Acoustic damping enhanced by gaps in baffled injectors in an acoustic chamber

Acoustic damping enhanced by gap width in baffled injectors is investigated numerically, which are installed to suppress pressure oscillations in a model acoustic chamber. The previous experimental works reported that baffled injectors show larger acoustic damping with gaps between adjoining injectors than baffled injectors without the gap or conventional baffles. Acoustic-damping behaviors of baffled injectors are simulated numerically and the damping mechanism is examined. Damping factors are calculated as a function of baffle gap and it is found that the maximum acoustic damping is observed at a gap of 0.1–0.2 mm. The enhanced damping by gaps is attributed to viscous dissipation on the surfaces of the injectors or baffle blades. The optimum gap for maximum damping depends on the viscosity of the medium in the chamber and it increases with the viscosity. As a quantitative parameter of viscous dissipation, the dissipation rate of kinetic energy is calculated as a function of baffle gap. The parameter shows its maximum value at a specific gap and especially, the viscous dissipation rate has the same profile as that of damping factor. It verifies that the enhanced damping by gaps is attributed to the viscous dissipation of acoustic energy increased by gaps in baffled injectors.