Effect of realistic grounds and atmospheric conditions on single-channel active control of outdoor sound propagation

Engine run-up tests are a part of routine aircraft maintenance at the Vancouver International Airport. A source of noise complaints is the Dash-8 aircraft, which emits low-frequency, tonal noise. Active noise control is a potentially cost-effective alternative to passive noise-control methods, which are ineffective at controlling low-frequency noise. Since the run-up tests are performed outdoors, the effects of outdoor conditions on the performance of an active control system must be considered. In this paper, the results of a preliminary investigation of the effects of realistic meteorological conditions and ground impedance on the performance of a single-channel active-control system are presented. Computer simulation s of single-channel active control of a mmonopole source were performed using the Green's-function parabolic-equation method. Different realistic atmospheric conditions, and reflective or soft ground, were used in the simulations. The results show that atmospheric refraction causes fluctuations in the noise attenuation achieved by a single-channel control system, and has the overall effect of decreasing its performance, making the system ineffective in some cases. (c) 2005 Acoustical Society of America.