Sound transmission through finite lightweight multilayered structures with thin air layers

The sound transmission loss (STL) of finite lightweight multilayered structures with thin air layers is studied in this paper. Two types of models are used to describe the vibro-acoustic behavior of these structures. Standard transfer matrix method assumes infinite layers and represents the plane wave propagation in the layers. A wave based model describes the direct sound transmission through a rectangular structure placed between two reverberant rooms. Full vibro-acoustic coupling between rooms, plates, and air cavities is taken into account. Comparison with double glazing measurements shows that this effect of vibro-acoustic coupling is important in lightweight double walls. For infinite structures, structural damping has no significant influence on STL below the coincidence frequency. In this frequency region, the non-resonant transmission or so-called mass-law behavior dominates sound transmission. Modal simulations suggest a large influence of structural damping on STL. This is confirmed by experiments with double fiberboard partitions and sandwich structures. The results show that for thin air layers, the damping induced by friction and viscous effects at the air gap surfaces can largely influence and improve the sound transmission characteristics.     

Sound transmission at low frequencies through the walls of distorted circular ducts

A theoretical treatment of sound transmission through the walls of distorted circular ducts is given, for plane mode transmission within the duct. The transmission mechanism is essentially that of “mode coupling”, whereby higher structural modes in the duct walls are excited, because of the wall distortion, by the internal sound field. The theory is in two parts: an approximate analytical model for the structural response of the walls to the internal sound field, and a structural radiation model. Computed results, based on the theory, are compared to measurements on “long-seam” air conditioning ducts. Where the duct geometry can be reliably specified, reasonably good agreement is obtained between theoretical and experimental data. It is concluded that mode coupling effects serve to account for the discrepancies between ideal and observed behaviour in sound transmission through duct walls.     

Sound transmission in pipes with porous walls

Pipes with porous (permeable) walls have received the attention of several authors as a noise control element in automotive intake systems; however, a closed theory of sound transmission including the effect of the coupling of the internal and external acoustic fields and the presence of mean flow does not appear to be available. The present paper proposes an integro-differential system for the propagation of plane sound waves in pipes with porous walls, and presents its general numerical solution, as well as an approximate analytical solution. The predicted effect of the coupling between the internal and external acoustic fields in a circular pipe made of reinforced woven fabric walls is shown, and the transmission loss predictions are compared with the existing experimental data in the literature.     

Sound transmission loss of foam-filled honeycomb sandwich panels using statistical energy analysis and theoretical and measured dynamic properties

Comparisons between the experimental and predicted sound transmission loss values obtained from statistical energy analysis are presented for two foam-filled honeycomb sandwich panels. Statistical energy analysis (SEA) is a modeling procedure which uses energy flow relationships for the theoretical estimation of the sound transmission through structures in resonant motion. The accuracy of the prediction of the sound transmission loss using SEA greatly depends on accurate estimates of: (1) the modal density, (2) the internal loss factor, and (3) the coupling loss factor parameters of the structures. A theoretical expression for the modal density of sandwich panels is developed from a sixth-order governing equation. Measured modal density estimates of the two foam-filled honeycomb sandwich panels are obtained by using a three-channel spectral method with a spectral mass correction to allow for the mass loading of the impedance head. The effect of mass loading of the accelerometer is corrected in the estimations of both the total loss factor and radiation loss factor of the sandwich panels.     

An indirect hybrid sound transmission loss controller

The control of sound transmission through panels is an important noise control problem in the aerospace, aeronautical, and automotive industries. The trend towards using lightweight composite materials that have lower sound insulation performance is a negative factor regarding low frequency transmission loss. Double-panel partitions with the gap filled with sound absorption materials are often employed to improve the sound insulation performance with reduced added weight penalty. However, in the low frequency range, the strong coupling between the panels through the air cavity and mechanical paths may greatly reduce the sound transmission performance, making it even lower than the performance of a single panel in some frequency ranges. In this work, an experimental investigation of a new kind of hybrid (active/passive) acoustic actuator is presented. The idea consists of replacing the acoustic absorption material by a hybrid actuator aiming at improving the transmission loss at low frequencies without altering the passive attenuation. A prototype of the system is tested in a plane wave acoustic tube setup. Different kinds of SISO feedforward control implementations were used to attenuate the sound power transmitted through the hybrid active–passive panel using an error microphone or a particle velocity sensor placed downstream with respect to the sample panel. Measurement results of the transmission loss with active and hybrid attenuation are presented and discussed.     

Prediction of sound flanking transmission through two adjacent rooms within a residence building

Flanking transmission has significant effects on the overall sound insulation of two adjacent rooms within a residence building. This study investigates the mechanism of the sound flanking transmission by dividing it into several subsystems with the statistical energy analysis method. The sound energy equations of these subsystems are obtained first, and then,the sound transmissions on each flanking path are predicted and the dominant sound transmission path is determined by solving these equations and calculating the total loss factors of the subsystems and coupling loss factors between subsystems. With respect to a masonry building with heavy-weight homogeneous structure, the results show that:(1) the flanking transmission paths instead of the separating wall may become the dominant ones at low frequencies;(2) all sound transmissions on the flanking paths tend to be consistent at medium and high frequencies, so the sound insulation between two adjacent rooms depends on the direct path of the separating wall;(3) heavy-weight separating walls can be used to reduce the frequency range of the flanking transmission.     

Sound transmission of cavity walls due to structure borne transmission via point and line connections

The author has published equations for predicting the air borne sound transmission of double leaf cavity walls due to the structure borne sound transmission across the air cavity via (possibly resilient) line connections, but has never published the full derivation of these equations. The author also derived equations for the case when the connections are rigid point connections but has never used them or published them or their derivations. This paper will present the full derivation of the author's theory of the air borne sound transmission of double leaf cavity walls due to the structure borne sound transmission across the air cavity via point or line connections which are modeled as four pole networks. The theoretical results will be compared with experimental results on wooden stud cavity walls from the National Research Council of Canada because the screw spacing is given for these results. This enables connections via studs and screws to be modeled as point connections and avoids the need to make any assumptions about the compliance of the equivalent point or line connections.     

Experimental estimation of the transmission loss contributions of a sound package placed in a double wall structure

The objective of this paper is to propose a practical impedance tube method to optimize the sound transmission loss of double wall structure by concentrating on the sound package placed inside the structure. In a previous work, the authors derived an expression that breakdown the transmission loss of a double wall structure containing a sound absorbing blanket separated from the panels by air layers in terms of three main contributions; (i) sound transmission loss of the panels, (ii) sound transmission loss of the blanket and (iii) sound absorption due to multiple reflections inside the cavity. The sound transmission loss contributions of the blanket can thus be estimated from three acoustic measurements using impedance tube techniques: two reflection coefficients at the front face and the rear face of the blanket placed in specific positions characteristic of its position inside the double wall structure and its sound transmission coefficient. The method is first validated in the case of a double wall structure filled with a 2 in. foam material. Next, it is applied to investigate (i) the effect of frame compression of a 2 in. fibre glass in an aeronautic-type double wall structure and (ii) the effect of double porosity with or without porous inclusions in a building-type double wall structure.     

住宅建筑中相邻房间的侧向传声预测

侧向传声作为建筑中声传递的组成部分,对住宅的整体隔声效果具有重要的影响,通过将建筑中相邻房间的各建筑构件划分为若干子系统,应用统计能量分析(Statistical Energy Analysis,SEA)理论,从系统的声功率平衡的角度建立侧向传声的预测模型,在描述各路径的传声规律的同时确定主要传声路径。研究结果表明:当外围护结构为重质结构,且为匀质单一材料构造时,(1)在低频处,全程通过两相邻房间的侧墙或楼板的非通过隔墙的侧向路径成为主要侧向传声路径;(2)在中高频,各侧向路径的声压级差趋于一致,此时的建筑隔声性能取决于通过隔墙的直接路径上的声传递;(3)采用重质隔墙可以缩小侧向传声影响的频率范围。本研究为改善住宅的声环境质量及建筑隔声设计提供了理论依据。      

Mechanism and calculation of the niche effect in airborne sound transmission

The goal is to interpret and calculate the "niche effect" for the airborne sound transmission through a specimen mounted inside an aperture in the wall between the source and receiving reverberation rooms. The low-frequency sound insulation is known to be worse for the specimen placed at the center than for the specimen mounted at either edge of the aperture. As shown, the aperture with a tested specimen can be simulated at low frequencies as a triple partition where the middle element is the specimen and the role of the edge leaves is played by the air masses entrained at the aperture edges. With a centrally located specimen, such a triple system is symmetric and has two main natural frequencies close together. In this case, the resonant transmission is higher than for the edge arrangement simulated as a double system with one natural frequency. Analogous resonant phenomena are known to reduce the low-frequency transmission loss for symmetric triple windows or solid walls with identical air gaps and lightweight boards on both sides. The theoretical results obtained for the mechanical and acoustical models are in a good agreement with the experimental data.