Combustion process in a spark ignition engine: dynamics and noise level estimation

We analyze the experimental time series of internal pressure in a four cylinder spark ignition engine. In our experiment, performed for different spark advance angles, apart from the usual cyclic changes of engine pressure we observed additional oscillations. These oscillations are with longer time scales ranging from one to several hundred engine cycles depending on engine working conditions. Based on the pressure time dependence we have calculated the heat released per combustion cycle. Using the time series of heat release to calculate the correlation coarse-grained entropy we estimated the noise level for internal combustion process. Our results show that for a larger spark advance angle the system is more deterministic.     

Hysteresis curves and loops for harmonic and impulse perturbations in some non-equilibrium gases

Evolution of sound in a relaxing gas whose properties vary in the course of wave propagation, is studied. A relaxing medium may reveal normal acoustic properties or be acoustically active. In the first case, losses in acoustic energy lead to an increase in internal energy of a gas similarly as it happens in Newtonian fluids. In the second case, acoustic energy increases in the course of sound propagation, and the internal energy of a medium decreases. Variations in the internal energy of a gas are proportional to some generic parameter, the sign of which is responsible for acoustical activity, and depends on intensity and shape of the sound waveform. Hysteresis curves in the plane of thermodynamic states are plotted. Curves for harmonic and several aperiodic sound impulses are plotted, discussed and compared.     

Experimental investigation on the sound pressure level for a high thermal capacity burner during a running cycle

In many research or technical expertise studies the maximum noise level of a boiler is associated with the maximum thermal load of the burner. However, this type of air injected burners presents a complex running cycle with different functioning periods, where different parts (engine, fan, flame) of the burner are running separately or in the same time. In this study we are focused on the analysis, by experimental measurements, of the entire functioning cycle of a boiler by pointing out the noise differences and their importance when doing an experimental acoustical investigation. The entire 1/3 octave spectrum of the sound pressure level (SPL) was recorded during a complete running cycle by means of logging software associated to the sound meter. The sound equivalent level was calculated for each period of the running cycle and compared to the norms and with two theoretical prediction models that take into account the heating power and the boiler room volume. It was found that the most accurate data are obtained when the measurements are done in one-third octave. The maximum noise level was established to be not for the maximum thermal load period, but for the ventilation period of the boiler (before gas injection) with 82.1 dB at 125 Hz. A shut down delay was detected at the end of the cycle with 13 s for higher frequencies, due to the vibration of the boiler parts. Two 3D graphical representations point out the most important frequencies characterizing each running state of the burner. Compared to the noise curve (NC85) the minimum differences between the admissible values and the ones produced by the burner were found to be around 5.5 dB and therefore no acoustical treatment was needed. The results of the SPL prediction models matched the experimental data only for some of the boiler cycle periods and for only some of the frequencies. This type of detailed experiment investigation of the burner noise highlights the periods of the running cycle and the frequencies where the noise level requires acoustical treatment.     

Blind separation of sound sources from the principle of least spatial entropy

The aim of the paper is to offer a method for separating incoherent and compact sound sources which may overlap in both the space and frequency domains. This is found of interest in acoustical applications involving the identification and ranking of sound sources stemming from different physical origins. The principle proceeds in two steps, the first one being reminiscent to source reconstruction (e.g. as in near-field acoustical holography) and the second one to blind source separation. Specifically, the source mixture is first expanded into a linear combination of spatial basis functions whose coefficients are set by backpropagating the pressures measured by an array of microphones to the source domain. This leads to a formulation similar, but no identical, to blind source separation. In the second step, these coefficients are blindly separated into uncorrelated latent variables, assigned to incoherent “virtual sources”. These are shown to be defined up to an arbitrary rotation. A unique set of sound sources is finally recovered by searching for that rotation (by conjugate gradient descent in the Stiefel manifold of unitary matrices) which maximizes their spatial compactness, as measured either by their spatial variance or their spatial entropy. This results in the proposal of two separation criteria coined “least spatial variance” and “least spatial entropy”, respectively. The same concept of spatial entropy, which is central to the paper, is also exploited in defining a new criterion, the entropic L-curve, dedicated to determining the number of active sound sources. The idea consists in considering the number of sources that achieves the best compromise between a low spatial entropy (as expected from compact sources) and a low statistical entropy (as expected from a low residual error). The proposed methodology is validated on both laboratory experiments and numerical data, and illustrated on an industrial example concerned with the ranking of sound sources on a Diesel engine. At the same time, its robustness to the estimated number of active sources is demonstrated.     

Transfer of angular momentum to matter from acoustical vortices in free space

An experimental demonstration of the mechanical transfer of orbital angular momentum to matter from acoustical vortices in free field is presented. Vortices with topological charges l=+/-1 and l=+/-2 were generated and a torsion pendulum was used to study the angular momentum transfer to hanging disks of several sizes. This allowed us to make a comparative study of the effective acoustical torque in terms of topological charge of the vortex, the disk radius, and its position along the main propagation axis. A theoretical discussion of the generated sound fields is also provided.     

Enhancing maximum measurable sound reduction index using sound intensity method and strong receiving room absorption

The sound intensity method is usually recommended instead of the pressure method in the presence of strong flanking transmission. Especially when small and/or heavy specimens are tested, the flanking often causes problems in laboratories practicing only the pressure method. The purpose of this study was to determine experimentally the difference between the maximum sound reduction indices obtained by the intensity method, RI,max, and by the pressure method, Rmax. In addition, the influence of adding room absorption to the receiving room was studied. The experiments were carried out in an ordinary two-room test laboratory. The exact value of RI,max was estimated by applying a fitting equation to the measured data points. The fitting equation involved the dependence of the pressure-intensity indicator on measured acoustical parameters. In an empty receiving room, the difference between RI,max and Rmax was 4-15 dB, depending on frequency. When the average reverberation time was reduced from 3.5 to 0.6 s, the values of RI,max increased by 2-10 dB compared to the results in the empty room. Thus, it is possible to measure wall structures having 9-22 dB better sound reduction index using the intensity method than with the pressure method. This facilitates the measurements of small and/or heavy specimens in the presence of flanking. Moreover, when new laboratories are designed, the intensity method is an alternative to the pressure method which presupposes expensive isolation structures between the rooms.     

Detection of a new acousto-optic effect

A family of moving, localized grating images have been detected by an improved method for visualizing sound waves. The images correspond to whole-field measurements of instantaneous acoustical density and could significantly extend the range of observable phonon scattering processes.     

Beta Type Stirling Engine. Schmidt and Finite Physical Dimensions Thermodynamics Methods Faced to Experiments

The paper presents experimental tests and theoretical studies of a Stirling engine cycle applied to a β-type machine. The finite physical dimension thermodynamics (FPDT) method and 0D modeling by the imperfectly regenerated Schmidt model are used to develop analytical models for the Stirling engine cycle. The purpose of this study is to show that two simple models that take into account only the irreversibility due to temperature difference in the heat exchangers and imperfect regeneration are able to indicate engine behavior. The share of energy loss for each is determined using these two models as well as the experimental results of a particular engine. The energies exchanged by the working gas are expressed according to the practical parameters, which are necessary for the engineer during the entire project, namely the maximum pressure, the maximum volume, the compression ratio, the temperature of the heat sources, etc. The numerical model allows for evaluation of the energy processes according to the angle of the crankshaft (kinematic–thermodynamic coupling). The theoretical results are compared with the experimental research. The effect of the engine rotation speed on the power and efficiency of the actual operating machine is highlighted. The two methods show a similar variation in performance, although heat loss due to imperfect regeneration is evaluated differently.     

基于声传播算子的声源定位实验模拟方法研究

声传播算子是一种高效的时域声场计算方法,它能够很方便地计算出给定系统参数下任意时刻任意位置的声场变化情况,本文采用这种方法计算所得的二维房间声场信息进行传声器阵列的声源定位仿真实验。计算结果表明,用该方法获取的阵列数据能有效地应用于阵列信号处理算法中,准确地估计出初始高斯脉冲声源的方向。声传播算子声场计算方法能为传声器阵列声源定位的实验提供方便,使得传声器阵列声源定位算法在不同混响时间的鲁棒性实验研究变得更加简捷。     

Sound radiation from Caribbean steelpans using nearfield acoustical holography

The sound-field of a Caribbean low tenor steelpan is examined using nearfield acoustical holography (NAH). The particular instrument, a Bertrand Kelman low tenor, has been previously examined in a single plane using a four microphone sound intensity technique. This paper will examine the sound radiation in a cuboid space enclosing the instrument at three frequencies. Presented will be the results of sound pressure level (SPL), active acoustic intensity (AI), and reactive acoustic intensity (RI) obtained through application of the NAH technique. The limitations of NAH when applied to an irregularly shaped object such as a tenor steelpan will also be presented.     

Sound generation by spheroidal metallic nanoclusters embedded in transparent matrix under the action of laser pulses

The theory of the photo-acoustical effect caused by a laser action on metal nanoclusters embedded in a dielectric matrix is build. The energy absorbed by clusters propagates through the dielectric matrix and generates the sound waves in it via the thermodeformation mechanism. The formulae for an acoustical signal are derived, and the high sensitivity of the sound wave amplitude to the shape of metal clusters, as well to such parameters of a laser irradiation as the frequency, polarization, and intensity, is revealed. The behavior of the sound vibrations amplitude in a region of the surface plasmons absorption is studied in detail. It is found that this amplitude at light absorption by a discrete metal film (a system of clusters in the matrix) can exceed the corresponding amplitude for the absorption by a continuous metal film in the region of plasmon resonances by several orders of magnitude.     

A mathematical model of Helmholtz resonator type gas oscillation discharges of two-stroke cycle engines

For the example of a one cylinder, 3·7 in³ two-stroke cycle engine, it is shown that combustion engines discharge combusted gas in oscillatory bursts whose primary frequency is independent of engine speed. The superposition of a Helmholtz resonator model and a thermodynamic model of the combustion process is used to predict pressure oscillations and sound radiation. It is shown that the elastic and inertial characteristics of the gas in the combustion chamber and the exhaust port have to be considered in the model. Theoretical and experimental results compare well.     

三通管路管壁声传递损失测试方法

针对汽车进气系统三通管路的特点,提出了多通管路的管壁传递损失测试方法。并以某车型的双涡轮增压发动机进气三通管道为例,采用该方法评价其用塑料代替铝后的声学性能,主要以声传递损失来评价涡轮增压器噪声通过三通连接管路管壁的辐射和透射特性。测试过程中,三通管道的两个连接涡轮增压器端口分别用声源两次发声,靠近进气歧管端口采用两种不同反射末端,然后在每段管路布置两个压力场扬声器进行测试,并基于平面波分离入射波和反射波,同时在三通管道外用声功率半球面十点分布法自由场扬声器测试,经过3次测量来计算管道管壁的声传递损失。由于声传递损失是管道本身特性决定,所以该测试方法能够准确找出塑料件和金属件在不同频率的声学特性差异。而后,在声传递损失测试结果的基础上,结合近场声全息方法和波束形成原理进行声源识别,可知该三通管路材质改为塑料后主要噪声来自焊缝薄弱处的中高频透射声和管壁结构的低频辐射声。     

A mathematical model for a single screen barrier in open-plan offices

In open-plan offices, single screen barriers are widely used to separate individual workplaces as a means of improving acoustical privacy. In this paper, a general model for calculating the insertion loss of a single screen barrier in the presence of a floor and a ceiling is developed using the image source technique. In addition to the acoustical properties of the floor and ceiling, this model also takes the sound absorption of the screen, the sound transmission through the screen and the interference between the sound waves into account. This model is able to separate the contribution of reflected sound and diffracted sound from the total sound pressure level at the receiving point, which can help indicate how best to improve the acoustical design of an open office. The mean differences between the predicted 1/3 octave band insertion loss values behind the screen and the corresponding measured results are within 2 dB.     

基于二指向性接收阵元强度差的定向方法

水声领域中常用的高频定向算法通常基于时延或相位,这些方法受半波长布阵的限制,当信号频率超过一定限度时会产生角度模糊,从而影响方位估计效果。本文提出利用声轴方向有一定开角的有指向性水听器来引入不同阵元接收信号的强度差,利用强度差来估计目标的方位。这种方法由于不涉及相位或时延信息,一定条件下解决了高频声源定向过程中的角度模糊问题,并通过仿真和试验数据对算法性能进行了验证。     

切向流对微穿孔共振吸声结构声学性能的影响

切向流对微穿孔共振吸声结构声学性能的影响可以分成三类:(1)对小孔辐射声抗的影响;(2)对结构斜入射吸声性能的影响;(3)对消声通道消声性能的影响。根据声学基本理论,详细讨论这些影响,得到对应的理论分析公式。定性而言,若声波的传播方向与气流的运动方向一致,小孔外侧的辐射声抗、空腔声阻抗函数coth (ξ)的宗量ξ赋值和消声通道的消声系数都会减小;同时呈现多普勒效应,使得结构的吸声系数共振峰频率向低频移动。理论分析得到相应实验研究的支持。      

Acoustic velocity and attenuation coefficient of magnetorheological fluids under electromagnetic fields

Magnetorheological fluid (MRF) is a class of smart material whose acoustic properties can be varied rapidly and reversibly by the applied magnetic field. The MRF is proposed to be as actively sound barriers or acoustical metamaterial. This paper presents a theoretical model to study acoustic propagation in MRF under fields based on the Biot–Stoll model. The model considers the coupling interaction between ferro particle and base fluid. This paper investigated the acoustic velocity and attenuation of a commercial MRF dependence on the different parameters such as carrier fluid viscosity, permeability and intensity of magnetic field. The calculated results show that the attenuation is increased with small field strengths and independent on field strength when the magnetization begins to saturate.     

The effect of grazing mean flow on acoustical characteristics of the micro-perforated panel absorber

There are three effects of grazing mean flow on acoustical characteristics of the micro-perforated panel absorber(1) on radiation impedance of the orifice,(2) on acoustical impedance of the construction at sound wave angle incidence,(3) on sound propagation property in a duct lined by absorber.Based on the acoustical fundamental principle,these effects were analyzed respectively,and relative formulas were derived. Some qualitative tendencies were shown that radiation impedance of an orifice,value ofξin function coth(ξ) which estimates cavity impedance,and transmission loss in a lined duct all will decrease with flow speed increases as well as the resonant frequency will move to lower frequency caused by Doppler Effect,when sound wave propagation direction is the same with flow direction. The discussion was also supported by a relative experimental study.     

Orthogonal acoustical factors of a sound field in a bamboo forest.

To investigate the acoustical quality of a sound field in a bamboo forest, acoustical measurements were conducted to obtain orthogonal acoustical factors of the sound field. These results are compared with previous results for a sound field in an ordinary forest [H. Sakai, S. Sato, and Y. Ando, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 104, 1491-1497 (1998)]. The IACC, which is defined as a maximum value of the normalized interaural cross-correlation function between signals at the ears, was 0.07 (4 kHz) and 0.16 (2 kHz) at positions 20 and 40 m from the source, respectively. These values are much better than those in the previously investigated forest. The measured subsequent reverberation time Tsub was up to 1.5 s in the frequency range above 1 kHz at the position 40 m from the source. For certain music sources with higher frequency components, therefore, sound fields in a bamboo forest have excellent acoustic properties.     

An image source computer model for room acoustics analysis and electroacoustic simulation

A computer program for the determination of the impulse response of rooms, using the mirror image method, has been developed. It is intended for acoustical planning of auditoria and the simulation of sound fields. The computer also generates the necessary information for the automatic mixer, delay unit and reverberation unit, which makes it possible to change sound field simulations in a short time.The program allows arbitrary room shapes to be analyzed by representing curved surfaces with plane approximations. The program also calculates energy time gaps, radiation angles and angles of incidence for the investigated source and receiver positions. The absorption coefficients of the reflecting surfaces are also taken into account. The source and the receiver may be positioned anywhere in the room. Compared with other programs described in the literature, this program yields more information, necessary particularly for electroacoustic room acoustics simulation and acoustical planning.