The roar of aircraft, the buffeting wind noise inside a car, the whirr of a fan or the hum of a wind turbine – all of these often-annoying noises are caused by the flow of air around structures. Customer demands and legal regulations mean that this noise often needs to be carefully controlled to minimize it.
In the automotive industry, noise is one of the main complaints from drivers and passengers, and considerable effort is put into minimizing noise from all sources, including the greenhouse, underbody and HVAC. In aerospace meanwhile, community noise limits imposed around airports mean that even a reduction of a few decibels can offer a key competitive edge. Similarly, the noise produced by wind turbines is key to community acceptance and planning permission.
Fluid simulation can model the flow of air around structures and the noise produced. Users can examine the full spectrum of the noise or listen to a replication of the real world sound, and identify the contribution of different parts of the structure. Potential noise problems can be identified and resolved early in design, saving time and money. A wide range of different real world scenarios can be considered, including ones that could not be easily tested in the wind tunnel or on a test track.
The SIMULIA brand of Dassault Systemes offers a portfolio of powerful fluid simulation tools that can tackle a wide range of aeroacoustics scenarios and challenges including:
- Car greenhouse and underbody wind noise
- Window and sunroof buffeting
- Community noise and pass-by noise
- Wind turbine noise
- Cooling fan and HVAC noise
- Propulsion noise
Aeroacoustic Applications
Greenhouse and underbody wind noise
Reducing interior noise levels improves passenger comfort and is a key concern for acoustic engineers. Simulation can model the flow of air around and under the vehicle or aircraft, taking into account the wind conditions and surroundings, and identify sources of noise that can be modified or mitigated.
Community and pass-by noise
Noise from aircraft, road vehicles, trains, machinery and wind turbines is one the main sources of conflict with local communities. Tackling noise makes it more likely that a project will be approved, and gives users a competitive edge where legal restrictions on noise levels exist.
Fan and HVAC noise
The persistent noise of cooling and ventilation fans is a major annoyance in buildings and vehicles. Aeroacoustic simulation allows fans to be redesigned to reduce noise, and the HVAC system as a whole to be optimized to reduce the noise perceived by residents.
