Military Flight Profile Optimizer - 10/23/08
Blue Ridge Research and Consulting (BRRC) received a Phase II Award under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program through the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division; the Award directs BRRC to continue developing an optimization system for operational flight procedures at military airfields for the purpose of reducing community noise impact.
Background
Current and next-generation military aircraft are generating increasing noise levels, prompting a greater response from communities surrounding active airfields. And while jet engine noise reduction technologies have been applied successfully to commercial aircraft, these technologies have found limited application to military aircraft. As a result, optimizing operational flight procedures is the most cost effective near-term solution for reducing noise impact around military airfields.
Approach
This project is being carried out in two phases: BRRC completed a Phase I SBIR study in 2009 to demonstrate the feasibility and utility of an optimization system for flight procedures; and now in Phase II, BRRC is developing this system for commercial application. The optimization system integrates aircraft noise models, operational constraints, optimization algorithms for flight procedures, and a geographic information system. It will permit optimization for entire population centers surrounding an airfield as well as for specific neighborhoods or sensitive locations. Optimization analysis will provide military installations with the capability to identify flight procedures that minimize noise impact without having a detrimental effect on operations and pilot training. |
