Flow-induced noise of a wall-mounted finite airfoil at low-to-moderate Reynolds number

This paper presents an experimental investigation of the flow-induced noise created by a wall-mounted finite airfoil at low-to-moderate Reynolds number and zero angle of attack. Far-field noise measurements have been taken at a single observer location and with two perpendicular microphone arrays in an anechoic wind tunnel at Reynolds numbers of _Rec=9.2×10⁴–1.6×10⁵${\mathit{Re}}_c=9.2\times {10}^4–1.6\times {10}^5$, based on chord, and for a variety of airfoil aspect ratios (length to chord ratio of L/C=0.2–2$L/C=0.2–2$, corresponding to length to thickness ratio of L/T=1.7–16.7$L/T=1.7–16.7$). Additionally, surface oil-film visualisation images and unsteady velocity measurements taken in the near trailing edge wake are related to far-field noise measurements to determine the flow mechanisms responsible for noise generation. The results show that the wall-mounted finite airfoil radiates noise similar to a two-dimensional airfoil when L/T>8.3$L/T>8.3$. Despite the incoming boundary layer height at the junction being 1.30≤δ/T≤1.46$1.30\le \delta /T\le 1.46$, junction and tip flow suppresses tonal noise production for airfoil?s up to L/T=8.3$L/T=8.3$ at _Rec=9.2×10⁴–1.2×10⁵${\mathit{Re}}_c=9.2\times {10}^4–1.2\times {10}^5$. Trailing edge noise is found to be the dominant airfoil noise generation mechanism at frequencies above 1 kHz with the position of the noise source along the trailing edge determined by the proportion of the airfoil span influenced by flow at the airfoil–wall junction.