Measurement and computation of the acoustic field in a cavitation tunnel

Sound pressure distribution around a monotone sound source was measured inside a marine propeller cavitation tunnel and compared with the calculated result by a two-dimensional boundary element method. The measured sound pressure distribution showed some peaks due to the reflection effect of the tunnel test section boundary. As the frequency increased, the sound pressure distribution became more complicated, showing more peaks. The tunnel reverberant effect should be taken into account when the noise data measured in the tunnel are converted into full-scale values. In the boundary element method calculation, the boundary condition at the acrylic observation window of the tunnel was examined in detail. The calculated sound pressure distribution pattern in the tunnel transverse section agreed well with the measured distribution when a reasonable boundary condition was adopted. The boundary element method is an effective method for theoretically predicting the acoustic field inside the cavitation tunnel if the precise boundary condition is adopted.