KrasAiLHT and QinetiQ Team for Hi-Fi Cabin Acousticsr Launch Customer for An-148
Corporate, business and head-of-state aircraft passengers will experience a ‘nice' quiet ride aboard jetliner-sized aircraft if they're fitted with Networked Integrated Cabin Equipment being developed by Lufthansa Technik and QinetiQ (Hall 1, Stand A19 and Chalet L1). LHT engineers recently completely a series of cabin noise measurement tests during which they determined the magnitude and amplitude of broad-band background noise emanating from several areas throughout the cabin during flight.
They're now planning to develop a system of passive and active noise cancellation. QinetiQ's conformal panel acoustic system, that is part of the NICE package, holds promise as a means of supplying ANC, but further tests are needed to fine-tune the final design. QinetiQ fits off-the-shelf or custom-built sidewall and overhead panels with specially designed acoustic exciters that transform the panels into loud speakers capable of producing a full range of high-fidelity sound. This provides higher quality audio than conventional speakers and slashes installation weight. Combined with state-of-the-art acoustical insulation, the QinetiQ system may be capable of producing sufficient anti-noise to cancel the jet's background noise in future installations.
NICE interiors, including the QinetiQ acoustic system, have been installed on a VIP head-of-state Boeing 747 for a Middle East client and the UK-based Multiflight BBJ2. These systems do not have ANC, but they offer high-fidelity sound for entertainment systems and public address announcements.
The QinetiQ system costs less than $100,000 (80,000 Euros), but that still makes them far too expensive for standard airliners. Adding the ANC function would increase system cost substantially.
