, along with ATI’s next generation of nickel and cobalt based cast and powder alloys, improves fuel efficiency by allowing the engine to run hotter.
The big hush comes from an advanced acoustic barrier that lines the engine nacelle, with a honeycomb layer of ATI’s nickel or titanium alloy Precision-Rolled Strip at its center. Cold rolled to just thousandths of an inch thick, this foil-like material meets the rigorous structural requirements of the nacelle design and provides maximum sound suppression and thermal management while minimizing weight. Further acoustic management happens in the rear of the engine, where ATI specialty alloys are used in the plug and nozzle section to direct the engine’s exhaust, producing maximum performance with minimum noise.
Into the quiet blue yonder.
The drive for quiet is simple: we love to fly, and the more we fly, the greater the impact jet noise can potentially have on our health. As the industry strives to meet new design requirements, ATI specialty materials will be there to help with the next generation of more efficient, quieter aerospace solutions.
