Computation of the sources of sound in turbulent flow

Abstract

Direct numerical simulations of turbulent flows and their radiated acoustic fields offer a detailed description of the acoustic sources at low Reynolds number. High Reynolds number jets will remain inaccessible to direct computation for many years to come, and there is thus a great need for good models of the acoustic sources. The low Reynolds number simulations can provide insight and data for such source modeling efforts. In this brief survey of research in this area, issues that were anticipated in the research of Professor David Crighton, for whom this session has been dedicated, are discussed. These include the technical challenges that must be overcome in order to accurately compute aeroacoustic flows, the modeling of acoustic sources in jets and mixing layers as wave packets, and the scattering and refraction of sound by turbulence.