High tip speed fan inlet noise reduction using treated inlet splitters and accelerating inlets (quiet engine program fan C scale model)

A series of inlet suppression tests were run on a supersonic tip speed fan which employed an acoustically treated cowl wall, treated splitters and elevated average throat Mach numbers in various combinations. Results show appreciable fan noise reductions at high fan speeds; 15-18 PNdB. On the basis of inlet total pressure recovery loss per PNdb of noise reduction, an inlet with no splitters produced the most efficient design. However, greater reduction in noise was achieved with one splitter in the inlet. It was also noted that moderate increases in inlet Mach number increased noise in the acoustically treated inlets and that Mach numbers in excess of 0.65 were required before net noise reduction was realized.