Predictions of near-runway thrust reverser noise

Noise generated by thrust reverser deployment contributes to the sound pressure levels in the vicinity of airports, particularly near short runways that are often used for arrival operations. The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Integrated Noise Model (INM) Version 7 adopted a new simple scheme of acoustic adjustment to capture the effect of the noise produced during thrust reverser deployment. In this study, INM 7 predictions of the maximum sound pressure levels of near-runway thrust reverser noise based on standard landing procedural profiles are compared with those recorded for a single type of medium-range, narrow-body passenger jet aircraft at Washington-Dulles International Airport in October 2004. In addition to noise measurements, the aircraft landings were recorded with a video camera to obtain position and speed data of the aircraft along the runway. The measured speed vs. position profiles are compared with those computed by INM 7 and can be used to provide insight into observed differences between the predicted and measured noise levels. Recommendations for improvements to the thrust reverser noise modeling methodology in INM are also presented.