Comparing two inverse array methods for source reconstructions of noise radiated from a high-performance jet aircraft

Because direct flow measurements of tactical aircraft jet engines are not currently possible, acoustic source characteristics are instead inferred from array processing. This paper compares two array processing methods using the same array data from a high-performance military aircraft. Hybrid beamforming (HBF) and multisource statistically-optimized near-field acoustical holography (M-SONAH) have both been used previously for frequency-dependent jet noise source characterization, but are compared here for the same input data. A 71-element linear array of equally spaced microphones was placed approximately parallel to the shear layer covering a distance of 32 meters. Complex pressures obtained from this array served as the input to both methods. Favorable agreement in terms of maximum source location, source shape, and source extent was seen between the two methods' respective results. While the methods continue to have their relative strengths and reasons for use, this favorable agreement indicates that an improved understanding of military jet noise sources has been achieved.