DGEN AeroPropulsion Research Turbofan (DART)

DGEN Aeropropulsion Research Turbofan (DART) is the primary component integrated into the NASA Glenn Research Center’s DGEN Aero-propulsion Research Turbofan (DART). It serves as a flexible, relevant, experimental aeroacoustic and aero-performance test bed, providing valuable information throughout NASA’s technology maturation process for a variety of multidisciplinary research that includes turbofan noise, engine controls, installation effects, and measurement technologies.

Recent tests were completed August 2019 to develop a better understanding of propulsion-noise sources to enable improved turbofan noise-prediction methods and noise-mitigation techniques.  Simultaneous acoustic measurements were obtained using a circumferential infinite-tube-probe array at the core-nozzle exit in conjunction with sideline and farfield microphone arrays. The extensive data set will allow for the application of advanced source-separation and phased-array methods to elucidate not only the core-noise structure, but also the propagation characteristics of other propulsion noise sources.

Recent Publications

• Boyle, D. K., Henderson, B. S. and Hultgren, L. S., “Transfer-Function Determination for Infinite-Tube-Probe Pressure Transducers with Application to Turbofan Core/Combustor Noise,” AIAA Paper 2019-2588, 25^th AIAA/CEAS Aeroacoustics Conference, Delft, The Netherlands, 20-24 May 2019. Also NASA/TM-2019-220245, June 2019.
• Hultgren, L. S., Boyle, D. K., and Henderson, B. S., “1/3-Octave Analysis of Core/Combustor-Noise Measurements for the DGEN Aeropropulsion Research Turbofan with Application to Noise Prediction,” AIAA Paper 2019-2642, 25^th AIAA/CEAS Aeroacoustics Conference, Delft, The Netherlands, 20-24 May 2019. Also NASA/TM-2019-220212, May 2019.
• Boyle, D. K., Henderson, B. S. and Hultgren, L. S., “DGEN Aeropropulsion Research Turbofan Core/Combustor-Noise Measurements – Experiment and Modal Structure at Core-Nozzle Exit,” Paper GT2020-14194, ASME Turbo Expo 2020 (Virtual), London, England, September 21–25, 2020.
• Hultgren, L. S., Boyle, D. K. and Henderson, B. S., “DGEN Aeropropulsion Research Turbofan Source-Diagnostic Test: Experimental Setup and Acoustic-Data Structure,” NASA/TM–20205008042, October 2020.

Additional accomplishments include supporting the development of MDOF liner concepts that contributed to an evaluation on a flight test and additional publications include:

• “Design and Acoustic Efficacy of a Broadband Liner for the Inlet of the DGEN Aero-propulsion Research Turbofan”, AIAA 2019-2582, Daniel L. Sutliff, Douglas M. Nark, Michael G. Jones and Noah H. Schiller.
• “Acoustic Directivity of the DGEN Aero-propulsion Research Turbofan at Multiple Farfield Array Locations”, AIAA 2018-3279, Daniel L. Sutliff.
• “DGEN Aeropropulsion Research Turbofan (DART): Lossless Projection of Measured Engine Noise Spectra to a 1-Foot-Radius Arc”, AIAA 2018-3280, Clifford A. Brown and Daniel L. Sutliff

Additional information on DGEN can be found on the GRC Acoustics Facilities website.