Noise propagation model for the design of weather specific noise abatement procedures

Abstract

This thesis presents an aircraft noise prediction simulation that incorporates actual weather in flight dynamics and noise propagation. The rapid prototyping simulation environment NOIse SIMulator (NOISIM) includes a sound propagation model based on a ray tracing algorithm that incorporates atmospheric and ground effects. The simulator uses standard weather profiles, terminal aircraft radar data and flight simulator data as input. NOISIM allows users to explore a wide array of flight procedures and weather conditions to determine the flight procedure that minimizes the noise impact in communities around airports. Two main applications of this tool are presented in this thesis: the design of a weather-specific noise abatement procedure and a statistical study of the effect of weather on average noise contours. The first case study explores the magnitude of the weather effects on the noise impact of a Boeing 767 in communities near Boston Logan Airport during takeoff. It also illustrates how the noise impact can be significantly reduced by changing the departure procedure to capitalize on changes in the weather. The second application is a statistical assessment of the impact of meteorology on annual average contours at major US airports. In this case we test the common assumption used in airport studies that weather effects on noise levels should average out over a year.