A quasi-one-dimensional theory of sound propagation in lined ducts with mean flow

Sound propagation in ducts with locally-reacting liners has received the attention of many authors proposing two- and three-dimensional solutions of the convected wave equation and of the Pridmore-Brown equation. One-dimensional lined duct models appear to have received less attention. The present paper proposes a quasi-one-dimensional theory for lined uniform ducts with parallel sheared mean flow. The basic assumption of the theory is that the effects of refraction and wall compliance on the fundamental mode remain within ranges in which the acoustic fluctuations are essentially uniform over a duct section. This restricts the model to subsonic low Mach numbers and Helmholtz numbers of less than about unity. The axial propagation constants and the wave transfer matrix of the duct are given by simple explicit expressions and can be applied with no-slip, full-slip or partial slip boundary conditions. The limitations of the theory are discussed and its predictions are compared with the fundamental mode solutions of the convected wave equation, the Pridmore-Brown equation and measurements where available.