{
  "id": 15639433,
  "title": "Software",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/software",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-19T18:11:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "NASA",
    "slug": "nasa",
    "url": "https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/glenn/acoustics-software/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Preparations for upcoming moonwalk simulations are underway at NASA’s Glenn Research Center, alongside underwater research. The center is developing software to predict aircraft engine noise, aiding engineers in designing and analyzing improved propulsion systems. The software catalogue offers copies of these predictive codes.\n\nThe software predicts jet noise using Lilley’s Acoustic Analogy and mean flow solutions from a Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) code. The accuracy of the acoustic predictions depends on precise aerodynamic predictions, which is why research focuses on acoustic source modeling, turbulence modeling, and advanced measurement systems.\n\nThe JeNo code predicts the far-field sound spectral density of axisymmetric jets at a user-defined observer location and frequency range. Currently, JeNo has been validated for subsonic and low supersonic, unheated axisymmetric jets. The researchers at NASA GRC previously used another code, MGBK, to predict noise trends in complicated aircraft engine exhaust nozzles. MGBK also helped analyze noise reduction benefits of chevrons on turbofan nozzles, commonly seen on commercial aircraft engines.\n\nThe V072 code predicts tone noise levels in rotor/stator interaction, aiding in design decisions for blade and vane counts, rotor-stator spacing, and vane sweep and lean. While V072 offers quick noise estimates in the early design stages, it is less accurate than later codes. The TFaNS code builds upon V072 by accounting for blade row acoustic coupling effects and propagating tones to the far field. Like V072, TFaNS provides quick predictions for early design stages.\n\nLflux is a more computationally intensive software that models realistic 3-D flows and blade geometries. It provides a detailed prediction of rotor/stator tone noise and has been validated against experimental data. BFANS calculates broadband noise generated by turbulence impinging on rotor blades and stator vanes. RSI predicts the spectrum of broadband noise resulting from fan rotor wake turbulence interacting with fan exit guide vanes.\n\nWOBBLE predicts tone noise associated with propeller inflow leading to unsteady blade loading. The code accounts for yaw, pitch, and roll angles of the aircraft. MPT estimates multiple pure tone noise, including the effects of blade-to-blade variations due to manufacturing or operational differences. Lastly, ADPAC models tightly coupled internal/external flows through future-concept short-duct turbofan engines, accommodating 2D/axisymmetric/3D simulations.",
  "summary": "Research teams at NASA’s Glenn Research Center are involved in developing theory and software to predict the noise from aircraft engines. This software helps engineers to design and analyze new and improved aircraft propulsion systems. Copies of our software can be requested from NASA’s Software Catalog. JeNo Development of jet noise prediction codes is multifaceted. […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "NASA Science",
        "title": "Software",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/software-15646556",
        "published": "2026-10-19T18:11:40.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}