Sound Pressure Level Spectra Research Articles

Laboratory Validation of 3D Model and Investigating Its Application to Wind Turbine Noise Propagation over Rough Ground

In an investigation into how wind turbine noise interacts with the surrounding terrain, its propagation over rough ground is simulated using a parabolic equation code using a modified effective impedance model, which characterizes the effects of a three-dimensional, rigid roughness within a relatively long wavelength limit (ka≤1). The model is validated by comparison to experiments conducted within an anechoic chamber wherein different source–receiver geometries are considered. The relative sound pressure level spectra from the parabolic equation code using the modified effective impedance model highlight a sensitivity to the roughness parameters. At a low frequency and far distance, the relative sound pressure level decreased as the roughness coverage increased. A difference of 4.9 dB has been reported. The simulations highlight how the roughness shifts the ground effect dips, resulting in the sound level at the distance of 2 km being altered. However, only the monochromatic wave has been discussed. Further work on broadband noise is desirable. Furthermore, due to the long wavelength limit, only a portion of audible wind turbine noise can be investigated.

Numerical study of shell-side flow-induced noise characteristics of staggered straight tube bundle heat exchanger under different inflow conditions

This paper presents a numerical study on the shell-side flow noise characteristics of staggered straight tube bundle heat exchangers under varying inflow conditions. A three-dimensional numerical model of a compactly arranged staggered straight tube bundle heat exchanger was established. To validate the numerical model, a feasibility study using a cylindrical flow model was conducted. Subsequently, the large eddy simulation (LES) method was employed to investigate the unsteady shell-side flow field characteristics, and the vortex characteristics of the flow field were obtained based on the Q-criterion. Finally, the acoustic finite element method (FEM) was utilized to calculate and analyze the noise characteristics at the inlet and outlet positions of the heat exchanger shell side. The results show that the inflow angle has an influence on both the flow field and the acoustic field of the heat exchanger shell side. As the inflow angle increases, the flow stability decreases, horseshoe vortices replace boundary layer vortices, and the decrease in fluctuating pressure leads to a reduction in flow noise. Analysis of the sound pressure level spectrum indicates a line spectral characteristic at low frequencies, with high-frequency components experiencing rapid attenuation.

Experiment research on the characteristics and mechanism of noise caused by a car door sealing cavity at wind excitation

Due to the various geometric shapes of cavities within car door sealing systems, the resulting cavity noise induced by wind excitation exhibits complex characteristics, leading to unclear noise mechanisms. To address this, a study was conducted to examine the acoustic properties of door sealing cavities located in the B-pillar, C-pillar, and backdoor of an SUV within a full-scale aeroacoustic wind tunnel. The main objective was to explore the relationship between cavity noise and interior noise. The results showed that peak components in the sound pressure level spectrum of the cavities significantly contribute to interior noise, particularly for cavities located close to the car’s interior. To gain further insight, the geometric characteristics of the cavities were extracted and transformed into equivalent regular cavities. These equivalent cavities were subsequently tested for their noise performance in a small-scale aeroacoustic wind tunnel, and the occurrence mechanisms were thoroughly investigated. The results demonstrated that the noise spectra of different cavities, whether they had sealing strips or leakage gaps, exhibited typical multipeak characteristics, with some cases even leading to whistling (e.g. backdoor cavity). The reason for the whistling was a resonance when the self-sustained oscillation frequencies of the cavities coincided with or approached the Helmholtz resonance frequencies or modal frequencies of the cavities. Interestingly, the self-sustained oscillation frequency and cavity modal resonance still persisted even when the two frequencies were somewhat separated, albeit with peaks of lower magnitude in the sound pressure spectrum (e.g. in the sealed cavities of the B-pillar and C-pillar).

An overview of aeroacoustics-related analyses for the Artemis-I mission

To improve noise scaling laws for rockets and heated, supersonic jets, this paper discusses jet aeroacoustics-related scalings for the Space Launch System (SLS). Data from four measurement stations at the Artemis-I launch, located 1.4–1.8 km from the launchpad, are used in the analysis. First, SLS maximum overall sound pressure levels are compared against other rocket noise measurements at the same scaled distance using effective nozzle diameter. Second, Strouhal number frequency-scaling is used to compare the one-third-octave sound pressure and power level spectra with other jets and rockets. Third, the Oertel convective Mach number is used to interpret a maximum directivity angle of 60°–70°. Finally, SLS’s acoustic efficiency is evaluated relative to that of other rockets.

Supersonic jet noise and screech tone suppression using cross-wire

This experimental investigation is aimed at assessing how the introduction of a cross-wire at the exit of a CD nozzle influences the performance of a supersonic nozzle. The study focuses on cold air jets generated by De Laval nozzles equipped with cross-wires and baseline configurations, particularly at design Mach numbers of 1.5 and 1.75. The investigation involves collecting measurements from the noise field emitted by the cross-wire nozzle with a 2% obstruction at the exit. This passive control approach effectively reduces the occurrence of screech tones in both over-expanded and under-expanded conditions in the azimuthal plane at appropriate operating pressures. Various acoustic parameters, including sound pressure levels (SPL), Strouhal numbers, and the overall sound pressure level spectra (OASPL) are recorded. Schlieren imaging captures images of shock cell patterns, illustrating the impact of shock-associated noise. In comparison to a baseline nozzle, the results demonstrate that a CD nozzle equipped with a cross-wire proves to be a proficient screech tone suppressor, leading to an average reduction of up to 5 dB in OASPL in under-expanded and over-expanded scenarios.

A New Method Using Pseudovelocity-Based Fatigue Analysis to Determine the Effectiveness of Acoustic Fields Used for Acoustic Testing

Abstract This paper summarizes results from the use of advanced adaptive multiple-input, multiple-output (i.e., MIMO) control for direct field acoustic testing to excite an aluminum-honeycombed 1.22 m × 2.44 m (4 ft × 8 ft) test panel with MSI-DFAT's near-diffuse acoustic field and four nondiffuse acoustic fields using three panel orientations, and two speaker configurations. The five fields have the same overall sound pressure level (OASPL) and 1/3-octave sound-pressure-level (SPL) spectrum. Test and analysis results demonstrate a dependence of the test panel's response characteristics to each acoustic-field excitation, showing that the near-diffuse field excites experimental-modal-analysis-identified test panel modes effectively, whereas nondiffuse fields excite these modes ineffectively. Differences are attributed to the relative diffuseness of fields. Partial fatigue damage values from 20 accelerometer locations are determined from pseudovelocity (PV) outputs from single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) models at each modal frequency excited by their response time histories, for each acoustic field, to quantify the relative ability of acoustic fields to detect workmanship flaws of typical test articles. Fatigue-damage values are obtained from PV response time histories of SDOF models at identified modal frequencies, which are rainflow-cycle counted with the partial-damage coefficients calculated using the Palmgren-Miner rule. A new form of vibro-acoustic gain based on PV power spectral densities (PSDs) is also introduced and correlated with these experimental results, since the PV response PSDs of a test article undergoing random vibration are proportional to modal stress at their frequencies. This paper shows that the modal stress caused by acoustic-field types is an important consideration for acoustic testing of satellites and other spacecraft, since using a nondiffuse field may result in an acoustic test that doesn't detect workmanship flaws in a test article, even though the acoustic environment is achieving the same specified OASPL and average acoustic 1/3-octave SPL spectrum.

Surrogate Modeling of the Aeroacoustics of an NM80 Wind Turbine

Wind turbines play a major role in the European Green Deal for clean energy transition. Noise is a critical aspect among open technological issues, as it determines the possibility of onshore installations near inhabited places and the possible detrimental effects on wildlife when offshore. This paper assesses the accuracy of different approaches to predicting the sound pressure level (SPL) of a wind turbine. The 2.75 MW Neg Micon NM80 horizontal axis wind turbine (HWAT) was simulated in OpenFOAM, modeling the turbine with the actuator line method (ALM) implemented in the turbinesFoam library. Two different inflow conditions were considered: a stationary inflow with a typical atmospheric boundary layer profile and a time-dependent inflow derived from a precursor channel with fully turbulent conditions. The surrogate model for noise prediction used for this work is based on the synthetic/surrogate acoustics models (SAMs) of Amiet and Brooks-Pope-Marcolini (BPM). This approach allows for blade motion modeling and the prediction of the SPL of the URANS postprocessing results. The SPL spectrum obtained was then compared to the results from the other aeroacoustic solvers of IEA Task 39 participants, showing the best performance in the fully turbulent case. The results demonstrate that coupling between the ALM and surrogate acoustics provides more accurate results than the blade element momentum (BEM) approach.

Flow field analysis and noise characteristics of an automotive cooling fan at different speeds

As the core component of the automotive air conditioning cooling system, the automotive cooling fan directly affects the cooling performance of the entire system. Therefore, it is necessary to study the flow field and noise of the automotive cooling fan. This study focuses on the analysis off low field characteristics and noise generation in an automotive air conditioning systems, specifically related to an automobile cooling fan at different speeds. The flow field properties of the fan are examined through the distribution off low line trajectory, pressure distribution on the blade surface, and velocity distribution characteristics at various speeds. The analysis reveals that the maximum air velocity occurs at the point where the fan blade meets the wind guard, while the maximum pressure is observed at this point and at the edge where the fan blade cuts through the cavity. Furthermore, a monitoring point located 1 m in front of the fan is selected to study the average value of fan pneumatic noise pulsation and generate a noise cloud map, aiming to identify the main noise source of the fan. To better understand the noise distribution and variation at different speeds, various noise metrics are utilized, including noise Sound Pressure Level (SPL) spectrum, 1/3-octave SPL spectrum, and 1/3-octave A-weighted SPL spectrum. The noise characterization results indicate that the primary areas of fan noise generation are located at the tip of the leaf margin of the forward swept wing. This research provides valuable insights for the improvement and optimization of the cooling fan design, as well as subsequent noise reduction efforts.

A review on different regulation for the measurement of transport noise and vibration

Transport noise and vibration have a negative influence on the environment, human health, and quality of life. The measurement and analysis of transport noise and vibration are required by the regulations and guidelines that various countries have set in order to manage and mitigate these effects. This review paper provides an overview of the requirements for the measurement and analysis of vibration and noise in transportation in different countries. The paper examines the measurement and analysis parameters, methods, and standards used in the United States, Europe, Australia and Japan. The review finds that although the requirements for measurement and analysis vary between countries, there are common parameters and methods used worldwide, such as sound pressure level and frequency spectrum measurements, noise and vibration impact assessment, prediction, and control measures. A comprehensive understanding of the measurement and analysis requirements for transport noise and vibration in different countries is essential for ensuring compliance with regulations, mitigating adverse impacts, and promoting sustainable transport development.

Experimental study of the parameter effects on the flow and noise characteristics for a contra-rotating axial fan

Introduction: In the present paper, experiments for a contra-rotating axial fan have been conducted to investigate the influences of the fan parameters including axial distance, blade number, blade pattern and blade thickness on the performance and noise characteristics under variable rotational speed regulation.Methods: The characteristic curves and spectrum characteristics of the contra-rotating axial fan with different structural configurations are compared and analyzed. Moreover, the spectrum density of the velocity obtained from the experiment is compared with the classic turbulence models.Results: The results show the characteristic curves of the shaft power and the sound pressure level (SPL) are nearly identical, which indicates the axial distance and blade number are not sensible factors for the contra-rotating axial fan under variable rotational speed regulation. The blade profiles of the fan have an impact on the characteristic curves of the SPL and the shaft power curves of the fan decrease evidently with increase of the blade thickness, while the shaft power curves are very close with different blade patterns.Discussion: In general, the blade profiles are sensible factors for the contra-rotating axial fan under variable rotational speed regulation. Through the SPL spectrum analysis of the contra-rotating axial fan with different blade profile, it can be concluded that the blade profile of the rotors has an obvious impact on the broadband noise characteristics under moderate and high frequency range.

The tyre/road noise comparison of SMA 11 and cobblestone pavement

Noise has a big influence to human health. The major source of noise in residential areas is traffic, especially the contact between tyre and pavement of road (tyre/road noise). Asphalt is the most used pavement in residential areas, but cobblestones, for example, are used in historic parts of cities. There are relatively a few road surfaces with cobblestones, but with regard to noise, it is very important to monitor their acoustical behavior. Article compare the tyre/road noise of the stone mastic asphalt with the maximum grain size 11 mm and cobblestones measured by the Close-Proximity method in 2021. The measurements were performed on the same road within the following sections at velocities from 30 to 90 km/h. The results are presented as values of sound pressure level and frequency spectra.

Numerical investigation of wall effects on combustion noise from a lean-premixed hydrogen/air low-swirl flame

A hybrid computational fluid dynamics (CFD)/computational aero-acoustics (CAA) approach, in which large-eddy simulation (LES) and APE-RF (solution of the acoustic perturbation equations for reacting flows) are employed for the CFD and CAA, respectively, calling it the hybrid LES/APE-RF approach, is used to analyze the influence of a wall on the combustion noise from a lean-premixed gaseous hydrogen/air low-swirl turbulent jet flame. The wall boundary conditions pertaining to the APE-RF system are formulated to account for acoustic reflection from the wall. The results show that the sound pressure level (SPL) spectrum obtained from the LES/APE-RF is in good agreement with that measured in the experiment. In the LES/APE-RF, the SPL spectrum of combustion noise with the wall plate explicitly changes compared to that without the wall plate. Specifically, the presence of the wall plate tends to ease the peaks that appeared in the case without the wall plate and create a nearly constant SPL within a specific frequency band. The analysis of the heat release rate fluctuation reveals that these phenomena are caused by the absence of a single periodic oscillation of heat release rate. The presence of the wall plate creates an asymmetric flow around the flame and distorts the flame structure, thereby altering the flame fluctuation phenomena.

Influence of fuselage arm cross-section on the aerodynamic and aeroacoustic performance of quadcopter unmanned aerial vehicles: A numerical investigation

This paper investigates the influence of the fuselage arm cross-section shape on the aerodynamic and aeroacoustic performance of quadcopter Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in hover state by numerical simulation. The unsteady simulations of the flow field around one generic two-blade rotor and one fuselage arm are conducted by the Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes solver with the [Formula: see text] SST turbulence model. The total thrust forces and the sound pressure level spectra of five fuselage arm cross-section shapes with the same cross-section area are simulated and compared. Results show that the fuselage arm with a square cross-section has the highest aerodynamic performances for all the tested speeds of rotation. The fuselage arm with a circular cross-section ranks second in aerodynamic performance. However, it has the best aeroacoustic performance. The other three tested cross-section shapes show less thrust forces and higher sound pressure levels at the blade passing frequencies than the circular cross-section, which are not optimal neither aerodynamically nor aeroacoustically.

Conceptual estimation of the noise reduction potential of electrified aircraft engines

The advent of electrified propulsion systems for civil aircraft promises not only notable reductions of CO2 and NOx emissions, but also of perceived noise. In an attempt to estimate the noise reduction potential of fully electric aircraft engines, the current study compares the noise generated by classical turboprop and turbofan engines with noise spectra calculated for electrified engines. The calculation is based on published far-field sound pressure level spectra at different noise certification points, which are then modified to account for the absence of combustion-related noise sources. In addition to the overall sound pressure level, changes to the effective perceived noise level are also taken into account. The results clearly show that the electrification of the engine alone will not lead to the notable noise reductions that are required in order to achieve the goals for future aviation set by the European Commission. Instead, continued research is necessary to further reduce noise sources that will continue to be present in novel electrified aircraft systems, such as fan noise and airframe noise.

Experimental Investigation on the Noise Characteristics of a Squirrel-Cage Fan with Different Blade Lengths

Squirrel-cage fans are widely applied in air conditioning systems, and their aerodynamic noise mainly related to blade length. The aerodynamic performance and noise spectrum of squirrel-cage fans are synchronously measured in an anechoic wind tunnel. The effect of blade lengths and different geometric configurations on the noise of a squirrel-cage fan is experimentally investigated. This paper focuses on the total sound pressure level and noise spectrum characteristics at different measurement points. Noise distributions of the outlet of the forward squirrel-cage fan exhibited axial-symmetry and large differences for those of vertical direction. In lower fan positions, the noise was greater than that of the top. In particular, it was found that blades were easy to generate higher noise when their length was reduced by 31.7%. The findings suggest that the broadband noise of the squirrel-cage fan should be fully considered for noise reduction. The purpose of this work is to provide a novelty reference for the low-cost modification method of cutting blades. The results show that fans with shorter blades have lower noise and kept an excellent performance. These finding have implications for fan manufacturers.

A parametric study of nose landing gear noise in a large-scale aeroacoustic wind tunnel

The nose landing gear (NLG) of an aircraft considerably contributes to the undercarriage noise. In this paper, a large-scale testing program was conducted within the FL-17 5.5 m×4 m aeroacoustic wind tunnel in CARDC to characterize the effects from various parameters on the acoustic performance of a generic NLG model. Those investigated parameters include incoming flow velocity, wheel size, height, angle of attack and yaw angles. The test was majorly comprised of noise source localization and free-field sound pressure level spectra analysis. Two categories of tonal noise were distinguished depending on variation between frequency and incoming flow speed. Effects of the sideline directivity were analyzed, and it was found that the side distribution of OASPL shows a saddle-like trend with the flow/flight direction and the tonal noise changes significantly with directivity angle. Regarding spectral scaling, U∞7 was found to be more appropriate for a large-scale NLG model, while for a compact small-scale NLG model, the traditional U∞6 is still recommended. As to transitional size, a combination of U∞7 and U∞6 showed to be more suitable for scaling within the high and low frequency ranges respectively. Contributions of different elements to NLG noise to different noise sources were discussed, which were found not to be dependent on their relative sizes. Analysis of the wheel diameter showed it does not cause obvious changes to the overall spectra trend but can induce variation of the amplitude and frequency tones. When the wheel is sufficiently small, the upper head of the sliding piston can be directly exposed to the incoming flow and thus generate sharp tonal noise. In terms of NLG height, the main effects on the acoustic performance was found to be associated not with the change in the height itself, but rather with the accompanying changes from other elements. Finally, the effects of angle of attack (α) and yaw angle (β) were analyzed with results showing that the angle of attack could potentially lead to substantial changes in the acoustic performance, while the yaw angle within 0°-8° has minimal effects.

Numerical Study on Aerodynamic Noise Reduction of Pantograph

A hybrid method incorporating the simulations of noise sources with delayed detached eddy simulation (DDES) and calculations of far-field noise with the Ffowcs Williams–Hawkings (FW-H) equation is used to study the suppression technique for the aerodynamic noise of a Faiveley CX-PG pantograph. Considering that China’s Fuxing bullet trains operate at 350 km/h, the inflow velocity of 350 km/h is applied in this paper. The noise radiated from the panhead area, middle area, and bottom area at an inflow velocity of 350 km/h is distinguished. The noise intensities at the standard observer show that the noise radiated from the panhead area is the strongest, and the sound pressure level spectrum value is larger than the other two in the range above 500 Hz. The influence of applying the wavy rods and modifying the contact strip shape on the aerodynamic noise is discussed in detail. By comparing the acoustic source distribution and the far-field noise intensity, it is found that applying the wavy rods can effectively reduce the panhead noise, especially around the peak frequency. Modifying the shape of the contact strip to a hexagon can suppress the vortex shedding, leading to a lower surface pressure level. Combining the strip modification and wavy rods, the total noise intensity can be diminished by about 3.0 dB.

Infrasound- implications for human medicine

Infrasound describes ubiquitous, low-frequency sound (< 20 Hz) in the environment with along wavelength below the median hearing threshold, which can nevertheless be heard and tactilely perceived, depending on the sound pressure level and frequency spectrum. In nature, infrasound emissions usually occur only in the low-threshold range. Nevertheless, after strong and chronic exposure to usually artificially generated infrasound emissions, various effects on the ear and the body, sometimes questionably critical to health, can be observed. Correct measurement and assessment of infrasound sources is complex and controversial. Established guidelines are scarce. Innovative research areas include infrasound monitoring for evaluation of natural events and infrasound applications in medicine. In the future, it is hoped that new insights will be gained from infrasound research and that amore extensive classification in occupational medicine will be possible.

Numerical Simulation Study of Aerodynamic Noise in High-Rise Buildings

In order to study the aerodynamic noise on the surfaces of high-rise buildings under the action of strong winds, this paper numerically simulated the sound pressure field on the surface of a high-rise building using the large-eddy simulation method combined with the acoustic analog method of FW-H (Ffowcs Williams–Hawkings) equation and obtained the intensity radiation distribution of sound pressure on the surface of the building to further identify the area with the maximum sound pressure intensity of the noise radiation and thus achieve the purpose of locating noise source. The accuracy of the numerical simulation results for aerodynamic noise obtained in this paper was then verified by comparing with the acoustic wind tunnel experimental results. The locations of noise source obtained by numerical simulation and acoustic wind tunnel experiment were in good agreement. The sound pressure intensity pulsation time course was measured by the acoustic wind tunnel experiment, and the noise sound pressure level spectrum of each part of the building surface was obtained by fast Fourier transform (FFT). Furthermore, the spectral characteristics of the noise sound pressure level were analyzed. The results of the sound pressure level spectrum of aerodynamic noise obtained from the numerical simulation were compared with the acoustic wind tunnel experimental results, which were found to be very similar. The analysis of the sound pressure level spectrum of aerodynamic noise on the building surface reveals that the numerical simulation results in the middle- and high-frequency bands of the spectrum are in good agreement with the acoustic wind tunnel experimental results, but there is a difference between those in the low-frequency bands and the acoustic wind tunnel experimental results. The microphone array used to locate the noise source in the acoustic wind tunnel was found to suffer non-eliminable measurement errors, which might be a potential reason for a reasonably slight difference between the experimental and numerical simulation results. The background noise in the low-frequency band of the acoustic wind tunnel sound pressure level spectrum was relatively large, while there was basically no background noise in the numerical simulation. This paper shows that the numerical simulation method combined with large-eddy simulation and acoustic analogy (FW-H) can calculate the aerodynamic noise intensity at various points on the surfaces of high-rise buildings and reasonably predict the location of sound source. In addition, the numerical simulation results are similar to the acoustic wind tunnel experimental results in most frequency bands.

Noise and Critical Sound Levels During Non-Invasive Ventilation of a Preterm Infant in the Incubator.

Preterm birth and the subsequent necessary treatment in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) subjects the preterm infant to non-physiological noise exposure with potentially adverse consequences for short- and long-term development. Adjusters to improve the acoustic environment for the preterm infant need to be defined. Sound pressure level measurements during routine procedures in a NICU were performed by ¼" microphones placed inside and outside the incubator. The microphones need to be suitably positioned to measure sound pressure levels that are representative for the sound field inside and outside the incubator. The sound pressure level spectra generated by respiratory support and corresponding monitor alarms were compared. Inside the incubator, higher sound level pressures (in dBA) were generated primarily by the use of the system components of the incubator itself than outside, whereas when the incubator was closed, it had an insulating effect on sounds generated in the NICU. Non-invasive ventilation resulted in an increase in sound pressure levels from 50 to 60 dBA in the neonate's environment, with sound pressure levels increasing particularly in the frequency range above 1 kHz. Preterm infants are exposed to high sound levels, especially in the non-physiological high-frequency range, particularly during non-invasive ventilation. The continuous sound exposure could be further reduced to some extent by an optimized design of the incubator.