1 Noise Generation Mechanisms

According to the Lighthill theory of aerodynamic noise, the fan is mostly a dipole
type source of noise, resulting from the interaction of a solid surface (blade) with
a fluid, with small contributions of monopole and quadripole types.

1.1 Blade Thickness Noise - Monopole

Blade thickness noise is generated by volume displacement of fluid. Fan blades
have its thickness and volume. As the rotor rotates, the volume of each blade
displaces fluid volume, then they consequently fluctuate pressure of near field,
and noise is generated. This noise is tonal at the running frequency and gener-
ally very weak for cooling fans, because their rpm is relatively low. Therefore,
thickness of fan blades hardly affects to electronic cooling fan noise (This kind
of noise can become severe for high speed turbomachines like helicopter rotors).

1.2 Tonal Noise by Steady Aerodynamic Forces - Dipole

1.2.1 Uniform Inlet Flow
The sound generation due to uniform and steady aerodynamic force has very
similar characteristic as the blade thickness noise. It is very weak for low speed
fans, and depends on fan RPM. Since at least of ideal steady blade forces are
necessary for a fan to do its duty, even in an ideal condition, this kind of noise
is impossible to be avoided. It is known that this noise can be reduced by
increasing the number of blades.

1.2.2 Non-uniform Inlet Flow

Non-uniform (still steady) inlet flow causes non-uniform aerodynamic forces on
blades as their angular positions change. This generates noise at blade passing
frequency and its harmonics. It is one of the major noise sources of electronic
cooling fans.

1.2.3 Impulsive Noise

This noise is caused by the interaction between a blade and blade-tip vortex of
the preceding blade, and not severe for cooling fans.

1.3 Random Noise by Unsteady Aerodynamic Forces -

Quadripole
1.3.1 Turbulent Boundary Layer
Even in the steady and uniform inlet flow, there exist random force fluctuations
on the blades. That is from turbulent blade boundary layer. Some noise is
generated for this reason, but dominant noise is produced by the boundary
layer passing the blade trailing edge. The blade trailing edges scatter the non-
propagating near-field pressure into a propagatable sound field.

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1.3.2 Incident Turbulence
Velocity fluctuations of the intake flow with a stochastic time history generate
random forces on blades, and a broadband spectrum noise. Obstructions to
the airflow, especially in the critical inlet and outlet areas. When turbulent air
enters the fan, noise is increased by as much as 10 dB, usually in a discrete tone
form that is particularly annoying.

1.3.3 Vortex Shedding

For some reason, a vortex can separate from a blade. Then the circulating
flow around the blade starts to be changed. This causes non-uniform forces on
blades, and noises. A classical example for this phenomenon is Karman Vortex.
Vortex shedding mechanism can occur in a laminar boundary layer of low speed
fan and also in a turbulent boundary layer of high frequency fan.

1.3.4 Flow Separation

Flow separation causes stall. This phenomenon can cause random noise, which
spreads all the discrete spectrum noises, and turns the noise into broadband.

1.3.5 Tip Vortex

Since cooling fans are ducted axial flow machines, the annular gap between the
blade tips and the casing is important parameter for noise generation. While
rotating, there is another flow through the annular gap due to pressure difference
between upstream and downstream of fan. Because of this flow, tip vortex is
generated through the gap, and broadband noise increases as the annular gap
gets bigger.
Figures 1 and 2 graphically illustrate these sources of noise. In summary,
non-uniformities of the flow causing noise are,

• Pressure fluctuations in the turbulent boundary layer

• Inlet turbulence
• Tip and hub vortices

• Separated flow conditions

• Blade wakes

2 Techniques for Noise Reduction of Fans

• Roughening of the Blade Surface

• Blade Sweep
• Leaning the stator (Outlet Guide Vane)
• Trailing Edge Blowing (Fills in the rotor wake, reduces the tonal and
broadband noise)

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 Figure 1: Sources of noise on a rotor

Figure 2: Acoustic radiation from an airfoil

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Figure 3: From left to right: Backward, radial and forward-swept fan configu-
rations

2.1 Roughening of the Blade Surface

Axial flow fan propellers are provided with a roughened portion along the trail-
ing edge of the fan blades on the pressure side of the blade to minimize tonal
acoustic emissions generated by laminar boundary layer vortex shedding. The
roughened portion may be provided by trip surfaces formed in the blades, by
strips of abrasive material adhered to the blades along the trailing edges, re-
spectively.

2.2 Blade Sweep

Sweep, as defined by Envia, is the axial displacement of the vane/blade leading
edge from its baseline radial position. Sweeping the blades is often used as
means of reducing the noise level of the axial-flow fans. Leading edge sweep is
incorporated into propfan blades mainly for cruise noise cancellation and, to a
lesser degree, for aerodynamic efftciency at high tip Mach numbers. Basically
there are three types of sweep,

• Forward Sweep (In the direction of rotation)

• Backward Sweep (Opposite to the direction of rotation)
• Radial Sweep

These three types of sweeps have been shown in the figure 3. According
to the research done by guedel92, a noise reduction of upto 6 dBA has been
achieved by sweeping the blades.

2.3 Noise Reduction Mechanism by Blade Sweep

According to agboola99, sweeping of fan blades brings changes in the span-wise
flow, which alters the boundary layer thickness distribution along the blade;
the flow properties through the fan annulus are modified; and the relative flow
distribution in the plane between adjacent blades is also modified. According
to a study done by guedel92, the near field acoustic spectra of the swept blade
fan was found to be identical with that of the Unswept blade fan.
According to Envia, blade sweep may generate destructive interference be-
tween acoustic pressures at adjacent spanwise locations, proportional to the in-
tensity of turbulent disturbance on the same blade. As presented by wright90,

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a rearward swept blade may increase noise associated with the higher frequency
broadband noise generated near the trailing edge. In contrast, a forward swept
blade reduces noise associated with leading-edge interaction with turbulence.

2.4 Need for Research

There are several competing and/or complementary explanations for the im-
proved acoustic performance of swept turbomachinery blading. For this reason,
further studies are required to determine or predict to what degree these theories
are applicable and how complete they are.

2.5 Study Approach

We adopted a numerical approach by carrying out 3D turbulent flow simulations
over swept blade fan and comparing them to an unswept fan. For the flow
simulations, the FLUENT Software has been used.