Exploring the suppression mechanism of wind buffeting noise with bionic structures featuring leading-edge serrations and surface ridges

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness and mechanism of wind buffeting noise suppression using a new bionic structure inspired by the quiet flight of owls. Firstly, the new bionic schemes based on NACA0012 wing with two sinusoidal leading-edge serrations and one straight leading-edge curve are used in a cavity after verifying the simulation. Then, the results of the three bionic schemes are compared and analyzed. It is found that the schemes with leading-edge serrations and surface ridges can suppress wind buffeting noise effectively. In particular, the sinusoidal scheme with a wavelength λ = 0.24 c (chord length c) can significantly reduce resonance energies above 21 dB over a wide range of speeds. Furthermore, the study reveals that in the bionic scheme, only the negative pressure core moves in the opening and hits the trailing edge, which reduces the pressure fluctuation in the cavity. The boundary layer thickness (BLT) also fluctuates in span under the influence of the leading-edge serration and the surface ridge, which is favorable for suppressing wind buffeting noise. However, the suppression effect is not solely related to the fluctuation of BLT in the span at the trailing edge but is also influenced by the minimum BLT at this point. Therefore, if the BLT has a certain intensity fluctuation in the span, and the minimum BLT at the trailing edge is close to that of the smooth airfoil scheme, the noise suppression effect is significant.