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Lecture 2
Axial Fans:
Noise Prediction
Th. Carolus
UNIVERSITT SIEGEN Institut fr Fluid- und Thermodynamik
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UNIVERSITT SIEGEN Institut fr Fluid- und Thermodynamik
2.1 Motivation
2.2 Summary: Fan noise mechanisms
2.3 Classification of prediction methods
2.4 Examples
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Z X
Y
C
m
[m/s]
14.00
12.50
11.00
9.50
8.00
6.50
5.00
3.50
2.00
0.50
-1.00
-2.50
-4.00
-5.50
-7.00
-8.50
-10.00
Quelle: H. Reese 2001
Autokhlgeblse (Bosch)
1. Motivation (I)
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Cooling system for the Diesel-electric high speed train of
First Great Western (Voith)
Motivation (II)
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023 A
Motivation (III)
Reichstagklimatisierung (Howden)
Gerte/Klima (Ziehl Abegg)
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2.2 Summary: Fan noise mechanisms
Fluid displacement
Forces on surfaces
Turbulence in fluid
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spatially non-uniform inflow tonal noise (Unsteady loading noise)
unsteady inflow broad band noise
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Flow
separation
(FS)
Turbulent boundary layer/
blade surface interaction
(TBS)
A detail: Airfoil self-noise
Turbulent boundary layer/
trailing edge interaction
(TBTE)
mostly broad band noise
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Secondary sources, e.g. tip clearence flow
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2.3 Classification of prediction methods
CLASS I
Basic maschine
parameters
type
diameter
speed
flow rate
ressure rise
CLASS II
Separate consideration of
various noise generation
mechanisms
Simplified fan geometry, flow
field (e.g. blade flat plate)
CLASS III
Separate consideration
of various noise
generation mechanisms
Detailed fan geometry
and flow field (e.g. from
CFD-computation)
Acoustic models for all noise
generation mechanisms
(SPECTRAL) SOUND
POWER
Simple algebraic function
(correlation)
Classification of fan noise prediction methods
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2.4 Examples
*
, , ,
0 0 0
1
10lg 1 10 lg dB
t a
W ges W ges Wspez R
V p u
L L L m
V p c

( | | | |
= +
( | |
\ . \ .

Class I
Regenscheit-method; VDI-Richtlinie 3731
Specific sound power level for various types of fans
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Class I
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A class II noise prediction method (I)
Sharland/Kltzsch/Schneider-method
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Velocity fluctuations of turbulent flow: curve fit to
dimensionless experimental results from various
turbulence generators
Example: Turbulent ingestion (TI)
Lift force fluctuations in terms of modeled
turbulent velocity fluctuations
( )


, 4
3
2
0
'
ak TI
dP
f const B w C L
df c
dw
df

=
f
Sr
w

( ) F Sr

=
1 2
( )
2
10
'
10

F Sr
dw
w Tu
df
A class II noise prediction method (II)
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100 500 1000 5000 10000
f [Hz]
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
L
W


[
d
B
]
Messung: L
W, ges
= 79.5 dB Messung: L
W, ges
= 79.5 dB
Rechnung: L
W, ges
= 80.7 dB Rechnung: L
W, ges
= 80.7 dB
GA, = 0.179 GA, = 0.179
Typical result
Prediction smooth
Only broad band
Very fast method
Schneider, M.: Der Einfluss der Zustrmbedingungen auf das breitbandige Gerusch eines Axialventilators. Fortschritt-Berichte VDI Reihe 7:
Strmungstechnik (Dr.-Ing. Diss. Univ. Siegen). Vol. Nr. 478. Dsseldorf: VDI Verlag GmbH, 2006. - ISBN 3-18-347807-2
A class II noise prediction method (III)
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Detailed unsteady
flow field data
Fluctuation
forces as
sources, e.g. in
a BEM acoustic
field calculation
Sound power spectrum
10
2
10
3
10
4
0
20
40
60
80
P
S
D
L
s
p

[
d
B
]
f [Hz]
LES: OASPL = 70.76 dB
Exp: OASPL = 74.51 dB
Reese, H.: Anwendung von instationren numerischen
Simulationsmethoden zur Berechnung aeroakustischer
Schallquellen bei Ventilatoren.
(Dr.-Ing. Dissertation Universitt Siegen), Fortschritt-
Berichte VDI Reihe 7, Nr. 489, VDI Verlag, Dsseldorf, 2007
Reese, H., Kato, C., Carolus, T.: Large eddy simulation of
acoustical sources in a low pressure axial-flow fan
encountering highly turbulent inflow.
ASME J. of Fluids Engineering, March 2007, Vol. 129, pp.
263-272
A Class III noise prediction method
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Unsteady CFD-Methods
Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS):
Basic equations are solved without any
additional models
Solution contains the acoustic field
High numerical costs ~ Re
3
Large Eddy Simulation (LES):
Filtering of the basic equations
Large scales are solved directly
The numerical costs are still high ~ Re
1.4
.
Unsteady Reynolds Averaged
Navier-Stokes Simulation (URANS):
Ensemble averaging of the basic equations
Turbulence completely modeled
The numerical costs are independent
of Re
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Hybrid CFD-Methods
Detached Eddy Simulation (DES):
A combination of an URANS with parts of a LES
The near wall area is solved in URANS mode
The detached flow field is solved in LES mode
The numerical costs are comparable to URANS
Scale Adaptive Simulation (SAS):
Improved URANS method because the turbulence modeling depends on the flow field
Turbulence model is based on a physical length scale (von Krmn-length scale)
The model behaves like a LES in the detached flow region
The near wall region is solved in a stationary mode (similar to the DES method)
The model does not require a switching between the near wall region and the detached flow field
The numerical costs are comparable to URANS
LES
RANS
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Unsteady CFD
LES SAS
DES
URANS
Snap shot of the absolute velocity (v/u
TIP
) at 50% blade height
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Quelle: Reese, Kato 2004
Example: LES
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CFD: Unsteady Blade Surface Pressure
Blade suction side (p / 0.5u
Tip
2
)
SAS
LES
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10
2
10
3
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
P
S
D
L
p

[
d
B
]
f [Hz]
Exp
LES
DES
SAS
URANS
CFD: Blade Surface Pressure Spectra
Hub
Leading edge
Suction side
Monitoring point
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(LES based acoustic BEM)
300 Hz= BPF
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Acoustic results as good as the unsteady flow field data
In principle capable to predict noise of realistic fan assemblies
LES very costly - hybrid CFD-methods promising
Feeding in megabytes of source data into acoustic models maybe tricky
Essentials of Class III noise prediction methods
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5. Summary and Conclusions
Aeroacoustic noise sources in low Ma number fans are flow induced forces
Several principle mechanisms can be identified, such as spatial non-uniform
inflow, turbulent ingestion, blade self noise, tip clearance flow, etc.
Noise prediction methods range form simple correlations (class I) to complex
computational aeroacoustics (CAA) methods (class III)
Confirmation of the classical rule: Detailed acoustic prediction requires
excellent source data, e.g. the unsteady flow field in realistic fan assemblies
- High quality LES very costly and for daily tasks not yet an option
- Hybrid CFD-methods are promising
Feeding in detailed source data into acoustic models maybe tricky