Transmission of sound through pipe walls in the presence of flow

The transmission of sound through pipe walls was studied experimentally under no-flow conditions as well as with steady air flow velocities up to 120 m/s. The test specimens were commercial pipe and tube of diameter ranging from 0·07 to 0·3 m, and thickness-to-diameter ratios from 0·12 to 0·2. The technique involved two reverberant rooms, one traversed by the test pipe to measure externally radiated sound, and one in which the test pipe terminated to measure internally propagated sound. Vibration of the pipe wall was also monitored to determine radiation efficiency.The results show that no-flow transmission loss (TL) is higher than predicted by available theoretical expressions, but that TL decreases strongly with increasing flow velocity. A qualitative explanation for the latter is offered. Radiation efficiency was found to be independent of flow velocity. The scaling of results between “similar” specimens was moderately successful. The results are documented in sufficient detail to permit their use for forming empirical models as well as for testing future theoretical predictions.     

Transmission of low-frequency sound through the water-to-air interface

L.M. Brekhovskikh revealed and studied the important role played by inhomogeneous waves emitted by a point source when they pass through an interface with a medium in which the velocity of sound is lower, for example, from water to air. This paper studies the energy characteristics of sound emitted into air by an underwater point source. The energy transfer due to inhomogeneous waves is shown to cause the phenomenon of anomalous transparency of the interface for low-frequency sound. The anomalous transparency manifests itself in that the energy flux through the interface increases with decreasing frequency of sound and, at sufficiently low frequencies, almost all of the acoustic energy produced by the underwater source is emitted into air. Conversely, at high frequencies, when the contribution of the inhomogeneous waves becomes negligible, the water-to-air interface is similar to a perfectly reflecting surface and almost all of the acoustic energy produced by the source is emitted into water. The anomalous transparency phenomenon changes the conventional opinion on the possibility of acoustic coupling between points in water and air and on the role played by physical processes evolving in the water column in generating atmospheric acoustic noise.     

Transmission of sound through a single vortex

Within a new class of anthracene-like molecules, namely tetrafluoro-acridines, a systematic study of the structural and optical properties of single crystals of a prototypical member, 1,2,3,4-tetrafluoro-7(N,N)dimethyl-amino-acridine, is illustrated. Single crystals were grown by physical vapour transport using an inert gas flow as carrier, starting from a microcrystalline powder of the pure material. The crystal structure, determined by X ray diffraction, points out that the crystals are monoclinic with molecules stacked along the c axis. The results of atomic force microscopy on the ac face of a single crystal, at both low and molecular resolution, are consistent with the X-ray diffraction data. Preliminary results of the optical properties of the single crystal, in the unique configuration accessible due to the peculiar habit of the samples, are discussed.Received: 16 January 2004, Published online: 29 June 2004PACS: 61.66.-f Structure of specific crystalline solids - 68.37.Ps Atomic force microscopy (AFM) - 71.35.Cc Intrinsic properties of excitons; optical absorption spectra     

Transmission of sound through a single vortex

We investigate experimentally the deformation of acoustic wavefronts after crossing of a single, isolated vortex in free space. The incident sound wavelength can be varied in a large domain. We study the wavefronts at variable distance after transmission through the vortex, when the wavelength and the vortex strength are varied. For small wavelength ( , the vortex core size) our results are in very good agreement with predictions and simulations based on geometrical acoustics principles. However, as the sound wavelength increases to value comparable with the vortex diameter, the deformation of the wavefronts show the development of scattering contributions, with characteristics in agreement with recent theoretical and numerical studies.Received: 17 November 2003, Published online: 15 March 2004PACS: 43.28. + h Aeroacoustics and atmospheric sound - 47.32.-y Rotational flow and vorticity     

Non-resonant sound transmission through double walls using statistical energy analysis

Although SEA is a suitable framework for predicting sound transmission through double walls it has been found that the standard method of computing the non- resonant coupling loss factor from a room to cavity underestimates the coupling. A revised model for computing this coupling loss factor is presented which gives much better agreement with measured data. This allows better predictions to be made of sound transmission through lightweight double walls.     

The coherence of low-frequency sound in shallow water in the presence of internal waves

The coherence time and transverse coherence length of a low-frequency (100–300 Hz) sound field that is formed by an omnidirectional point source at a distance of 10–30 km in a shallow-water acoustic waveguide, which is characteristic of an open ocean shelf, were estimated analytically and in a numerical experiment. An anisotropic field of background internal waves is considered as a source of spatiotemporal fluctuations. It is shown that the coherence time decreases as the frequency increases, and strongly depends on the perturbation-movement direction. The transverse coherence length is primarily determined by phase incursions that are related to the cylindrical shape of the acoustic-wave front. In the case of transverse propagation, background internal waves may lead to significant variations in this length. The introduction of compensating phase corrections during processing provides a considerable increase in the average transverse coherence length.     

The effect on sound insulation of small holes through solid masonry walls

Nominally identical examples of most types of building construction have been found to provide different levels of sound insulation. A possible reason is that different standards of workmanship introduce differences that cannot be seen when the building has been completed. For example, if mortar between bricks or blocks is omitted, holes right through the wall may result. An experiment has been conducted to investigate the effect of small holes through a solid wall when it is plastered or dry-lined. The results showed that the single-figure insulation ratings of the wall were not changed by the presence of holes.     

Transmission of reverberant sound through orthotropic,viscoelastic multilayered plates

In previous work the authors have studied acoustic transmission through orthotropic multilayered plates under oblique plane wave excitation. In this paper an extension of this work to the case of reverberant sound excitation is reported. In order to compute the mean transmission loss over the wave incidence angles an analytical method has been adopted, rather than the classical double integral calculation which is very cumbersome. The influences of layering, damping, and orthotropy are discussed. A comparison between theoretical and experimental results is presented.     

The finite layer method for modelling the sound transmission through double walls

The finite layer method (FLM) is presented as a discretisation technique for the computation of noise transmission through double walls. It combines a finite element method (FEM) discretisation in the direction perpendicular to the wall with trigonometric functions in the two in-plane directions. It is used for solving the Helmholtz equation at the cavity inside the double wall, while the wall leaves are modelled with the thin plate equation and solved with modal analysis. Other approaches to this problem are described here (and adapted where needed) in order to compare them with the FLM. They range from impedance models of the double wall behaviour to different numerical methods for solving the Helmholtz equation in the cavity. For the examples simulated in this work (impact noise and airborne sound transmission), the former are less accurate than the latter at low frequencies. The main advantage of FLM over the other discretisation techniques is the possibility of extending it to multilayered structures without changing the interpolation functions and with an affordable computational cost. This potential is illustrated with a calculation of the noise transmission through a multilayered structure: a double wall partially filled with absorbing material.     

Low frequency sound transmision through the walls of rectangular ducts: Further comments

The absence of an established criterion for housing site design against railway noise presents problems for environmental health officers who are consulted at the planning stage of housing sites. A guidance standard is suggested and experiences of a recent housing development are described.     

The effect of workmanship on the transmission of airborne sound through light framed walls

A study of the airborne sound transmission in a multi-tenanted building has shown that elements of the building which are nominally identical do not have the same acoustic performance. It was seen that some of this variation in performance could be attributed to visually-observable differences in the constructions. Some of the variation could not be explained however, and it was concluded that this variation was due to workmanship. The level of this variation was seen to be approximately 1 dB for a light steel framed construction. This variation is considerably less than that measured previously for a monolithic construction.     

Anisotropic field of background internal waves on a sea shelf and its effect on low-frequency sound propagation

The space-time spectral characteristics of the field of background internal waves (IW) are obtained for two oceanic shelf regions (the Atlantic shelf of the United States and the Kamchatka shelf) and analyzed. Within the framework of a numerical experiment, it is shown that the observed anisotropy of the IW field may considerably affect the low-frequency sound fluctuations in the aforementioned regions and, in particular, may change the interference invariant of the sound field.     

The low-frequency sound speed of fluid-like gas-bearing sediments

The low-frequency sound speed in a fluid-like kaolinite sediment containing air bubbles was measured using an acoustic resonator technique and found to be 114 ms with negligible dispersion between 100 and 400 Hz. The sediment's void fraction and bubble size distribution was determined from volumetric images obtained from x-ray computed tomography scans. A simplified version of Wood's effective medium model, which is dependent only upon the ambient pressure, the void fraction, the sediment's bulk mass density, and the assumption that all the bubbles are smaller than resonance size at the highest frequency of interest, described the measured sound speed.     

Anomalous transparency of water-air interface for low-frequency sound

Sound transmission through a water-air interface is normally weak because of a strong mass density contrast. We show that the transparency of the interface increases dramatically at low frequencies. Almost all acoustic energy emitted by a sufficiently shallow monopole source under water is predicted to be radiated into air. Increased transparency at lower frequencies is due to the increasing role of inhomogeneous waves. For sources symmetric with respect to a horizontal plane, transparency is further increased by a destructive interference of direct and surface-reflected waves under water. The phenomenon of anomalous transparency has significant geophysical and biological implications.     

Focusing of low-frequency sound fields in shallow water

A numerical experiment is carried out to study the focusing of a low-frequency (100–300 Hz) sound field in a shallow-water acoustic waveguide typical of an oceanic shelf. Focusing with the use of time reversal of broadband acoustic signals, which is called time reversal mirror (TRM) of waves, is considered along with focusing by phase conjugation (PC) of a monochromatic sound field. It is demonstrated that, in the case of focusing by the TRM method in the waveguide of interest, it is sufficient to have a single source-receiving element. The use of a vertical array improves the quality of focusing. The quality achieved in the latter case proves to be approximately the same as that achieved in the case of focusing by phase conjugation of a monochromatic field at a frequency identical to the carrier frequency of the broadband signals. It is also shown that, in a range-independent waveguide, intense surface waves considerably reduce the quality of focusing. This effect is most pronounced in the case of using phase conjugation.     

Modeling the sound transmission between rooms coupled through partition walls by using a diffusion model

In this paper, a modification of the diffusion model for room acoustics is proposed to account for sound transmission between two rooms, a source room and an adjacent room, which are coupled through a partition wall. A system of two diffusion equations, one for each room, together with a set of two boundary conditions, one for the partition wall and one for the other walls of a room, is obtained and numerically solved. The modified diffusion model is validated by numerical comparisons with the statistical theory for several coupled-room configurations by varying the coupling area surface, the absorption coefficient of each room, and the volume of the adjacent room. An experimental comparison is also carried out for two coupled classrooms. The modified diffusion model results agree very well with both the statistical theory and the experimental data. The diffusion model can then be used as an alternative to the statistical theory, especially when the statistical theory is not applicable, that is, when the reverberant sound field is not diffuse. Moreover, the diffusion model allows the prediction of the spatial distribution of sound energy within each coupled room, while the statistical theory gives only one sound level for each room.     

The effects of external lagging on low frequency sound transmission through the walls of rectangular ducts

Previous work by the author [1], on the transmission of internally propagated acoustic noise through the walls of rectangular ducts, is extended here in an investigation of the effects of external “lagging” (consisting of a layer of porous sound-absorbing material, and an impervious external covering) on the duct walls; this type of treatment is commonly applied as a noise control measure. A simple theoretical model, based, as before, on a coupled acoustic/structural wave system, is devised and shown to give reasonably accurate predictions in comparison with measurements of the wall transmission loss (though not in the case of lagging in which an external covering of very non-uniform thickness is incorporated). The conclusion is reached that external lagging used as an acoustic treatment is not, in general, particularly satisfactory.     

Physical modeling of active cancellation of low-frequency sound signals

Some new methods of active cancellation of low-frequency sound signals have been developed in view of the low efficiency of passive methods at these frequencies. Examples of developing algorithms and technical tools for active suppression of sound signals in air and water are presented. The solution of this problem is of paramount importance for reducing noise and providing ecological safety in transport, aviation, and shipbuilding industry. A real possibility of suppressing the low-frequency discrete components by no less than 10 to 15 dB and reducing the sound level in a wide frequency band by no less than 6 to 8 dB is demonstrated. A wide range of applications for the technology of active cancellation of discrete components and noise is indicated.     

Scattering of low-frequency pulsed sound signals from elastic cylindrical shells

A method and experimental setup intended for measuring the amplitude and phase of acoustic field in the near zone of a scatterer are described. The results of measuring the scattering characteristics of low-frequency sound signals scattered by elastic cylindrical shells are analyzed.     

Phase fluctuations of focused low-frequency sound fields in shallow water

Numerical experiments are carried out to study the phase fluctuations of a focused low-frequency sound field on an oceanic shelf. The focusing of sound at a distance of several kilometers is simulated using the phase conjugation of sound waves. Perturbations of the medium are represented by high-frequency (>1 cph) background internal waves and by the wind waves on the ocean surface. It is shown that, for a focused sound field at frequencies of several hundreds of hertz, the phase fluctuations do not exceed π and can be measured against the background of acoustic noise typical of shallow-water regions of the ocean. The fluctuation magnitude can be reduced approximately by half through the optimal choice of the mode composition. In the presence of such fluctuations, it is possible to measure the relative variations of the length of a stationary acoustic path with an accuracy of 1 m or better at a wind speed no greater than 10 m/s and a typical intensity of background internal waves.