Acoustic analysis of an axial fan

Abstract

Axial fans are often used in cooling electronic enclosures where low noise levels are highly demanded. Therefore, methods for predicting the noise emitted by an application including single or multiple fans are desirable to improve, stimulate and reduce the cost of low-noise design. The prediction of sound generated from fluid flow has been difficult due to the non-linear form of the governing equations, however, recent developments in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and computational acoustics allow us to determine sound pressure levels (SPL) in a fluid flow. In this study, time dependent flow field produced by an axial fan is computed via Large Eddy Simulations (LES), and the consequent sound pressure map is determined using the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings (FW-H) model. Since an axial fan is a complex source of sound, for engineering design purposes, simplifications are needed when modelling its acoustic characteristics, therefore, the sound radiation of an axial fan in free space is examined by expanding the generated sound pressure field into spherical harmonics. In addition, acoustic measurements are carried out in a semi-anechoic chamber to validate the aforementioned computational models and make necessary comparisons. Comparison of the numerical results against the experimental data shows that, despite some discrepancies, the former is able to capture the trends observed in the measurements.