Experimental Analysis of Cooling Fan Noise by Wavelet-Based Beamforming and Proper Orthogonal Decomposition

Wangqiao Chen,Rhea P Liem,Xun Huang,Sicong Liang

doi:10.1109/access.2020.3006483

Abstract

We use the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) method to decompose acoustic imaging from wavelet-based beamforming results into their corresponding modes, and demonstrate the method to analyze the noise characteristics of small-dimensional components, where research literature is still scarce. In particular, we consider the noise from a central processing unit (CPU) cooling fan, though the developed method could find realistic applications in a wider scheme of electronic industry. In addition to developing the new analysis method, we also endeavor to prepare a realistic experimental setup with a CPU cooling fan in an anechoic room. The results show that the combination of POD and wavelet-based beamforming methods is suitable for CPU cooling fan acoustic imaging, which can enhance the analysis ability of acoustic imaging test. The results offered in this work are helpful in cooling fan design and evaluation, which would open doors to a wide range of industrial applications.

Highlights

An experimental study is conducted in this work for cooling fan noise by combining advanced analysis methods of proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) and wavelet-based beamforming
The noise reduction issue of cooling fan, which have been heavily used in central processing unit (CPU)/graphics processing unit (GPU), has recently become a popular topic in industry and consumer electronics and calls for a deep understanding of its acoustic physics [1]–[4]
In this paper, a new signal processing method has been proposed for the experimental study and analysis of cooling fan noise problems

Summary

INTRODUCTION

An experimental study is conducted in this work for cooling fan noise by combining advanced analysis methods of proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) and wavelet-based beamforming. The related studies have been primarily focused on applications from huge-dimensional wind turbines [5] to large-dimensional aeroengine fans [6]–[13], whereas an experimental studys of small to tiny-dimensional CPU/GPU cooling fans are still rare To address this issue, here we endeavor to develop and demonstrate the associated experimental and analysis methods, which constitutes the main contribution of this article. S. Liang et al.: Experimental Analysis of Cooling Fan Noise by Wavelet-Based Beamforming and POD acoustic imaging results into their corresponding basic POD modes. We decompose the modes of acoustic images from a cooling fan noise by combining the POD method and the wavelet-based beamforming method.

WAVELET-BASED BEAMFORMING

CONCLUSION