Noise

Passenger comfort is crucial aspect of an automobile. Noise generated by various sub-

systems play an important part in this domain. The HVAC blower is one such source of
noise.

The optimized design of the blower obtained would have to be changed if it does not satisfy
the noise limit decided upon. It was decided to accept the optimized model if the noise
generated was below or equal to the noise obtained in the original configuration.

Noise Sources

Monopole
A monopole is a source which radiates sound equally in all directions. A sphere whose radius
alternately expands and contracts sinusoidal can be termed as an example of monopole. The
monopole source creates a sound wave by alternately introducing and removing fluid into the
surrounding area.

Dipole
A dipole source consists of two monopole sources of equal strength but opposite phase and
separated by a small distance compared with the wavelength of sound. While one source
expands the other source contracts. The result is that the fluid (air) near the two source
sloshes back and forth to produce the sound. A dipole source does not radiate sound in all
directions equally.
Quadrupole
Two opposite dipoles make up a quadrupole source. In a quadrupole arrangement the two
dipoles do not lie along the same line (four monopoles with alternating phase at the corners of
a square). The directivity pattern for a lateral quadrupole looks like a clover-leaf pattern;
sound is radiated well in front of each monopole source, but sound is cancelled at points
equidistant from adjacent opposite monopoles.

The aeroacoustic generation mechanisms can be listed as follows: quadrupolar noise, related
with turbulence shear stresses; dipolar noise, produced by steady and unsteady forces exerted
by the moving surfaces on the flow; and monopolar or thickness noise, due to the volume
displacement of the moving surfaces.
Among the above mentioned mechanisms the steady and unsteady forces exerted on the
impeller blades and interaction of the unsteady flow from the impeller with the volute tongue
are of particular importance. The noise is also generated by flow separation, vortex shedding
and secondary unsteady flows. Impeller blades while rotating displace the fluid equivalent to
the blade volume this generates sound at blade passing frequency and its higher harmonics.
Noise Study
ANSYS Fluent provides the following models for aeroacoustic studies
Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings (FW-H)
The Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings (FW-H) acoustics simulation is the preferred model for mid-
to far-field noise prediction. This model is able to calculate the mid- to far-field sound signal
radiated from near-field flow data provided by a CFD solution. The goal is to predict small
amplitude acoustic pressure fluctuations at the receivers’ locations.
The FW-H model is used only to predict the propagation of sound in free space. It does not
include effects such as sound reflections, refraction, or material property change. The FW-H
model however requires transient flow field data. Transient analysis with the computers at our
disposal was not possible and would have extended the project duration well beyond the
deadline. A much simpler and less time consuming model was thus required to compare the
designs.

Broadband Noise

In the frequency domain, a broadband noise has a continuous spectrum, where the acoustic
energy is continuously distributed at all frequencies in a given range. These models can
compute the location and strength of the main sources of sound generated aerodynamically.
They use flow field quantities from Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations,
which can provide turbulence time scale and turbulence length scale coupled with acoustic
correlations or noise source terms in few equations. Because these broadband noise models
use RANS simulations, the required computational time is very small.

The noise associated with large-scale (or resolved) flow features, such as vortex shedding, do
not fall under this category and therefore are unsuitable to be quantified by these correlations.
However, they can be used to:
 Identify the location of flow generated aeroacoustic sources.
 Approximate the associated sound power or dB level
They provide a reasonable basis on which to
 Compare one component design with another.
 Decide mesh refinement locations for transient calculations.
The Broadband noise model was thus chosen to compare the optimized design with the
original one, in terms of noise generated, for its low computational cost and reasonably
accurate results.

Results

Sound pressure levels at all the nodes were obtained by activating the broadband noise model
for some iterations of steady state analysis. These node values were then averaged using the
following formula to calculate the effective noise generated by the blower design.

Ae = 10*log10 ( ∑𝑛𝑖=1 10𝐴𝑖/10 )

where, Ae is the effective sound pressure level

Ai is the sound pressure level at each node

In the cases studied, this noise mechanism is predominant: a strong source of noise caused by
the interaction between the fluctuating flow leaving the impeller and the volute tongue is
appreciated. This noise source is revealed by very high levels of the coherent level
concentrated in a small region in the vicinity of the volute tongue. The position and extension
of this interaction region and the magnitude of the corresponding levels strongly depend on
the flow rate.
The unsteady forces on the blades are generated by a spatially non-uniform flow field,
pressure fluctuations in the turbulent blade boundary layer, vortex separation from the blades
and secondary flows. The acoustic efficiency of the unsteady forces on the blades is high, and
hence, they represent an important contribution to the radiated fan noise. This can be seen
from the high sound pressure levels at the exit region of the impeller.