Profile rail guides help aeroacoustics project

University of Calif. Irvine students are studying noise attenuation of a hybrid wing-body (HWB) with the help of DryLin T profile rail guides donated by igus Inc. (East Providence, R.I.). The noise attenuation relates to the placement of the aircraft’s turbofan. Students built and tested a small-scale model of the geared turbofan engine in an anechoic chamber. The nacelle and fans are made using stereolithography 3D printing, and the fan is powered by a brushless DC motor as typically used in extreme-performance RC planes. A simple noise-shield in the shape of the HWB helps simulate the presence of the fuselage below the engines. The shield itself is made from one-eighth-inch thick aluminum sheets and is nearly six feet long from wingtip to wingtip in order to match the scaling of the nacelle and fan.

The noise-shield mounts on DryLin T profile rail guides via manual clamp carriages. The linear guide system lets students study the noise attenuation effects of the turbofan placement relative to the backend of the shield. The manual clamp-carriages bolt onto the metal fixture holding the turbofan assembly. This lets the noise-shield slide forward and back in relation to the nacelle.

The DryLin rail and carriages let students move the shield easily and in very small increments. There are pre-drilled holes on the rails that facilitate easy mounting and the rails can be machined to allow easy adjustments in length.

Igus donated the DryLin T profile rail guides to the UCI students as part of its Y.E.S. (Young Engineers Support) Program.