Parametric study of unsteady-flow-induced volute casing vibro-acoustics in a centrifugal fan

A numerical parametric analysis of a vibro-acoustic coupling method that considered the influence of vibro-acoustic coupling was carried out to investigate the casing vibrations and feathers of vibrational noise induced by unsteady flow of the centrifugal fan at the best-efficiency point (BEP). There are three important aspects of this method. First, an unsteady flow-field with a whole impeller-volute configuration was solved based on three-dimensional incompressible Navier-Stokes equations and a standard k-e turbulence mode to obtain the source of the vibro-acoustics. Second, a one-way-flow structural acoustic coupling method was implemented to study the volute vibrations and behaviors of vibrational noise by adoption. The generation mechanism of vibrational noise of the volute casing was revealed. Third, the parametric analysis method was used to explore the parametric relationship between the panel thicknesses (such as front-panel thickness [FT], side-panel thickness [ST], and back-panel thickness [BT]) and the outlet acoustical power of the volute casing surface. The parametric analysis provides a reasonable range of values of three panel thicknesses that result in minimal vibrational sound radiation.