Scaling properties of the aerodynamic noise generated by low-speed fans

The spectral decomposition algorithm presented in the paper may be applied to selected parts of the SPL spectrum, i.e. to specific noise generating mechanisms. It yields the propagation and the generation functions, and indeed the Mach number scaling exponent associated with each mechanism as a function of the Strouhal number. The input data are SPL spectra obtained from measurements taken during speed ramps. Firstly, the basic theory and the implemented algorithm are described. Then, the behaviour of the new method is analysed with reference to numerically generated spectral data and the results are compared with the ones of an existing method based on the assumption that the scaling exponent is constant. Guidelines for the employment of both methods are provided. Finally, the method is applied to measurements taken on a cooling fan mounted on a test plenum designed following the ISO 10302 standards. The most common noise generating mechanisms are present and attention is focused on the low-frequency part of the spectrum, where the mechanisms are superposed. Generally, both propagation and generation functions are determined with better accuracy than the scaling exponent, whose values are usually consistent with expectations based on coherence and compactness of the acoustic sources. For periodic noise, the computed exponent is less accurate, as the related SPL data set has usually a limited size. The scaling exponent is very sensitive to the details of the experimental data, e.g. to slight inconsistencies or random errors.