Control of Airborne Noise Generated in the Cavities of a T-Slotted Aluminum Cylindrical Column

Abstract

This paper presents a study of airborne noise generated by a T-slotted cylindrical aluminum hollow column with six slots of the type used for the construction of communication towers. Noise is a very distracting phenomena and an environmental concern caused by various sources. Noise pollution is becoming more severe with the introduction of massive human activities and the use of heavy machineries, and hence, it has been investigated by many researchers to highlight its environmental impacts and to find methods for its attenuation. Worldwide research focus on noise measurement, comparison of the efficacy of different noise barriers, development of noise models, and proposing viable solutions for its attenuation. Many technologies have been utilized for noise mitigation including insulation, absorption, damping and isolation. In this research, to mitigate the airborne noise level, passive noise control methods are applied by changing boundary conditions and using different materials in the bottom of the cavities. The wind tunnel experiments and CFD modelling reveals that such passive noise control measures have significant effects on controlling the noise level. The investigation also includes CFD modeling for the impact of local velocity distribution in the cavity regions on the noise level.