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Effects of Bionic Volute Tongue on Aerodynamic Performance and Noise Characteristics of Centrifugal Fan Used in the Air-conditioner

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Abstract

The aerodynamic noise generated by the centrifugal fan used in the air conditioner is related to the comfort of human living and working, which can be controlled by using the bionic design and optimization of key components of centrifugal fan. Inspired by the non-smooth leading edge of long-eared owl wing, eight kinds of volute tongues are proposed to reduce the aerodynamic noise of a centrifugal fan. The flow and sound characteristics are numerically investigated by incorporating computational fluid dynamics and computational aero-acoustics. The optimal result exhibits a noise reduction of up to 1.5 dB with a slight increase in mass flow rate. The acoustic characteristics, with respect to the sound pressure level, power spectral density, and sound directivity are discussed. The time-domain, frequency-domain, and root mean square values of pressure fluctuation are monitored and analyzed to assess the unsteady flow interaction between the volute tongue and impeller. The intensity and scale of vortices in the centrifugal fan are suppressed in the upstream and downstream of the bionic volute tongue, and the turbulence effect on the surface of the volute tongue becomes even and weak.

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Acknowledgment

The authors gratefully thank the financial support provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51676152).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Fluid Machinery and Engineering, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710049, China

    Liming Wu, Xiaomin Liu & Menghao Wang

  2. The 705 Research Institute, China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited, Xi’an, 710077, China

    Menghao Wang

Authors
  1. Liming Wu
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  2. Xiaomin Liu
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  3. Menghao Wang
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Correspondence to Xiaomin Liu.

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Wu, L., Liu, X. & Wang, M. Effects of Bionic Volute Tongue on Aerodynamic Performance and Noise Characteristics of Centrifugal Fan Used in the Air-conditioner. J Bionic Eng 17, 780–792 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42235-020-0067-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42235-020-0067-7

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