-Presented by

Reek Jyoti Hati

SC15B115
 Controlling the noise from different machines is one of
the tough challenges for different industries.

 Healthy working environment with tolerable noise is

required for the workers

 Strategy to reduce noise of centrifugal fan is discussed.

Components of noise –
1) Broadband Component - White noise.
Generated from turbulence, wakes, cavitation

2) Tonal component - Discrete frequency noise.

Generated by pressure fluctuation due
to periodic impact of fluid on the volute case.

 Amplitude of Tonal components are far greater than

Broadband ones .
 Control Techniques-
a) Suppression of the noise source strength -
Control the tonal noise by suppressing pressure
fluctuation on the volute case surface.
b) Absorption of acoustic energy-
Porous materials absorbs acoustic energy by viscous
and thermal dissipations.
 Use of metal foams as the porous materials became
famous in 1990s.
 A metal foam is a cellular structure
consisting of a solid metal with
gas-filled pores comprising a large
portion of the volume.
 Foams are attached in the forward curved centrifugal
fan .
 Pores in the foam also reduces
flow separation .
 Experiments are done to
characterize different metal foams.
Some terms –
Porosity

Pores per inch (PPI)

Types of porous cells –
a) Closed Cell Metal Foam (CCMF) – Pores are not
interconnected.
b) Open Cell Metal Foam (OCMF) – Pores are
interconnected.
c) Semi-open Cell Metal Foam (SCMF)
 CCMF is not good acoustic absorber.
 The different foams taken for experiment are given –
 SCMF are almost same as OCMF. But the pores here are
interconnected with micro-channels with size smaller than
pores.
 So here another phenomena named ‘Helmholtz Resonance’
happens which also suppress sounds.

 With experimental data, the foams are compared to choose

the optimal for engineering application.

 The measurements of the aerodynamics performance and

noise of the centrifugal fan were carried out in a hemi-
anechoic chamber.

 The overall SPL of the background noise was much lower

than that of the centrifugal fan.
Results –

 CCMF has very less effect on Aerodynamics performance of Fan.

But OCMF & SCMF both reduce TPR and Efficiency of fan.
 CCMF is impermeable and so has very less effects on
flow patterns.
 The surfaces of the OCMF and the SCMF are
permeable, and flow through the porous zone negatively
affects the TPR and efficiency of the centrifugal fan.
 CCMF has no effect on SPL
of fan.
 SCMF and OCMF reduce it.
 S2 (with more PPI and less
pore opening) gives less
TPR and efficiency but
reduce more noise.
 A weighted spectra for the non-porous and CCMF at Best
Efficiency Point has 2 peaks at Blade passing freq. and its
first harmonic – Tonal noise

 It is suppressed by employing
SCMF (S1 & S2)

 For reducing A-weighted SPL,

O2 is more effective than S2.
Parametric Study of OCMF

• By decreasing PPI or
increasing porosity, TPR
and efficiency decreases.

• But it also decreases SPL

which is beneficial
• Decreasing the PPI and increasing the porosity are
beneficial to reduce the tonal components.

• Explanation - permeation fluid mechanism - Ergun’s

theory. Flow resistance is inversely proportional to
pore size and Porosity. So large porosity, less flow
resistance which suppress pressure fluctuation.
Reproduction of Results
 Simulation done for Melamine foam with an air cavity
with the help of Comsol Multiphysics
Parameters Taken :-

Checked for two cases – 1) Normal incidence of pressure wave

2) 45 degree oblique incidence of pressure
w wave
Model –

• Periodic BC at left and right to extend the model up-to infinity

• The thickness of the porous melamine layer is Hp = 10 cm and
the height of the modeled air region is H = 30 cm.
SPL contour
Total pressure for oblique incidence
Analytical and FEM comparison for normal
impedance
Total Pressure with frequency
References
 https://www.comsol.com/aco.porous_abs
orber.pdf

 https://sciencedirect.com

 Fundamentals of Acoustics , Kinsler, Frey