A Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) model of a fuselage section for the prediction of the internal Sound Pressure Level (SPL) at cruise flight conditions

Nowadays, one of the priorities of the aircraft companies is to improve the passenger's comfort aboard the aircraft providing low noise level during the flight. The methods actually used for the evaluation of the noise level are various, the SEA is an example of these, which is able to obtain a high reliability on the results at increasing frequencies. The goal of the present research is establish a numerical model to evaluate the Sound Pressure Level in the aircraft fuselage section at different stations and locations inside the cabin. Different configurations have been considered for the analysis: from the "naked" cabin up to "full furnished" with seats, stowage bins, etcetera. These results have been essential to understand which is the contribute of the aircraft interiors (seats, storage bins) on noise insulation. Furthermore the Power Inputs evaluation has been determined to see the contribution of each considered aeronautic component on the acoustic insulation and a final investigation by using a different type of window with the addition of a transparent viscoelastic damping material has been performed.