Hanneke Weitering is a writer and editor with AIN covering advanced air mobility and new flight technologies. She became an aviation journalist and joined the AIN team in the summer of 2022 after reporting on spaceflight and astronomy for six years at Space.com. After earning a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, she moved to New York City to pursue a master’s degree in science, health, and environmental reporting at New York University&#039;s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. She is now based in Seattle near Boeing Field and spends her free time exploring nature in the Pacific Northwest.

Science & Technology Editor

The advanced air mobility (AAM) industry aims to begin operating thousands of air taxis, delivery drones, and other types of novel aircraft in the U.S. within the next decade. Along with the rise in the number of aircraft flying in our skies, the amount of noise overall pollution created by the aviation industry seems likely to increase.&nbsp;Developers of new electric airplanes&nbsp;and eVTOL aircraft have touted the low noise profiles of their designs, but the impact that this new source of noise will have on communities and the environment is not well understood.&nbsp;
One year after the U.S. Government Accountability Office asked the FAA <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2022-03-22/gao-faa-needs-better-address-publics-noise-concern">to better address aviation noise concerns</a>, the FAA just awarded $19 million in research grants to 14 universities across the nation in a massive effort to understand and reduce noise pollution associated with aviation.&nbsp;In the April 6 announcement, the agency revealed the recipients of those grants and the projects they will be working on, which include developing noise abatement procedures, assessing the impact of noise on the environment and communities, and acoustic modeling of new aircraft emerging from the AAM&nbsp;sector.&nbsp;
“Research is the gateway to breakthroughs. With the best minds, we can reduce noise and fly with net-zero emissions by 2050,” said acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen.
The participating university teams are all members of the Aviation Sustainability Center (ASCENT), a federally funded research organization co-led by Washington State University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This includes Georgia Tech, Penn State, Stanford, Purdue, Boston University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Illinois, Missouri S&amp;T, University of Dayton, University of Hawaii, University of North Carolina, and the University of Tennessee.
To better understand the noise that will be produced by AAM aircraft and drones, MIT will be developing noise models for a variety of different aircraft designs. Penn State will create acoustic models specifically for urban air mobility vehicles with low-noise operations, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2020-01-29/noise-critical-issue-evtol-acceptance">eVTOL air taxis</a>. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech will be studying how much noise exposure might result from the introduction of large numbers of uncrewed aircraft systems or drones.&nbsp;
In an effort to reduce noise in other aircraft designs, Georgia Tech will explore the noise-reduction benefits of an over-wing jet engine design concept. Georgia Tech will also be working with several university partners to develop improved&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2023-01-03/developers-keep-eyes-supersonic-hypersonic-prize">supersonic aircraft</a>&nbsp;noise prediction methods, while Penn State will be simulating sonic booms to develop noise certification standards for low-boom supersonic aircraft.&nbsp;
Grant awardees will also extensively study the effects of noise on communities and public health. For example, Boston University will determine whether there is any correlation between aircraft noise and sleep, cardiovascular health, and mental health. At the University of Pennsylvania, researchers will investigate the effects of aviation noise on sleep disturbances. MIT will also investigate whether any homes have decreased in value due to aircraft noise exposure.
While these grants are primarily focused on noise-related issues, the FAA has also funded a variety of other sustainability research projects through the ASCENT program. Other&nbsp;<a href="https://ascent.aero/projects-by-topic/">ASCENT projects</a>&nbsp;deal with sustainable aviation fuels, jet fuel supply chains, engine technologies, and other environmental impact studies. Over the past year, the FAA has invested more than $35 million in various ASCENT research projects. Since ASCENT began in 2014, the FAA has invested more than $350 million in the program.

Hanneke Weitering

ASCENT grant awardees will study ways to reduce noise pollution and mitigate the associated environmental impacts. (Image: FAA)

FAA Funds Advanced Air Mobility Noise Pollution Research

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