Analytical modeling of sound transmission across finite aeroelastic panels in convected fluids

An analytical approach is formulated to account for the effects of mean flow on sound transmission across a simply supported rectangular aeroelastic panel. The application of the convected wave equation and the displacement continuity condition at the fluid-panel interfaces ensures the exact handling of the complex aeroelastic coupling between panel vibration and fluid disturbances. To explore the mean flow effects on sound transmission, three different cases (i.e., mean flow on incident side only, on radiating side only, and on both sides) are separately considered in terms of refraction angular relations and sound transmission loss STL plots. Obtained results show that the influence of the incident side mean flow upon sound penetration is significantly different from that of the transmitted side mean flow. The contour plot of refraction angle versus incident angle for the case when the mean flow is on the transmitted side is just a reverse of that when the mean flow is on the incident side. The aerodynamic damping effects on the transmission of sound are well captured by plotting the STL as a function of frequency for varying Mach numbers. However, as the Mach number is increased, the coincidence dip frequency increases when the flow is on the incident side but remains unchanged when in the flow is on the radiating side. In the most general case when the fluids on both sides of the panel are convecting, the refraction angular relations are significantly different from those when the fluid on one side of the panel is moving and that on the other side is at rest.