Effect of inlet duct contour and lack thereof on the noise generated of an axial flow fan

This study concerns the unsteady flows in turbomachines in general, and the aeroacoustics of fans in particular. The principal objective of this paper is the determination of the influence of the upstream environment on the acoustic and aerodynamic behavior of axial fans. After analysis of the various sources of noise present in turbomachines, interest is focused on the influence of the disturbances of the velocity field at the suction. Accordingly, the effect of the presence of a contoured duct and a lack thereof at the inlet of an axial flow fan is analyzed . The results show the strong involvement of the upstream turbulence level in the generation of the noise, and in particular, of broadband noise.