Acoustic In-duct Characterization of Fluid Machines with Applications to Medium Speed IC-engines

Abstract: The unwanted sound, noise, can lead to health problems, e.g. hearing loss and stress-related problems. A pre-knowledge of noise generation by machines is of great importance due to the ever-shorter product development cycles and stricter noise legislation. The noise from a machine radiates to the environment indirectly via the foundation structure and directly via the surrounding fluid. A fluid machine converts the energy from the fluid into mechanical energy or vice versa. Examples of the fluid machines are internal combustion engines (IC-engines), pumps, compressors, and fans. Predicting and controlling noise from a fluid machine requires a model of the noise sources themselves, i.e. acoustic source data. In the duct systems connected to the fluid machines, the acoustic source interacts strongly with the system boundaries, and the source characteristics must be described using in-duct methods.Above a certain frequency, i.e. first non-plane wave mode cut-on frequency, the sound pressure varies over the duct cross-section and non-plane waves are introduced. For a number of applications, the plane wave range dominates and the non-plane waves can be neglected. But for machines connected to large ducts, the non-plane wave range is also important. In the plane wave range, one-dimensional process simulation software can be used to predict, e.g. for IC-engines, the acoustic in-duct source characteristics. The high frequency phenomena with non-plane waves are so complicated, however, that it is practically impossible to simulate them accurately. Thus, in order to develop methods to estimate the sound produced, experimental studies are also essential.This thesis investigates the acoustic in-duct source characterization of fluid machines with applications to exhaust noise from medium speed IC-engines.  This corresponds to large engines used for power plants or on ships, for which the non-plane wave range also becomes important. The plane wave source characterization methods are extended into the higher frequency range with non-plane waves. In addition, methods to determine non-plane wave range damping for typical elements in exhaust systems, e.g. after-treatment devices, are discussed.