Aerospace Science and Technology 9 (2005) 125134

www.elsevier.com/locate/aescte
Numerical simulation of multistage turbine sound
generation and propagation

Numerische Simulation der Schallentstehung und ausbreitung in einer

mehrstugen Turbine
Detlef Korte

, Thomas Httl, Fritz Kennepohl, Klaus Heinig

MTU Aero Engines GmbH & Co. KG, Dachauer Str. 665, 80995 Mnchen, Germany
Received 21 January 2004; received in revised form 13 December 2004; accepted 14 December 2004
Available online 19 January 2005
Abstract
A numerical method has been developed to calculate the noise within a turbine or a compressor by means of CFD (Time Linearized Euler
Code). The noise generation, caused by the interaction of neighbouring cascades, can be calculated as well as the noise propagation within
the turbomachine. Numerical results obtained by this method are compared to measurements. The CFD results are qualitatively in good
agreement with the measurements. For low azimuthal mode orders at BPF
1
, the computed modal sound power levels at the turbine exit are
about 5 to 10 dB too high compared with measurements further downstream in the exhaust duct. Especially the cut-on, cut-off behaviour of
the modes in the duct is simulated successfully.
2005 Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.
Zusammenfassung
Eine numerische Methode zur Berechnung des Lrms einer Turbine / eines Verdichters mittels CFD (Zeitlinearisiertes Euler Verfahren)
wurde entwickelt. Sowohl die Lrmentstehung, verursacht durch die Interaktion benachbarter Schaufelgitter, als auch die Lrmausbreitung
innerhalb der Turbomaschine kann berechnet werden. Numerische Ergebnisse, die durch diese Methode ermittelt wurden, wurden mit
Messungen verglichen. Die CFD Ergebnisse sind qualitativ in guter bereinstimmung mit den Messungen. Fr niedrige Umfangsmoden-
ordnungen bei BPF
1
, sind die berechneten modalen Schallleistungspegel am Turbinenaustritt etwa 5 bis 10 dB zu hoch, verglichen mit
Messungen an einer Stelle weiter stromab im Strmungskanal. Speziell das cut-on / cut-off Verhalten der Moden im Kanal wurde erfolgreich
simuliert.
2005 Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Time linearized Euler method; Multi-stage turbomachine; Sound propagation; Wake interaction; Noise reduction
Schlsselwrter: Zeitlinearisiertes Euler Verfahren; Mehrstuge Turbomaschine; Schallausbreitung; Nachlaunteraktion; Lrmreduktion

This article was presented at the German Aerospace Congress 2003.

*
Corresponding author. Tel.: +49 (0)89 1489 2111, fax: +49 (0)89 1489
96088.
E-mail address: detlef.korte@muc.mtu.de (D. Korte).
1. Introduction
For a proper prediction of the sound emission of multi-
stage turbomachines, both the generation and the propaga-
tion of sound through the cascades are important aspects.
The generation of sound in turbines and compressors is
driven by unsteady aerodynamic phenomena, mainly rotor-
1270-9638/$ see front matter 2005 Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.ast.2004.12.002
126 D. Korte et al. / Aerospace Science and Technology 9 (2005) 125134
stator interaction, [28]. Several numerical methods have
been developed in order to study wake or potential ow
eld interaction of adjacent cascades. Semi-analytic meth-
ods, like the lifting surface theory are fast tools for 2D or
3D investigations, if axial main ow is uniform and the
stator vanes are thin and aligned with the main ow, [28
31]. Time linearized Euler codes are very popular methods
as they allow to investigate radially varying and swirling
ow [5,6,9,26]. Early investigations of rotor-stator interac-
tions using NavierStokes solvers have been restricted to
two-dimensional methods [3,4,32,36]. Recently, research ef-
forts have been made using 3D NavierStokes codes, but
the computational requirements are very high, [8,35]. First
attempts have been performed, to apply Large-Eddy simula-
tion to rod-airfoil interaction [17] which is a preceding test
case for rotor-stator interaction.
The propagation of sound through cascades have rst
been studied by analytical methods [1,2,22,24]. Depend-
ing on the angle of incidence of incoming waves, cascades
can have a shielding effect that reduces the sound emis-
sion signicantly [30]. Apart from these single cascade ef-
fects, additional two- and multi-cascade effects occur, e.g.
mode-trapping [11] or sum and difference tones due to scat-
tering. Several analytical or numerical methods for calcu-
lating sound propagation through multiple cascades have
been developed [2,10,12,13]. Some of these mostly analyti-
cal methods are restricted to two-dimensional ows through
at plates.
The progress in computer technology now allows us also
to use numerical nite volume/nite element methods to
consider full 3D geometry and ow. Within the European
research project TurboNoiseCFD, a methodology has been
developed by MTU to calculate the tonal sound generation
due to aeroacoustic interaction as well as the propagation of
tonal sound through multistage turbomachines. Three rotor-
stator interaction mechanisms are considered: wake inter-
ference and upstream and downstream interference of the
steady pressure eld xed to a cascade, interacting with a
neighbouring blade row.
The numerical method is based on the time linearized
Euler code Lin3D for 3D cascade ows, developed at MTU.
The unsteady ow is assumed to be a small harmonic per-
turbation of the non-linear steady ow, so that the steady
ow problem is separated from the unsteady problem. As
long as the wave amplitudes remain moderate, the higher
order terms in the governing equations derived under this
assumption can be neglected and the describing unsteady
ow equations become linear. The small-disturbance Euler
equations are transformed into the frequency domain, so that
the results are given as amplitudes and phases of the ow
variables in the whole (3D) computational domain. Lin3D
is already used for aeroelastic design of aeroengine com-
pressors and turbines [1821]. The code and its extension
to multistage sound generation calculations have also been
tested for various aeroacoustic applications, ranging from
simplied at plate test cases to realistic single- or multi-
stage turbomachines [6,7,15,16,23].
Uslu et al. [33,34] performed a study on sound propaga-
tion in a 3-stage high speed low pressure compressor. Here,
Lin3D was used for noise generation computations and TR-
LOSS for the sound propagation, based on the four pole the-
ory coupling 2D at plate calculations [13,14]. This method
should preferably be used for compressors where the 3D
geometry of blades and vanes is very close to 2D at plates.
Uslu et al. [33,34] successfully studied the effect of blade
or vane number variations on sound generation and sound
propagation. This method is not suitable to study the effect
of blade/vane geometry variations (e.g. lean, sweep, bow) on
sound propagation, because the midspan geometry, taken for
the 2D at plate calculations, does not change.
The focus of the present study is a new method to cal-
culate noise propagation within a turbomachine. This propa-
gation method shall be applicable to compressors as well as
turbines and may thus not be restricted to blade/vane geome-
tries close to at plates [25]. Furthermore, it is intended in
the future to perform parametric investigations in order to
study the effect of lean, sweep or bow on sound generation
and sound propagation. The method of Uslu et al. [33,34]
did not full these challenging requirements any more.
2. Test case
The test case of the present investigation is a three-
stage low pressure turbine, for which measurements have
been performed by DLR within the earlier EC project RE-
SOUND, see Fig. 1. The blade numbers are: 123 (Rotor 1),
77 (Rotor 2) and 74 (Rotor 3); the vane numbers are 38 (Sta-
tor 1), 117 (Stator 2) and 126 (Stator 3). The three rotors are
mounted on the same shaft.
Measurements have been performed within the RE-
SOUND programme for congurations with and without
exit guide vane (EGV). The data used for a comparison with
Fig. 1. RESOUND turbine, a 3-stage LP turbine.
D. Korte et al. / Aerospace Science and Technology 9 (2005) 125134 127
Fig. 2. Mean frequency spectrum of the RESOUND turbine without EGV
(measurements by DLR).
the numerical results in this report were measured without
EGV (Fig. 2).
The pressure sensors for the noise measurements are
placed downstream of the turbine (see Fig. 1). Numerically,
the noise propagation was only calculated up to the exit of
Rotor 3. The different position with respect to the measure-
ment plane has to be taken into account when comparing
numerical data and measurement data, especially because
the radius decays from calculation plane (exit of Rotor 3)
to measurement plane.
The calculations were performed for the conguration
without exit guide vanes at 74% design speed (cruise) in
order to simulate approach conditions. This reduced shaft
speed has been chosen, because it is relevant for the noise
certication of the engine.
3. Numerical results
3.1. Generated sound
The sound generation mechanism assumed to be domi-
nant, is the interaction between neighbouring cascades. Due
to the interactions, tones are generated at the blade pass-
ing frequencies (BPF) and their harmonics. At each cascade
(stator or rotor) tones can be generated due to one of the
following disturbances, caused by a neighbouring cascade,
leading to an unsteady loading of the vanes or blades:
(a) steady pressure eld (potential eld) of upstream cas-
cade, rotating relatively to the considered cascade;
(b) steady pressure eld (potential eld) of downstream
cascade, rotating relatively to the considered cascade;
(c) viscous wake of upstream cascade, rotating relatively to
the considered cascade.
Only these mechanisms are taken into account in the
presented calculations. Other noise generation mechanisms
Fig. 3. Sound power spectrum BPF
1
(123) at location of noise generation,
upstream travelling sound waves.
and combination tones have not been studied. Each interac-
tion (a, b and c) is treated separately during the simulation
process.
Noise is generated and radiated into upstream and down-
stream ow directions. Accordingly the upstream and down-
stream sound is calculated for each interacting pair of cas-
cades. Only tones below10 kHz were calculated: BPF
1
(123),
BPF
2
(77), BPF
3
(74), 2BPF
2
(77), 2BPF
3
(74). Tones at fre-
quencies of more than 10 kHz are practically irrelevant for
noise certication due to high atmospheric damping at high
frequencies. The calculations are performed on the nest of
three computational meshes.
Each calculation results in a sound power level distribu-
tion of azimuthal modes. The sound power is calculated by
integrating the radially varying intensity over a duct cross-
section. The intensity is given by the Morfey equation [27].
Because the different interaction mechanisms of neighbour-
ing cascades are treated in separate calculations, there can
be up to 3 different values of sound power levels for one az-
imuthal mode.
The modal sound power spectra at frequency BPF
1
are
presented here as examples of the obtained results for
acoustic waves travelling in upstream (Fig. 3) and down-
stream directions (Fig. 4).
It turns out that for each frequency the sound power of
up to ve azimuthal modes is clearly higher than the sound
power of the others. These are the main modes with respect
to noise investigations. For BPF
1
, the following modes are
relevant: m
1
= B
1
jV
1
, with j = 2 (m
1
= 47), j = 3
(m
1
= 9), j = 4 (m
1
= 29), j = 5 (m
1
= 67), and
m
2
=B
1
jV
2
, with j =1 (m
2
=6).
3.2. Propagated sound
It is not only important to know the sound power at its
origin, but also at the exit of the turbine. Since no exit guide
vane was present in the case investigated here, it was decided
128 D. Korte et al. / Aerospace Science and Technology 9 (2005) 125134
Fig. 4. Sound power spectrum BPF
1
(123) at location of noise generation,
downstream travelling sound waves.
to calculate the propagation of sound only up to the exit of
Rotor 3 instead of calculating it up to the exit of the turbine
(Fig. 1) to save computational time and because of numerical
dissipation.
The chosen method (beetle method)
1
is a rather simple
perturbation propagation: For each relevant azimuthal mode,
the downstream (upstream) travelling pressure perturbation
at the outlet (inlet) of one calculation is used as the inlet
(outlet) perturbation of the downstream (upstream) follow-
ing cascade, after a transformation to the relatively rotating
coordinate system. The time-linearized Euler code Lin3D
has been used for calculating the propagation of the per-
turbation through each cascade between sound source and
turbine exit. A decomposition into radial modes is unnec-
essary for the calculation, but for postprocessing purposes
a decomposition into radial modes using Bessel functions
gives an additional insight into ow phenomena.
The sound propagation of the three blade passing fre-
quencies was calculated. Only straightforward sound propa-
gation calculations in ow direction have been performed.
No reections or upstream propagation were considered.
Azimuthal and radial mode scattering occurs when a per-
turbation mode is travelling through a cascade (see Sec-
tion 4.3). Nevertheless, scattered modes were ignored in
the present results of noise propagation. The calculations
have been performed on the medium size mesh out of three
meshes, because parametric studies have shown that the dif-
ferences between the medium and the costly ne mesh re-
sults were not signicant.
As an example, the propagation of the relevant azimuthal
modes of the rst blade passing frequency (BPF
1
) is pre-
sented in Fig. 5. BPF
1
has been selected as it allows us
to look at both the generation process and the transmis-
sion through successive rotor and stator rows. The legend of
1
We called the propagation calculation method beetle method in order
to illustrate the stepwise calculation procedure from source to turbine exit.
Fig. 5. Sound propagation CFD Results for BPF
1
.
Fig. 5 contains the following information: mode order; loca-
tion of sound generation; mechanism of sound generation.
The generated modal sound power levels were presented
in Fig. 4. For these modes (m = 67, 29, +6, +9, +47)
sound propagation calculations have been performed up to
the exit of Rotor 3. The resulting modal sound power levels
at the exit of each cascade are presented in Fig. 5. The most
left point of each curve denotes the sound power at the gen-
eration origin. Mode 47, generated at V1 by interaction with
potential eld of B1, is not shown because it is cut-off at the
source (V1 exit).
Two different effects can be observed. On the one
hand some modes remain cut-on at all cascades (m =
29, +6, +9); on the other hand there are modes that switch
between cut-on and cut-off (m=67, +47).
The sound powers of the cut-on modes (m = 29, +6,
+9) decay monotonously from the sound generation origin
to the last cascade due to transmission losses.
The sound powers of the other modes (m = 67, +47)
are represented by zigzag lines in Fig. 5. One cascade down-
stream of their generation origin they become cut-off, in the
next stage cut-on and then cut-off again up to the exit of Ro-
tor 3.
The pressure disturbance amplitudes (not shown) of all
modes decay monotonously from cascade to cascade due
to transmission losses. However, pressure disturbance and
sound particle velocity are almost in phase for a cut-on mode
D. Korte et al. / Aerospace Science and Technology 9 (2005) 125134 129
but if the phase difference is approximately 90

, the respec-
tive mode is cut-off.
The increase in sound power from one cascade to the
next, related to a change from cut-off to cut-on, is an ef-
fect that can be looked on as a sound generation process:
The disturbance pressure eld of an upstream cut-off mode
can interact with the steady pressure eld of the downstream
cascade and thus noise can be generated, just as in the case
of the potential eld interaction described in Section 3.1.
Please note that the range of cut-on modes is shifted due
to swirl. In the present case negative mode numbers (e.g.
67) can become cut-on in the swirling ow between V2
and B2, whereas lower absolute, but positive mode orders
(e.g. 47) are cut-off.
4. Comparison CFD vs. measurement
4.1. CFD results at generation origin vs. measurement at
downstream position
A comparison between the measured and the calculated
sound power values at source is presented in this section to
show that propagation effects cannot be neglected.
The calculated modal sound power levels are compared
with the measured values In Fig. 6. The diagram on the left
hand side shows the calculated sound power levels of the fre-
quency BPF
1
at the sound generation location. The diagram
on the right hand side shows the measured sound power lev-
els of the same frequency BPF
1
downstream of the turbine.
The modal sound power levels of Fig. 6(a) are the result
of a summary of the sound power levels presented in Fig. 4,
in the sense that the sound powers of the same azimuthal
mode order, but generated due to different mechanisms, are
summed up. For this summation it was assumed that modes
of the same order, but generated due to the different mecha-
nisms, are in phase. Thus, a worst case value of the radi-
ated noise is calculated for each azimuthal mode.
Only a few azimuthal modes of noise generation calcu-
lations and measurements correspond to each other. These
corresponding modes are marked in Fig. 6. While measured
values exist for a limited, but predominantly continuous,
range of azimuthal mode orders, calculated values exist only
for some discrete mode orders, generated by the interaction
of neighbouring cascades.
Sound power levels below 60 dB are not considered im-
portant and consequently not presented below. Values up to
this limit can be the result of numerical effects during calcu-
lations.
Comparing measured and calculated sound power levels
of one azimuthal mode, three cases can be observed:
(1) the modal sound power level exists in both cases and its
value exceeds the lower limit specied above (>60 dB);
(2) the modal sound power level does not exist in case of
the calculation; the modal sound power level exists in
case of the measurement and exceeds the lower limit,
specied above (>60 dB);
(3) the modal sound power level exists in case of the cal-
culation and exceeds the lower limit, specied above
(>60 dB); the modal sound power level does not exist in
case of the measurement or is below the limit (<60 dB).
Considering these three cases the following can be stated
concerning the BPF
1
results:
(ad 1) The three azimuthal mode orders m = 29, +6,
+9 exist as well in the noise generation calculations as
in the downstream measurement results (Fig. 6). They are
marked by green colour in Fig. 6(a) and arrows in Fig. 6(b).
Fig. 6. (a) CFD results for sound power spectrum (BPF
1
) at generation origin. (b) Measured sound power spectrum (BPF
1
) downstream for the corresponding
test case C0, OP2 at DLR.
130 D. Korte et al. / Aerospace Science and Technology 9 (2005) 125134
Accordingly it is assumed that the calculated modes m =
29, +6, +9 will be propagated (cut-on) up to the measure-
ment plane. This is shown to be true (at least up to the exit of
Rotor 3) in Fig. 5. In the measurement, the sound power lev-
els of the three common modes are high, relative to values
of similar mode orders. Thus, one can clearly see peaks in
Fig. 6(b) at these mode orders. This indicates the importance
of the noise generation mechanism exclusively investigated
in the calculations, i.e. the interaction of neighbouring cas-
cades. Nevertheless, the difference of the absolute values,
e.g. 17 dB in case of mode order m = +9, is very high
when the measurement is compared to the calculated re-
sults at the source. Beyond that, the difference in case of
mode m = +9 varies strongly from the differences in case
of modes m = 29 and m = +6. The last two topics indi-
cate the importance of the propagation effects. These cannot
be neglected.
(ad 2) The existence of peaks, like the one for mode
m=32 in the measurement spectrum, Fig. 6(b) (no corre-
spondence in the calculation spectrum, Fig. 6(a)), shows that
other noise generation mechanisms can be important too, as
for example the interaction of three cascades. These are not
modelled numerically.
(ad 3) A peak in the generation spectrum, Fig. 6(a),
without a corresponding one in the measurement spectrum,
Fig. 6(b), leads to the assumption that this mode will change
to cut-off during the propagation calculation from the noise
generation origin to the measurement plane. The highest
peak of such a mode corresponds to the order m = 47 (see
Fig. 6(a)). The measured modal value is very low, such that
it is not even visible in Fig. 6(b). It is shown in Fig. 5 that
mode 47 indeed becomes cut-off during the propagation cal-
culation.
Investigations of the other blade passing frequencies
show similar behaviour.
4.2. CFD results of sound propagation to Rotor 3 exit vs.
measurement at downstream position
In this part the sound power levels of the BPF
1
azimuthal
modes, propagated to the Rotor 3 exit, are compared to ex-
perimental values, measured further downstream.
The relevant modes from the noise generation calcula-
tions have been used to start noise propagation calculations
up to the exit of Rotor 3. This is not the measurement
plane. Propagation calculations up to the measurement plane
have not been conducted. No reection was considered, only
straightforward propagation of the disturbance modes was
conducted.
Five azimuthal modes of the frequency BPF
1
have been
propagated straightforward. During the process, parts of the
sound power of a specic azimuthal mode and frequency are
transferred to other modes and frequencies. The evaluation
within this section only considers the sound power related to
the original disturbance mode and frequency.
The propagation calculations of these modes (m=67,
29, 6, 9, 47) were presented in Section 3.2. In this part
they are compared to measured values. The results of the
comparisons of the modes generated due to different mech-
anisms are presented in Fig. 7. The sound powers of the
same azimuthal mode order, but generated due to differ-
ent mechanisms, are summed up to total sound power lev-
els and compared to the measured values in Fig. 8. A blue
bar denotes the calculated-generated noise, a red bar the
calculated-propagated noise and a yellow bar the measured
sound.
The sound of mode 67 is generated at Stator 1, due to
the pressure eld of rotor 1 (see Fig. 4). The sound propa-
gation calculations were presented in Fig. 5. The calculated
sound power level at the exit of Rotor 3 is compared to the
measured value in Fig. 7(a) and Fig. 8.
The sound of mode 29 is generated by three mecha-
nisms: at Stator 1, due to the pressure eld of Rotor 1; at Ro-
tor 1 due to wake and pressure eld of Stator 1 (see Fig. 4).
The sound propagation calculations of all three disturbances
were presented in Fig. 5. The calculated sound power levels
at the exit of Rotor 3 are compared to the measured value in
Fig. 7(b).
Three mechanisms of noise generation lead to a sound
mode of order m = 6. Two of them are generated on Sta-
tor 2, one due to the wake of Rotor 1, the other due to the
pressure eld of Rotor 1. The third is generated at Rotor 1,
due to pressure eld of Stator 2 (see Fig. 4). All of them
were selected as disturbances for propagation calculations
(see Fig. 5). The comparison of the propagation results to
the measured value is presented in Fig. 7(c).
Three mechanisms of noise lead to a sound mode of or-
der m = 9 (see Fig. 4): noise generation at Stator 1 due to
the pressure eld of Rotor 1; noise generation on Rotor 1
due to wake and pressure eld of Stator 1 (see Fig. 4). Al-
though one of them is clearly dominant, all were selected as
disturbances for propagation calculations (see Fig. 5). The
comparison to the measured value is presented in Fig. 7(d).
Two mechanisms of noise generation lead to a sound
mode of order m = 47 (see Fig. 4). Both of them were
selected as disturbances for propagation calculations (see
Fig. 5): both tones are generated at Rotor 1, one due to the
pressure eld of Stator 1, the other due to the wake of Sta-
tor 1. The comparison to the measured value is presented in
Fig. 7(e).
Except for mode 67, the calculated sound power level
at the exit of Rotor 3 is always slightly greater than the mea-
sured one. The calculated value for mode 67 is much lower
than the measured one. Nevertheless they are at least con-
sistent since they are low with respect to measured sound
powers of other modes (see Fig. 8).
The measured sound power level of mode 6 is the high-
est of all modes while the measured value of mode 47 is
the lowest of all considered ve modes. In contrast, both
noise generation calculations lead to noise levels in the same
range. It is shown in Fig. 7(c, e) and Fig. 8 that the sound
D. Korte et al. / Aerospace Science and Technology 9 (2005) 125134 131
Fig. 7. Sound power levels for BPF
1
modes: 67, 29, 6, 9, 47 calculated propagation vs. measurement.
132 D. Korte et al. / Aerospace Science and Technology 9 (2005) 125134
Fig. 8. BPF1 Spectrum of modal sound powers Calculation vs. measurement.
power levels of these modes, after propagating them to the
exit of Rotor 3, match well with the measured values. It was
shown in Fig. 5 that the sound power of mode 6 decays dur-
ing the propagation, but the mode remains cut-on. It was also
shown that mode 47 becomes cut-off at the exit of Rotor 3.
Accordingly its sound power decays nearly to zero. This cor-
responds to the low measured value.
The behaviour of the modes m=29, +9 was shown to
be analogous to mode 6 (see Fig. 5). The sound power decays
monotonic from one stage to the next. At the exit of Rotor 3,
the sound power level matches well with the measured value
in case of mode 9 (see Fig. 7(d) and Fig. 8).
The behaviour of mode m=67 was shown to be analo-
gous to mode 47 (see Fig. 5). It becomes cut-off at the exit of
Rotor 3, which is related to a sound power level near zero.
Fig. 8 shows, that the CFD results are qualitatively in
good agreement with the measurements at BPF
1
. For low
azimuthal mode orders, the computed modal sound power
levels at the turbine exit are about 510 dB too high com-
pared with measurements further downstream in the exhaust
duct. Please note that the modal sound power levels are com-
pared at two different positions in the duct. While propagat-
ing, the noise might have been reduced in the experiment by
physical damping due to nonlinear effects and turbulence.
4.3. Mode scattering effects in azimuthal and radial order
Another interesting effect observed when doing a prop-
agation calculation with the presented method is the mode
scattering in azimuthal and radial order. Azimuthal mode
scattering occurs when a mode m interacts with a cascade
(e.g. rotor with blade number B). Additional modes of mode
order m

=mjB (with: j integer) can occur. This is illus-

trated in the example of azimuthal mode m = 6, generated
at Stator 2 and prescribed as a disturbance at the following
cascade, Rotor 2 (Fig. 9). Apart from the sound pressure at
mode 6, high sound pressures occur at the azimuthal mode
m = +83, a lot less at other mode orders (azimuthal mode
scattering). Beyond that, the radial decomposition of mode 6
using Bessel functions leads to different results at the en-
trance (disturbance) and at the exit of the grid (radial mode
scattering).
The effects of mode scattering can be very different for
different azimuthal modes. While for one mode almost no
sound power is shifted, almost the total sound power can be
transferred in other cases. This is shown in Fig. 10. Mode 6
and mode 47, both generated on Rotor 1, are prescribed as
pressure disturbances at the entrance of Stator 2. The scat-
tering effects are minimal when propagating mode 6. In case
of mode 47 a different behaviour can be observed: most of
the sound power is transferred to mode 70, which is cut-on
at the exit of Stator 2, while mode 47 becomes cut-off.
5. Conclusion
The noise of a turbine has been calculated by means of
CFD. This paper presents the results of noise generation
and propagation calculations using a linearized Euler code
(Lin3D). These results are compared with measured data,
delivered by DLR. Consistencies and differences between
simulation and measurement are described.
The CFD calculations consider the noise generated by the
interaction of two neighbouring cascades. The comparison
of numerical results and measured data shows that this noise
generation mechanism is indeed very important. But it also
shows that other mechanisms should not be neglected. One
of such mechanisms is the interaction of three cascades.
It has been shown in this paper that it is important to per-
form the noise propagation calculations up to the last stage,
D. Korte et al. / Aerospace Science and Technology 9 (2005) 125134 133
Fig. 9. Circumferential and radial scattering at Rotor 2 of mode m=+6 (generated at Stator 2); disturbance mode at entry of Rotor 2, all other values at exit
of Rotor 2.
Fig. 10. Circumferential mode scattering.
even if a mode becomes cut-off at an intermediate stage. In-
deed it can become cut-on again.
To propagate the sound of a mode from one cascade to the
next, its pressure disturbance evaluated in the upstream cas-
cade exit was prescribed at the inlet of the investigated grid
(Beetle Method). Such a disturbance pressure eld does
also exist in case of a cut-off mode. Its amplitude would de-
cay to zero over some distance but in case of the RESOUND
turbine the stages are very close together.
The propagation of a cut-off mode can also be looked at
as a noise generation process: The steady pressure eld of
the investigated cascade interacts with the relatively rotating
disturbance pressure eld and such generates tones, just as in
the potential eld interaction process. The calculated sound
power of a mode, which is cut-on at the exit of the last stage,
seems to be reasonable, even if the mode was cut-off at an
intermediate stage.
While another tested method of sound propagation [33,
34], the four pole theory [13,14], is exact under certain cir-
cumstances (e.g. no mode conversion), the beetle method
leads to better results when any reection of waves can be
neglected. In practice, reection of waves could become very
relevant for multistage turbomachines.
Phenomena of an innite number of reections of sound
waves between two cascades can be important. In that case,
the propagation of a single acoustic mode depends on the
axial gap between two cascades and compared with com-
putations neglecting reections at all the sound can be am-
plied or extinguished when superposing the sound waves.
A rst improvement of the beetle method could be to con-
sider in turbine or compressor cases the rst reection of the
upstream (downstream) propagating sound at the neighbour-
ing cascade. Then, direct downstream (upstream) propagat-
ing sound and reected downstream (upstream) propagation
sound have to be superposed.
Comparing the computed and measured absolute sound
power levels, the following uncertainties have to be consid-
ered: (i) The position of the plane, up to which the noise
134 D. Korte et al. / Aerospace Science and Technology 9 (2005) 125134
propagation is calculated, is different from the measurement
plane. (ii) In the simulation, one mode can be created by sev-
eral disturbances (wake, potential pressure eld interaction).
To calculate the resulting sound power level, the phase re-
lation would have to be considered. This was done in this
investigation by a worst case consideration (i.e., summation
in phase for each mode).
Acknowledgements
The support of the DLR, who provided the evaluated
measurement results, is gratefully acknowledged.
The work described in this paper has been carried out
in the framework of the research project Turbomachinery
noise source CFD models for low noise aircraft designs
TurboNoiseCFD funded by the European Commission
within the GROWTH 5th framework programme.
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