Validating Confined Flame Noise Simulation Using External Sensor

Abstract

Advancements in lean premixed combustion have increased the efficiency and reduced the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, but they have led to increased noise emissions due to higher turbulence and mixing fluctuations. This study used an external sensor (microphone) to validate the simulation of the combustion noise of a confined space. An experimental facility with a laboratory-scale furnace was used to carry out the measurement, and the simulation of the confined flame noise was conducted in OpenFOAM. The simulation utilized the Partially Stirred Reactor (PaSR) and a hybrid computational aeroacoustics (CAA) approach using the large eddy simulation (LES)/the Ffwocs Williams–Hawkings (FWH) method. Additionally, unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS)/the FWH method was tested for a comparison with the LES prediction. A sensor which was placed outside the enclosure for ease of access was then used to validate the results of the numerical model. The sensor data agreed with the LES/FWH results including the amplitude and frequency of the primary combustion peak and the overall sound pressure level (OASPL). This suggested that a sensor which was placed outside the enclosure could serve as a validation tool for the simulation of the confined flames despite the sound reflections from the walls.