Noise reduction in a launch vehicle fairing using actively tuned loudspeakers

Loudspeakers tuned as optimal acoustic absorbers can significantly reduce damaging, low frequency, reverberant noise in a full-scale launch vehicle fairing. Irregular geometry, changing payloads, and the compliant nature of the fairing hinder effective implementation of a passively tuned loudspeaker. A method of tuning the loudspeaker dynamics in real time is required to meet the application requirements. Through system identification, the dynamics of the enclosure can be identified and used to tune the dynamics of the loudspeaker for reduction of targeted, high intensity, low-frequency modes that dominate the acoustic response in the fairing. A loudspeaker model with desired dynamics serves as the reference model in a control law designed to tune the dynamics of a non-ideal loudspeaker to act as an optimal tuned absorber. Experimental results indicate that a tuned loudspeaker placed in the nose cone of the fairing significantly reduces acoustic energy and verifies results calculated from the simulation.