Jet Noise Production Research Articles

Experimental Investigation of a Micro Turbojet Engine Chevrons Nozzle by Means of the Schlieren Technique

In connection with subsonic jet noise production, especially regarding the hot jet from a micro turbojet engine, we encountered a lack of recent high-resolution data in the literature describing the flow field using experimental validation through optical diagnoses. The objective of this paper is to examine and compare the influence on shear layers of the exhaust plug nozzle of a micro turbojet engine with and without chevrons mounted, using a high-speed camera used in Schlieren-type optical system diagnosis. Three different operating regimes are examined for both the baseline configuration and the configuration with 16 triangular-shaped chevrons. In conjunction with the image captures, the sound pressure level was recorded with the help of a microphone placed perpendicular to the flow, 0.4 m from the exhaust of the nozzle which was further processed. In quantitative terms, we found that the OASPL decreases by more than 1% when the engine is operating at higher regimes. Moreover, we found that the average exhaust jet angle, which is a measure of the quality of the fluid mixing layer is increased by 5% with respect to the baseline nozzle. By using the “darkest pixel” technique in Schlieren imaging, we can verify experimentally, for all working regimes, the theory that asserts that subsonic jet noise is a consequence of fine-scale homogeneous turbulence. Additionally, the potential novelty lies in the specific observations related to consistent dispersion of fine-scale eddies and how the presence of chevrons amplifies this uniformity within the turbulent field.

Noise Source Distribution of Coaxial Subsonic Jet-Short-Cowl Nozzle

The noise source distribution of a short-cowl coaxial jet operating at different velocity ratios is described in this work. This was motivated by an ongoing research about noise prediction of coaxial jets through Acoustic Analogy with purposes of industrial engine application. This research has been carried out between Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), Brazil and the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR) at Southampton University, UK. The numerical approach employed is originally based on Lighthill Acoustic Analogy. This technique, although likely known, is associated with an improved energy transfer time-scale, used in the turbulence two-point correlation function, in order to enhance the source model. The source model is coupled with the aerodynamic calculation of flow through turbulence quantities evaluated by using a standard k-e turbulence modeling. The Computational Fluid Dynamics data have also been used to provide complementary information about the coaxial jet noise production mechanisms. Experimental data were used in order to corroborate the results from the current model. Good agreement has been found, showing that high and low frequency contributors to the radiated noise for low velocity ratio are aggregated in a region about seven to ten secondary diameters downstream, while at higher velocity ratios sources are continuously spread from about one up to ten secondary diameters from the jet exit.

Effects of Jet Noise Source Distribution on Acoustic Far-Field Measurements

Jet noise production is well known to be of a distributed nature along the jet, with high frequency noise components radiating from locations close to the nozzle exit and low frequency noise being produced farther downstream, around the end of the potential core. Such a distributed source implies that measurements need to be made at a significant distance from the source in order to be in the true geometric (acoustic) far field. The current study presents measurements of fully expanded Mj = 1.5 jets operating with cold air and heat simulated at TTR = 2.2 made at various positions in the acoustic field, some short of the minimum distance required to be in the true geometric far field. A close look is taken at the details of the noise generation region in order to better understand the mismatch between spectra measured at various acoustic field radial locations. A processing method is presented to correct for near-field effects and efficiently compare near and far field spectra with unprecedented accuracy. This technique is then further used to clarify the nonlinear propagation effects that can be observed at the high frequency end of high speed jets noise.

Global modes and transient response of a cold supersonic jet

Global-mode analysis is applied to a cold, M = 2.5 laminar jet. Global modes of the non-parallel jet capture directly both near-field dynamics and far-field acoustics which, in this case, are coupled by Mach wave radiation. In addition to type (a) modes corresponding to Kelvin–Helmholtz instability, it is found that the jet also supports upstream-propagating type (b) modes which could not be resolved by previous analyses of the parabolized stability equations. The locally neutrally propagating part of a type (a) mode consists of the growth and decay of an aerodynamic wavepacket attached to the jet, coupled with a beam of acoustic radiation at a low angle to the jet downstream axis. Type (b) modes are shown to be related to the subsonic family of modes predicted by Tam & Hu (1989). Finally, significant transient growth is recovered by superposing damped, but non-normal, global modes, leading to a novel interpretation of jet noise production. The mechanism of optimal transient growth is identified with a propagating aerodynamic wavepacket which emits an acoustic wavepacket to the far field at an axial location consistent with the peaks of the locally neutrally propagating parts of type (a) modes.

Large-scale time-resolved digital particle image velocimetry (TR-DPIV) for measurement of high subsonic hot coaxial jet exhaust of a gas turbine engine

The development of a highly configurable triple digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) system is described, which is capable of acquiring both continuous, statistically independent measurements at up to 14 Hz and time-resolved PIV data at MHz rates. The system was used at QinetiQ's Noise Test Facility (NTF) as part of the EU-funded CoJeN programme to obtain measurements from high subsonic (Mach ⩽ 0.9), hot (∼500 °C), large (1/10th) scale coaxial jet flows at a standoff distance of ∼1 m. High-resolution time-averaged velocity and turbulence data were obtained for complete coaxial engine exhaust plumes down to 4 m (20 jet diameters) from the nozzle exit in less than 1 h. In addition, the system allowed volumetric data to be obtained, enabling fast assessment of spatial alignment of nozzle configurations. Furthermore, novel six-frame time-series data-capture is demonstrated up to 330 kHz, used to calculate time–space correlations within the exhaust, allowing for study of spatio-temporal developments in the jet, associated with jet-noise production. The highly automated system provides synchronization triggers for simultaneous acquisition from different measurement systems (e.g. LDA) and is shown to be versatile, rugged, reliable and portable, operating remotely in a hostile environment. Data are presented for three operating conditions and two nozzle geometries, providing a database to be used to validate CFD models of coaxial jet flow.

Jet noise prediction using different turbulent scales

The turbulent energy dissipation rate time-scale and length-scale has been routinely used for the prediction of noise from turbulent flows, particularly jet streams. However, this is not the only possible choice. In general, scales evolving in a turbulent medium are threefold. First, those associated with the mean flow; second, those attributed to the turbulence and the mean flow interactions; and third, scales related to the turbulence-turbulence interactions. In this paper, special attention will be paid to further study of the underlying physics of aerodynamic noise by examining various time-scales. To do so, three time scales, namely, dissipation, production, and strain rate time scales, are defined and used in the source modelling to emphasis the effect of the turbulence structures at different jet regions on the jet noise production mechanism. The required mean value and turbulence parameters are obtained using a modified k − ∈ turbulence model, and Lighthill’s Acoustic Analogy is used for the prediction of the emanated noise.

Roles of initial condition and vortex pairing in jet noise

This is a study of the effect of initial condition on sound generated by vortex pairing in a low Mach number, cold air jet (0·15 ⩽ M ⩽ 0·35). Data has been taken, both flow velocity fields and sound pressure far fields, in a quality anechoic facility, with careful documentation of the effect of initial condition on the sound field of jets of two different geometries (i.e., circular and elliptic). Explanations are presented for most of the observed effects by applying Möhring's theory of vortex sound to vortex filament models of coherent structures in the jets. The explanations also draw upon experience with coherent structure dynamics. The sound source of interest here is that associated with the pairing of shear layer vortices. The evolution of these vortices is greatly affected by the initial condition as is their resultant sound field. The elliptic jets with laminar boundary layers show azimuthal directivity, namely, sound pressure levels in the minor axis plane were greater than in the major axis plane. This difference decreases as the nozzle boundary layer undergoes natural transition with increasing jet speed. When the nozzle boundary layer is tripped, making it fully turbulent and removing the shear layer mode of pairing, the elliptic jet sound fields become nearly axisymmetric. What appears to be the most acoustically active phase of vortex pairing has been modeled, and the resulting sound field calculated for the circular jet. Supporting evidence is found in the experimental data for the validity of this model. The model explains the connection between the initial condition and the far field sound of jets. Interestingly, a general result of Möhring's theory is that motions of vortex rings (of any arbitrary shape) can produce only axisymmetric sound fields if the rings remain in a plane. This implies that the observed asymmetric directivity of the laminar elliptic jet sound field must be due to non-planar ring motions of the vortical structures. The primary contribution of this paper is to examine quantitatively the role of vortex pairing in the production of jet noise; the results are used to reemphasize that “pairing noise” cannot be dominant in most practical jet sound fields, contrary to claims by other researchers.

Coherent structures—reality and myth

The nature and significance of large-scale coherent structures in turblent shear flows are addressed. A definition for the coherent structure is proposed and its implications discussed. The characteristic coherent structure properties are identified and the analytical and experimental constraints in the eduction of coherent structures are examined. Following a few comments on coherent motions in wall layers, the accumulated knowledge from a number of recent and ongoing coherent structure investigations in excited and unexcited free shear flows in the author’s laboratory is reviewed. Also briefly addressed are effects of initial conditions, the role of coherent structures in jet noise production and broadband noise amplification, the feedback effect of coherent structures, the use of the Taylor hypothesis in coherent structure description, negative production, turbulence suppression via excitation, validity of the Reynolds number similarity hypothesis, etc. From the detailed quantitative results, a picture of the state of the art in coherent structure studies emerges. While coherent structures are highly interesting characteristic features of (perhaps all) turbulent shear flows, it is argued that their dynamical significance has been overemphasized. These are predominant only in their early stages of formation following instability, or in resonant situations and excited flows, or in regions adjacent to a wall of a turbulent boundary layer. The coherent Reynolds stress, vorticity, and production are comparable to (and not an order of magnitude larger than) the time-average Reynolds stress, vorticity, and production, respectively, in fully developed states of turbulent shear flows, where incoherent turbulence is also important and cannot be ignored. The concept and importance of coherent structures are here to stay; understanding and modeling of turbulent shear flows will be incomplete without them; but they are not all that matter in turbulent shear flows.

Effect of Density on Noise Radiation from Subsonic Inverted Velocity Profile Jets

In this study, experiments were performed to investigate the influence of jet density in the generation of noise from inverted velocity profile subsonic jets. Such jets consist of low-speed gas flow in the center and a higher-speed annular flow. A combination of helium, nitrogen, and argon gases at various flow velocities were expanded through center and through annular convergent nozzles to obtain the desired density effects. Shadowgraphs of the jet flow were obtained, and mean velocity profiles and radiated noise were measured. The results clearly show that a difference in density between the inner and outer flows is an important factor in the development of the jet flow and in the production of jet noise.

Correlation techniques and modal decomposition analysis for the detection of azimuthally coherent structures in jet flows

In recent years researchers in jet turbulence and jet noise have become increasingly interested in what is termed “large scale coherent jet structures”. There is now considerable evidence that azimuthally coherent structures can be generated by acoustically forcing a jet from upstream. However, the evidence for such structures in unforced jets, except close to the nozzle at low Reynolds numbers, is, at best, circumstantial. The role of such structures in subsonic jet noise production is also completely unproven. In an attempt to establish a link between azimuthally coherent structures and the jet noise field a number of experimenters have recently made azimuthal cross-correlation measurements of either the near field pressure or far field noise, and used the observed coherence to infer the existence of an azimuthally coherent source field. The term azimuthally coherent is used here to infer that the source region is dominated by low order azimuthal components, with relatively little contribution coming from the higher azimuthal components. The purpose of this paper is to question the interpretation of that data. Specifically the sound field generated by a simple ring source with various types of azimuthal coherence is considered theoretically. It is shown that the azimuthal coherence of both the near and far field pressures is principally a function of the Helmholtz number and in many cases of practical interest is relatively insensitive to any coherent structure of the source.

Experimental Results of Large-Scale Structures in Jet Flows and Their Relation to Jet Noise Production

Experiments have been performed to determine the role of large-scale turbulent structures in the production of jet noise. Axisymmetric turbulent jet flows at ambient stagnation temperature have been observed with the aid of flow visualization techniques. Jet Mach numbers at the nozzle exit ranged between 0.1 and 0.9, and the Reynolds number, based on nozzle exit diameter, was approximately 10 to the 6th. Large organized turbulent structures existed as far downstream of the nozzle exit as 7 diameters. High-speed schlieren motion pictures synchronized with near-field pressure measurements of an excited jet indicated that strong instantaneous peaks in the pressure signal occurred whenever a merging process between two large-scale organized structures occurred. This pressure pulse propagated at a speed which was somewhat larger than the velocity of the jet at the nozzle exit.

Some Flight Simulation Experiments on Jet Noise from Supersonic Underexpanded Flows

Experiments on underexpanded cold jet flows from a convergent nozzle under simulated flight conditions have shown that a large periodic spinning motion of the jet can occur with greatly enhanced broadband noise production. Shadowgraph pictures indicate that this oscillatory jet motion accompanies the generation of random weak shock waves at the source. These waves appear to be generated at the point downstream of the nozzle exit where the shock cells in the jet begin to disappear. The weak shock waves propagate upstream and have been identified to be the cause of enhanced broadband jet noise production in flight. In addition, the results show that the boundary-layer flow conditions over the outside of the primary nozzle (simulating engine cowl flow in flight) influence the production of these random weak shock waves.

Changes of Jet Noise by Mixing and an Upper Limit on Jet Noise Production

A simple analysis is given of the effect on jet noise by mixing with an induced secondary air flow. The combination of the secondary air with the primary air of the jet creates a new jet stream of larger area and lower velocity. Power level, spectrum, and directivity changes are presented. The mixing mechanism provides a possible explanation of the noise reduction of such devices as ejectors, corrugated nozzles, and vaned nozzles. The noise reduction is given as a function of several ratios involving the mixing area, the jet temperature, and the forward speed. Also, jet noise is examined as a function of efficiency of conversion of jet stream power to acoustic power. An upper limit appears to exist on the efficiency, and this upper limit is estimated by a simple argument. The resulting limit is compared with experimental values.