Aeroacoustics of hot jets

Abstract

A systematic study has been undertaken to quantify the effect of jet temperature on the noise radiated by subsonic jets. Nozzles of different diameters were tested to uncover the effects of Reynolds number. All the tests were carried out at Boeing's Low Speed Aeroacoustic Facility, with simultaneous measurement of thrust and noise. It is concluded that the change in spectral shape at high jet temperatures, normally attributed to the contribution from dipoles, is due to Reynolds number effects and not dipoles. This effect has not been identified before. A critical value of the Reynolds number that would need to be maintained to avoid the effects associated with low Reynolds number has been estimated to be 400 000. It is well-known that large-scale structures are the dominant generators of noise in the peak radiation direction for high-speed jets. Experimental evidence is presented that shows the spectral shape at angles close to the jet axis from unheated low subsonic jets to be the same as from heated supersonic jets. A possible mechanism for the observed trend is proposed. When a subsonic jet is heated with the Mach number held constant, there is a broadening of the angular sector in which peak radiation occurs. Furthermore, there is a broadening of the spectral peak. Similar trends have been observed at supersonic Mach numbers. The spectral shapes in the forward quadrant and in the near-normal angles from unheated and heated subsonic jets also conform to the universal shape obtained from supersonic jet data. Just as for unheated jets, the peak frequency at angles close to the jet axis is independent of jet velocity as long as the acoustic Mach number is less than unity. The extensive database generated in the current test programme is intended to provide test cases with high-quality data that could be used for the evaluation of theoretical/semi-theoretical jet noise prediction methodologies.