Numerical and experimental investigations of the unsteady aerodynamics and aero-acoustics characteristics of a backward curved blade centrifugal fan

A numerical study of the aerodynamic and aeroacoustic behaviors of a backward curved blade centrifugal fan was conducted under two important flow conditions: BEP and 1.3 × BEP. Three-dimensional numerical simulations of the complete unsteady flow field for the whole impeller-volute configuration were used to determine the aeroacoustic sources. To locate the unsteady flow and perturbations, the near field wall pressure fluctuations at different strategic points on the volute were computed using the URANS approach. Thus the intensities and positions of the aeroacoustic sources were identified by analyzing frequency spectra. The aeroacoustic sources caused by fluctuations in the interactions of the flows leaving the impeller and volute were close to the volute tongue, and the most effective noise sources related to the flow rate were near the impeller shrouds. In addition, the unsteady flow variables provided by CFD calculations were used as inputs in the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings equation to estimate the noise tones of the fan. The aeroacoustic calculation results showed that the volute noise was much larger than the blade noise, and the noise mainly propagated from the outlet duct of the fan. Moreover, to account for the noise propagation, three calculation methods were used by applying different solid boundaries. Compared with the other methods, the FEM method, which accounted for the complex solid boundaries, produced good agreement and showed that the complex solid boundaries cannot be neglected in aeroacoustic predictions. The calculation results showed good agreement with the experimental results.     

基于蜗舌改型的空调用离心风机流动分析及降噪研究

本文采用计算流体动力学和声类比相结合的混合方法对空调用离心风机进行流场以及声场的计算,同时进行风机风量和噪声的实验测量,验证所采用的数值计算模型和计算方法的有效性.针对原型非常规蜗壳,提取蜗壳中间截面型线进行直蜗舌的蜗壳设计,在此基础上设计了三种倾斜蜗舌的蜗壳.根据数值计算结果,对最优倾斜蜗舌进行了实验验证。经实验测试,风机在各个工况点风量均有提升,在最大风量点风量提升6.0%,噪声降低1.4 dB(A).数值分析风机内部流动特征及噪声特性,发现在蜗舌附近流动区域内湍流强度和涡量明显减小,在叶片通过频率处声功率谱密度以及噪声峰值明显下降,这也表明风机的旋转噪声得到了有效控制。     

大小叶片贯流风机内流特性分析与实验研究

为降低空调用贯流风机的噪声,改善音质,通过采用直叶片贯流风轮达到斜扭叶片贯流风轮的音质和低噪声特性,从而降低贯流风轮的制造成本,本文设计了大小叶片交错组合的新型非等距贯流风机,并采用滑动网格对其内流特性进行了非定常数值模拟,同时对其气动噪声特性进行了实验研究.大小叶片贯流风机的偏心涡基本稳定在叶轮中心与蜗舌相连的切线上,位于叶轮内圆周附近.风轮非定常运转时,偏心涡的涡核位置在直径为2mm的圆所围成的区域内变化.大小叶片交错组合的贯流风轮改变了叶轮与蜗舌的间距,有效地降低叶片通过频率噪声并改善了音质.采用大小叶片交错组合的贯流风轮能够达到斜扭叶片贯流风机的降噪效果.     

Experiments on the unsteady flow field and noise generation in a centrifugal pump impeller

This paper reports on an experimental investigation of large-scale flowfield instabilities in a pump rotor and the process of noise generation by these instabilities. Measurements of the fluctuating components of velocity and surface pressure were made with hot-wire probes and surface mounted pressure transducers on a seven bladed back swept centrifugal water pump impeller operating with air as the working fluid. The impeller was operated without a volute or scroll diffuser, thereby eliminating any sound generation from pressure fluctuations on the volute cutoff. Thus the study focused on flow field and noise components other than the blade passage frequency (and its harmonics). The primary goal of the study was to provide fundamental information on the unsteady flow processes, particularly those associated with the noise generation in the device. It was further anticipated that detailed flow measurements would be useful for the validation of future computational simulations.The measured data at the discharge show a jet-wake type of flow pattern which results in a strong vorticity field. The flow with high velocity found on the pressure side of the impeller tends to move to the low-pressure region present at the suction side of the passage as a form of roll-up around the blade trailing edge. This motion causes an unsteady flow separation at the suction side of the blade and consequently disturbs the flow in the adjacent passage. By interacting with the impeller blades near the trailing edges, this instability flow causes a periodic pressure fluctuation on the blade surface and generates noise by a trailing edge generation mechanism. The spectrum of surface pressure measured at the trailing edge of each blade reveals a cluster of peaks which were identified with azimuthal mode numbers. The correlation between the acoustic farfield pressure and the surface pressure on the impeller blade has proven that the azimuthal modes synchronized with the number of impeller blades generate noise much more efficiently than the other modes. The paper also clarifies the correlation between unsteady flowfield measurements, in both impeller and laboratory co-ordinates, with the radiated noise properties. Thus some light is shed on the noise generation mechanisms of this particular device.     

不同叶轮形式下离心泵噪声特性对比研究

针对具有无短叶片和有短叶片两种叶轮形式的离心泵,对设计状态下离心泵内部流场进行了全三维、非定常数值模拟,对比分析了其非定常流场特性和噪声辐射特性。流场分析表明:叶轮叶片和蜗舌的相互作用造成了叶片表面强烈的压力脉动,对长短叶片的叶轮形式,在局部增加长叶片表面压力脉动的同时,短叶片表面的压力脉动保持较低水平;同时能够有效降低泵体进口压力脉动,但出口压力脉动有所增强。以叶轮叶片表面作为声源辐射面,对比分析了两种叶轮的偶极子噪声辐射特性,结果表明:长短叶片结构通过改变声能在频域上的分布,从而能有效降低总声压级。      

A simple acoustic model to characterize the internal low frequency sound field in centrifugal pumps

Conventional centrifugal pumps with volute casing generate fluid-dynamic noise particularly at the so-called blade-passing frequency, which is attributed to the interaction of the flow exiting the pump impeller with the volute tongue. Following previous work by the authors to characterize the effect of that blade–tongue interaction on the tonal sound produced, this paper presents a simple acoustic model for centrifugal pumps that considers ideal sound sources of arbitrary position and properties. The model is to be implemented in a software code that applies it systematically to a pump previously tested at laboratory, until identifying the set of ideal sources that best reproduce the pressure fluctuation measurements. In this model, the ideal sources are assumed to radiate plane sound waves along the impeller channels, volute, and outlet diffuser. The volute was considered to be composed by a succession of slices, each of them equivalent to a linear 3-port acoustic system with individual sound transmission and reflection coefficients. A series of tests was conducted to check the validity of the acoustic model, by applying an external acoustic load onto the pump outlet duct and measuring the noise reflected. The resulting reflection coefficient was in good agreement with the predictions of the acoustic model. Finally, the model was used to investigate the pump internal sound field at the blade-passing frequency when operating at 70% of nominal flow rate. It was concluded that the sound field can be characterized reasonably by a dipole-like source located at the tongue region.     

Acoustic resonance in turbine centrifugal pumps

The sound excitation inside a centrifugal pump by a source of pressure oscillations positioned in the inlet cross-section of the impeller is considered theoretically. The specific feature of the problem formulation is that the blade channels and the channel between the impeller and the pump casing (the open diffuser) are considered as a single acoustic system. It is shown that, in certain conditions, a resonance-type sound excitation may occur inside the centrifugal pump. An equation for the determination of the resonance frequencies is obtained.     

A numerical optimization on the vibroacoustics of a centrifugal fan volute

A numerical optimization is presented to reduce the vibration and noise of a centrifugal fan volute. Minimal vibration was considered as the aim of the optimization, and the calculation of sound field induced by the vibration of the volute was only based on the final results of the optimization. After the three-dimensional unsteady flow simulation of a centrifugal fan, the parametric finite element model of the volute was created using the pressure fluctuations at blade passing frequency on the volute as external excitation forces. To validate the finite element model of the volute, natural frequencies and amplitudes of the normal velocities of the volute at blade passing frequency were measured. A good agreement was found between the numerical and the experimental results. Then, random method and first-order optimization method were applied in the optimization process. The numerical optimization of the volute was carried out using the local thickness of the volute as design variables and the quadratic sum of the nodal velocities as an objective function. Numerical optimization results show that the volute vibration is reduced by the optimization method. Finally, vibroacoustics of the volute before and after the optimization were calculated by direct boundary element method. The results show that the radiated power of the vibroacoustics of the volute is reduced significantly as well as the vibration of the volute after the optimization.This numerical optimization process provides a useful reference for vibroacoustic reduction of centrifugal compressors and centrifugal fans whose fluids should be kept strictly in a system without leakage.     

冷却用弯掠轴流风机气动噪声预测与试验分析

采用Navier-Stokes方程和标准k-ε湍流模型,对五种不同结构的弯掠轴流风机A/B/C/D/E进行稳态数值模拟,结合给定的性能要求筛选出B/E风机。以稳态流场为基础,采用大涡模拟(LES)与基于Lighthill声类比的FW-H模型相结合的方法对B/E风机进行非定常计算和气动噪声预测,并将预测结果与试验数据进行了对比验证。分析了以叶轮表面作为噪声源时B/E风机的涡流噪声频谱特性,研究了风机三维非定常内部流场中旋涡分布特性,并探讨了风机旋转区域内部声压级的分布规律。     

Reduction of fan noise by annulus boundary layer removal

Much of the noise produced by a fan is due to varying forces caused by the unsteady flow field through which it passes. In the absence of inlet guide vanes, support struts and other mechanical obstructions, the flow irregularities are caused by large scale intake turbulence and temporal and spatial variations in the annulus boundary layer. In many cases the most effective source is the annulus boundary layer, as this interacts with the blade tip which is the fastest part of the blade and is therefore the most effective noise source. This noise can be reduced if the annulus boundary layer is smoothly bled away from the rotor so that the blade tip sees a thin, uniform boundary layer. A one metre diameter ventilation fan has been run in a duct with and without a boundary layer bleed system and a reduction of far field sound power of approximately 5 dB has been obtained for a bleed of 5 % of the main flow with some far field tone reductions of more than 15 dB. Measurements of far field directivities, in-duct acoustic modes and aerodynamic distortions have confirmed the suggested explanation for this phenomenon. The tests have shown that great care must be taken in the design of a bleed system so that residual boundary layer distortions are not in the correct wavelength range to produce propagating acoustic waves at important blade passing harmonic frequencies. If such distortions are present, the far field noise can increase instead of decrease.     

Reconstruction of the unsteady rotating forces of fan’s blade from far-field sound pressure

The aim of this paper is to investigate an inverse method used to evaluate the unsteady rotating forces acting on the fluid by the fan’s blade. A simple model based on the tonal noise produced by an axial fan and validated with a directivity experience is used to derive a discretized form of the direct problem and to simulate acoustic pressures at known spatial positions in the radiated field. The inversion of this direct problem is ill-conditioned and requires a regularization technique to stabilize the solution for small perturbations in the measured acoustic pressures. The reconstruction reveals that the conditioning of the inverse problem depends on the aeroacoustic source and the far-field microphones number as well as on the studied frequency. Tikhonov regularization can provide an appropriate regularization parameter leading to an accurate reconstruction of imposed unsteady rotating forces even with the presence of measurement noise.     

A computational study of the interaction noise from a small axial-flow fan

Small axial-flow fans used for computer cooling and many other appliances feature a rotor driven by a downstream motor held by several cylindrical struts. This study focuses on the aerodynamic mechanism of rotor-strut interaction for an isolated fan. The three-dimensional, unsteady flow field is calculated using FLUENT, and the sound radiation predicted by acoustic analogy is compared with measurement data. Striking differences are found between the pressure oscillations in various parts of the structural surfaces during an interaction event. The suction surface of the blade experiences a sudden increase in pressure when the blade trailing edge sweeps past a strut, while the process of pressure decrease on the pressure side of the blade is rather gradual during the interaction. The contribution of the latter towards the total thrust force on the structure is cancelled out significantly by that on the strut. In terms of the acoustic contributions from the rotor and strut, the upstream rotor dominates and this feature differs from the usual rotor-stator interaction acoustics in which the downstream part is responsible for most of the noise. It is therefore argued that the dominant interaction mechanism is potential flow in nature.     

汽车涡轮增压器同步谐波噪声仿真与优化*

针对增压发动机急加速急减速时产生的增压器同步谐波噪声问题,该文通过噪声仿真技术进行分析与优化。首先,分析该噪声的特征与传播路径;其次,建立流场仿真模型。利用剪切应力输运湍流模型与分离涡流模拟湍流模型对增压器进行稳态与非稳态瞬态流场分析,提取非稳态流场的叶轮与压气机流道表面的偶极子声源;最后,建立噪声传播模型,计算该增压器压气机的进气口声场分布。通过理论分析与试验相结合的方法,优化叶轮轮缘与压气机壳体的配合型线,将该增压器噪声的阶次峰值最大降低约15.3 dB(A),消除了同步谐波噪声,且对发动机性能几乎无影响。该噪声的解决方法可以为压气机气动噪声优化提供有价值的参考。     

PREDICTION OF NON-CAVITATING UNDERWATER PROPELLER NOISE

Non-cavitation noise of underwater propeller is numerically investigated. The main purpose is to analyze non-cavitation noise in various operating conditions with different configurations. The noise is predicted using time-domain acoustic analogy and boundary element method. The flow field is analyzed with potential-based panel method, and then the time-dependent pressure data are used as the input for Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings formulation to predict the farfield acoustics. Boundary integral equation method is also considered to investigate the effect of ducted propeller. Sound deflection and scattering effect on the duct is considered with the BEM. The governing equations are based on the assumption that all acoustic pressure is linear. A scattering approach is applied in which the acoustic pressure field is split into the known incident component and the unknown scattered component. Noise prediction results are presented for single propeller and ducted propeller in non-uniform flow conditions similar to real situation. The investigation reveals that the effect of a duct on the acoustic performance propeller is small in the far field under non-cavitating situations since the noise directivities of single and ducted propellers are almost the same. Only the high order BPFs are influenced by the existence of the duct.     

Experimental and numerical investigation of the unsteady flow field and tone generation in an isolated centrifugal fan impeller

In spite of a low circumferential Mach number the sound of isolated centrifugal fan impellers is sometimes dominated by distinctive tones at blade passing frequency (BPF) and integer multiples. This paper reports on an experimental and numerical investigation intended to unveil the tone generating mechanism. The sound spectra from three impellers operating at a large range of speed were measured and decomposed into Strouhal and Helmholtz number dependent functions. This led to the preliminary conclusion that the BPF related tones are exclusively flow-induced. Based on hot-wire and blade pressure fluctuation measurements and a subsequent correlation analysis, coherent flow structures different from those associated with the principal azimuthal flow pattern due to the blades were detected. Eventually a numerical three-dimensional unsteady flow simulation revealed an inlet vortex. It takes on a helical form, with the vortex core slowly varying its position with respect to the impeller center. As the blades cut through that quasi-stationary helical vortex they encounter blade force fluctuations, producing the BPF tones. Slow spin of the vortex core and slow variation of vortex strength were identified as the reasons for amplitude modulation of the BPF tone.     

Fan interaction noise reduction using a wake generator: experiments and computational aeroacoustics

A control grid (wake generator) aimed at reducing rotor-stator interaction modes in fan engines when mounted upstream of the rotor has been studied here. This device complements other active noise control systems currently proposed. The compressor model of the instrumented ONERA CERF-rig is used to simulate suitable conditions. The design of the grid is drafted out using semi-empirical models for wake and potential flow, and experimentally achieved. Cylindrical rods are able to generate a spinning mode of the same order and similar level as the interaction mode. Mounting the rods on a rotating ring allows for adjusting the phase of the control mode so that an 8 dB sound pressure level (SPL) reduction at the blade passing frequency is achieved when the two modes are out of phase. Experimental results are assessed by a numerical approach using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). A Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes 2-D solver, developed at ONERA, is used to provide the unsteady force components on blades and vanes required for acoustics. The loading noise source term of the Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings equation is used to model the interaction noise between the sources, and an original coupling to a boundary element method (BEM) code is realized to take account of the inlet geometry effects on acoustic in-duct propagation. Calculations using the classical analytical the Green function of an infinite annular duct are also addressed. Simple formulations written in the frequency domain and expanded into modes are addressed and used to compute an in-duct interaction mode and to compare with the noise reduction obtained during the tests. A fairly good agreement between predicted and measured SPL is found when the inlet geometry effects are part of the solution (by coupling with the BEM). Furthermore, computed aerodynamic penalties due to the rods are found to be negligible. These results partly validate the computation chain and highlight the potential of the wake generator system proposed.     

用边界单元法计算离心风机噪声辐射

１概述在工业生产中,噪声已成为考查风机性能的重要指标之一。然而,为了准确测出风机的噪声量值,需要一个适宜的声学环境,否则往往无法测出其真实的噪声量值。其次在噪声测量中,从机壳辐射的噪声同通过进、出口管道面辐射的噪声相互影响,因而把这两种能量途径分开几乎是不可能的。本文提出了一种评估风机机壳单独的噪声辐射的方法。这种方法运用边界元法在测量风机机壳表面振动速度的基础上计算蜗壳表面的声压分布及其辐射的声功率．当然它也可以用来计算入口管、出口管（不包括蜗壳）所辐射的声功率。２等参单元法计算三维辐射声场声…     

离心通风机整机定常流动数值模拟

对一离心通风机在设计工况时的整机内部流场进行了数值模拟,捕捉到了离心通风机内部许多重要的流动现象,证实了蜗壳、叶轮间相互作用引起的整流场不对称性,并预示了叶轮内部的重要流动特征。所得到的分析结果对探讨影响离心通风机效率的原因、改进叶型设计、扩大运行工况范围等研究内容,提供了重要的理论依据。     

离心泵启动过程的涡动力学诊断

在离心泵启动过程内部流动数值模拟的基础上进一步深入分析瞬态流动结构,研究启动过程中泵内能量分布的合理性及其对瞬态特性的影响,采用涡动力学方法对启动过程瞬态流场分布进行诊断。分别采用过流断面总压流分布和边界涡量流的轴向分量分布表征流体能量变化和叶轮局部对流体做功的效应。并用过流断面总压流的值来分析叶轮机械能与流体能量的转化情况。本文给出了针对泵内非定常流场的诊断过程,并为泵启动过程的控制和优化提供参考和依据。     

Aeroacoustic performance evaluation of axial flow fans based on the unsteady pressure field on the blade surface

Because of the European and global regulation concerning acoustic emission, the goal of manufacturers is to substantially decrease the noise radiated by turbomachines, and in particular axial fans, without degrading their aerodynamic performances. High rotation speed and increasing power add to the overall difficulties. The theoretical study of this paper consists of two parts: (1) an aerodynamic approach based on the vortex surface method and (2) an aeroacoustic approach which mainly concerns the prediction of the tonal noise using the Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings (FW-H) equation. One of the main goals is the evaluation of the unsteady aerodynamic forces applied on the fan blades. A 2D software analysis, based on the vortex surface method (or potential flow method), was carried out. That process enabled evaluation of the potential flow around a mobile grid; first in a steady mode, and secondly in an unsteady mode by introducing an upstream disturbance in the form of an inlet velocity variation. The sources of noise corresponding to the zones with high force fluctuation amplitude are located initially on the blade surface. These fluctuating forces are used to predict the tonal noise radiated by the fan in far field by means of the FW-H equation. Two axial flow fans were used in this study. The theoretical results will be compared to the experimental ones in order to evaluate the aeroacoustic performances of the fans.