Sound generation by non-synchronously oscillating rotor blades in turbomachinery

In this paper, the sound generation by non-synchronously oscillating rotor blades in axial compressor is investigated with emphasis on establishing an analytical model for the corresponding sound field inside an annular duct. In terms of the present model, it is found that the acoustic frequency and propagating modes generated by non-synchronously oscillating rotor blades are not only associated with the blade vibration frequency and rotational speed, but also depend on the cascade inter-blade phase angle (IBPA) and the interaction between blades, which is clearly distinguished from typical Doppler effect. Moreover, it is also shown that although the IBPA of cascade is non-constant practically, the characteristics of sound generation are only slightly affected. Besides, the present work has conducted experimental investigations in order to gain insight into the generation mechanism of such complex sound field. Excellent agreement between the model prediction and experimental measurement in the near and far fields is generally observed in the circumstances with different parameter settings. Since the present study links the sound generation with blade oscillation, it would be very helpful to the fault diagnosis of rotor non-synchronous oscillation to some extent.