Validation of the sonAir aircraft noise simulation model

Abstract

sonAIR is a recently developed aircraft noise simulation model. Its emission database has been derived from measurements of real air traffic at Zurich airport. Within the scope of validation, a systematic comparison of calculations with measurements from different data sources and airports is currently being carried out. In this paper, a specific case study of this validation process is presented. The study is based on measurements of 74 flights by 14 different turbofan powered aircraft during final approach at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The measurements were conducted by Delft University of Technology within the scope of developing an acoustic camera. Since the microphones were placed on a sound-absorbing supporting structure very close to the ground, a detailed modeling of the set-up was needed to account for the reflector area and surface properties. Despite this challenge, a comparison of simulation and measurements revealed a good agreement in sound exposure levels. The mean difference in LAE,t10 between measurements and calculations amounted to -0.4 dB with a standard deviation of 1.1 dB. These results confirm the capability of sonAIR to accurately simulate single flights and demonstrate the applicability of the model to different airports.