Effect of Upstream Edge Geometry on the Trapped Mode Resonance of Ducted Cavities

Abstract

Gas flow over ducted cavities can excite strong acoustic resonances within the confined volumes housing the cavities. When the wavelength of the resonant acoustic modes is comparable to, or smaller than, the cavity dimensions, these modes are referred to as trapped acoustic modes. The excitation mechanism causing the resonance of these trapped modes in axisymmetric shallow cavities has been investigated experimentally in a series of papers by Aly & Ziada [1–3]. In this paper, the same experimental set-up is used to investigate the effect of the upstream edge geometry on the acoustic resonance of trapped modes. The investigated geometries include sharp and rounded cavity corners, chamfering the upstream edge, and spoilers of different types and sizes. Rounding off the cavity edges is found to increase the pulsation amplitude substantially, but the resonance lock-on range is delayed, i.e. it is shifted to higher flow velocities. Similarly, chamfering the upstream corner delays the onset of resonance, but does not increase its intensity. Spoilers, or vortex generators, added at the upstream edge have been found to be the most effective means to suppress the resonance. However, the minimum spoiler size which is needed to suppress the resonance increases as the cavity size becomes larger.