Simulations of co-axial jet flows on graphics processing units: the flow and noise analysis

Large-eddy simulations (LES) are performed for a range of perfectly expanded co-axial jet cases corresponding to conditions of the computation of coaxial jet noise (CoJeN) experiment by QinetiQ. In all simulations, the high-resolution Compact Accurately Boundary-Adjusting high-REsolution Technique (CABARET) is used for solving the Navier–Stokes equations on unstructured meshes. The Ffowcs Williams–Hawkings method based on the penetrable integral surfaces is applied for far-field noise predictions. To correctly model the turbulent flow downstream of the complex nozzle that includes a central body, a wall modelled LES approach is implemented together with a turbulent inflow condition based on synthetic turbulence. All models are run on graphics processing units to enable a considerable reduction of the flow solution time in comparison with the conventional LES. The flow and noise solutions are validated against the experimental data available with 1–2 dB accuracy being reported for noise spectra predictions on the fine grid. To analyse the structure of effective noise sources of the jets, the covariance of turbulent fluctuating Reynolds stresses is computed and their characteristic scales are analysed in the context of the generalized acoustic analogy jet noise models. Motivated by self-similarity of single-stream axi-symmetric jet flows, a suitable non-dimensionalization of the effective jet noise sources of the CoJeN jets is tested, and its implications for low-order jet noise models are discussed. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Frontiers of aeroacoustics research: theory, computation and experiment’.