Chapters authored
Sonic Boom Mitigation through Shock Wave Dispersion
Lately, the interest for passenger space planes, supersonic passenger aircraft, and supersonic business jets has greatly increased. In order to mitigate the sonic boom effects at ground level, some aerospace companies proposed airplanes that have a very small transversal fuselage section or that have a curved (“shaped”) fuselage. Obviously, shaping the fuselage leads to the increase of dynamic drag and manufacturing cost. Reducing the fuselage transverse section leads to reducing the useful volume inside fuselage and increases the landing distance of aircraft. The solution presented in this chapter shows that it is theoretically and technologically possible as the shock wave to be dispersed through mechanical or electrical means. The shock wave is in fact a stationary effect generated by the move of aircraft with constant speed relatively to surrounding air. If this feature is in a way or another canceled, the shock wave is dispersing. Due to dispersion of the shock wave the ‘N’ wave at the ground is tens of times larger and the sonic boom is correspondingly lower. The shock wave dispersion system of the future could be mechanical or electrical is activated only when the supersonic aircraft/space plane is flying horizontally over community.
Part of the book: Environmental Impact of Aviation and Sustainable Solutions