Hurst, C. J.

Kiel, D. H.

Smith, J. P.

English

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Purdue UniversityPurdue e-PubsInternational Compressor Engineering Conference School of Mechanical Engineering1992Intensity Measurements and Radiated NoiseReduction for a Freon CompressorJ. P. SmithVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityD. H. KielVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityC. J. HurstVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityFollow this and additional works at: https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/icecThis document has been made available through Purdue e-Pubs, a service of the Purdue University Libraries. Please contact epubs@purdue.edu foradditional information.Complete proceedings may be acquired in print and on CD-ROM directly from the Ray W. Herrick Laboratories at https://engineering.purdue.edu/Herrick/Events/orderlit.htmlSmith, J. P.; Kiel, D. H.; and Hurst, C. J., "Intensity Measurements and Radiated Noise Reduction for a Freon Compressor" (1992).International Compressor Engineering Conference. Paper 888.https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/icec/888INTENSITY MEASUREMENTS AND RADIATED NOISE REDUCTION FOR A FREON COMPRESSOR 1. P. Smith, D. H. Kiel, and C. J. Hurst Department of Mechanical Engineering Virginia Polytechnic Institute &: State University Blacksburg, VA 24061...(}238 ABSTRACT A set of acoustic intensity measurements were taken over the surface of an operating and loaded Freon compressor. The results showed clear evidence of standing waves in the motion of the sides of the compressor shell at some mqucncies. At other fequencies the radiation pattem was less well organized. The results also- showed that the top surface of the COIIlple5SOr shell was radiating a subSiantial amount of noise in some frequency bands. This top surface was very nearly flat, and was connected to the compressor frame by a mounting spring on the swfatc ccntc:rline. Finite clement studies of the shell indicatm that going to a curved (and therefore stiffer) top should make it less responsive to the spring driving forces. A shell was modified and tested. The results showed a clear m:luction in the intensity radiated from the top surface. ~mental results from this investigation will be shown and discussed. INTRODUCTION An extensive series of intensity measurements were made on an operating freon compressor as pan of an attempt to identify noise paths and to teelu~:e radiated compressor noise. The measurements were pan of a program which included attempts at vibration and noise prediction. The results of these analyses were verified experimentally. For verification putpOSCS, however, the compressor shell was driven with a shaker at a single fequency. Those results will be reported in later papers. The measurements on the opmating compressor were made very close to the shell in hopes of finding areas of high noise radiation. It was ~ that the areas of the compressor shell very near the suspension points for the isolated compressor would be very active, and would radiate a great deal of sound. What was found, instead, was that the shell was strongly driven in several of its normal modes. Most of the llllfacc of the can was important in radiatin& sound. The relatively flat top was a particularly strong radiator. This paper will begin with a description of the compressor and of the measurement arrange-ments. Some measurement rcsults on the sides and the top of the compressor shell will be shown and discussed. A proposed simple modification to the shape of the compressor shell reduced the radiated noise levels, and these results will be shown as well. FiDally, some observations and lessons learned from this exercise will be discussed. 1BE COMPRESSOR The compressor under test in this investigation was a 5 ton freon compressor hermetically sealed in a shell which was about 10 inches (2S em) in diameter and 15 inches (38 em) tall. The horizontl.l cross-section of the shell was nearly elliptical, while the top and bottom surfaces were nearly flat. The shell was of deep drawn steel, about 0.11 inches (0.27 em) thick. 947 Contained within this shell was a two cylinder reciprocating compressor driven by an electric motor. The compressor was isolatal from the shell through titRe sted springs. Two of these wcm located low on the sides of the shell and the third was located near the center of the top of the shell. Bach lower spring sat on a braclcet cantilevered out from about the center of the longer side of the ellipdcal cross-section. INTENSITY MEASUREMENT RFSULTS ON RtJNNING COMPRFSSOR Acouslic intensity data were obtained for compressors operating under a load provided by a heat excllanger which maintained the desired operating conditions. :&perimental sound intensity data wen: obtained at points on a 1 inch (2.54 em) grid which c:ncload the top and sides of the comJ)RSIOl". To allow easier visualization of the intensity radiating from the entire eompzessor surface the data 'points over the top of the com~ were eumined ·and plotted independently from the data points pn the sides. The curved grid surface over the sides (){ the compn:s.sor was cut along one side and dcvelopccl to produce a plot for the sick intensity data. Figure 1 shows a view of the compressor and the developed measurement grids for the top and sides-of the compressor. The data. were obtained with a Bruel & Kjaer type 2520 sound intensity probe and Type 2034 Signal Analyt.er. The intensity probe consists of two 0.5 inch (1.27 em) microphones mounted face to face with a solid spacer in between. The size of the spacer dictated the measurable frequency mnge. A spKer of .47 inches (12 mm) was used to obtain intensity data between 250Hz and about 6kHZ. However, most of the intensity data were gathered at frequencies up to 1600 Hz in order to lllaltimize the resolulion-of the analymr in the mnge where sound pressure level data showed that the severest noise problems existed. _ The pn:rce.u of obtaining the sound intensity data consisted of holding the intensity probe so that the midpoint of the spacer was 1.6 inches (4.1 em) from the surface of the operating compJaSOr for each point on the mllUurement grid. The probe was oriented such that the axis of the probe (aloDc the centerline of the microphones) was perpendicular to the surface of the compressor at each point. The data at each point was averaged in the frequency domain with the signal analyzer and transfermi to a PC for storage. Thus an intensity spectrum was obtained for each measurement point over the surface of the compressor. A typical intensity spectrum measured at a point directly above the top center of the compressor is shown in Fig. 2. The harmonic nature of the forcing function is evident from the intensity peaks located 57 Hz apart, which was the running speed of the compressor. The plot also shows a large peak at 969 Hz. This was a frequency of considerable interest which was found to radiate strongly from the top of the compmsor. Once the measurements were complete a stored intensity spectrum existed for each measurement point. For a given freQuencv of interest the intensity could then be extracted from the stoml intcusity spectrum da1a sets at each point of the measurement grid. This ~on process yielded inteasity information at a given frequency for each point of the measurement grid. Plots of this data ~ much about the sound field close to the surface of the compressor and the radiation from each part of the shell. Intensity data were obtained at each measurement point for both the. original (flat topped) C0111Pl=Ot and for a modified (domed top) compressor so that the intensity radiation patternS and l=vels could be compared and the noise mluction resulting from the doming of the compressor top could be determined. 948 Three-dimensional intensity plots over the grid surface at particular frequencies allowed intaprctation of the sound field close to the compressor at these frequencies. 'The sound radiation pattern from each part of the shell surface at the chosen fniquCncies could be ~ to detennine the frequency content radiated by each part of the shell. 'The fmtuencies chosen to study were frequencies consistendy corresponding to pcab in the intensity spectra and also modal frequencies discovered via an impact hammer test. 'These modes were then correlated with those determined usinl a finite element program created in ANSYS. Many of the severe noise problems emted at frequencies where the forcing function peaks coincided with the natural mode shapes of the compressor.· Measurements on sides Many of the sound intensity data plots generated over the sides of the compressor revealed well-defined intensity patterns lCiated to the normal modes of vibration of the compressor shell as determined by a finite-element model. Fig~ 3 shows a three-dimensional plot of the positive intensities over the sides of the compressor at a frequency of 336 Hz. 'Ibis plot displays a distinct radiation pattern corresponding to a normal mode at this frequency which coincided with a mode determined by the finite-element model. Fig~ 4 shows a similarly defined intensity pattern at 854 Hz, corresponding to a higher mode. The lines parallel to the vertical axis of the compressor with low (often negative) intensity levels correspond to nodal lines in the vibration pattern on the surface of the compressor at that frequency. Figure S contains a three-dimensional plot over the sides of the domed-top compressor at 2TI6 Hz. At higher frequencies, the intensity pattern was much more random as the modes of the shell were more complex and the wavelengths were shorter. Measurements on top Figure 6 contains an intensity plot over the top surface of the flat-topped compressor at 969 Hz, which was determined to be one of the frequencies with extremely high sound intensity radiation. Note the uniform radiation pattern. 'The finite element model determined that the motion of the compressor top at this frequency was similar to that of the fundamenlal mode of a membrane fixed at its edges, resulting in high sound intensity radiation with a uniform pattern. Thus, there was good correlation between the dynamics predicted with the finite element model and the experimental radiated amustic intensity. MODIFICATIONS TO REDUCE TOP RADIATION In order to reduce the sound radiation from the compressor the top of the compressor was domed using hydrostatic pressure (with the sides constrained). It was m:pected that this modification would decrease the tadiated intensity from the top of the she)l by pushing the modal frequencies away from the excitation frequencies. Figure 7 shows the intensity radiating from the top of the original compressor at a frequency of 1332 Hz. At this frequency the intensity level was 10 dB below that of the flat-topped compressor (shown in Fig. 8). It turned out that stiffening the shell not only ·decreased the intensity radiating from the top surface as expected, this change also significantly decrc:asc:d the noise emitted from the side surfaces. If the side intensity radiation is compared with the original flat-top compressor and new domed-top compressor (see Figs. 3 and 9), there is apin a 10 dB drop in radiated intensity. CONCLUSIONS . The -~ conclusion reached in this investigation was that the whole shell is important in the acoustlc radiatlon process. Contrary to what might be e~~:pected, the areas of intense radiation were not 949 loc:ated only near the isolator attachment pointJ. Aarustic mlialion patterns consistent With strong nonnal mode vibration pancms were observed. Secondly, it was deml:m~ tbat stiffeuing the sbeU by eliminating the flat top surface resulted in a quieter tompiCSSOr. This raised the normal modal frequencies of the top, pushing them away from tbe exciting frequencies. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work was supportl:d by Bristol Compressors, Inc., as part of an investigation including modal analysis, finite element analysis and acoustic prediction work. 950 Fig. 1. m ~ l ~ t·· Right Side A D A D E a E I c Bottom Edge Sketch of compressor showing top and developed side measurement grids. 100•~--------------------------------------~ ·~ " o•-+-----11-11 .£ .5 -20 ............... _ ... -40 .................. - ............................................. . 0 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 Frequency, Hz Fig. 2. measured at top center of unmodified compressor. Fig. 3. Intensity plot over the side surface of the unmodified compressor at 336 Hz. 951 Fig. 4. Intensity plot over the side surface of the unmodified compressor at 854 Hz. Fig. 5. Intensity plot over the side surface of the modified compressor at 2776 Hz. 952 Fig. 6. Intensity plot over the top sudace of the unmodified compressor at 969 Hz. Fig. 7. Intensity plot over the top sudace of the unmodified compressor at 1332 Hz. 953 Fig. 8. Intensity plot over the top surface of the modified compnlssor at 1332 Hz. Fig. 9. Intensity plot over the side surface of the modified compressor at 344 Hz. 954 

Intensity Measurements and Radiated Noise Reduction for a Freon Compressor

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Intensity Measurements and Radiated Noise Reduction for a Freon Compressor

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