bländarvärdet

Bländarvärdet, meaning the blinding value in Swedish, is a concept used in the development of sonic boom-reducing aircraft designs. A sonic boom is a shockwave produced when an object breaks the sound barrier, creating a sudden and sharp increase in sound pressure that can be heard on the ground as a loud boom. To minimize the impact of sonic booms, aircraft manufacturers and researchers have investigated various ways to reduce the noise generated by supersonic flight.

The bländarvärdet refers to the ability of an aircraft design to minimize the brightness of the shockwave associated with sonic booms. The shockwave is visible as a bright light or a "boom" in the atmosphere, which can be seen from the ground as a bright streak or a flash. By reducing the brightness of the shockwave, or the bländarvärdet, an aircraft can effectively reduce the perceived impact of the sonic boom.

Research into reducing the bländarvärdet has led to the development of new aircraft designs, such as the Southwest Research Institute's (SwRI) proposed design for a sonic boom-reducing aircraft. This design features a unique L-shaped shockwave-deflecting surface that reduces the brightness of the shockwave and thereby the perceived sonic boom noise. The focus on reducing the bländarvärdet is crucial in the development of supersonic aircraft that can fly over populated areas without disturbing the public.

While the bländarvärdet is not as widely discussed as other sonic boom-reducing technologies, it remains an important area of research and a key factor in the design of supersonic aircraft capable of minimizing sonic booms and related noise pollution.