Aerodynamic Noise Reduction Research Articles

Influence of geometric parameters on ejector acoustics and efficiency in ejector refrigeration system

Ejectors are extensively utilized in Ejector Refrigeration System (ERS), serving as essential elements for process propulsion and vapor recirculation. However, their operation produces substantial aerodynamic noise, which adversely affects the surrounding environment and human health. Consequently, an investigation was conducted into the correlation between aerodynamic noise and the ejector's performance, based on the geometric configuration of the ejector. Additionally, the flow field of the ejector was analyzed. Nine types of ejectors with different area ratios (AR) and nozzle exit positions (NXP) were established, and the simulation results showed that the aerodynamic noise was positively correlated with the turbulence intensity. The higher the turbulence intensity, the higher the sound power level of the noise. As the AR increased from 5.8 to 11.4, turbulence intensity gradually decreased. An increase in AR by 1.4 resulted in a reduction of aerodynamic noise by 2–3 dB, while the entrainment ratio (ER) initially increased and then decreased. With an increase in the primary flow pressure, the optimal AR moves backward. The change in NXP has a negligible effect on turbulence intensity and ejector noise but significantly impacts ER. Overall, 9 different AR and NXP ejectors were 3D-printed and tested. The far-field noise data of the experimental ejector exhibited the same trend as the simulated noise data, which verified the simulation results. The ejector's optimal structure was discussed based on its ability to maintain relatively higher ER and lower noise levels amid pressure fluctuations.

Reflectivity characterization of in-flow acoustic floor treatment for the NASA Langley 14- by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel

An experimental campaign was performed to assess acoustic modifications to the NASA Langley Research Center 14- by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel. Recent acoustic testing campaigns in this facility have emphasized the reduction of aerodynamic noise due to flow scrubbing across acoustically treated floor baskets. However, the measures implemented to address this noise contaminant have resulted in the installation of floor basket coverings of high acoustic reflectivity. Therefore, a controlled testing campaign was performed to identify a suitable acoustic basket configuration in terms of both acoustic absorptivity and reduced flow scrubbing noise. This testing campaign was conducted in two phases: the first in an anechoic chamber facility on a single acoustic basket panel to identify a notional configuration of acceptable absorptivity, and the second in a complete floor basket installation checkout test in the NASA Langley 14- by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel. Results show that the newly implemented floor treatment exhibits suitable performance in both desired categories of acoustic absorptivity and reduced flow scrubbing noise. This campaign has also validated the effectiveness and usefulness of the anechoic chamber test configuration as a means of assessing acoustic reflections at oblique angles of incidence.

Numerical study on aerodynamic and aeroacoustic characteristics of sinusoidal wavy square cylinders

This paper numerically investigates the influences of amplitude and wavelength of sinusoidal wavy square cylinders on aerodynamic performance and noise reduction by large eddy simulation along with the Ffowcs Williams–Hawkings equation. The results show that the mean drag, lift fluctuation, and far-field noise of wavy cylinders are all reduced compared to the straight counterpart. The far-field noise of wavy cylinders varies monotonically with amplitude in a specific range but not with wavelength. The case with the largest amplitude demonstrates a significant tonal noise reduction of 47 dB/Hz, while a tonal noise reduction of 23 dB/Hz is observed for the case with the largest wavelength. To explore the mechanisms of noise reduction, the characteristics of a flow field are analyzed. It is found that wavy cylinders attenuate the transverse oscillation of a shear layer and produce more three-dimensional coherent structures in the wake. The wake region is significantly extended due to the delayed vortex shedding, and the mutual interaction between shear layers is remarkably weakened along the entire span. The spanwise coherence is attenuated in a similar way. These lead to the suppression of wall pressure fluctuations and turbulence fluctuations in the wake, which are closely related to far-field noise radiation.

Aerodynamic Noise Simulation of a Super-High-Rise Building Facade with Shark-Like Grooved Skin.

The wind-driven aerodynamic noise of super-high-rise building facades not only affects the experience of use inside the building but also reduces the life cycle of building facade materials to some extent. In this paper, we are inspired by the micro-groove structure of shark skin with damping and noise reduction properties and apply bionic skin to reduce the aerodynamic noise impact of super-high-rise buildings. The aerodynamic noise performance of smooth and super-high-rise building models with bionic grooves is simulated via CFD to investigate the noise reduction performance of different bionic groove patterns, such as I-shape, ∪-shape, V-shape, and ∩-shape patterns, and their corresponding acoustic noise reduction mechanisms. This study showed that the bionic shark groove skin has a certain noise reduction effect, and the I-shaped groove has the best noise reduction effect. By applying bionic skin, the aerodynamic noise of super-high-rise buildings can be effectively reduced to improve the use experience and environmental quality of the buildings and provide a new research idea and application direction for the aerodynamic noise reduction design of building facades.

Numerical Simulation and Experimental Study of Aerodynamic Noise Reduction of Elbow Based on Leading- and Trailing-Edge Serrated Guide Vanes

Numerical Simulation and Experimental Study of Aerodynamic Noise Reduction of Elbow Based on Leading- and Trailing-Edge Serrated Guide Vanes

Comparative study of aeroacoustic performance of 1/8 and 1/1 pantographs coupled with cavity

The technology of pantograph sinking in the cavity is generally adopted in the new generation of high-speed trains in China for aerodynamic noise reduction in this region. This study takes a high-speed train with a 4-car formation and a pantograph as the research object and compares the aerodynamic acoustic performance of two scale models, 1/8 and 1/1, using large eddy simulation and Ffowcs Williams–Hawkings integral equation. It is found that there is no direct scale similarity between their aeroacoustic performance. The 1/1 model airflow is separated at the leading edge of the panhead and reattached to the panhead, and its vortex shedding Strouhal number (St) is 0.17. However, the 1/8 model airflow is separated directly at the leading edge of the panhead, and its St is 0.13. The cavity’s vortex shedding frequency is in agreement with that calculated by the Rooster empirical formula. The two scale models exhibit some similar characteristics in distribution of sound source energy, but the energy distribution of the 1/8 model is more concentrated in the middle and lower regions. The contribution rates of their middle and lower regions to the radiated noise in the two models are 27.3% and 87.2%, respectively. The peak frequencies of the radiated noise from the 1/1 model are 307 and 571 Hz. The 307 Hz is consistent with the frequency of panhead vortex shedding, and the 571 Hz is more likely to be the result of the superposition of various components. In contrast, the peak frequencies of the radiated noise from the 1/8 scale model are 280 and 1970 Hz. The 280 Hz comes from the shear layer oscillation between the cavity and the bottom frame, and the 1970 Hz is close to the frequency at which the panhead vortex sheds. This shows that the scaled model results need to be corrected before applying to the full-scale model.

Numerical Aerodynamic and Aeroacoustic Analysis of Toroidal Propeller Designs

Drones have a major drawback which prevents them from being used extensively - the excessive noise they produce. This article presents an optimization process of aerodynamic noise reduction for a novel design called the Toroidal Propeller, which consists of two blades looping joined in a manner where the end of one blade arches back into the other, has been designed by the Aerospace Propulsion Systems (APSs) research team at School of Mechanical Engineering, Hanoi University of Science and Technology. In addition, four toroidal propellers with different curved shapes (pitch) and Number of Blades (NOB) are considered. The goal of this research is to evaluate the effects of modifying the geometry design of the Toroidal Propeller on the intensity of blade tip vortex and aerodynamic flow characteristics passing through the blade. The ultimate goal is to decrease blade tip vortex and turbulence produced by the blade, which can help estimate the sound pressure level and minimize it without causing significant performance losses. Based on the outcome results, the models of the four geometry studies are compared in terms of Acoustic Power Level (APL), Surface Acoustic Power Level (SAPL), Thrust, Torque, and Power. In general, the propeller model with NOB of 3 provides the most optimal efficiency in terms of both Thrust and APL. At the output cross-section, the APL dropped from nearly 139 dB to 121 dB, while thrust increased from almost 6.2N to 8.7N compared to the first version of the Toroidal Propeller model.

Aerodynamic noise reduction of high-speed pantograph by introducing planar jet on leeward surface of panhead

Combining the improved delayed detached eddy simulation (IDDES) model and Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings (FW–H) equation, the potential of panhead leeward-side jet in pantograph aerodynamic noise control is numerically investigated. A typical double-strip pantograph is used as the baseline model. Two identical planar jets are arranged on the leeward side of the two strips to achieve active flow control. The results show that the planar jet can reduce the aerodynamic drag of the upstream strip and suppress its lift fluctuation, while the jet does not produce equivalent level of positive effects on the downstream strip. Benefiting from the suppression of lift fluctuation of the upstream strip, the far-field noise of the model equipped with jet achieves a 7 dB reduction in the main direction of panhead lift fluctuation, and the noise on the pantograph side is also reduced by 1–2 dB. The flow-field analysis reveals that the planar jet pushes the coherent flow structures in the panhead's wake downstream, which makes the high-intensity flow-field fluctuation away from the upstream strip. The absence of the positive effect of the jet on wake flow modification of the downstream strip can be attributed to the distinct inflow conditions of the two strips.

Numerical Study on Aerodynamic Noise Reduction in Passenger Car with Fender Shape Optimization

Despite the rapid development of vehicle intelligent technology, the aerodynamic noise problem of internal combustion engine vehicles and pure electric vehicles at high speed has always been a growing problem. In this study, the effects of the car body fender shape on the aerodynamic noises of the rearview mirror and wheel region were investigated, and a noise reduction method was also proposed by optimizing the fender shape. To realize the parametric modeling of the fender, five positional variables were selected to define the fender configuration; the free-form deformation (FFD) method was used to establish the response fender model according the DOE schemes, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are used to obtain the noise results. Then, with the help of the radial basis function (RBF) model and the adaptive simulated annealing (ASA) algorithm, the aerodynamic shape of the fender was optimized to reduce aerodynamic noise. Comparative analysis was then employed to assess flow field characteristics of the optimized model against the original model and elucidate the fender configuration’s contribution to aerodynamic noise reduction and its realization mechanism.

Effect of impeller structure on aerodynamic performance and noise reduction of a small multi-blade centrifugal fan

In this study, the numerical simulation and orthogonal test are combined to study the effects of blade outlet angle, blade inlet angle, and blade number on the centrifugal fan flow characteristics, stress distribution, and noise control. The experimental tests were carried out to confirm the accuracy of the computational model. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technology was used to establish 16 groups of impeller models and derive the optimal parameter combination form. The results show that the blade inlet angle and outlet angle have more significant effects on efficiency and flow rate of fans. Among different optimize structures, the A8 fan with an inlet angle of 60°, an outlet angle of 180°, and a blade number of 45, has the best aerodynamic performance, with a 17.4% increase in flow rate, a 3.3% increase in efficiency, a 7.6% reduction in noise and a 23.0% reduction in impeller stress, compared to the original fan. Reasonable adjustment of the inlet and outlet angles greatly improves fluid distribution and suppresses flow separation. Furthermore, the noise can be reduced by lessening the disturbance between the volute tongue and wake flow, so the flow state gets greatly improved at the volute tongue region.

Experimental investigation of active local blowing on the aerodynamic noise reduction of a circular cylinder

The strategic implementation of local blowing (LB) around a circular cylinder within a uniform flow has demonstrated its capacity to effectively suppress aerodynamic noise under specific blowing conditions. This study aimed to comprehend the underlying mechanism driving noise reduction through the synchronisation of far-field noise with surface pressure fluctuations, which were measured at various peripheral angles. The parameters under examination for LB were the angle of blowing in relation to the freestream flow (θb) and the equivalent momentum coefficient (Cμ). A dedicated series of chambers were employed to facilitate LB at θb=±41°, ±90°, ±131°, and 180° across the ranges of Cμ=0.007–0.036 (Re=0.7×105) and Cμ=0.003–0.016 (Re=1.04×105). Notably, LB at θb=±41° and 180° exhibited a remarkable reduction in tonal noise within the Cμ range of 0.007 to 0.036. Despite this achievement, the most optimal overall sound pressure level was achieved at θb=180°. It was determined that the dissimilarity in noise reduction among these LB cases was attributed to additional high-frequency noise generated by the blowing technique. The connection between the near- and far-field signals was established through recorded coherence values. The investigation highlighted that surface pressure fluctuations initiated by vortex shedding in the pre- and post-separation regions, particularly at the fundamental vortex shedding frequency, had the most significant impact on far-field noise. The attenuation of such surface pressure fluctuations played a pivotal role in tonal noise reduction by LB, as evidenced by notable reductions in lift fluctuations and the absence of amplitude modulation in both the time and frequency domains.

Aerodynamic drag and noise reduction of a pantograph of high-speed trains with a novel cavity structure

The design of the cavity structure is one of the effective means to reduce the resistance and noise of the pantograph installed on the roof of a high-speed train. This research first investigated the flow and acoustic characteristics of a pantograph with four different cavity structures, namely the rectangular cavity (original), the rounded edge cavity (case 1), and the other two rounded edge cavities with asymmetric (case 2) and symmetric (case 3) connecting tubes. The results show that the three cavity treatment methods all improve the aerodynamic performance, and the cavity model of case 2 is determined to be the optimal structure. In case 2, the tube installed at the front of the cavity destroys the separated shear layer and reduces the unstable airflow, reducing cavity resistance and noise by 9.64% and 5.2 dBA (A-weighted decibels), respectively. The pantograph is placed inside the previously determined improved cavity, which reduces the airflow velocity and the recirculation region upstream of the pantograph, decreases the impingement on the components in the middle and lower regions of the pantograph and the generation of highly intense vortices, and improves the wake structure and flow separation at the rear surface of the cavity. Thus, the aerodynamic drag for the pantograph and the whole system is reduced by 3.82% and 3.25%, respectively, and the aerodynamic noise is also decreased by 1.4 and 1.9 dBA, respectively. This study provides a novel structural design for the pantograph cavity region.

Aerodynamic Noise Reduction of Pantograph Head by Small Rods

Aerodynamic Noise Reduction of Pantograph Head by Small Rods

A design method of volute profile of multi-blade centrifugal fan based on DRBF model

The forward-curved multi-blade centrifugal fan is widely used in the ventilation and household appliance industries with limited space due to its small size factor, high pressure coefficient, and large outlet flow coefficient. Conventional centrifugal fan structural designs rely on empirical data, resulting in drawbacks during usage such as low airflow velocity, high noise levels, and high energy consumption. In order to optimize fan structure, enhance aerodynamic performance, and seek new, effective approaches for energy efficiency and emissions reduction, this paper focuses on a combined design method that integrates scroll line design with aerodynamic performance and noise control. The goal is to propose a noise prediction and analysis method for multi-blade centrifugal fans, addressing the design contradiction between optimal fan functionality and minimal noise within limited design dimensions. The dynamic radial basis function method is introduced to investigate the geometric parameters of the scroll line, utilizing coherence analysis to identify the reasons for insufficient aerodynamic performance and noise reduction measures. Through the research, it is found that unreasonable design leads to a large turbulent vortex region within the blade passage and internal flow field, particularly involving circulation and backflow, which significantly reduces the fan's aerodynamic performance and operational efficiency. The design incorporates a composite scroll with a logarithmic spiral and circular arc integrated into one, and algorithm-based optimization of the scroll tongue, facilitating the transition of turbulence at the scroll outlet and the gap between the scroll tongue and impeller. Numerical results show an increase in airflow of 3.04 m3/min and a noise reduction of 3.79%. This indicates that the composite scroll design with a logarithmic spiral plays a dominant role in accelerating the aerodynamic performance of the scroll and reducing noise radiation.

Effect of leading edge and trailing edge serrations on a rotating Wells turbine

Wells turbine used for wave and wind power generation is known to generate loud noise during its operation. Aerodynamic noise reduction is an important issue in the design of the turbines. Since aerodynamic noise depends highly on behavior of the vortices around the turbine and the flow structure in the wake region, understanding of behavior of the unsteady flow past a rotating turbine plays important role. In this study, we modeled Wells turbine with normal (solid) blades and serrated turbine. To visualize the flow separation and vortex generation near the rotating turbine at its startup, LES simulations were performed by using moving mesh and transient inlet condition. In addition to the detailed flow structure around the turbine, the results show that the axial torque of the turbine increases with respect to the monotonically increasing inlet velocity. It is also found that positive axial torque generated for the normal and trailing edge serrated turbines as the inlet flow velocity increased, but no torque was obtained for the leading edge serrated turbine due to flow separation at the leading edge.

A numerical study of the duct geometry effects on the aerodynamics and aeroacoustics of ducted propellers

Ducted propellers show large applicability in urban air mobility applications due to their operational safety, increased aerodynamic performance and noise reduction potential. In this work, we study the effect of the duct's lip design on the aerodynamics and aeroacoustics of ducted propellers in hover with numerical simulations, which are validated with experiments. Steady numerical simulations were conducted first to efficiently evaluate the impact of the lip design on the aerodynamic performance. The results show how the design of the lip affects the uniformity of the incoming flow to the propeller and the pressure distribution on the duct. Based on these results, an improved lip geometry is proposed, whose noise generation is investigated with delayed detached eddy simulations and the noise radiation to the far field is computed using the integral solution of the Ffowcs-Williams and Hawkings equation. The experimental results show reasonable agreement regarding thrust generation and far-field noise. The spectrum and directivity of the aerodynamic noise are compared, and the primary noise sources are identified in the leading edge and tip of the propeller.

Reduction of Aerodynamic Noise radiated from Rectangular Cylinders in Cross Flow

In the present paper the attention is focused on reduction of noise generated from rectangular cylinders in cross flow. The width-to-height ratios of was 3.0. The tube pitch ratio in the transverse direction was 8.0. We measured the aerodynamic sound radiated from the rectangular cylinders in the range of Reynolds numbers from about 10^3 to 10^4. The several high peaks were formed at the spectrum of SPL. The sound power of vortex shedding noise was proportional to the freestream velocity to the power of six. On the other hand, the strange noise occurred at five times the vortex shedding frequency. We have discussed how to counteract the noise generated by rectangular cylinders.

Numerical study on aerodynamic drag and noise of high-speed pantograph by introducing spanwise waviness

It is noteworthy to explore potential measures for further reducing the aerodynamic drag and noise of high-speed pantographs. This paper proposes a method of introducing spanwise waviness into the upper and lower arms. The improved delayed detached eddy simulation (IDDES) method and the Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings (FW-H) equation are used for flow field simulation and sound propagation calculation, respectively. The effects of wavelength, wave amplitude and inclination on the aerodynamic force and radiated noise of the wave cylinder were firstly investigated, and then the aerodynamic characteristics of the pantograph with and without spanwise waviness configurations were compared. Results show that the appropriate spanwise waviness on the cylinder can diffuse the negative pressure core area in the wake, reduce the negative pressure amplitude, suppress the vortex shedding and weaken the fluctuation amplitude of the aerodynamic force, resulting in the reduction of aerodynamic drag and noise. For the high-speed pantograph by introducing spanwise waviness, when the ratio of wavelength and wave amplitude to cylinder diameter is 1.2 and 1/8 respectively, the aerodynamic drag and noise of the pantograph by introducing spanwise waviness are reduced by 1.58% and 1.16 dBA, respectively.

Effect of wavy leading edges on airfoil tonal noise

This work presents numerical studies on the effect of wavy leading edges on airfoil instability tonal noise. Large eddy simulations are conducted for NACA0012 (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) airfoils with straight and wavy leading edges. The far-field aerodynamic noise is predicted using the Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings acoustic analogy theory. The inflow Mach number is approximately 0.17 with an angle of attack of 4.3°, and the chord based Reynolds number is 600 000. The present numerical method is first validated by existing numerical results and a semi-empirical model for the straight baseline airfoil. Then, the effects of wavy leading edges on the aerodynamic performance, aeroacoustic performance, and noise reduction mechanisms are discussed in detail. The wavy leading edge is found to be detrimental to the mean aerodynamic performance with a decreased lift and increased drag. However, the lift fluctuations are significantly reduced. The instability tonal noise and its harmonic are totally removed by the wavy leading edges, while an extra broadband hump appears at the middle frequency. The low frequency and high frequency noise are also increased by the wavy airfoil. The laminar separation bubble is removed, and the flow separation is decreased by the wavy airfoil in the vicinity of the trailing edge. The pressure fluctuations around the trailing-edge are considerably diminished, and the spanwise coherence spectra are also significantly reduced by the wavy airfoil. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that the coherence reduction spectrum at the source is almost consistent with the far-field noise reduction spectrum.

Cause analysis and suppression method of the vortex at the impeller outlet of the multiblade centrifugal fan

AbstractIndoor air conditioning systems play a crucial role in regulating the environmental conditions of enclosed spaces. The noise generated by such systems can significantly impact human comfort. The multiblade centrifugal fan, as a crucial component of indoor air conditioners, has a significant impact on the performance of the air conditioner. The vortex, which is the primary noise source inside the fan, hinders the aerodynamic noise reduction of the indoor unit. During experimental research and numerical simulation of the indoor unit, the researchers identified the presence of a vortex flow at the outlet of the multiblade centrifugal fan. By analyzing the velocity vector of different cross‐sections in the fan, the researchers determined the formation mechanism and influencing factors of the vortex at the fan's outlet. The addition of fairing sheet plates on the volute wall was explored as a vortex suppression method, which proved effective in weakening and suppressing the vortex. The test results showed that under the same air volume, the noise reduction amplitude of the fan equipped with fairing sheet blades was 1.2 dB at an outlet static pressure of 30 Pa and 0.7 dB at an outlet static pressure of 100 Pa. The research findings suggest that the addition of the fairing sheet can effectively reduce the vortex's intensity, improve the performance of the multiblade centrifugal fan, and reduce the noise.