Large eddy simulation for jet noise: azimuthal decomposition and intermittency of the radiated sound

Abstract

To improve understanding and modeling of jet-noise source mechanisms, extensive experimental and numerical databases are generated for an isothermal Mach 0.9 turbulent jet at Reynolds number Re = 10^6. The large eddy simulations (LES) feature localized adaptive mesh refinement, synthetic turbulence and wall modeling inside the nozzle to match the fully turbulent nozzle-exit boundary layers in the experiments. Long LES databases are collected for two grids with different mesh resolutions in the jet plume. Comparisons with the experimental measurements show good agreement for the flow and sound predictions, with the far-field noise spectra matching microphone data to within 0.5 dB for most relevant angles and frequencies. Preliminary results on the radiated noise azimuthal decomposition and temporal intermittency are also discussed. The azimuthal analysis shows that the axisymmetric mode is dominant at the peak radiation angles and that the first 3 Fourier azimuthal modes of the LES data recover more than 97% of the total acoustic energy at these angles. The temporal analysis highlights the presence of recurring intermittency in the radiated sound for the low-frequency range and main downstream angles. At these frequencies and angles, temporally-localized bursts of noise can reach levels up to 3 or 4 dB higher (or lower) than the long-time average.