Sabine C. Langer – s.langer@tu-braunschweig.de
TU Braunschweig
Institute for Acoustics and Dynamics
Braunschweig, Lower Saxony 38108
Germany
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/sabine-langer-6450a033a
Popular version of 4aEA2 – Toward acoustics-oriented aircraft design for highly integrated transport aircraft
Presented at the 190th ASA Meeting
Read the abstract at https://eppro01.ativ.me/web/index.php?page=Session&project=ASASPRING2026&id=4071512
–The research described in this Acoustics Lay Language Paper may not have yet been peer reviewed–
“Noise must one day be fought as bitterly as cholera and the plague,” Robert Koch the German bacteriologist famously said at the turn of the 20th century. He was right—today we know that too much noise can harm our well-being and lead to real health problems.
Traditionally, we’ve tried to “combat” noise with after-the-fact abatement measures. But wouldn’t it make more sense to prevent noise before it ever starts? That’s why, decades ago, ISO standards laid out rules for low-noise design across the entire sound-generation chain—from the source, through all the transmission paths, to the listener. Yet in our modern, highly technical, urban world, these low-noise principles alone aren’t enough: noise challenges are still growing.
Take traffic, for example. In cities around the world, countless people are constantly disturbed by the noise of cars, trains and aircraft. We need to step up our efforts with a full paradigm shift toward acoustics-oriented design—a strategy that defines desired sound characteristics right at the start of product development and then uses methods and tools to predict, create, implement, and assess those acoustic properties throughout the entire process.
Figure 1: From noise abatement to acoustics-oriented design in all phases of product development (Image adapted from Rothe[1]) and Langer [2])
That sounds great in theory—but how do you predict what a complex system like an aircraft will sound like before you even build a prototype? The answer is advanced computer modelling, efficient simulation and perceptual-driven assessment. These tools let us forecast how a future aircraft will sound like and let us even listen to it.
Figure 2: Enabler for acoustics-oriented design: Modeling, Simulation, Assessment (Image adapted from Langer [3] )
Implementing acoustics-oriented design, we make sure that tomorrow’s aircraft not only burn less fuel and emit fewer pollutants but also sound pleasant—both inside the cabin and out on the ground.
[1] Rothe, S.: Design and placement of passive acoustic measures in early design phases. Schriften des Instituts für Akustik. 2022
[2] Langer, S.: Paving the path for acoustics-oriented design. ISCV31, 2025
[3] Thoma, J.; Delfs, J.: Proskurov, S.; Langer, S. C.: Cabin acoustics in preliminary aircraft design with propulsion pressure field excitation. DAS-DAGA2025/629, 2025.