Prediction of the sound field into high-rise building facades due to its balcony ceiling form

This study presents the acoustic performance off tall building facades closed to roadway due to one of balcony configurations, namely ceiling, with an inclined form in terms of traffic noise reduction. Three inclined angles are tested (5,10, and 15°) with different balcony depths by using a Pyramid Tracing model developed by A. Farina. The results in terms of A-weighted sound pressure level reduction are expressed in free field into the balcony back wall. The protection level, defined as the difference in noise levels before and after inserting the proposed balcony form, has been used to assess the reduction offered by that configuration. A maximum reduction due to using these forms is obtained at higher floors and at balcony of 2 m depths and more. As a consequence of simulation results, it is found that the prediction of protection levels from 10th to 15th floor can be calculated from an empirical equation.     

The acoustic performance of building façades in hot climates: Part 2—Closed balconies

The acoustic protection afforded by a balcony open to the street but enclosed on all other sides was investigated by means of one-tenth scale models. The results indicate that the protection is slight and the frequency invariant when the receiver is exposed to a direct path. The protection increases with increased sound incident angle and balcony depth and becomes frequency dependent when the direct path between source and receiver is screened.In general, the protection measured by the author, using scale models, compared well with the full-scale measurements of other workers. The measured protection of a balcony is considerably improved when perforated screens of unusual geometry are installed.A maximum protection due to these screens is obtained at first and second floor levels and at balcony depths of 2 m and less.     

A simple formula for evaluating the acoustic effect of balconies in protecting dwellings against road traffic noise

This study explores the noise reducing effect of a balcony and describes the development of a simple theory pertaining to the propagation of traffic noise from a road into a balcony. A new methodology is proposed that is based on the well-known prediction scheme—“Calculation of Road Traffic Noise” (CRTN)—developed in the UK. A geometrical ray theory is developed for the prediction of noise levels inside a balcony due to road traffic. The source level of road traffic noise is obtained as per the standard CRTN methodology. However, road sub-segmentations and new approaches for the prediction of noise levels at illuminated and shadow zones inside a balcony are proposed. Field measurements have been conducted on four different types of balcony to validate the proposed methodology. The insertion loss, defined as the difference in the noise levels with and without the presence of a balcony, has been used to assess the shielding effectiveness of a balcony against road traffic noise. The simple theory is validated by outdoor field measurements. It is also found that a properly designed balcony can provide considerable screening effects in protecting dwellings against road traffic noise.     

Simulating the effect of acoustic treatment types for residential balconies with road traffic noise

Development of design guides to estimate the difference in speech interference level due to road traffic noise between a reference position and balcony position or façade position is explored. A previously established and validated theoretical model incorporating direct, specular and diffuse reflection paths is used to create a database of results across a large number of scenarios. Nine balcony types with variable acoustic treatments are assessed to provide acoustic design guidance on optimised selection of balcony acoustic treatments based on location and street type. In total, the results database contains 9720 scenarios on which multivariate linear regression is conducted in order to derive an appropriate design guide equation. The best fit regression derived is a multivariable linear equation including modified exponential equations on each of nine deciding variables, (1) diffraction path difference, (2) ratio of total specular energy to direct energy, (3) distance loss between reference position and receiver position, (4) distance from source to balcony façade, (5) height of balcony floor above street, (6) balcony depth, (7) height of opposite buildings, (8) diffusion coefficient of buildings and (9) balcony average absorption. Overall, the regression correlation coefficient, R², is 0.89 with 95% confidence standard error of ±3.4 dB.     

Traffic noise reduction at balconies on a high-rise building façade

The performance of balconies with ceiling-mounted reflectors on a high-rise building fac?ade is examined using numerical analyses and scale-model experiments. The reflectors are designed to reflect direct and diffracted waves incident on the ceiling outside the balcony. The sound pressure reduction, provided by the reflectors, on a window surface adjacent to the balcony is evaluated at intermediate floors levels. In terms of A-weighted sound pressure levels, a balcony equipped with reflectors reduces road traffic noise by 7-10 dB(A), compared to an ordinary balcony, at incident angles of noise close to the angle for which the reflectors are designed. The efficiency is roughly the same as, or greater than, that of a balcony with an absorbent ceiling. However, it is also shown that when the vertical incident angle of the noise is smaller than the design angle of the reflectors, or the horizontal incident angle is large, efficiency is reduced.     

Noise screening effects of balconies on a building facade

The insertion loss and its spectrum due to a rectangular balcony on a building facade in the presence of sound reflection and scattering from adjacent balconies were examined using a scale model. The front panel of the balcony dictates the screening performance, while the side walls of the balcony are found to be insignificant. Balconies without a front panel do not provide acoustic protection in the presence of upper balcony reflection, especially for a distant noise source. Sound amplifications are also observed in many cases. In addition, the shapes of the insertion loss spectra are found to depend on the elevation angle of the balcony. Significant correlations between the A-weighted balcony insertion losses with this angle are found in the absence of upper balcony reflections. With such reflection, an angle defined using the balcony configuration and source position correlates within engineering tolerance to the insertion losses.     

Full scale model investigation on the acoustical protection of a balcony-like façade device (L)

The acoustical insertion losses produced by a balcony-like structure in front of a window are examined experimentally. The results suggest that the balcony ceiling is the most appropriate location for the installation of artificial sound absorption for the purpose of improving the broadband insertion loss, while the side walls are found to be the second best. Results also indicate that the acoustic modes of the balcony opening and the balcony cavity resonance in a direction normal to the window could have a great impact on the one-third octave band insertion losses. The maximum broadband road traffic noise insertion loss achieved is about 7 dB.     

基于改进声线跟踪法的室内交通噪声动态模拟

对碰撞点的有效性判断是传统声线跟踪法的一个重要步骤,在计算复杂的室内空间问题时计算量较大,为解决这一问题采用了一种与空间剖分相结合的改进的声线跟踪法。将该方法与微观交通流仿真和车辆噪声排放模型进行结合,实现了道路交通噪声透过窗户在多连通室内空间传播的动态模拟。最后采用该方法对相同道路和交通流条件下不同建筑朝向的4种布局室内噪声进行动态模拟。分析了室内交通噪声的大小和分布与建筑物布局、窗户的朝向、窗户的形式和面积等因数之间的关系。结果表明:窗户正对道路的房间比窗户侧对道路的房间噪声高4～6 d B(A),房间内等效声级与窗户面积的对数成正比关系。     

Scale model study of balcony insertion losses on a building façade with non-parallel line sources

The screening effect of balconies on a building façade in the case where the noise source is not parallel to the façade is studied using scale model experiment in the present study. Results show that the angle of source inclination to the façade has substantial effects on the balcony insertion loss in the presence of a traffic noise spectrum. Less amount of noise amplification is observed when the source is inclined compared to the case of parallel source in the presence of balcony ceiling reflections. Regression formulae in terms of three independent angles which determine the positions of the balcony and its ceiling relative to the noise source are developed for the prediction of balcony insertion loss. The discrepancy between measurements and predictions is within engineering tolerance.     

高层住宅阳台降噪量的计算分析

高层住宅中的阳台不仅具有居住及建筑上的功能,对道路交通噪声也有衰减作用。本文通过建立噪声传播模型计算高层住宅阳台的插入损失,并探讨了影响阳台降噪量的一些因素。同时对阳台内部吸声处理的效果进行了理论预测。     

Hybrid active and passive control of fan noise

This paper deals with the global reduction of axial flow fan noise in ducts in a building using a hybrid passive-active noise control method. The effectiveness of using an infra-red device as a reference signal source is also investigated. It is shown that using such a hybrid noise control system over an axial-flow fan reduces the overall sound pressure level by 5 dB(A) in the surrounding environment and global control of the blade passing frequency can also be achieved. This paper also shows that using an infra-red device as a reference signal source produces marginally better control as compared with using a microphone reference sensor. Moreover, long term stability is guaranteed and the possibility of acoustic feedback is eliminated.     

Prediction and Limitations of Noise Maps Developed for Heterogeneous Urban Road Traffic Condition: A Case Study of Surat City,India

Road traffic noise pollution has been recognized as a serious issue which affects human health as well as affects urban regions. Noise maps are very beneficial to identify the impact of noise pollution. A noise mapping study performed to study the propagation of noise in tier-II city along with field measurements. The noise maps are developed using a computer simulation model (SoundPLAN essential 4.0 software). The noise prediction models like U.K’s CoRTN, Germany’s RLS-90, and their modified versions, which can be used for homogenous road traffic conditions, cannot be successfully applied in heterogeneous road traffic conditions of India. In developing country like India, road traffic noise pollution depends on the composition of heterogeneous traffic volume, variance in road geometrical, honking conditions, un-authorized parking, and varying density of the building on either side of the road. These traffic compositions contain vehicles, which have different sizes, speeds variations, a different dimension of vehicles. Because of fluctuating speeds, lack of lane disciplines, and un-authorized parking on main road lanes, honking events becomes inevitable, which changes and affects the urban soundscape of nations like India. Analysis of noise maps showed that horn honking due to un-authorized parked vehicles contributed an additional increase up to 11 dB (A) noise, which is quite significant.     

Design and experimental tests of active control barriers for low-frequency stationary noise reduction in urban outdoor environment

Active noise control (ANC) techniques are based on the emission of an antiphase signal in order to cancel the noise produced by a primary source. ANC has been successfully applied especially for reducing noise in confined environments, such as headphones and ducts. In this study, we present an application of ANC concepts to the design of an anti-noise barrier for an outdoor environment and its experimental testing. Even though passive techniques are effective in noise reduction at middle-high frequencies, they become less efficient at low frequencies (below 300 Hz) due to the limited dimensions of commonly deployable barriers. In this paper, we analyze the properties of a low-cost active noise system able to efficiently operate on stationary, almost pure-tone, low-frequency noise, such as that produced by electrical transformers and reactors in power and transformation plants. A prototype has been implemented and on-the-field experimental tests have been carried out. The results (confirmed also by numerical simulations) demonstrate a remarkable efficiency in the far field, with a reduction up to 15 dB with respect to the absence of the ANC system.     

高超噪比宽带毫米波噪声信号光子学产生研究

受电子器件工作频率及功率的限制,传统电子学方法产生的噪声源的超噪比通常小于20 dB,针对这一问题,本文提出了一种基于非相干光拍频产生高超噪比宽带毫米波噪声技术.首先,用两个光滤波器对宽带放大自发辐射光源进行滤波整形.将获得的两束频率不同的放大自发辐射光耦合进入光电探测器进行拍频,从而产生电噪声信号.理论分析发现,通过...     

Effects of urban morphology on the traffic noise distribution through noise mapping: A comparative study between UK and China

Due to the rapid urban development and massive population increase in many eastern cities, the difference in urban density and morphology between typical western and eastern cities is becoming significant. This consequently makes the noise distribution in the eastern cities rather different from typical low density European cities. In this research, two representative cities with different urban densities, Greater Manchester in the UK and Wuhan in China, were selected, which have low and high average urban density respectively, and also have considerable differences in building form and traffic pattern. In the mean time, these two cities have similar urban scale and traffic amount. In each city, based on the urban morphological analyses considering urban land-use, building and road density, and noise source distribution, a number of typical urban areas, 500 * 500 m² each, were sampled. A noise-mapping software package was then used to generate generic noise maps, based on existing digital vector maps for terrain and building, and traffic data obtained by on-site measurements. The comparison results show that the average and minimum noise level in Greater Manchester samples is generally higher than that in Wuhan samples, while the maximum noise level in Wuhan samples is mostly higher. By developing a Matlab program, correlations have been analysed between noise distributions and the urban characteristics relating to urban density, such as the road and building coverage ratio. Overall, comparisons between these two typical cities have shown significant effects of urban morphology on the traffic noise distribution.     

Measuring,modelling and optimising an embedded rail track

A finite element (FE) model and a boundary element (BE) model have been developed to predict the decay rate, vibration and noise responses of an embedded rail track. These models are validated using measured results. The optimisation of the embedded rail track is conducted using these calculated models. The results indicate that the optimised cross-section of the gutter for the embedding rail can significantly reduce the radiated noise of the embedded rail track. The embedded rail track using the I-shaped cross-section gutter reduces the radiated noise of the track by at least by 3 dB(A). Furthermore, combining the material parameter optimisation with the gutter cross-section optimisation can further reduce the radiated noise of the embedded rail track. Increasing the Young’s modulus of the rail pad in the embedded rail track with the I-shaped cross-section gutter can result in a radiated noise reduction of 4 dB(A).     

Appraisal of Urban Road Traffic Noise in tier-II City (Surat City), India

Urban road traffic noise pollution has always been identified as a severe problem that affects urban populants. In developing nation, road traffic noise pollution depends on the composition of heterogeneous traffic composition. These traffic compositions contain vehicles, which have different sizes, speeds variations, a different dimension of vehicles. Environmental noise measurements have been carried out during day-time and night-time in different locations of tier-II city of India. The noise levels have been continuously measured over 24 h periods using kimo DB 300 class-2 noise level meter. The data contained in this research paper represent 768 measurement hours. All the information has been used to investigate the time patterns of the noise levels under a wide range of different conditions and to study the relationships between noise levels and traffic in urban areas. Maximum L_Aeq was observed 73.3 dB(A) at B₁₄ location and the minimum was recorded 65.7 dB(A) at C₃ location, which was greater than the central pollution control board (CPCB) prescribed limits during night time. A major reason for the generation of road traffic noise is due to the equal composition of 2-wheeler and 4-wheeler on the arterial road and heavy vehicles were recorded during morning peak and evening peak even though they are prohibited during peak hours.     

Traffic noise reduction due to the screening effect of balconies on a building façade

In this paper we discuss the use of self-protecting buildings as a means of reducing traffic noise nuisance. The results obtained from a computer model of one self-protecting configuration, namely a closed balcony shielding a window into a room, are compared with measurements made on a 1:10 scale model of this situation. From a comparison of these results an empirical equation is given which permits the benefits of a closed balcony to be predicted from the application of standard noise screen formulae.Since the degree of annoyance experienced by people exposed to traffic noise has been shown to be influenced by temporal variations of level, the computer model was extended to enable the effect of the balcony on this variability to be assessed.     

NUMERICAL MODELLING OF THE SOUND FIELDS IN URBAN STREETS WITH DIFFUSELY REFLECTING BOUNDARIES

A radiosity-based theoretical/computer model has been developed to study the fundamental characteristics of the sound fields in urban streets resulting from diffusely reflecting boundaries, and to investigate the effectiveness of architectural changes and urban design options on noise reduction. Comparison between the theoretical prediction and the measurement in a scale model of an urban street shows very good agreement. Computations using the model in hypothetical rectangular streets demonstrate that though the boundaries are diffusely reflective, the sound attenuation along the length is significant, typically at 20-30 dB/100 m. The sound distribution in a cross-section is generally even unless the cross-section is very close to the source. In terms of the effectiveness of architectural changes and urban design options, it has been shown that over 2-4 dB extra attenuation can be obtained either by increasing boundary absorption evenly or by adding absorbent patches on the façades or the ground. Reducing building height has a similar effect. A gap between buildings can provide about 2-3 dB extra sound attenuation, especially in the vicinity of the gap. The effectiveness of air absorption on increasing sound attenuation along the length could be 3-9 dB at high frequencies. If a treatment is effective with a single source, it is also effective with multiple sources. In addition, it has been demonstrated that if the façades in a street are diffusely reflective, the sound field of the street does not change significantly whether the ground is diffusely or geometrically reflective.     

基于新型长周期光纤光栅的掺铒光纤放大器

报道了基于高频CO₂激光脉冲写入的新型长周期光纤光栅的低噪音掺铒光纤放大器,这种新型长周期光纤光栅是用大约几千Hz的高频CO₂激光脉冲对光纤玻璃热冲击作用而形成的.在铒纤中插入一个长周期光纤光栅,会明显减少掺铒光纤放大器的放大自发辐射(ASE)噪音.报道了两种低噪音掺铒光纤放大器,作为前置放大器和线路放大器,它们的ASE噪音指数分别从4.0 dB减少到3.5 dB和从4.8 dB减少到4.3 dB,并且在作为线放时,其小信号增益从30 dB提高到37 dB,降噪及提高增益效应十分显著.