The effect of multiple branches on sound propagation in long enclosures

Since the classical room acoustics can not be used for long enclosures due to the inhomogeneous sound field, much work has been carried out recently to investigate the sound propagation in long enclosures, which are helpful to the acoustic design of practical long enclosures, such as the high-speed railway tunnels. However, most of these works focuses on the straight long enclosures without branches or with one branch. In this paper, the effects of the multiple branches on sound propagation of long enclosures are studied. The sound pressure level (SPL) attenuation, early decay time (EDT), and reverberation time (T30) of long enclosures with multiple branches have been investigated by physical scale models based acoustic experiments. Several interesting results have been obtained concerning the sound propagation of long enclosures with multiple branches. It shows that the sound field of long enclosures with multiple branches is more complex and inhomogeneous than that of the long enclosures without branches or with one branch.     

Sound propagation in long enclosures with a vertical or inclined branch

It is of interest to investigate the sound propagation in long enclosures with a vertical/inclined branch, since this may be relevant to long enclosures in practical applications, such as in high-speed railway tunnels. However, much research on sound propagation in long enclosures available is concerned with straight long enclosures. In this paper, the sound pressure level (SPL) attenuation, early decay time (EDT), and reverberation time (RT30) of long enclosures with vertical/inclined branches have been studied by comparing experimental results from physical scale models, of such enclosures with those for a straight long enclosure. It has been found that, compared with the straight long enclosure, the inclined branch makes more-difference to the SPL, EDT and RT30 of the long enclosure than the vertical branch, even though both kinds of branches have the equivalent volume.     

Sound propagation between two adjacent rectangular workstations in an open-plan office—part I: mathematical modeling

This paper describes the development of a mathematical model of sound propagation between adjacent workstations in an open-plan office. The model is valid for adjacent rectangular workstations consisting of small enclosures made up of partial-height screens or panels. The new model adds the effects of side and back panels to the primary effect of the common separating screen that was considered in a previous model. In both models, reflections are included using an image source technique and expressions are developed to identify those image sources that represent actual reflection paths. The orientation of openings into the workstations is also considered. Comparisons with measured attenuations of sound propagation between adjacent workstations are included. They verify that the model can quite accurately predict the expected speech privacy between workstations in an open-plan office.     

Sound field prediction in long enclosures with branches: A combined method

The propagation of sound in long enclosures with branches has been studied theoretically and experimentally, and an efficient combined method is proposed to predict the sound field in long enclosures with branches. Based on the wave-acoustics theory, the theoretical analysis of the sound field of the long enclosures with branches is performed. This paper also investigated the sound field prediction of long enclosures with branches, by using the acoustic modeling program, ODEON. The results obtained by the theoretical analysis and the numerical simulation ODEON are compared with the experimental measurements, and the characteristics of the two methods for predicting the sound field of long enclosures with branches are analyzed. Compared with the experimental results, it is found that: (1) the results predicted by the theoretical analysis fluctuate relatively large with respect to the source-receiver distance, and the sound pressure level (SPL) attenuation obtained is smaller than that measured; and (2) the results predicted by the numerical simulation is smoother, and the calculated SPL attenuation is larger than that measured. To effectively predict the sound field of long enclosures with branches, a combined numerical method is thus proposed. The effectiveness of the proposed combined method is demonstrated by the scale-model experiments.     

Estimation of directivity and sound power levels emitted by aircrafts during taxiing, for outdoor noise prediction purpose

Integrated noise model (INM) is the most internationally used software to calculate noise levels near airports. Take off, landing or pass by operations can be modeled by INM, but it does not consider aircrafts taxiing, which, in some cases, can be important to accurately evaluate and reduce airports’ noise assessment.Aircraft taxiing noise emission can be predicted using other prediction tools based on standards that describe sound attenuation during propagation outdoors. But these tools require data inputs that are not known: directivity and sound power levels emitted by aircraft during taxiing.This paper describes methods used to calculate directivity indexes and sound power levels, based on field measurements made in Madrid-Barajas Airport (Spain). Obtained results can be used as inputs for general purpose outdoor sound prediction software, which will be able to evaluate noise at airports vicinity as industrial noise.Directivity and sound power levels have been estimated in octave and third octave band terms, for several aircraft families.     

Study on sound propagation in long enclosures with a vertical or inclined branch of different dimensions

As there may be some branches in long enclosures, such as high-speed railway and freeway tunnels, it will make a difference in the sound propagation in long enclosures if we give more consideration to different designs of the branches at the onset of their construction. However, most researches on the sound propagation in long enclosures available are concerned with straight long enclosures. In this paper, the sound pressure level (SPL) attenuation, early decay time (EDT), and reverberation time (RT30) of long enclosures with a vertical or inclined branch of different dimensions have been studied by comparing experimental results from physical scale models of such enclosures with those of the straight long enclosure. This experimental investigation gives interesting results on the behavior of sound propagation in long enclosures with a vertical or inclined branch of different dimensions. When conducting engineering design for long tunnels of the high-speed railway or freeway, it would be appropriate to consider designing the branch of the tunnels into a widened left inclined or right inclined one to provide a better relative SPL than that of other branches with different dimensions. This study further reveals that with an inclined branch of different dimensions, the EDT of the long enclosure will be different. At both 500 and 1000 Hz 1/3 octave bands, the EDT is the shortest when the long enclosure has a left inclined branch and an extended left inclined branch, while the EDT is the longest when the long enclosure has a widened vertical branch. Generally speaking, in the near field (i.e. the source-receiver distance is shorter than the threshold distance), the EDT measurements are similar, while in the far field (i.e. the source-receiver distance exceeds the threshold distance), the EDT is the longest for the straight long enclosure, second longest for the long enclosure with a widened inclined branch, third longest for the long enclosure with a vertical branch, and the shortest for the long enclosure with an extended inclined branch, which is similar to the trend with RT30.     

Ensemble statistics of active and reactive sound intensity in reverberation rooms

This paper examines fundamental statistical properties of the active and reactive sound intensity in reverberant enclosures driven with pure tones. The existing theory for sound intensity in a diffuse sound field, which is based on Waterhouse's random wave model and therefore limited to the region of high modal overlap, is extended to the region of low modal overlap by taking account of the random fluctuations of the sound power emitted by the source that generates the sound field. The validity of the extended model is confirmed by experimental and numerical results.     

狭长封闭声场的近似圆锥束跟踪法模拟研究

狭长空间声传播特性研究对于地铁，长廊等场所的音质设计是非常有意义的，本文提出了模拟狭长封闭声场的近似圆锥束跟踪法，利用它研究了矩形和非矩形狭长声场的空间分布特性。仿真结果表明，对于狭长声场，经典扩散场理论并不适用，而利用本文的数值模拟方法能正确地分析这类声场的特性。     

含气泡液体中的非线性声传播

考虑到分布在液体中的气泡是声波在含气泡液体中传播时引起非线性的一个很重要的因素,本文研究了声波在含气泡液体中的非线性传播.将气体含量的影响引入到声波在液体中传播的方程中,从而得到声波在气液混合物中传播的数学模型.通过对该模型进行数值模拟发现,气体含量、驱动声场声压幅值及驱动声场作用时间均会影响到气液混合物中的声场分布及声压幅值大小.液体中的气泡会"阻滞"液体中声场的传播并将能量"聚集"在声源附近.对于连续大功率的驱动声场来说,液体中的气泡会"阻滞"气液混合物中声场及其能量的传播.     

高频聚焦超声声场和温度场的仿真研究

为探究临床常用的7 MHz高频聚焦超声在多层生物组织中的声传播以及毫秒级时间内的生物传热规律问题,基于Westervelt方程和Pennes传热方程,使用有限元方法建立高频聚焦超声辐照多层组织的非线性热黏性声传播及传热模型。首先分析了线性模型和非线性模型之间的差异,然后在非线性模型下探究换能器的参数对声场和温度场的影响。仿真结果显示：在7 MHz频率下,当换能器输出声功率超过5 W时,声波传播的非线性效应不可忽视(p <0.05);当声功率从5 W增大到15 W时,非线性模型与线性模型预测的温度偏差从20%增加到34.703%;高频聚焦超声波的非线性行为比低频更加显著,基频能量向高次谐波转移的程度增大,声功率为10 W和15 W时4次谐波与基波之比分别达到7.33%和12.12%;高频换能器参数的改变对组织中声场和温度场分布的影响较大,换能器焦距从12 mm减小到11.2 mm,焦点处最高温度增加了77%。结果表明,7 MHz聚焦超声的非线性声传播需要考虑到4次谐波的影响。该文提出的多层组织非线性仿真模型可为高频聚焦超声换能器参数优化及制定安全、有效的术前治疗方案提供理论参考。     

Prediction of reverberation time and speech transmission index in long enclosures

It is known that the sound field in a long space is not diffuse, and that the classic theory of room acoustics is not applicable. A theoretical model is developed for the prediction of reverberation time and speech transmission index in rectangular long enclosures, such as corridors and train stations, where the acoustic quality is important for speech. The model is based on an image-source method, and both acoustically hard and impedance boundaries are investigated. An approximate analytical solution is used to predict the frequency response of the sound field. The reverberation time is determined from the decay curve which is computed by a reverse-time integration of the squared impulse response. The angle-dependence of reflection coefficients of the boundaries and the change of phase upon reflection are incorporated in this model. Due to the relatively long distance of sound propagation, the effect of atmospheric absorption is also considered. Measurements of reverberation time and speech transmission index taken from a real tunnel, a corridor, and a model tunnel are presented. The theoretical predictions are found to agree well with the experimental data. An application of the proposed model has been suggested.     

Insertion loss of an acoustic enclosure

Acoustical enclosures are the common arrangements in reducing airborne noise from shipboard machinery such as engines and generators. In this paper the theoretical models, established based on statistical energy analysis, are presented for predicting the insertion loss of acoustical enclosures in different frequency ranges. In addition to the consideration of resonant modal coupling between internal sound field and enclosure structural vibration, the nonresonant transmission though and the interaction between enclosure walls in the models are also included. It is shown that the insertion loss of enclosures is mainly controlled by the nonresonant modes in the intermediate frequency range. At high frequencies, the insertion loss of enclosures can be improved by increasing the sound absorption at the internal boundaries of enclosures. Experiments were carried out on two enclosures made of different materials. The measured results are compared with the predicted values and the good agreement between them is the initial demonstration of the validity and feasibility of the theoretical models.     

小尺度封闭空间声场的无网格数值算法

无网格法是一种新兴的数值计算方法,具有不需要网格支持的特点。本文将该方法引入室内声学建模,推导了无网格声场数值计算模型,并将其应用于典型小尺度封闭空间内部声场的数值分析。针对声传递函数,将本方法与理论解和SYSNOISE计算结果进行了比较,并将计算的混响时间与实验测量结果作了对比,表明本方法具有良好的精度。     

Characterisation of valves as sound sources: Fluid-borne sound

The sound pressure level in receiving rooms, caused by taps at the ends of pipe systems, is considered. The structure-borne sound power, from the pipes to the supporting wall, was obtained from intensity measurement of the fluid-borne sound power of the tap. The fluid-borne sound power is combined with a ratio of structure-borne sound power to fluid-borne sound power, obtained from laboratory measurements of similar pipe assemblies. Alternatively, a reception plate method is proposed, which avoids the necessity for intensity measurements. The structure-borne power into walls, to which the pipe work is attached, provides input to the standard building propagation model, which yields the predicted sound pressure level in the adjacent room.     

Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of Temperature and Velocity Fields in a Furnace

In this paper a reconstruction method is presented, which allows the calculation of three-dimensional temperature and velocity fields in an industrial furnace by measuring the propagation times of sound waves. Transceiver systems working in a coal fired power station and reconstructing two-dimensional fields are well known. Referring to these real conditions, the idea was to use two measurement planes situated over each other and projecting the fields in the volume between them. Some simulations show that weak inhomogeneous fields can be well reconstructed, whereas in the presence of turbulent flow and noise a reconstruction is critical.     

三层平板结构声能流计算及传输规律

为了理解多层有源隔声结构的物理机理,同时优化被动隔声结构,需深入分析三层结构中声能量的传输规律。首先对三层板腔结构建模并求解系统的振动响应,然后用数值方法求解平板向封闭空间辐射声的声传输阻抗,并计算各层结构的辐射声功率。最后,通过分析各子系统所占的能量及各层结构四类模态组辐射声功率的变化获得声能量的传输规律。结果表明,按模态类型的不同,能量传输可等效认为存在四个传输通道,各通道的能量传输具有相似的带通特性,其成因在于不同的平板与空腔模态对的耦合强弱不同。      

Active control of acoustic reflection,absorption, and transmission using thin panel speakers

This paper explores the development of thin panels that can be controlled electronically so as to provide surfaces with desired reflection coefficients. Such panels can be used as either perfect reflectors or absorbers. They can also be designed to be transmission blockers that block the propagation of sound. The development of the control system is based on the use of wave separation algorithms that separate incident sound from reflected sound. In order to obtain a desired reflection coefficient, the reflected sound is controlled to appropriate levels. The incident sound is used as an acoustic reference for feedforward control and has the important property of being isolated from the action of the control system speaker. In order to use a panel as a transmission blocker, the acoustic pressure behind the panel is driven to zero. The use of the incident signal as a reference again plays a key role in successfully reducing broadband transmission of sound. The panels themselves are constructed using poster board and small rare-earth actuators. Detailed experimental results are presented showing the efficacy of the algorithms in achieving real-time control of reflection or transmission. The panels are able to effectively block transmission of broadband sound. Practical applications for these panels include enclosures for noisy machinery, noise-absorbing wallpaper, the development of sound walls, and the development of noise-blocking glass windows.     

An inversion modelling method to obtain the acoustic power of the noise sources in a large factory

A common problem for large factories that wish to decrease their environmental acoustic impact on neighbouring locations is to find out the acoustic power of every noise source. As these factories cannot stop their activity in order to measure each source individually, a procedure is needed to obtain the acoustic powers with the factory under normal operating conditions. Their contribution to the overall sound pressure level at each neighbouring location can then be found and it is possible to calculate the improvements obtained after any modification of the sources. In this paper an inversion modelling method is used to do so. Acoustic powers are obtained by means of field sound pressure level measurements and with the use of a sound propagation software. A careful analysis of the solution has been carried out by simulating errors on the measured data in order to detect possible correlations between the acoustic power of different sources and avoid misleading interpretations of the results. The whole methodology has been applied to a liquid-gas production factory.     

Proper orthogonal decomposition and cluster weighted modeling for sensitivity analysis of sound propagation in the atmospheric surface layer

Outdoor sound propagation predictions are compromised by uncertainty and error in the atmosphere and terrain representations, and sometimes also by simplified or incorrect physics. A model's predictive power, i.e., its accurate representation of the sound propagation, cannot be assessed without first quantifying the ensemble sound pressure variability and sensitivity to uncertainties in the model's governing parameters. This paper describes fundamental steps toward this goal for a single-frequency point source. The atmospheric surface layer is represented through Monin-Obukhov similarity theory and the acoustic ground properties with a relaxation model. Sound propagation is predicted with the parabolic equation method. Governing parameters are modeled as independent random variables across physically reasonable ranges. Latin hypercube sampling and proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) are employed in conjunction with cluster-weighted models to develop compact representations of the sound pressure random field. Full-field sensitivity of the sound pressure field is computed via the sensitivities of the POD mode coefficients to the system parameters. Ensemble statistics of the full-field sensitivities are computed to illustrate their relative importance at every down range location. The central role of sensitivity analysis in uncertainty quantification of outdoor sound propagation is discussed and pitfalls of sampling-based sensitivity analysis for outdoor sound propagation are described.     

室内声场无网格数值算法性能影响因素分析

基于室内无网格数值算法的理论和实验研究,本文进一步利用控制变量法,结合计算效率对影响计算精度的因素进行了全面分析,包括节点、高斯点的分布方式及其密度,以及构造无网格形函数过程中的基函数类型、权函数类型,并通过对一类基准问题的大量数据实验获得了适用于小尺度封闭空间的最佳支持域半径范围。基于有关结论对一个实际机舱进行了建模分析,将声压级计算值与测量值对比,验证了这些结论的正确性。