Evaluations of output from room acoustic computer modeling and auralization due to different sound source directionalities

Evaluations of the predictions and auralizations from the room acoustic modeling program, ODEON, have been run using three directional source types with the same sound power: (a) an omni-directional source; (b) three sources with realistically-directional characteristics based on measurements from real instruments (grand piano, violin, and singing voice); and (c) an artificial, extremely directional beaming source. Objective analyses have been run for nine source/receiver combinations in a simple hall on three acoustic parameters: relative sound pressure level (SPL), reverberation time (T30), and clarity index (C80). Auralizations were subsequently created for two source/receiver combinations and used in subjective testing with 28 subjects. Results show that, objectively, differences in SPL were negligible for the majority of cases. Some differences in T30 and C80 were found between the omni-directional and realistically-directional sources; however, subjects did not perceive any corresponding differences when comparing the auralizations, possibly due to the limited directional octave band data available. Subjects did significantly differentiate between auralizations from the omni-directional source and the extreme beaming source. Subjective results from comparing these two sources in terms of reverberation, clarity and realism were generally consistent with objective data, although source/receiver combination and musical track had some influence on the outcomes.     

Algorithms for converting 3D surface roughness spectra when calculating frequency-angle reverberation characteristics

On the basis of an earlier developed model of sound scattering by surface disturbances characterized by 3D roughness spectra, we propose and test a sufficiently fast algorithm for calculating the spectral power density of surface reverberation that takes into account the propagation conditions, distance, and beam pattern of the receiver system. For a distance of up to 1000 m, a water area depth of ??20 m, and actually measured 3D roughness spectra in the Doppler frequency range of ±5 Hz, we have calculated the frequency-angle reverberation spectra for an acoustic background-radiation signal of 1.5 kHz. The obtained angle and frequency reverberation characteristics are compared with the results of acoustic measurements conducted using linear horizontal receiver antennas.     

Influence of wall absorption on low-frequency dependence of reverberation time in room of irregular shape

In this paper, a modal analysis was used to describe a reverberation phenomenon in a room of complex shape. A theoretical model was limited to low sound frequencies, when eigenmodes are lightly damped, thus they may be approximated by uncoupled normal acoustic modes of a hard-walled room. A utility of this method was demonstrated in a numerical example where the enclosure in a form of two coupled rooms was considered. A reverberation time was evaluated from a time decay of spatial root mean square pressure, the overall measure of room pressure. The results of calculations, performed for three different distributions of absorbing materials on room walls, showed how various location of the material can effect a dependence of the reverberation time on a frequency of sound source.     

Vortex properties of the acoustic intensity vector in a shallow sea

We study the vortex properties of the field of the acoustic intensity vector as a function of distance and radiation frequency, determined using a combined acoustic system in Peter the Great Bay in the Sea of Japan. We present probability density histograms of the normalized intensity vector curl components at a frequency of 110 Hz for the distance interval between the source and receiver within the limits of 1200–1725 m. The vortex structure of the acoustic intensity vector was observed in the vertical plane at the full distance (4000 m) from the source to the receiver. The discovered vortex structures are of interest both for physical acoustics and for applied problems in underwater acoustics.     

Reverberation of rapid and slow trills: implications for signal adaptations to long-range communication

Many acoustic signals in animals include trills, i.e., rapid repetitions of similar elements. Elements within these trills usually are frequency modulated and are degraded by reverberation during long-range transmission. Reverberation primarily affects consecutive elements with the same frequency characteristics and thus imposes a major constraint in the evolution of design and perception of long-range signals containing trills. Here transmission of frequency-unmodulated trills with different element repetition rates was studied. Trills were generated at different frequencies to assess frequency dependence of reverberation and then broadcast under three acoustic conditions--an open field and to assess seasonal changes in transmission properties, a deciduous forest before and after foliage had emerged. Reverberation was quantified at different positions within trills. The results show strong effects of vegetation density (season), transmission distance, frequency, element repetition rate, and element position within the trill on effects of reverberation. The experiments indicate that fast trills transmit less well than slow trills and thus are less effective in long-range communication. They show in particular that selection on trills should not act only on element repetition rate within trills but also on the trill duration as effects of reverberation increased with trill duration.     

空气中快速运动声源水下声场的波数积分模型

本文采用二维波数积分，对空气中高速运动声源激发的水下声场进行建模。针对二维波数积分计算声场时域解计算量大的问题，提出一种快速计算方法。用本文提出的方法，对深海和浅海情况下，空气中高速运动单频点声源激发的水下声场进行了计算和仿真。计算结果表明：在深海，水下接收信号的幅度和瞬时频率随时间发生变化；接收器深度、接收器与声源运动轨迹的最小距离对接收信号的变化快慢有较大影响，而声源高度的影响较小；在浅海中，接收信号呈现快速的幅度起伏，明显的多普勒频移和大的频率展宽效应。与简正波方法相比，本文方法主要适用于近场计算，而简正波方法适用于远场。另外，当声源频率较高时，二维波数积分方法的计算量将迅速增大。     

Attenuation of vehicle noise over short grass

Field experiments to investigate the attenuation of noise from single vehicles over short grass indicate that for a microphone height of 1·2 m and a source/receiver distance <30 m, the rate of attenuation is 4·8 dB(A) per doubling of distance. Some evidence is presented to suggest that for source/receiver distances >30 m the rate of attenuation increases with distance.     

浅海混响的垂直相干性

浅海混响垂直相干特性是海洋混响研究中一个重要的课题。在射线简正波混响理论的基础上,给出了浅海混响垂直相关的一般表达式,并推导出了在均匀层浅海中混响垂直相关的简化解析表达式。同时,通过对数值计算及实验结果的讨论,研究了浅海混响垂直相关与混响时间、频率、声源深度、接收器深度、海底衰减特性及海底散射系数等参数的变化关系。研究表明,在海底散射满足可分离性的条件下,浅海海底混响的垂直相关与声源位置无关,随着混响时间和海底衰减的增加、或随频率、接收器间隔和海深的减小,混响的垂直相关增大。     

利用流-固交界面上的伪瑞利波幅度进行液位检测的实验测量

基于流-固交界面上的伪瑞利波衰减依赖半空间流体性质这一特点,提出了一种利用伪瑞利波幅度测量液位的声学方法,并设计实验对其可行性进行了探讨。首先简要介绍了该方法的理论基础,回顾了前一篇文章的数值模拟工作所得到的重要结论;而后在水槽内进行实验,使用两个源距固定的横波换能器分别激发和接收铝制柱体表面的伪瑞利波,测量了不同液面高度下的脉冲伪瑞利波幅度及其主频偏移,并与数值模拟结果进行了比较。实验结果表明,测量所得的伪瑞利波幅度变化范围略小于数值模拟所得到的结果,但二者在反映变化规律上具有较好的一致性,即:随着液面高度的升高,脉冲伪瑞利波幅度近似呈指数下降,与此同时主频向低频偏移,偏移量近似呈线性规律增大。本文的研究结果从实验上验证了这一检测方法的可行性和有效性。     

Sonar inter-ping noise field characterization during cetacean behavioral response studies off Southern California

The potential negative effects of sound, particularly active sonar, on marine mammals has received considerable attention in the past decade. Numerous behavioral response studies are ongoing around the world to examine such direct exposures. However, detailed aspects of the acoustic field (beyond simply exposure level) in the vicinity of sonar operations both during real operations and experimental exposures have not been regularly measured. For instance, while exposures are typically repeated and intermittent, there is likely a gradual decay of the intense sonar ping due to reverberation that has not been well described. However, it is expected that the sound field between successive sonar pings would exceed natural ambient noise within the sonar frequency band if there were no sonar activity. Such elevated sound field between the pings may provide cues to nearby marine mammals on source distances, thus influencing potential behavioral response. Therefore, a good understanding of the noise field in these contexts is important to address marine mammal behavioral response to MFAS exposure. Here we investigate characteristics of the sound field during a behavioral response study off California using drifting acoustic recording buoys. Acoustic data were collected before, during, and after playbacks of simulated mid-frequency active sonar (MFAS). An incremental computational method was developed to quantify the inter-ping sound field during MFAS transmissions. Additionally, comparisons were made between inter-ping sound field and natural background in three distinctive frequency bands: low-frequency (<3 kHz), MFA-frequency (3–4.5 kHz), and high-frequency (>4.5 kHz) bands. Results indicate significantly elevated sound pressure levels (SPLs) in the inter-ping interval of the MFA-frequency band compared to natural background levels before and after playbacks. No difference was observed between inter-ping SPLs and natural background levels in the low- and high-frequency bands. In addition, the duration of elevated inter-ping sound field depends on the MFAS source distance. At a distance of 900–1300 m from the source, inter-ping sound field at the exposure frequency is observed to remain 5 dB above natural background levels for approximately 15 s, or 65%, of the entire inter-ping interval. However, at a distance of 2000 m, the 5 dB elevation of the inter-ping SPLs lasted for just 7 s, or 30% of the inter-ping interval. The prolonged elevation of sound field beyond the brief sonar ping at such large distances is most likely due to volume reverberation of the marine environment, although multipath propagation may also contribute to this.     

深海本地界面混响平均强度模型与规律分析

为揭示深海多途传播效应及界面参数对本地界面混响强度的影响规律,将界面混响表述为不同多途混响衰落过程的非相干叠加结果,并结合界面散射的若干物理机制,建立了以海面海底物理参数为变量的混响强度模型.通过数值仿真和理论分析研究了不同多途混响强度的衰落特性、到达角的空间分布及部分物理参数对混响强度的影响,并利用南海海盆(典型泥质海底)实验数据对模型有效性进行验证.仿真结果表明,界面混响强度随时间变化呈现多峰结构,峰值时间与多途混响的到达时间分布一致。声源与接收器均位于近海面处时,首峰的峰值强度及其衰落过程由海面风速决定,其它峰的峰值强度由海面海底参数共同决定,但其衰落过程主要受到底质参数的影响.     

水下低频声信号的激光探测及波的衰减

为了探测几十赫兹的低频水下声信号,建立了水下低频声信号的光学探测系统,得到了稳定、清晰的衍射图样.得到了衍射图样的宽度与声源距离的变化关系,声源距离越小,衍射图样越宽.当水下声波传至水表面后,实验上得到了表面声波的衰减特性,理论上得到了衍射图样的角宽度和液体表面波振幅的解析关系式.发现表面波振幅的衰减随距离是指数型衰减.并研究了衰减系数随频率的变化,频率不同衰减系数也不同,而且频率越大,衰减系数越小.     

Monaural room acoustic parameters from music and speech

This paper compares two methods for extracting room acoustic parameters from reverberated speech and music. An approach which uses statistical machine learning, previously developed for speech, is extended to work with music. For speech, reverberation time estimations are within a perceptual difference limen of the true value. For music, virtually all early decay time estimations are within a difference limen of the true value. The estimation accuracy is not good enough in other cases due to differences between the simulated data set used to develop the empirical model and real rooms. The second method carries out a maximum likelihood estimation on decay phases at the end of notes or speech utterances. This paper extends the method to estimate parameters relating to the balance of early and late energies in the impulse response. For reverberation time and speech, the method provides estimations which are within the perceptual difference limen of the true value. For other parameters such as clarity, the estimations are not sufficiently accurate due to the natural reverberance of the excitation signals. Speech is a better test signal than music because of the greater periods of silence in the signal, although music is needed for low frequency measurement.     

Sound decay in a rectangular room with impedance walls

The problem of sound decay in a rectangular room is considered for the case of a room with walls the acoustic properties of which are described by the impedance, which implies a dependence of the absorption coefficient on the angle of incidence of sound waves. The ray approximation is used to determine the sound decay laws for different distributions of wall absorption. It is shown that, in a room with impedance walls, the sound decay is slower than in the conventional reverberation model, in which the wall absorption coefficient is independent of the angle of incidence. The problem is also solved in the wave approximation to determine the decay law for a preset frequency band.     

Noise abatement in plant monocultures and plant communities

Three types of vegetation can be discerned with regard to the acoustic climate investigated in 4 different plantations, 2 plant communities, and a grass field. In the first type of vegetation, i.e. beech and ashtree forests, the excess attenuation was at least 10 dB/100 m with the receiver at the same height as the source, 1·2 m, and at least 5 dB/100 m with the receiver at 3·9 m and even more in most $\text{1}\text{3}$-octave bands studied. In the second type of vegetation, i.e. the mixed poplar forest and the Stellario carpinetum, a so-called ‘sound window’ could be detected around 2 kHz and the ground effect was more extended towards the high frequency range compared with the first type of vegetation. In the third type of vegetation consisting of evergreen sprucefir, best excess attenuation was found in the closed forest: at least 10 dB/100 m with the receiver at 1·2 m, and 7 dB/100 m with the receiver at 3·9 m; in the belts the excess attenuation was at least 7 dB/100 m and 4 dB/100 m respectively. Best attenuation was, therefore, found in the closed forest, and not in the belts. It was concluded that the sound attenuating capacity of planted vegetations can be used to abate noise pollution in town and landscape planning if the plantations are at least 12 m wide. To obtain the best effect the rows of trees have to be planted perpendicular to the direction of the sound field.     

混响室内声源的声功率输出及声强分布

本文讨论了混响室内的声强分布,指出混响室内声强分布与自由场一样,对点声源服从平方反比律。对混响室及消声室的声压及声强随时间的起伏作了初步摸索,得到了几条实验规律,指出声强起伏比声压起伏更大。采用声强测量方法对同-声源在消声室及混响室内的声功率输出作了测量,说明声源的声功率输出是随环境变化的声学量,在混响室内声源的低频发射要比消声室内的发射要低。     

Decay of high-frequency acoustic excitations in chain-type lattices and weak localization

The attenuation of high-frequency sound in disordered quasi-one-dimensional semiconducting and dielectric crystals, which is associated with three-phonon decay and elastic scattering by structure defects is considered theoretically. It is shown that specific interference processes occurring in the regime of weak localization of acoustic vibrational excitations considerably affect the propagation of sound. This mechanism of sound attenuation can be observed experimentally from the anomalies in the frequency dependence of the reciprocal attenuation length of sound.     

Numerical modeling of the sound fields in urban squares

This paper studies the basic characteristics of sound fields in urban squares surrounded by reflecting building fa?ades and the effectiveness of architectural changes and urban design options. A radiosity model and an image source model are developed, and a parametric study is carried out in hypothetical squares. The results show that the reverberation time (RT) is rather even in a square, whereas the early decay time (EDT) is very low in the near field, and then becomes close to RT after a rapid increase. Compared to diffuse boundaries, with geometrical boundaries the RT and EDT are significantly longer and the sound pressure level (SPL) attenuation with distance is generally smaller unless the height/side ratio is high. With a boundary diffusion coefficient of 0.2, the sound field is already close to that resulting from purely diffusely reflecting boundaries. The SPL in far field is typically 6-9 dB lower if the square side is doubled; 8 dB lower if the height of building fa?ades is decreased from 50 m to 6 m (diffuse boundaries); 5 dB (diffuse boundaries) or 2 dB (geometrical boundaries) lower if the length/width ratio is increased from 1 to 4; and 10-12 dB lower if the boundary absorption coefficient is increased from 0.1 to 0.9.     

The average absorption coefficient for enclosed spaces with non uniformly distributed absorption

This study concerns the determination of an equivalent acoustic absorption model of the flat heterogeneous walls present in industrial rooms. Numerous measurements of the reverberation time in reverberant room were carried out for several facings with different distributed spatial absorption. Experimental results were compared to classical reverberation time models. The measurements showed that the change in average acoustic absorption depends on the relative distance between the sound source and the absorbent panels, as it is this which creates heterogeneity. Therefore, taking into consideration, in the theoretical models of average acoustic absorption studied, the solid angles representing the equivalent area of the panels as viewed by the source, improved the accuracy of the calculated reverberation time compared to the measurements. This equivalent acoustic absorption model, based on Sabine's absorption coefficient and employing the solid angle ratio, was used to calculate the reverberation time of several industrial rooms. The results obtained are better than those obtained with the standard formula.     

Attenuation and trapping of acoustic energy in composite microwave resonators based on YAG single crystals

The frequency dependence of acoustic wave attenuation in a composite piezoelectric microwave resonator is studied by acoustic resonance spectroscopy. In addition to the attenuation associated with the loss in the lattice, the diffraction loss, and the loss due to the scattering by the roughness of the reflecting faces, an extra attenuation component periodic in frequency is revealed. The appearance of this component is explained by the absence of acoustic energy trapping in the resonator within certain frequency intervals.