Abstract
This study investigates the broadband noise generated by an aircraft steering control valve assembly during steering maneuvers. A nonlinear spool dynamics model, incorporating coupled steady-state and transient fluid forces, is established and validated through AMESim simulations and experimental test. Through this model, the critical influence between the return orifice size and the stability of cone-type poppet valve is revealed. The results demonstrate that spool stability is significantly enhanced by optimally matching the dimensions of the return and inlet orifices, which leads to an effective reduction in pressure fluctuations and vibration-induced noise. Bench tests of the optimized configuration show that the overall sound pressure level (OSPL) is reduced by more than 10 dB(A). Furthermore, on-aircraft tests confirm a peak noise reduction exceeding 20 dB(A) within the 200–800 Hz frequency band. This research offers novel insights into optimizing cone-type poppet valve stability and provides a practical engineering solution for achieving “Silent Cockpit” noise control in civil aircraft.
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Data availability
The data that support the findings of this study are available from our industrial partner (Nanjing Electromechanical Hydraulic Co.,Ltd)，but restrictions apply to the availability of these data, which were used under license for the current study, and so are not publicly available. Data are however available from the authors upon reasonable request and with permission of our industrial partner (Nanjing Electromechanical Hydraulic Co.,Ltd).
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Corresponding authors are required to acknowledge co-author contributions using [CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy)] (https://credit.niso.org) roles. Not all CRediT roles will apply to every manuscript and some authors may contribute through multiple roles. e.g. [Chen Yong]: Conceptualization; [Chen Wenjie]: Data curation; [Zhang Luxi]: Formal analysis; [Xu Yongxiang]: Funding acquisition; [Chen Wenjie]: Investigation; [Chen Wenjie]: Methodology; [Xu Yongxiang]: Project administration; [Chen Yong] : Resources; [ Zhang Luxi ]: Software; [Chen Yong]: Supervision; [Chen Wenjie]: Validation; [Zhang Luxi]: Visualization; [Chen Wenjie]: Writing—original draft; [Chen Wenjie]: Writing–review and editing.
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Appendix:
Appendix:
Analysis is performed near a steady-state operating point (X, Q). At this point, the spool displacement is \(x=X\) flow rate \({Q}_{in}=Q\), pressures are \({p}_{1}={P}_{1}\),\({p}_{2}={P}_{2}\),\({p}_{3}={P}_{3}\), and the pressure differences are \({\Delta P}_{12}={P}_{1}-{P}_{2}\) and \({\Delta P}_{23}={P}_{2}-{P}_{3}\). Introducing small-signal variations around the steady state gives:
where \(\delta {p}_{1}={p}_{1}-{P}_{1}\) and \(\delta {p}_{3}={p}_{3}-{P}_{3}\);
Since the return oil volume \({V}_{3}\) is typically very large, pressure \({p}_{3}\) is relatively stable according to Eq. (9). Therefore,\(\delta {p}_{3}\approx 0\), and consequently \(\delta {p}_{v}=\delta {p}_{1}\);
Applying the incremental Laplace transform to Eq. (36) yields:
where:
For small valve openings , \({p}_{2}\approx {p}_{3}\), thus \({\Delta P}_{12}\approx {KX}_{0}\) and \({\Delta P}_{23}\approx 0\); Consequently:
Equation (40) simplifies to:
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Chen, W., Chen, Y., Xu, Y. et al. Stability analysis and noise reduction of a cone-type poppet valve in an aero-hydraulic system. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-34964-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-34964-7
