Noise control options for aircraft floors

Abstract

Aircraft manufactures seek light weight, cost effective technologies to reduce cabin noise levels. Customers and regulatory bodies are demanding lower noise levels in the cabin. Composite light weight structures, used to increase fuel efficiently, often increase input acceleration levels due to their relatively high stiffness and low damping. Therefore, noise control solutions must provide additional attenuation to meet the challenges of fuel efficiency and lower cabin noise levels. Aircraft floors are large radiating bodies that must be addressed. This paper explores noise control options for aircraft floors. Various isolation and damping methods are investigated. Analytical estimates are compared to empirical measurements for a sample aircraft floor.