Numerical Modelling of the Aeroacoustic and Flow Behaviour of Chip Fans

During the machining of wood and fibre composites, large quantities of fine dust and chips are produced which are harmful to health. In addition, a chip accumulation can occur at the cutting position, which reduces the production quality and promotes double cutting. In woodworking, chip fans are often used to remove these dusts and chips. These are located directly on the tool holder and generate an air flow directed towards the spindle by the spindle rotation. The additional airflow improves the removal of the dust and chips directly after the chip formation in the direction of the suction hood. As a side product, the chip fans generate high aeroacoustic emissions with increasing rotational speeds. In this paper, the acoustic behaviour of chip fans is characterised by measuring the sound pressure levels at different speeds when running idle. In addition, the aeroacoustic and flow behaviour of chip turbines is numerically modelled with a Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) simulation. Thus, in the future, design measures can be analysed for their sound-reducing effectiveness in time-saving simulation studies.