Trailing edge noise reduction in a backward-curved impeller

Abstract

Motorized impellers are used in many air-moving applications including room circulation, duct flow, roof and wall exhaust, and cooling of electronic components in cabinets. These fans are backward-curved centrifugal blowers that operate with no volute casing. These fans radiate broadband noise due to turbulence ingestion and trailing edge (TE) noise generating mechanisms. Considered here are trailing edge noise generation and its reduction in a typical motorized impeller. The sound power of the subject fans is measured in an acoustically transparent test plenum according to ANSI Standard S12.11-1987. Two different serrated TE treatments are designed. The designs assume that a turbulent boundary layer exists at the blade TE, but the actual fan Reynolds number based on chord length is transitional. Therefore, to assure that a turbulent boundary layer exists at the TE, two different inlet turbulators are implemented. These trip the blade boundary layer to a turbulent state. Reported are the effects of the TE serrations and turbulators acting individually on the fan noise, along with the synergistic effects of using them in combinations. Up to 6 dBA of noise reduction is observed when the two are used together. [Work supported by Nortel Networks.]