TsAGI studies MC-21 fuselage panels
9 April 2018
How to reduce cabin noise and stay comfortable in flight? This crucial task is in the focus of the aviation community and scientists of the Zhukovsky Central AeroHydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI). The necessary condition for acoustic cabin comfort is to be aware of the fuselage and the elements of its acoustics.
The Institute specialists has begun MC-21 full-scale fuselage panel testing (the customer is OJSC “Irkut”.) The aim is to ensure the aircraft’s required acoustic performance. Ceiling and window panels samples, of actual size and geometry, will be tested in TsAGI’s AK-11 sound-measuring chambers.
Institute scientists will determine the panels’ soundproofing and vibroacoustic characteristics in their sound and mechanical stimulation. Specialists will also study and select the most effective sound-absorbing materials and their configurations. In addition, the scientists will consider various variants for cabin liner attachments.
The findings will be used to refine the cabin noise and to issue recommendations for its reduction. “The study focuses on the examination of large-size cabin pieces, compared to traditionally used models,” explained Project manager Alexander Zverev, TsAGI’s Chief researcher of the Department of Aeroacoustics and ecology aircraft. “The dimensions, close to actual size, will extend the frequency range and increase the accuracy of the experimental results.”
The MC-21-300 is a new generation aircraft with a capacity of 163 to 211 passengers and targets the largest segment of the aviation market. The aircraft provides passengers with a significant new level of comfort, due to the largest fuselage diameter in narrow-body aircraft. The aircraft is superior to existing counterparts in terms of flight-technical characteristics and efficiency. The major contributor to the enhancement of flight-technical characteristics of the aircraft is the wing made of polymer composite materials, the first-in-the-world, developed for narrow-body aircraft with a capacity of over 130 passengers. The use of composites in the MC-21 design exceeds 30% and is unique for this category of aircraft.