An experimental investigation on the tip leakage noise in axial-flow fans with rotating shroud

The tip leakage noise generated by a shrouded rotor of an axial-flow fan has been experimentally studied. The measurements have been taken at high flow rate and at the design point in a hemi-anechoic chamber, at constant rotational speed and during speed ramps. A test plenum designed according to ISO 10302 has been employed to modify the operating conditions and different inlet configurations, ducted and unducted with standard and reduced tip gap, have been considered. The basic features of the inflow have been studied by means of aerodynamic measurements taken upstream of the rotor. To separate the noise generating mechanisms from the acoustic propagation effects, the acoustic response function of the test configuration has been computed employing the spectral decomposition method, and then it has been compared with the velocity-scaled, constant-Strouhal number SPL. In this way, the noise components related to the tip leakage flow have been identified and their connection with geometry have been highlighted. The broadband part of the spectra and the peaks related to the tip leakage flow are affected by the same propagation effects, but show a different dependence on the rotational speed and on the operating point. The upstream geometry affects the radiated noise much more than the performance and even a strong reduction in the tip-gap cannot completely eliminate the related noise.