Rotor aeroacoustic response to an axisymmetric turbulent boundary layer

The acoustic response of a five-bladed rotor to an axisymmetric turbulent boundary layer at the tail end of a body of revolution (BOR) is investigated numerically to elucidate the physical sources of acoustics, particularly the role of coherent structures in sound generation. The BOR is at a length-based Reynolds number of 1. 9 10⁶ and free-stream Mach number of 0. 059. Two rotor advance ratios, 1. 44 and 1. 13, are considered. The turbulent boundary layer on the nose and midsection of the BOR is computed using wall-modelled large-eddy simulation, whereas that in the acoustically important tail-cone section is wall-resolved. The radiated acoustic field is calculated using the Ffowcs Williams–Hawkings equation. The computed flow statistics and sound pressure spectra agree well with the experimental measurements at Virginia Tech. In addition to broadband turbulence-ingestion noise, spectral humps near multiples of the blade-passing frequency and accompanying valleys are captured. They are shown to be caused by correlated blade unsteady-loading dipole sources and their constructive and destructive interference as a result of successive blades cutting through the same coherent structures. The latter undergo rapid growth in the decelerating tail-cone boundary layer before their interaction with the rotor. The acoustic radiation is dominated by the outer region of the blade owing to a combination of larger blade chord-length, inflow turbulence intensity and blade speed. The numerical results also correctly predict the effect of the rotor advance ratio on the acoustic field. A mixed free-stream/convection Mach-number scaling successfully collapses the sound pressure spectra at the two advance ratios.