Sound generation by steady flow through glottis-shaped orifices

Although the signature of human voice is mostly tonal, it also includes a significant broadband component. Quadrupolelike sources due to turbulence in the region downstream of the glottis, and dipolelike sources due to the force applied by the vocal folds onto the surrounding fluid are the two primary broadband sound generating mechanisms. In this study, experiments were conducted to characterize the broadband sound emissions of confined stationary jets through rubber orifices formed to imitate the approximate shape of the human glottis at different stages during one cycle of vocal fold vibrations. The radiated sound pressure spectra downstream of the orifices were measured for varying flow rates, orifice shapes, and gas mixtures. The nondimensional sound pressure spectra were decomposed into the product of three functions: a source function F, a radiation efficiency function M, and an acoustic response function G. The results show that, as for circular jets, the quadrupole source contributions dominated for straight and convergent orifices. For divergent jets, whistling tonal sounds were emitted at low flow rates. At high flow rates for the same geometry, dipole contributions dominated the sound radiated by free jets. However, possible source-load acoustic feedback may have hampered accurate source identification in confined flows.     

Experimental verification of the quasi-steady approximation for aerodynamic sound generation by pulsating jets in tubes

Voice production involves sound generation by a confined jet flow through an orifice (the glottis) with a time-varying area. Predictive models of speech production are usually based on the so-called quasi-steady approximation. The flow rate through the time-varying orifice is assumed to be the same as a sequence of steady flows through stationary orifices for wall geometries and flow boundary conditions that instantaneously match those of the dynamic, nonstationary problem. Either the flow rate or the pressure drop can then be used to calculate the radiated sound using conventional acoustic radiation models. The quasi-steady approximation allows complex unsteady flows to be modeled as steady flows, which is more cost effective. It has been verified for pulsating open jet flows. The quasi-steady approximation, however, has not yet been rigorously validated for the full range of flows encountered in voice production. To further investigate the range of validity of the quasi-steady approximation for voice production applications, a dynamic mechanical model of the larynx was designed and built. The model dimensions approximated those of human vocal folds. Airflow was supplied by a pressurized, quiet air storage facility and modulated by a driven rubber orifice. The acoustic pressure of waves radiated upstream and downstream of the orifice was measured, along with the orifice area and other time-averaged flow variables. Calculated and measured radiated acoustic pressures were compared. A good agreement was obtained over a range of operating frequencies, flow rates, and orifice shapes, confirming the validity of the quasi-steady approximation for a class of relevant pulsating jet flows.     

Acoustic wave propagation in high-pressure system

Recently, substantial attention is paid to the development of methods of generation of pulsations in high-pressure systems to produce pulsating high-speed water jets. The reason is that the introduction of pulsations into the water jets enables to increase their cutting efficiency due to the fact that the impact pressure (so-called water-hammer pressure) generated by an impact of slug of water on the target material is considerably higher than the stagnation pressure generated by corresponding continuous jet. Special method of pulsating jet generation was developed and tested extensively under the laboratory conditions at the Institute of Geonics in Ostrava. The method is based on the action of acoustic transducer on the pressure liquid and transmission of generated acoustic waves via pressure system to the nozzle. The purpose of the paper is to present results obtained during the research oriented at the determination of acoustic wave propagation in high-pressure system. The final objective of the research is to solve the problem of transmission of acoustic waves through high-pressure water to generate pulsating jet effectively even at larger distances from the acoustic source. In order to be able to simulate numerically acoustic wave propagation in the system, it is necessary among others to determine dependence of the sound speed and second kinematical viscosity on operating pressure. Method of determination of the second kinematical viscosity and speed of sound in liquid using modal analysis of response of the tube filled with liquid to the impact was developed. The response was measured by pressure sensors placed at both ends of the tube. Results obtained and presented in the paper indicate good agreement between experimental data and values of speed of sound calculated from so-called "UNESCO equation". They also show that the value of the second kinematical viscosity of water depends on the pressure.     

亚音速轴流风扇后掠叶片定子与湍流互作用宽频辐射噪声预报

针对亚音速轴流风扇后掠叶片定子的宽频辐射噪声问题,介绍并推导了叶栅宽频辐射声功率计算公式,通过该公式计算后掠叶片定子的宽频辐射声功率级,并从湍流入流和叶栅响应的角度揭示后掠角对定子辐射噪声的影响机理。在此基础上,考虑到实际风扇定子工作在转子尾流中的情况,采用Gauss尾流模型模拟转子尾流,建立转子尾流湍流波数谱模型,推导得到定子叶片与转子尾流互作用的宽频辐射声功率计算公式。通过与NASA风扇试验模型对比得到,考虑转子尾流的定子叶栅宽频辐射声功率计算公式能够较好的预报后掠定子宽频辐射声功率。最后,针对试验风扇模型,分析叶片安装角、叶片弦长对后掠叶片定子辐射噪声的影响。      

Noise generation by instabilities in low Reynolds number supersonic jets

An experimental investigation of noise generation by instabilities in low Reynolds number supersonic air jets has been performed. Sound pressure levels, spectra and acoustic phase fronts were measured with a traversing condenser microphone in the acoustic field of axisymmetric, perfectly expanded, cold jets of Mach numbers 1·4, 2·1 and 2·5. Low Reynolds numbers in the range from Re = 3700 to Re = 8700 were obtained by exhausting the jets into an anechoic vacuum chamber test facility. This contrasts with Reynolds numbers of over 10⁶ for similar jets exhausting into atmospheric pressure. The flow fluctuations of the instability in all three jets have been measured with a hot-wire and the results are documented in a previous paper by Morrison and McLaughlin. Acoustic measurements show that the major portion of the sound radiated by all three jets is produced by the instability's rapid growth and decay that occurs near the end of the potential core. This takes place over a relatively short distance (less than two wavelengths of the instability) in the jet. In the lower two Mach number jets the instability has a phase velocity less than the ambient acoustic velocity. In the Mach number 2·5 jet the instability phase speed is 1·11 times the ambient acoustic velocity. In this case the acoustic phase fronts indicate the possibility of a Mach wave component. It was also determined that low level excitation at the dominant frequency of the instability actually decreased the radiated noise by suppressing the broad band component.     

Simplified models of flue instruments: influence of mouth geometry on the sound source

Flue instruments such as the recorder flute and the transverse flute have different mouth geometries and acoustical response. The effect of the mouth geometry is studied by considering the aeroacoustical response of a simple whistle. The labium of a transverse flute has a large edge angle (60 degrees) compared to that of a recorder flute (15 degrees). Furthermore, the ratio W/h of the mouth width W to the jet thickness h can be varied in the transverse flute (lips of the musician) while it is fixed to a value W/h approximately 4 in a recorder flute. A systematic experimental study of the steady oscillation behavior has been carried out. Results of acoustical pressure measurements and flow visualization are presented. The sharp edge of the recorder provides a sound source which is rich in harmonics at the cost of stability. The larger angle of the labium of the flute seems to be motivated by a better stability of the oscillations for thick jets but could also be motivated by a reduction of broadband turbulence noise. We propose two simplified sound source models which could be used for sound synthesis: a jet-drive model for W/h>2 and a discrete-vortex model for W/h<2.     

Experimental investigation of the influence of a posterior gap on glottal flow and sound

The influence of a posterior gap on the airflow through the human glottis was investigated using a driven synthetic model. Instantaneous orifice discharge coefficient of a glottal shaped orifice was obtained from the time-varying orifice area and the velocity distribution of the pulsated jet measured on the axial plane using a single hot-wire probe. Instantaneous orifice discharge coefficient values were found to undergo a cyclic hysteresis loop when plotted versus Reynolds number and time, indicating a pressure head increase and a net energy transfer from the air flow to the orifice wall. The net energy transferred was estimated to be around 10% of the value presumably required to achieve self-sustained oscillation. The radiated sound pressure was measured to characterize the influence of the minimum flow through the posterior gap on the broadband component of the radiated sound. The presence of a posterior gap was found to significantly increase the broadband sound level produced over the frequency range in which human hearing is most sensitive.     

The connection between sound production and jet structure of the supersonic impinging jet

An experimental investigation into the sound-producing characteristics of moderately and highly underexpanded supersonic impinging jets exhausting from a round convergent nozzle is presented. The production of large plate tones by impingement on a square plate with a side dimension equal to 12 nozzle exit diameters is studied using random and phase-locked shadowgraph photography. Discrete frequency sound is produced in the near-wall region of the jet when a Mach disk occurs upstream of the standoff shock wave. Tones cease when the plate distance is approximately 2.2 free-jet cell lengths and the first and second shock waves are located in the free-jet positions. The production of impulsive sound appears to be associated with the collapse of the standoff shock wave during a portion of the oscillation cycle. Results from unsteady plate-pressure measurements indicate that plane-wave motion occurs in the impingement region and a secondary pressure maximum is observed on the plate adjacent to the flow region where sound appears to originate.     

The ability of cochlear implant users to use temporal envelope cues recovered from speech frequency modulation

Previous studies have demonstrated that normal-hearing listeners can understand speech using the recovered "temporal envelopes," i.e., amplitude modulation (AM) cues from frequency modulation (FM). This study evaluated this mechanism in cochlear implant (CI) users for consonant identification. Stimuli containing only FM cues were created using 1, 2, 4, and 8-band FM-vocoders to determine if consonant identification performance would improve as the recovered AM cues become more available. A consistent improvement was observed as the band number decreased from 8 to 1, supporting the hypothesis that (1) the CI sound processor generates recovered AM cues from broadband FM, and (2) CI users can use the recovered AM cues to recognize speech. The correlation between the intact and the recovered AM components at the output of the sound processor was also generally higher when the band number was low, supporting the consonant identification results. Moreover, CI subjects who were better at using recovered AM cues from broadband FM cues showed better identification performance with intact (unprocessed) speech stimuli. This suggests that speech perception performance variability in CI users may be partly caused by differences in their ability to use AM cues recovered from FM speech cues.     

Frequency dependence and intensity fluctuations due to shallow water internal waves

A theory and experimental results for sound propagation through an anisotropic shallow water environment are presented to examine the frequency dependence of the scintillation index in the presence of internal waves. The theory of horizontal rays and vertical modes is used to establish the azimutal and frequency behavior of the sound intensity fluctuations, specifically for shallow water broadband acoustic signals propagating through internal waves. This theory is then used to examine the frequency dependent, anisotropic acoustic field measured during the SWARM'95 experiment. The frequency dependent modal scintillation index is described for the frequency range of 30-200 Hz on the New Jersey continental shelf.     

Measuring the neck frequency response function of laryngectomy patients: implications for the design of electrolarynx devices

Measurements of the neck frequency response function (NFRF), defined as the ratio of the spectrum of the estimated volume velocity that excites the vocal tract to the spectrum of the acceleration delivered to the neck wall, were made at three different positions on the necks of nine laryngectomized subjects (five males and four females) and four normal laryngeal speakers (two males and two females). A minishaker driven by broadband noise provided excitation to the necks of subjects as they configured their vocal tracts to mimic the production of the vowels /a/, /ae/, and /I/. The sound pressure at the lips was measured with a microphone and an impedance head mounted on the shaker measured the acceleration. The neck wall passed low-frequency sound energy better than high-frequency sound energy, and thus the NFRF was accurately modeled as a low-pass filter. The NFRFs of the different subject groups (female laryngeal, male laryngeal speakers, laryngectomized males, and laryngectomized females) differed from each other in terms of corner frequency and gain, with both types of male subjects presenting NFRFs with larger overall gains. In addition, there was a notable amount of intersubject variability within groups. Because the NFRF is an estimate of how sound energy passes through the neck wall, these results should aid in the design of improved neck-type electrolarynx devices.     

基于薄膜编码超表面的宽频超薄声散射体

该文提出了一种基于薄膜编码超表面的宽频超薄声散射体。利用附加质量块的薄膜和空气腔组成的薄膜结构构建了反射声波相位差接近180°的两种共振单元。将两种共振单元按照一定的顺序进行排列,可以组成深亚波长尺寸下的声学超表面。所构建的声学超表面可以产生宽频有效的散射声场。通过有限元仿真软件对多个频率的近场散射声场分布、远场声指向性和扩散系数进行了仿真计算,仿真结果显示,该散射体可以高效地散射入射声波,并且散射效果在一定的频率范围内是宽频有效的。     

Instantaneous orifice discharge coefficient of a physical, driven model of the human larynx

The quasisteady approximation is often made in the study of phonatory aerodynamics to facilitate the modeling of time-varying air flows through the self-oscillating vocal folds. The unsteady, pulsating flow is approximated by a sequence of steady flows through representative configurations of the vocal folds at rest. Previous studies have discussed the accuracy of this approximation for a range of orifice geometries, and flow conditions. The purpose of the present study was to further evaluate the quasisteady approximation experimentally using an improved procedure, from a direct comparison between the discharge coefficients of steady jets through fixed orifices and unsteady jets through modulated orifices of identical shape, area, and transglottal pressures at a given time. Life-scale convergent and divergent glottis-shaped rubber orifices were used in a rigid-walled tube and a low Mach number flow representative of human phonation. It was found that the quasisteady approximation is valid during 70% of the duty cycle, when the Reynolds number was above 3000, for a frequency of oscillations of 100 Hz. The steady form of Bernoulli's equation along a streamline, and Bernoulli's flow obstruction theory were found to be reasonably accurate for the unsteady flows. These models break down at low Reynolds numbers, near the beginning and the end of the duty cycle, due to viscous effects and to the influence of flow displaced by the motion of the walls.     

Soliton excitation in the pass band of the transmission line based on modulation

We numerically investigate the excitation of soliton waves in the nonlinear electrical transmission line formed by many cells. When the periodic driving voltage with frequency in the pass band closing to the cutoff frequency is applied to the endpoint of the whole line, the soliton wave can be generated. The numerical results show that the soliton wave generation mainly depends on the self modulation associated with the nonlinear effect. In this study, the lower subharmonic component is also observed in the frequency spectrum. To further understand this phenomenon, we study the dependence of the subharmonic power spectrum and frequency on the forcing amplitude and frequency numerically, and find that the subharmonic frequency increases with the gradual growth of the driving amplitude.     

球形传声器阵列下基于主导声源检测MUSIC群时延算法的多声源定位*

针对混响环境中,多径效应、散射、衍射等原因导致声源定位失败或分辨能力不足的现象,提出一种基于主导声源检测MUSIC群时延的邻近多声源定位方法。该方法采用球形传声器阵列,相比平面阵列可以捕获3D声场信息,利用球谐域下信号的频率分量与角度分量解耦的优势,从而可直接利用频率平滑技术处理宽带语声信号而不需要构造聚焦矩阵,并在球谐域下通过设置阈值对一组时频段进行主导声源检测,从而选择出包含直达声的一组时频块来构造MUSIC群时延空间谱。上述举措在提升波达方向估计在高混响环境下定位鲁棒性的同时,也提高了多个邻近声源的分辨能力。仿真实验结果表明,所提出的主导声源检测MUSIC群时延算法,在高混响和低信噪比条件下,仍具有更好的定位精度与更优的邻近多声源分辨效果。     

Broadband flow-induced sound control using plasma actuators

Plasma actuators were used in this work to control flow-induced broadband noise radiated from a bluff body. The model consists of a cylinder and a component (torque link) that is installed on the lee side of the cylinder. The objective is to reduce the broadband noise mainly generated through the impingement of the cylinder wake on the torque link. The flow-structure interactions between the cylinder wake and the torque link are reduced by manipulating the cylinder wake with the externally imposed body force from the plasma actuators, which lead to the attenuation of the broadband noise. The control performance with the plasma actuators is studied in an anechoic chamber facility by examining far-field sound level and near-field acoustic source changes. At a free stream speed of 30 m/s, corresponding to the Reynolds number of 2.1×10⁵, far-field measurements suggested that a reduction of up to 3.2 dB in overall sound pressure level. The near-field beamforming results also show approximately 3 dB reduction in the interested frequency ranges. The physical mechanisms related to broadband noise control were also discussed. This work suggests that plasma actuators offer the potential for solving flow-induced noise control problem at broadband frequencies.     

An experimental study of jet noise part II: Shock associated noise

The characteristics of the sound field of shock-containing under-expanded jet flows are studied by measuring the noise from a convergent nozzle operated over an extensive envelope of supercritical jet operating conditions. The measurements were conducted in an anechoic facility. They are complementary to the turbulent mixing noise experiments (described in Part I) for subsonic and fully-expanded (shock-free) supersonic jets. The overall results from shock-containing jets are compared directly with the corresponding results from shock-free jets, and the effects of nozzle pressure ratio and jet exhaust temperature on broadband shock-associated noise are assessed independently. For a supersonic jet, the regimes of jet operating conditions, observer angles, and frequencies over which the sound field is dominated by shock-associated noise are identified. Finally, the spectral results are compared in a preliminary manner with the spectra predicted by an existing theoretical model, and good agreement is obtained in most cases.     

Roles of initial condition and vortex pairing in jet noise

This is a study of the effect of initial condition on sound generated by vortex pairing in a low Mach number, cold air jet (0·15 ⩽ M ⩽ 0·35). Data has been taken, both flow velocity fields and sound pressure far fields, in a quality anechoic facility, with careful documentation of the effect of initial condition on the sound field of jets of two different geometries (i.e., circular and elliptic). Explanations are presented for most of the observed effects by applying Möhring's theory of vortex sound to vortex filament models of coherent structures in the jets. The explanations also draw upon experience with coherent structure dynamics. The sound source of interest here is that associated with the pairing of shear layer vortices. The evolution of these vortices is greatly affected by the initial condition as is their resultant sound field. The elliptic jets with laminar boundary layers show azimuthal directivity, namely, sound pressure levels in the minor axis plane were greater than in the major axis plane. This difference decreases as the nozzle boundary layer undergoes natural transition with increasing jet speed. When the nozzle boundary layer is tripped, making it fully turbulent and removing the shear layer mode of pairing, the elliptic jet sound fields become nearly axisymmetric. What appears to be the most acoustically active phase of vortex pairing has been modeled, and the resulting sound field calculated for the circular jet. Supporting evidence is found in the experimental data for the validity of this model. The model explains the connection between the initial condition and the far field sound of jets. Interestingly, a general result of Möhring's theory is that motions of vortex rings (of any arbitrary shape) can produce only axisymmetric sound fields if the rings remain in a plane. This implies that the observed asymmetric directivity of the laminar elliptic jet sound field must be due to non-planar ring motions of the vortical structures. The primary contribution of this paper is to examine quantitatively the role of vortex pairing in the production of jet noise; the results are used to reemphasize that “pairing noise” cannot be dominant in most practical jet sound fields, contrary to claims by other researchers.     

A case study of localization and identification of noise sources from a pitch and a stall regulated wind turbine

We have experimentally identified the noise-generation mechanisms of large modern upwind wind turbines (WTs). First, the sound measurement procedures of IEC 61400-11 were used in the field test, and noise emissions from two WTs were evaluated: a stall-controlled WT with powers of 1.5 MW and a pitch-regulated WT with powers of 660 kW. One-third octave band levels were normalized using the scale law for the velocity dependence of the inflow broadband noise and airfoil self-noise. The results showed that for the 1.5 MW WT, inflow turbulence noise was dominant over the whole frequency range. For the 660 kW WT, the inflow broadband noise did not contribute across the whole audible frequency range. The distribution of noise sources in the rotor plane was visualized using a beam-forming measurement system (B&K 7768, 7752, and WA0890) consisting of 48 microphones. The array results for the 660 kW WT indicated that all noise was produced during the downward movement of the blades. This finding was in good agreement with theoretical results obtained using an empirical formula that includes the effects of the convective amplification, directivity, and flow-speed dependence of the turbulence boundary-layer trailing edge noise. This agreement implies that this trailing edge noise is dominant over the whole frequency range in the case of the 660 kW WT.     

散射条件下声源分离及参数获取的平行障板方法*

声纳系统或水声设备湿端不可避免存在某些散射体,克服散射体干扰对声源本身辐射特性进行测量目前还缺乏简捷有效的方法。依据刚性圆盘散射规律,通过有限元建模分析了与观察方向平行布设的刚性圆盘对声源辐射特性的影响规律,结果表明：在满足远场条件时,在较小的允许误差范围内观察轴线上声压幅值分布与引入平行障板无关。并在此基础上尝试提出一种简捷有效的平行障板方法,实现散射条件下声源分离与参数获取。通过有限元仿真分析,在1~20kHz频率范围内,半径0.4m厚8mm的钢板对脉动圆管声源级分离测量引入误差在&amp;amp;#177;0.6dB以内。