Ultra High Bypass Ratio Low Noise Engine Study

A study was conducted to identify engine cycle and technologies needed for a regional aircraft which could be capable of achieving a 10 EPNdB reduction in community noise level relative to current FAR36 Stage 3 limits. The study was directed toward 100-passenger regional aircraft with engine configurations in the 15,000 pound thrust class. The study focused on Ultra High Bypass Ratio (UHBR) cycles due to low exhaust jet velocities and reduced fan tip speeds. The baseline engine for this study employed a gear-driven, 1000 ft/sec tip speed fan and had a cruise bypass ratio of 14:1. A revised engine configuration employing fan and turbine design improvements are predicted to be 9.2 dB below current takeoff limits and 12.8 dB below current approach limits. An economic analysis was also done by estimating Direct Operating Cost (DOC).