The influence of higher order incident modes on the performance of a hybrid reactive-dissipative splitter silencer

Abstract

A hybrid reactive-dissipative splitter silencer offers the potential to attenuate turbomachinery noise over a wide frequency range, including the problematic low to medium frequencies. This article uses a theoretical model to investigate the performance of a hybrid parallel baffle silencer for different complex incident sound fields. This includes an incident sound field with equal modal energy density, as well as the excitation of individual higher order modes. It is shown that provided horizontal and vertical partitions are used in the reactive element, the sound attenuation performance of the reactive chamber under complex incident sound fields is equivalent to that obtained using plane wave excitation over the frequency range of interest. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the reactive elements work at frequencies above the first cut-on mode in the inlet duct, and so they are capable of extending sound attenuation into the low to medium frequency range. This delivers an efficient hybrid silencer design that is suitable for use in power generation applications, such as gas turbine exhaust systems.