Effects of Atmospheric Uncertainties on Sonic Boom Perceived Level

Abstract

This work quantifies the uncertainty in Stevens Mark VII Perceived Level of sonic booms due to uncertainties in atmospheric profiles. The influence of temperature, humidity, and wind profiles, at six cities around the globe, on the sonic boom loudness is calculated. The flow field around an aircraft was obtained by solving the three-dimensional (3D), compressible Euler equations using the UNS3D solver. The near-field pressure signature is then propagated through the atmosphere by solving the augmented Burgers equation using the sBOOM solver. The uncertainty is modeled using a nonintrusive polynomial chaos approach. A sensitivity analysis is performed to identify the altitude range and the atmospheric variable to which the Perceived Level is most sensitive. It was shown that the Perceived Level is not sensitive to any particular altitude but rather the atmospheric profiles. It was also seen that the Perceived Level is highly sensitive to humidity and temperature profiles and less sensitive to the wind profiles.