© 2015 HDR, Inc., all rights reserved.
Michael Gilbrook, PhD, GISP, AICPSumant Mallavaram, GISPTim Casey, Elliott Dick, John Van Kirk
MODELING ROCKET LAUNCH NOISE
FOR COMMERCIAL SPACEPORTS
Background Objectives Methodology Summary Questions Contacts
OUTLINE
Federal Spaceport Licensingo FAA Office of Commercial Space
Transportation (AST) o Multiple non-Federal sites established or
proposed Spaceport Colorado o Front Range Airport, east of Denvero NEPA Environmental Assessment requiredo Includes noise modeling & analysiso FAA-approved Integrated Noise Model (INM)
not designed for spaceports
BACKGROUND
© 2013 C. Cunnigham, Albuquerque Journal
Spaceport Colorado
ProposedSpaceportColorado
Front Range Airport Adams County, CO
8,000 Feet
8,000 Feet
Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Industryo Private, for-profit operationso Multiple vehicles in development
Typical Operationso Suborbital flights
• Air launch or horizontal launch from runway• Into space (100 km), but not into orbit• Similar suborbital flight profiles
o Recovery (landing) of orbital vehicles
BACKGROUND
FAA Noise Requirementso Space flights must comply with FAA’s 65 db
day-night average sound level (DNL) standardo “…..the FAA has determined that the cumulative noise energy
exposure of individuals to noise resulting from aviation activities must be established in terms of the day-night average sound level (DNL) in decibels (dB). The 65 DNL is the Federal significance threshold for aircraft noise exposure.
Why a GIS-based 3D noise model?o Legacy approach (XLS + NM-Plot) clumsyo FAA’s Airport GIS initiatives favor delivery of
airport data in GIS format
BACKGROUND
Source: http://www.faa.gov/airports/airport_development/omp/FAQ/Noise_Monitoring/?print=go#q4
Create GIS-based modelo Obtain RLV’s time series, trajectory datao Create GIS-based time series modelo Perform testing & verification
Spaceport Colorado noise analysiso Run scenarioso Generate noise contourso Show compliance with FAA’s 65 DNL standard
OBJECTIVES
Source: https://www.thefundingnetwork.com.au
Assumes Horizontal Launch Flight profile in Excel spreadsheeto Time series (1 second time step)o 1,105 time stepso ~ 20 minutes round trip
Key parameters for noise modeling:o Longitude/ Latitude /Altitude (x,y,z)o Velocity (meters per second)o Heading (2D and 3D vector components)
METHODOLOGY:FLIGHT PATH DATA
Source-Path-Receiver Model Launch site + Runway + Trajectory Rocket noise source Receptor grid on Cartesian coordinates Receptor distance, angle from source Propagation & sound power level Combined sound of several sources
METHODOLOGY: NOISE PROPAGATION
Raster cells represent receptor locations Varying raster resolutiono High density at or near runwayo Low density away from areas of high noise
METHODOLOGY: RECEPTOR GRID
ArcGIS Spatial ModelBuildero Combination of Python, Iterators and
ArcToolbox toolso “Custom” tools for frequently requested
additional analyses Automated Analysis for Multiple Scenarios o Variable # flights (1 per week, 1 per month, etc.)o Variable # of Static Hot Fire Tests per yearo Combination of # flights & hot fire tests
METHODOLOGY: THE “TOOL”
Noise impact calculationo Baseline = General aviation activity (GA)o Spaceport noise effects
• Static Hot Fire Test (SHFT)• Launch event
o Total noise = GA + SHFT + Launcho Increased noise = Total Noise – GAo Sonic booms not included
METHODOLOGY: NOISE LEVEL ANALYSIS
FAA approved the GIS-based spacecraft noise model on October 21, 2014
First ever FAA-approved 3D-GIS launch noise model!
National Academy of Sciences Airport Cooperative Research Program issued research RFP for new launch & sonic boom noise model compatible with FAA’s GIS-based Aviation Environmental Design Tool
Future for GIS: The sky’s the limit!
SUMMARY
QUESTIONS
Sumant MallavaramEsri, Solution [email protected](210) 499-1044 , ext. 8803
Elliot DickHDR, Acoustical [email protected](763) 278-5926
Michael GilbrookHDR, Geospatial Technical [email protected](407) 420-4253
TO LEARN MORE…