Lattice Diffuser Structure for Aerodynamic Noise Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drilled hole diffusers are cumbersome, time-consuming, and costly to produce, and cannot create non-linear flow paths or variable cross-sectional areas to effectively reduce aerodynamic noise.
Innovation Solution
The use of triply periodic surfaces in lattice structures within diffusers, manufactured using Additive Manufacturing Technology, to create passages with varying geometries and orientations that minimize unimpeded radial flow paths, thereby reducing noise and turbulence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If drilled holes are used to form passages through the circumferential wall, then passages can be created to reduce aerodynamic noise, but the production process becomes very cumbersome, time consuming, and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies porous materials by forming a porous layer on the circumferential wall of the diffuser. This porous layer contains numerous pores that allow fluid passage while reducing aerodynamic noise, replacing the need for individually drilled holes. The porous structure achieves noise reduction through distributed flow paths without the cumbersome drilling process, thus improving production efficiency while maintaining noise control functionality.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If drilled holes are used to form passages, then passages can be created through the wall, but creating passages with non-linear flow paths or variable cross-sectional area is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by varying the cross-sectional area, orientation, and distribution of pores within the porous layer. The pores can have different sizes, shapes, and orientations arranged in specific patterns that create non-linear flow paths. This allows the diffuser to achieve complex flow control characteristics that would be impossible with simple drilled holes, thereby improving adaptability for different noise reduction requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies curvature principles by designing pores with non-linear, curved flow paths rather than straight cylindrical holes. The porous structure can incorporate tortuous paths that bend and curve as fluid passes through, creating more effective noise reduction through extended flow paths and reduced jet convergence. This curved geometry approach enables versatile flow path design that adapts to different aerodynamic noise control needs.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If thousands of holes are drilled through the diffuser wall, then aerodynamic noise can be reduced, but the only feasible production method is drilling which is time consuming and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the circumferential wall into a porous layer with distributed pores rather than treating it as a solid wall requiring individual hole drilling. The porous structure segments the wall thickness into functional zones that can be manufactured as an integrated component. This segmentation approach allows the noise reduction functionality to be built into the wall structure itself, eliminating the need for post-manufacturing drilling operations and reducing manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies merging by combining the noise reduction passages with the circumferential wall structure itself. The porous layer is formed as an integral part of the diffuser wall during the manufacturing process, merging the structural function with the noise control function. This integration eliminates separate drilling and assembly steps, significantly simplifying manufacturing while achieving the same aerodynamic noise reduction effect.
Data Source
AI summary
A diffuser has a cylindrical wall and an arcuate end wall located at an end of the cylindrical wall. The cylindrical wall has a first lattice structure formed of a first plurality of triply periodic surfaces that are periodic in cylindrical coordinates, the first lattice structure having a plurality of passages that extend between an inner surface of the cylindrical wall and an outer surface of the cylindrical wall. The arcuate end wall has a second lattice structure formed of a second plurality of triply periodic surfaces that are periodic in spherical coordinates, the second lattice structure having a plurality of passages that extend between an inner surface of the arcuate end wall and an outer surface of the arcuate end wall.