Aeroacoustic façade noise validation: A comparison of CFD and wind tunnel tests

Abstract

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis is a valuable alternative to wind tunnel testing for analysing and predicting aeroacoustic noise. However, transient simulations require a very fine grid and short time step to resolve acoustic pressure fluctuations, resulting in a computationally intensive process. This paper investigates the possibility of using steady state CFD simulations as a fast alternative to transient simulations for characterizing the noise production of perforated façade panels. It compares both transient and steady-state Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations of aeroacoustically active perforated panels to measurements of specimens in a reverberation chamber. Accurate sound power predictions can be achieved for broadband noise from normally incident wind on perforated panels, but sound power and frequency remain difficult to predict for oblique wind directions.