Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Computational study for noise reduction and characteristic of unsteady flow field/flow-induced noise generated in a small radial fan

  • Published:
Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study is an attempt to characterize unsteady flow field and predict flow noise produced by a radial fan installed in a system that has a tiny gap between the fan casing and upper wall (similar conditions found in actual products). The large-eddy simulation turbulence model was used to simulate unsteady flow conditions, and an impeller was rotated 13 times in total to sufficiently develop unsteady flow and obtain data for Computational aeroacoustics (CAA). Unsteady flow field due to the radial fan structure and narrow flow channel in a system was verified, and a location wherein flow properties rapidly changed over time due to the complicated flow field was identified. The noise spectrum obtained through CAA was compared with that measured through experiment. Both tonal noise components consisting of blade passing frequency with its harmonic frequencies and broadband noise were matched. The major source of noise of the radial fan was on the inner surface of the casing. However, the sources of noise in the upper and lower sides of the casing were not equivalent to each other due to the interaction between the flow coming through an inlet located in the upper part of the casing and the flow discharged through an outlet installed at its side, as well as the interaction between impeller rotation and cut-off. Sources of noise located at the upper casing are caused by the flow around impeller tips, whereas sources on the lower casing are related to the interaction of the flow between the impeller and casing. A low noise model with a modified impeller tip was proposed, and its noise reducing effects were evaluated. The modified model reduced overall sound pressure level by 0.8 dB compared with the base model.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. G. Ren, S. Heo, T. H. Kim and C. Cheong, Response surface method-based optimization of the shroud of an axial cooling fan for high performance and low noise, Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, 27 (1) (2013) 33–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. H. A. Cordourier-Maruri and F. Orduña-Bustamante, Active control of periodic fan noise in laptops: Spectral width requirements in a delayed buffer implementation, Journal of Applied Research and Technology, 7 (2) (2009) 124–135.

    Google Scholar 

  3. G. Minorikawa and H. Muto, Study on fan noise reduction for small fan using commercial CFD software, Proceedings Internoise2011, Osaka, Japan (2011) 153–159

    Google Scholar 

  4. W. H. Jeon, T. Kobayashi, T. Kodama and S. Hamada, Study on the CFD method for noise source identification and aeroacoustic analysis of an axial fan, Proc. of Internoise2011, Osaka, Japan (2011) 160–169

    Google Scholar 

  5. T. G. Lim, S. M. Lee, W. H. Jeon and C. M. Jang, Characteristics of unsteady flow field and aeroacoustic noise in a regenerative blower, Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, 29 (5) (2015) 2005–2012.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. T. G. Lim, W. H. Jeon and G. Minorikawa, Characteristics of unsteady flow field and flow-induced noise for an axial cooling fan used in a rack mount server computer, Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, 30 (10) (2016) 4601–4607.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. M. J. Lighthill, On sound generated aerodynamically, I. general theory, Proc. Roy. Soc., A211 (1107) (1952) 564–587

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  8. N. Curle, The influence of solid boundaries upon aerodynamic sound, Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 231 (1187) (1955) 505–514.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  9. M. V. Lowson, The sound field for singularities in motion, Proc. R. Soc. London, Ser A, 286 (1407) (1965) 559–572.

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  10. W. H. Jeon and D. J. Lee, An analysis of the flow and aerodynamic acoustic sources of a centrifugal impeller, Journal of Sound and Vibration, 222 (3) (1999) 505–511.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. W. H. Jeon, S. J. Baek and C. J. Kim, Analysis of the aeroacoustic characteristics of the centrifugal fan in a vacuum cleaner, Journal of Sound and Vibration, 268 (5) (2003) 1025–1035.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. J. E. Ffowcs Williams and D. L. Hawkings, Sound generation by turbulence and surfaces in arbitrary motion, Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., A264 (1151) (1969) 321–342.

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  13. W. H. Jeon, A numerical study on the effects of design parameters on the performance and noise of a centrifugal fan, Journal of Sound and Vibration, 265 (1) (2003) 221–230.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. C. Scheit, B. Karic and S. Becker, Effect of blade wrap angle on efficiency and noise of small radial fan impellers-A computational and experimental study, Journal of Sound and Vibration, 331 (5) (2012) 996–1010.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. R. Ballesteros-Tajadura, S. Velarde-Suarez and J. Pablo Hurtado-Cruz, Noise prediction of a centrifugal fan: Numerical results and experimental validation, J. Fluids Eng., 130 (9) (2008) 091102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Basics of CFD analysis, User’s guide manual of SC/Tetra Ver.12, Software Cradle, Japan (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  17. W. Neise, Review of fan noise generation mechanism and control methods, An International INCE Symposium of Fan Noise (1992) 45–56

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Technical Research Lab., CEDIC Co., Seoul, 153-787, Korea

    Tae-Gyun Lim & Wan-Ho Jeon

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Hosei University, Tokyo, 184-8584, Japan

    Gaku Minorikawa

Authors
  1. Tae-Gyun Lim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Wan-Ho Jeon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Gaku Minorikawa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tae-Gyun Lim.

Additional information

Recommended by Associate Editor Jungil Lee

Tae-Gyun Lim received his master’s degree at Andong National University in 2000. He currently works at the Technical Research Laboratory of CEDIC Co. Ltd. with a focus on the field of aerodynamics and aeroacoustics. His major research interests are computational analysis for incompressible/ compressible fluid flow and flow-induced noise.

Wan-Ho Jeon received his master’s and Ph.D. degrees at KAIST in 1994 and 1999, respectively. He worked in LG Electronics with a focus on aeroacoustic analysis and low-noise fan design. He has published over 100 scientific papers in CFD, aeroacoustics, and fan design. He currently works at CEDIC Co. Ltd., particularly in the areas of CFD, aeroacoustics, noise reduction, and development of FlowNoise S/W.

Gaku Minorikawa received his Ph.D. at the Tokyo Institute of Technology in 2000. He has worked as a Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering in Hosei University since 1999. His major research interests are fan noise control, sound quality, microturbomachinery design, standardization work of noise, and vibration measurement for small fans.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lim, TG., Jeon, WH. & Minorikawa, G. Computational study for noise reduction and characteristic of unsteady flow field/flow-induced noise generated in a small radial fan. J Mech Sci Technol 31, 5337–5345 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-017-1028-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-017-1028-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation