A Review of the Uses of Kirchhoff’s Method in Computational Aeroacoustics

Abstract A comprehensive review of the use of Kirchhoff’s method in computational aeroacoustics is given. Kirchhoff’s integral formulation allows radiating sound to be evaluated based on quantities on an arbitrary control surface S if the wave equation is assumed outside. The control surface S is assumed to include all the nonlinear flow effects and noise sources. Thus only surface integrals are needed for the calculation of the far-field sound. A numerical CFD method can be used for the evaluation of the flow-field solution in the near-field and thus on surface S. Kirchhoff’s integral formulation has been extended to an arbitrary, moving, deformable piecewise-continuous surface. The available Kirchhoff formulations are reviewed and various aeroacoustic applications are given. The relative merits of Kirchhoff’s method are also discussed.