Flow-Acoustics: Theory and Benchmarking

The urgent need for transitioning to green energy solutions, particularly in the context of house heating and urban redensification, has brought the issue of fan noise aeroacoustics investigations to the forefront. As societies worldwide strive to mitigate climate change and reduce carbon emissions, adopting sustainable heating technologies such as air heat pumps has gained significant traction. In Germany, renowned for its commitment to environmental sustainability, the "TA Lärm" regulations, derived from the "Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetz," impose stringent limits on noise levels both inside and outside buildings across various applications. These regulations delineate permissible noise levels during daytime (6 AM to 10 PM) and nighttime (10 PM to 6 AM), with particular emphasis on protecting residential areas with low noise limits. Moreover, the noise limits prescribed for indoor environments are even more stringent. Given the necessity of maintaining acoustic comfort and quality of life, compliance with these regulations necessitates meticulous attention to noise generation sources, especially those associated with heating and ventilation systems. Consequently, understanding and mitigating fan noise through aeroacoustic investigations is essential to ensure the successful adoption and integration of green energy solutions in residential and urban settings. In the following, an experimental benchmark for a low-pressure rise axial fan (FAN-01) is presented, and several prediction methods of the sound pressure and sound power are evaluated.