The measurement of structure-borne sound transmission using impulsive sources

A simple method to measure structure-borne sound transmission is described. Measurement is made of the level difference in the acceleration between two structural elements using a plastic headed hammer as a noise source. The method is at least as accurate as conventional measurements made under steady-state conditions using continuous noise sources and can be carried out with less instrumentation on site and in about a tenth of the time.The portability of the source greatly simplifies the measurements as a hammer can be used to hit structures in a wide variety of positions whereas shakers can only be used in limited situations. In addition, attaching a shaker to a wall can damage the wall surface whereas, with care, a hammer hit will not.     

Design aspects of acoustic sensor networks for environmental noise monitoring

An increase in public awareness of noise pollution and the impact of noise on human health has led to the need for enhanced insight in complex noise situations. This insight is commonly obtained either by brief measurements or by evaluation of a simplified acoustic model. Both of these approaches however have limitations in complex noise situations. Noise monitoring can be an appropriate and cost efficient measure to obtain more insight, for it allows to measure at many locations for long periods of time. Monitoring can for example be used to improve the accuracy of models or to assess and respond to changes in the acoustic situation. Several monitoring approaches, for various applications, have been developed or are under development. In the first part of this paper an overview is given of current developments in acoustic monitoring networks and their key aspects. Sensor networks for environmental noise monitoring are here divided into four different categories, distinguished by five aspects: hardware costs, scalability, flexibility, reliability and accuracy. These five aspects determine the range of applications for which a network is suited. In the second part of this paper a monitoring network developed in-house is used to further illustrate the relevance of these aspects. This network was designed to facilitate research into the field of acoustic monitoring networks and is used to experiment with and learn from a broad field of applications.     

Assessment of amplitude modulation in environmental noise measurements

This paper introduces a method to assess the parameters of amplitude modulation as applicable to environmental noise monitoring tasks. It is based on the analysis of time histories of sound pressure levels correlated with a reference cosine signal. The method brings accurate results in situations where the time history does not exhibit a clear modulation pattern or the signal-to-noise ratio is poor. These features make the suggested technique attractive for practical implementation.     

Two Dimensional Array of Antenna-Coupled Microbolometers

Antenna-coupled microbolometers are known for having short time constants and high responsivity, but their small dimensions make them unsuitable for imaging applications where a typical pixel area is generally greater than 20 × 20 m². In this paper a two dimensional array of antenna-coupled microbolometers is demonstrated as an area receiver. Using the response of microbolometers to visible frequencies a two-dimensional diagnostic scan in the visible was performed on these arrays which allowed measurement of their homogeneity. Frequency response measurements gave time constants around 130 nsec, similar to the ones obtained for single element microbolometers which indicates that a detector of virtually any size can be fabricated without sacrificing time response. Response and noise measurements show lower noise and higher responsivity compared to single element microbolometers. These results make two-dimensional arrays of antenna-coupled microbolometers a promising option for development of pixels in infrared focal plane arrays.     

A note on the measurement of traffic noise in congested urban situations

In this note we briefly review the various positions adopted in the past for the measurement of traffic noise levels in different situations. The use of kerbside measurements is justified for congested urban situations where the interference from pedestrians and the obstruction caused by the measuring and recording equipment can present serious problems.     

噪音信号对夜间对流层臭氧探测准确度的影响

本文探讨在背景噪音影响下,差分吸收激光雷达测量臭氧的不确定性:背景噪音对臭氧浓度廓线的影响正比于背景噪音强度、强吸收波长和弱吸收波长的回波信号强度比.理论计算结果表明:合适的回波信号强度比可以使激光雷达背景信号对夜间臭氧探测浓度的影响变得非常小,可以忽略不计.实验结果表明:用波长对(280 nm,285 nm)对大气臭氧进行观测时,适当调节两波长回波信号强度比为0.96时,背景信号对臭氧浓度探测的影响小到可以忽略的程度.模拟分析和实验观测结果相接近,证实了理论推算的合理性.在背景噪音强度未知的情况下,通过调整强吸收和弱吸收两波长的激光脉冲的能量,在示波器上得到适合的回波信号强度比值,可以抑制背景噪音信号对臭氧探测结果的影响,确保夜间臭氧测量的准确性.     

Design and preliminary results of an interdisciplinary field study on urban noise

Herein is described a field study on noise situations and their effects in Hamburg, West Germany. The three main subjects of study have been to identify common sources of urban noise and acoustically describe the exposure, to investigate the effects on humans of noise exposure and to make an evaluation of noise effects and compare different kinds of noise in regard to annoyance. As the study has not yet been completed, only preliminary results are set forth.     

Modelling traffic noise mathematically

In this paper we describe a mathematical model for the prediction of traffic noise levels in an urban or suburban situation. The model is ultimately intended to provide an alternative to existing methods of prediction. At the present time, only noise levels produced by stationary sound sources have been considered.Any point in a chosen area is described by its grid co-ordinates. A detailed plan of the buildings or other structures in the area and the position(s) of the sound source(s) are needed as input to the model. Noise levels at all grid positions in the area are then calculated on the basis of the attenuation of sound due to direct propagation, diffraction and reflection.The results obtained so far are given and since the model is in an early stage of development, and has yet to be proved against measurements in real situations, possible refinements and future developments are discussed in some detail.     

Elevated measurement of traffic noise above an ideal reverberant city

Aerial noise measurement methods may be well suited to the determination of spatially-averaged traffic noise exposure levels, and could possibly be used as a means of assessing the long-term effectiveness of motor vehicle noise regulations. In this study two theoretical models are developed for some specific aerial measurement situations. Several characteristics of the models are examined. Limited experimental measurements agree well with theoretically predicted results; elevated measured noise levels are nearly proportional to the density of the traffic (in vehicles per unit area) on the city streets.     

Deterministic secure quantum communication over a collective-noise channel

We present two deterministic secure quantum communication schemes over a collective-noise. One is used to complete the secure quantum communication against a collective-rotation noise and the other is used against a collective-dephasing noise. The two parties of quantum communication can exploit the correlation of their subsystems to check eavesdropping efficiently. Although the sender should prepare a sequence of three-photon entangled states for accomplishing secure communication against a collective noise, the two parties need only single-photon measurements, rather than Bell-state measurements, which will make our schemes convenient in practical application.     

Sampling techniques for the estimation of the annual equivalent noise level under urban traffic conditions

This paper summarises 5 years of continuous noise measurements carried out at one of the most important squares in Valencia (Spain). The chosen square is a clear hotspot for traffic noise in a large city. The aim of this study is to determine the appropriate measuring time in order to obtain a 24-h noise level suitable to represent the annual equivalent level. Our findings allow us to reach a number of conclusions in terms of the most suitable urban traffic noise measurement techniques. A random day strategy for sampling is found to give a more accurate representation than a consecutive days strategy. If the sampling strategy involves measurements on randomly-chosen days, then at least 6 days should be used.     

The prediction of noise from urban traffic under interrupted flow conditions

A computer model is described for predicting noise levels generated by urban road traffic under interrupted flow conditions. The model is composed of two subsections. The first predicts the propagation characteristics of sound in typical street configurations and the second simulates the flow of road traffic in urban areas. The two subsections are combined to yield a model capable of predicting traffic noise levels in urban conditions.Predictions obtained from application of this model are compared with those given from application of predictive models based upon field measurements. The agreement between the predictions is good. It is shown that the model described in this paper can predict noise levels for situations which existing field-based models cannot handle.     

非高斯噪声激励下含周期信号FitzHugh-Nagumo系统的响应特征

研究了非高斯噪声激励下含周期信号的FHN模型的动力学行为. 通过计算神经元的平均响应时间、观察神经元的共振活化和噪声增强稳定现象,分析了非高斯噪声对神经元动力学行为的影响. 发现通过改变非高斯噪声的相关时间可以有效地改变共振活化和噪声增强稳定现象. 观察到在强相关噪声下不同强度的非高斯噪声抑制了神经元的噪声增强稳定现象而共振活化现象几乎不变,也就是非高斯噪声有效地增强了神经响应的效率. 观察了平均响应时间与非高斯噪声参数q之间的关系,当q为一个有限的小于1的值时,平均响应时间取得最小值. 最后表明在一定条件下,非高斯噪声出现重尺度现象,即非高斯噪声产生的效果可以由高斯白噪声来估计. 关键词： FHN神经系统 非高斯噪声 平均响应时间 共振活化现象     

Background noise levels in the United Kingdom

A model that allows the prediction of background noise level, for certain combinations of type of area, time of day and nearest major noise source, is proposed. The model has been deduced from multiple regression analysis of 1353 measurements made by Open University students. The standard error of each prediction is 10·2 dB(A). The large standard error of the model indicates the difficulty of estimating background levels solely on the basis of such parameters as are suggested in BS 4142:1967. Within the limitations on the accuracy of the model, which are discussed, it may be concluded that the notional background level as calculated by using the British Standard “Method of Rating Industrial Noise Affecting Mixed Residential and Industrial Areas” will over-estimate the actual background in the great majority of situations.     

A new algorithm of active suppression of noise signals in real time measurements

A new algorithm of the suppression of pickup noise and background in information signals in real time measurements is considered. This algorithm is based on a recurrent method of spectral-coefficient measurements of noise component in an analyzed signal and a recursive filtration algorithm for its suppression. Using recurrent calculations in the new algorithm makes it possible to perform a dynamic spectral measurements of information signals in real time, which are not possible to do by classical algorithms of spectral transformations due to time restrictions.     

A novel approach to the acoustic characterisation of porous road surfaces

Porous road surfaces offer an effective means of reducing the generation and propagation of noise from road traffic. However, the porosity of these surfaces can deteriorate over time, leading to a reduction in their noise reducing properties. Efficient methods are therefore required for monitoring this performance. Existing techniques for performing in-situ measurements of acoustic absorption are unsuitable for use within the traffic stream. Static measurements using time domain Maximum Length Sequence (MLS) based techniques have been demonstrated to offer advantages over traditional techniques, presenting the opportunity for measurements under dynamic conditions. This paper describes the design of a system for carrying out dynamic MLS-based measurements. Results are presented which demonstrate that stable dynamic measurements can be carried out at speeds of up to 30 km/h.     

Noise emission assessment of a hybrid electric mid-size truck

In the attempt to improve urban environmental conditions, city or national incentives encourage the use of cleaner vehicles, including hybrid electric vehicles. This paper explores the actual noise impact of this alternative drivetrain technology on the noise emission of a mid-size delivery truck powered by a parallel hybrid powertrain, compared with an equivalent internal combustion engine truck on the basis of pass-by noise measurements. It investigates jointly the overall emission, the main noise sources and the vertical directivity of the vehicle. The essential benefit results from the existence of a full-electric mode below 50 km/h, with a significant noise reduction which may exceed 8 dB(A) at low constant speed. Even if smaller, this noise advantage is still valuable when the vehicle is accelerating or braking. Due to weaker noise emitted upwards, the benefit should be even greater for residents living on upper building floors. The rolling noise associated with the drive wheel/road contact is the main noise source in all driving situations in electric mode, and beyond 50 km/h in the configurations with engine.     

强背景下混响时间的非线性滤波M序列相关测量

本文提出采用非线性滤波抑制在强背景噪声环境中用Ｍ－序列相关法得到的房间脉冲响应中的残余噪声影响，以扩大混响衰减曲线的动态范围，从而达到能够在强背景噪声环境下准确测量混响时间的目的。首先讨论了影响Ｍ序列相关法测量混响时间的几个因素。其次，采用非线性滤波进一步抑制背景噪声的影响。结果表明，非线性滤波的效果相当显著。本文还在非白噪声背景条件下用该法进行强背景下的混响时间测量，结果与传统测量结果符合得很好     

Raman-noise-induced noise-figure limit for chi(3) parametric amplifiers

The nonzero response time of the Kerr [chi(3)] nonlinearity determines the quantum-limited noise figure of chi(3) parametric amplifiers. This nonzero response time of the nonlinearity requires coupling of the parametric amplification process to a molecular-vibration phonon bath, causing the addition of excess noise through Raman gain or loss at temperatures above 0 K. The effect of this excess noise on the noise figure can be surprisingly significant. We derive analytical expressions for this quantum-limited noise figure for phase-insensitive operation of a chi(3) amplifier and show good agreement with published noise-figure measurements.