Self-adaptive grids for noise mapping refinement

Noise maps are usually represented as contour or isolines maps describing the sound levels in a region. Using this kind of representation the user can easily find the noise level assigned to every location in the map.But the acoustic calculations behind the map are not performed for every single location on it; they are only performed in a grid of receivers. The results in this calculation grid are interpolated to draw the isolines or contours. Therefore, the resolution of the calculation grid and the way it was created (rectangular, triangulated, random…) have an effect on the resulting map.In this paper we describe a smart iterative procedure to optimize the quality of the map at a really low additional computational cost, using self-adaptive grids for the acoustic calculations. These self-adaptive grids add new receivers to the sampling grid in those locations where they are expected to be more useful, so that the performance at the output of the interpolator is enhanced.Self-adaptive sampling grids can be used for minimizing the overall error of the map (improving its quality), or for reducing calculation times, and can be also applied selectively to target areas or contour lines. This can be done by the user customizing the maximum number of iterations, the number of new receivers for each iteration, the target isolines, the target quality…     

Development of a highway traffic noise prediction model that considers various road surface types

A highway traffic noise prediction model has been developed for environmental assessment in South Korea. The model is based on an outdoor sound propagation method and is fully compliant with ISO 9613 and the sound power level (PWL) estimation for a road segment, as suggested in the ASJ Model-1998 that is based on PWLs. Due to that model’s selection of two pavement types, such as asphalt or concrete pavement, an unacceptable traffic noise prediction is made in cases where the road surface is different from that on which the model is based. In order to address this problem, several road surface types are categorized, and the PWL of each surface type is determined and modeled by measuring the noise levels obtained from newly developed methods. An evaluation of the traffic noise prediction model using field measurements finds good agreement between predicted and measured noise levels.     

Validation of a complex urban noise model close to a road

The adequacy of a model for the sound level close to a road is investigated by comparing resulting predictions for the sound level over a building façade with measurements. The road model involves the road geometry (the number and positions of traffic lanes), the traffic structure (vehicle flow rates and their average speeds in each lane) and equivalent omnidirectional point sources representing the vehicles. It is found that the assumed road traffic noise source model is adequate only for predicting levels over the higher part of the façade. However the investigation has allowed definition of what improvements are needed in the road source modelling to enable adequate predictions over the whole of the building façade.     

Monitoring road surfaces by close proximity noise of the tire/road interaction

Applied acoustics is becoming an important field for civil infrastructure and environmental assessment, and road maintenance or rehabilitation strategies. In this research LA(2)IC has developed a GPS-based measurement techniques and apparatus on a test vehicle, for monitoring the acoustical properties of different road pavement surfaces with a reference tire. A field test on PA-12 Spanish porous pavement found in Ciudad Real is developed. The test procedure, a modification based upon the close-proximity method (CPX), relies on the use of three standard microphones situated very close to the tire/road contact patch. This procedure allows the simultaneous measurement of the sound emission synchronized to a GPS receiver, which permits tracking of the position of the sound emission. Geo-referenced sound spectra for every 10 m during individual passes of the test vehicle are analyzed to determine the tire/road noise emissions from tire/PA-12 pavement interaction. Noise levels of around 102 dB(A), with a variability of approximately 0.6 dB(A), are found at a reference vehicle speed of 85 kmh. The frequency spectrum analysis over the test section shows noticeable differences for frequencies above 1 kHz, where the tire/road noise generation mechanisms are dominated by air pumping.     

JMCT程序在线多普勒展宽研究

在核反应堆堆芯物理分析中, 考虑燃料核素的多普勒效应对反应性的影响是必要的. 基于最小二乘拟合法, 在自主蒙特卡罗粒子输运程序JMCT中开发了在线多普勒展宽功能. 在300-3000 K的温度范围内, 利用核数据处理程序(NJOY)制作了系列温度点下的连续能量核数据. 在统一的能量网格上, 进行最小二乘拟合, 得到拟合参数. JMCT利用这些拟合参数, 快速计算得到任意温度的核数据, 用于输运计算. 计算结果表明, 拟合得到的核数据与NJOY制作的核数据符合很好, 满足精度要求. JMCT临界模型计算结果表明, 拟合参数计算有效增殖因数k_eff与直接采用NJOY加工得到核数据的计算结果吻合.     

A road traffic noise pattern simulation model that includes distributions of vehicle sound power levels

Annoyance, sleep disturbance and other health effects of road traffic noise exposure may be related to both level and number of noise events caused by traffic, not just to energy equivalent measures of exposure. Dynamic traffic noise prediction models that include instantaneous vehicle noise emissions can be used to estimate either of these measures. However, current state-of-the-art vehicle noise emission models typically consider a single emission law for each vehicle category, whereas measurements show that the variation in noise emission between vehicles within the same category can be considerable. It is essential that the influence of vehicles that are producing significantly more (or less) noise than the average vehicle are taken into account in modeling in order to correctly predict the levels and frequency of occurrence of road traffic noise events, and in particular to calculate indicators that characterize these noise events. Here, an approach for predicting instantaneous sound levels caused by road traffic is presented, which takes into account measured distributions of sound power levels produced by individual vehicles. For the setting of a receiver adjacent to a dual-lane road carrying free flow traffic, the effect of this approach on estimated percentile levels and sound event indicators is investigated.     

Statistical tyre/road noise modeling in Hong Kong on friction course

Based on the close proximity (CPX) method specified in ISO/DIS 11819-2, we recorded and analyzed the instantaneous tyre/road sound pressure levels with 9 road sections that are constructed with the same pavement surfacing materials, that is, friction course. A total of 1320 segments were made in urban areas with a pair of SRTT (Standard Road Test Tyre). We tried to relate the tyre/road noise with the instantaneous acceleration, speed, air temperature, road temperature, road gradient, road surface age to develop a multi-variants model. It was subsequently found that a simple tyre/road noise model linking driving speed and acceleration is the best model. The model provides an easy way to estimate the instantaneous tyre/road noise level. As the tyre/road noise is becoming more dominant component of the road traffic noise, our proposed model has the potential to improve the current practice in estimating the road traffic noise.     

Statistical classification of road pavements using near field vehicle rolling noise measurements

Low noise surfaces have been increasingly considered as a viable and cost-effective alternative to acoustical barriers. However, road planners and administrators frequently lack information on the correlation between the type of road surface and the resulting noise emission profile. To address this problem, a method to identify and classify different types of road pavements was developed, whereby near field road noise is analyzed using statistical learning methods. The vehicle rolling sound signal near the tires and close to the road surface was acquired by two microphones in a special arrangement which implements the Close-Proximity method. A set of features, characterizing the properties of the road pavement, was extracted from the corresponding sound profiles. A feature selection method was used to automatically select those that are most relevant in predicting the type of pavement, while reducing the computational cost. A set of different types of road pavement segments were tested and the performance of the classifier was evaluated. Results of pavement classification performed during a road journey are presented on a map, together with geographical data. This procedure leads to a considerable improvement in the quality of road pavement noise data, thereby increasing the accuracy of road traffic noise prediction models.     

Developing a Durable Quiet Road Surface

Road traffic noise can have a significant impact on the quality of life for residents close to major road networks. One of the most effective measures for reducing the noise from road traffic, particularly on high-speed roads, is to ensure the use of a low noise road surface. Research on pavement construction and the measurement of its acoustic properties has shown that significant noise reductions can be achieved through the use of certain road surface types. However certain low noise road surfaces do not exhibit the desired durability associated with more traditional pavements, leading to costly and disruptive maintenance regimes.
This article looks at the mechanisms involved in tyre/road noise generation and how these interact with various road surface properties including a brief overview of some common surface types. It then goes on to explain how these concepts informed the development of an asphalt surfacing material with enhanced durability and good acoustic performance without compromising safety. Progress in testing the resulting Premium Asphalt Surfacing System (PASS) is outlined, including the completion of a successful network trial.     

Determination of the sound power levels emitted by various vehicles using a novel testing method

This paper presents a new and efficient method to determine sound power levels (PWLs). PWLs, generally used for modeling outdoor sound simulations, are obtained from sounds that are emitted by various types of vehicles and cause road traffic noise. Other models, such as HARMONOISE and the ASJ Model, are also based on PWLs. However, a more efficient method is required for determining PWLs from sound pressure levels (SPLs) that typically are measured by field testing and evaluating the influence of different vehicles and road surfaces. The statistical pass-by (SPB) of ISO 11819-1 is used for SPL measurements; however, numerous SPBs must be carried out to reduce measurement uncertainty as well as to satisfy requirements related to meteorological conditions and background noise. In order to alleviate this problem and to make the determination of PWLS more efficient, a testing approach is presented that uses both the novel close proximity (NCPX) method and the pass-by method to determine PWLs.     

Provably stable overset grid methods for computational aeroacoustics

The simulation of sound generating flows in complex geometries requires accurate numerical methods that are non-dissipative and stable, and well-posed boundary conditions. A structured mesh approach is often desired for a higher-order discretization that better uses the provided grids, but at the expense of complex geometry capabilities relative to techniques for unstructured grids. One solution is to use an overset mesh-based discretization where locally structured meshes are globally assembled in an unstructured manner. This article discusses recent advancements in overset methods, also called Chimera methods, concerning boundary conditions, parallel methods for overset grid management, and stable and accurate interpolation between the grids. Several examples are given, some of which include moving grids.     

Effects of natural sounds on the perception of road traffic noise

Recent studies show that introducing sound from water features in urban open spaces may reduce the loudness of road traffic noise, but it is not clear in which situations this measure also improves overall soundscape quality. This work describes a listening experiment on loudness, pleasantness, and eventfulness of stimuli that combine road traffic noise with fountain or bird sound at different sound levels. Adding fountain sound reduced the loudness of road traffic noise only if the latter had low temporal variability. Conversely, adding bird sound significantly enhanced soundscape pleasantness and eventfulness, more than what was achieved by adding fountain sound.     

Sound radiation and sound quality characteristics of refrigerator noise in real living environments

The characteristics of various types of refrigerator noise were investigated in an anechoic chamber and in a real living environment - a 100 m² apartment which is a common size in Korea. It was found that the sound pressure level of the refrigerator noise in the real living room was about 10 dB higher than the level in the anechoic chamber at the same position (1 m in front of refrigerator). In addition, a tolerance level for refrigerator noise was determined by subjective evaluation experiments. Refrigerator noise was presented by a loudspeaker placed in the kitchen where the refrigerator is normally located. Level 2 responses to the subjective evaluation (“hardly perceivable”) corresponded to a sound pressure level of about 26 dB(A), for which 90% of participants were satisfied with the level of refrigerator noise. A semantic differential test using various adjectives was also conducted to evaluate the sound quality of refrigerator noise. With the semantic differential and the factor analysis, adjectives used in this experiment were grouped into three factors. From the results of correlation and multiple regression analyses on the psychoacoustical parameters and subjective evaluations of 30 kinds of refrigerators, sound quality index which predict the subjective rating score were proposed.     

Detection of extraneous abnormal sounds affecting road traffic noise by use of a necessary condition method

When measuring and/or recording road traffic sound levels during a long time interval, extraneous abnormal sounds will inevitably affect the road traffic sound levels of interest. Such sounds include those produced by horns, sirens, animals, construction sites, and the like. The detection and elimination of such extraneous sound requires much time and effort, but are necessary if noise indices such as L_eq, L_max, and L₁₀ are to be properly estimated. This paper proposes a practical detection method of these extraneous interfering sounds by deriving a necessary condition that road traffic sound levels must satisfy. The necessary condition provides an easy method of identifying sound levels not satisfying the condition, and distinguishes them as extraneous abnormal sounds, even in a large volume of observed data. The validity and usefulness of this method are confirmed by application to actually observed data.     

Study to analyze the effects of vehicles and pavement surface types on noise

The effects of vehicles and pavement surface types on noise have been investigated at the Korea Highway Corporation’s Test Road along the southbound side of the Jungbu Inland Expressway, South Korea. The study was conducted in 2005 and 2006 through field measurements at nine surface sections of asphalt concrete and Portland cement concrete pavements using eleven vehicles. For the road noise analysis, the sound power levels (PWLs) of combined noise (e.g., tire/pavement interaction noise and power-train noise together) and tire/pavement interaction noise using various vehicles were calculated based on the novel close proximity (NCPX) and pass-by methods. Then, the characteristics of the PWLs were evaluated according to surface type, vehicle type, and vehicle speed. The results show that the PWLs of vehicles are diversely affected by vehicle speed and the condition of the road surface.     

An experimental procedure to obtain sound power level of tyre/road noise under Coast-By conditions

The rolling noise from tyre–pavement interaction represents the greatest sound contribution from a vehicle when cruising at a high speed. To evaluate the sound levels from this source, existing standardized methods that establish different measurement procedures in both the immediate tyre surroundings, for example the Close-Proximity method, as well as at greater distances, as the Coast-By method. A fundamental parameter that can quantify the sound generation of a source is its sound power level. The standardized methods establish procedures to measure the sound pressure level but not the power level of a tyre as a noise source. For this reason, this paper presents a novel methodology based on sound pressure measurements to obtain the sound power level that a vehicle emits in Coast-By conditions, where noise is generated at tyre/road interaction. The paper describes the testing procedure used to obtain the sound power level, and it is accompanied by a mathematical simulation that studies the feasibility of the proposal. Finally, the proposed methodology is further validated through a field study.     

Traffic noise reduction due to the porous road surface

Porous road surfaces reduce road traffic noise. A new method of noise reduction assessment is proposed. The noise generated by a few vehicles was measured two times: on an old surface with the dense asphalt and on a new surface with the porous asphalt. Subjective assessments of drive-by noise suggest that the sound exposure and the road surface coefficient can be used as the acoustical characteristics of a road surface. Their average values, with the average number of vehicles passing the receiver during a day or night, makes it possible to predict the equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure level for the new road surface. This is the main objective of this paper.     

Annoyance due to single and combined sound exposure from railway and road traffic

Environmental noise is a growing and well recognized health problem. However, in many cases people are exposed not to a single noise source-for example, road, railway, or aircraft noise-but to a combination of noise exposures and there is only limited knowledge of the effects on health of exposure to combined noise sources. A socio-acoustic survey among 1953 persons aged 18-75 years was conducted in residential areas exposed to railway and road traffic noise with sound levels ranging from L(Aeq,24h) 45-72 dB in a municipality east of Gothenburg, Sweden. The objectives were to assess various adverse health effects, including annoyance, and to elucidate the impact of exposure to single and combined noise sources. In areas exposed to both railway and road traffic, the proportion annoyed by the total traffic sound environment (total annoyance) was significantly higher than in areas with one dominant noise source (rail or road traffic) with the same total sound exposure (L(Aeq,24h,tot)). This interaction effect was significant from 59 dB and increased gradually with higher sound levels. Effects of the total sound exposure should be considered in risk assessments and in noise mitigation activities.     

Use of autocorrelation analysis to characterize audibility of low-frequency tonal signals

Autocorrelation function (ACF) parameters were used to identify low-frequency tonal sound detected in actual living environments. Five houses whose residents had made complaints for unidentified noise were selected as measurement sites. The sounds and the residents' detection responses were recorded simultaneously inside a room in each house. When they heard the suspected noise, the participants pushed a response button on a portable recording device as the sound was recorded. Results showed that tonal components in the low-frequency range were highly correlated with the sound detection. This study suggests that autocorrelation analysis can reveal the human detection of low-frequency tonal signals. Low-frequency tonal components were identified and quantified using ACF parameters: the delay time and amplitude of the ACF's first dominant peak. The amplitude was useful to describe the detection and prominence of low-frequency tonal components in noise.     

Comparison of models to predict annoyance from combined noise in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi

Seven models were compared in terms of the ability to predict the annoyance due to the combination of aircraft and road traffic noises on the basis of data collected around airports in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, Vietnam. The 24-h average sound levels L_Aeq,24h and unweighted means of annoyance scores for aircraft, road traffic, and combined noise were used to solve the regression equations for the seven models. The results indicate that road traffic noise exposure and annoyance were more than those of aircraft noise at almost all sites in both Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Among the considered models, the dominant source model yielded the highest coefficients of determination, with R² values of 0.82 and 0.90 for surveys in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, respectively. These results suggest that the dominant source model is the most useful model in the vicinity of those airports in Vietnam where road traffic noise is more dominant than aircraft noise. This is convenient for situations in which dose-response curves are established separately for different noise sources.