High Amplitude Acoustic Transmission Through Duct Terminations: Theory

Recent experimental measurements have demonstrated that net acoustic energy dissipation can occur when sound waves interact with free shear layers, which are produced either by boundary layer separation in mean fluid flow at sharp edges, or by separation of the boundary layer in the acoustic flow at an edge in the absence of mean flow. This paper presents theoretical results which are offered in an attempt to explain these observations quantitatively. Comparison is made between the predicted and measured net energy loss which occurs upon transmission of high amplitude impulsive acoustic waves through various duct terminations, and also between calculated and measured reflection coefficients in the duct. The agreement is generally at least qualitatively good, and would appear to justify the physical assumptions on which the theoretical arguments are based. © 1983.