Measurement of acoustic particle velocities in enclosed sound field: Assessment of two Laser Doppler Velocimetry measuring systems

The performances of two Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) systems adapted for measuring the acoustic particle velocities are assessed in enclosed sound field. This assessment is performed by comparing the acoustic velocities measured by means of LDV to reference acoustic velocities estimated from sound pressure measurements. The two LDV systems are based on a single optical bench which delivers an optical signal called Doppler signal. The Doppler signal, which is frequency modulated, is analyzed by means of two signal processing systems, the BSA (Burst Spectrum Analyser from Dantec) on the one hand, and a system specifically developed for the estimation of the acoustic velocity on the other hand. Once the experimental setup has been optimized for minimizing the errors made on the reference velocities, the assessment is performed and shows that both systems can measure the acoustic velocity in enclosed field in two the frequency ranges [0-4 kHz] and [0-2 kHz] respectively for acoustic velocity amplitudes of 10 mm/s and 1 mm/s.     

A study on the applications of the acoustic design sensitivity analysis of vibrating bodies

The determination of the sensitivity of the acoustical characteristics of vibrating systems with respect to the variation of the design parameters predicting these characteristics is a necessary and important step of the acoustic design and optimization process. Acoustic design sensitivity analysis includes the computation and evaluation of the sensitivity information required for this procedure. In this study, a boundary element code performing the sensitivity analysis of the acoustic pressure by using the matrix sensitivities with respect to different design variables has been developed. The effect of the precision of boundary element discretization on the acoustic pressure sensitivity is examined via this code. The formulation is applied to a multi-source system and the dimension sensitivity analysis of near field pressures of two-dilating-spherical source is performed. The last application is devoted to a real sound source: a washing machine sitting on the floor. Sensitivity of the field pressures to the machine’s dimensions (size), surface velocity and frequency is examined on the bases of the boundary element model of the machine and half-space condition. The impacts of these variables are compared; and a limiting speed for the machine responding both the acoustical and operational requirements is determined.     

An Experimental Investigation into the Acoustic Characteristics of Fluid-filled Porous Structures—A Simplified Model of the Human Skull Cancellous Structure

In nature, shape and structure evolve from the struggle for better performance. Often, biological structures combine multiple beneficial properties, making research into mimicking them very complex. Presented here is a summary of observations from a series of experiments performed on a material that closely resembles the human skull bone’s cancellous structure under acoustic loads. Transmission loss through flat and curved open-cell polyurethane foam samples is observed using air and water as the two interstitial fluids. Reduction in strength and stiffness caused by porosity can be recovered partially by filling the interstitial pores with a fluid. The test findings demonstrate the influence of the interstitial fluid on the mechanical characteristics of a porous structure in a quantitative manner. It is also demonstrated that the transmission loss does not depend only on the mass per unit area of the structure as predicted by acoustic mass law. Current tests also demonstrate that the transmission loss is more sensitive to the interstitial fluid than the shape and support conditions of the structures. Test observations thus support the concepts of “moisture-sensitivity of biological design” and the “law of hierarchy in natural design”.     

On locating low altitude moving targets using a planar acoustic sensor array

It is of engineering importance to locate low altitude moving targets with acoustic methods due to the blindness of the traditional radar detecting. In this paper, an algorithm for locating low altitude moving targets is put forward based on a five-element planar acoustic sensor array. The method is realized through estimations of the sensor-to-sensor time delays of the source signal generated by the low altitude moving target. The angle and range estimation performance of the proposed method are analyzed, respectively, both in theoretical and numerical sense.     

Vowel Intelligibility in Classical Singing

Vowel intelligibility during singing is an important aspect of communication during performance. The intelligibility of isolated vowels sung by Western classically trained singers has been found to be relatively low, in fact, decreasing as pitch rises, and it is lower for women than for men. The lack of contextual cues significantly deteriorates vowel intelligibility. It was postulated in this study that the reduced intelligibility of isolated sung vowels may be partly from the vowels used by the singers in their daily vocalises. More specifically, if classically trained singers sang only a few American English vowels during their vocalises, their intelligibility for American English vowels would be less than for those classically trained singers who usually vocalize on most American English vowels. In this study, there were 21 subjects (15 women, 6 men), all Western classically trained performers as well as teachers of classical singing. They sang 11 words containing 11 different American English vowels, singing on two pitches a musical fifth apart. Subjects were divided into two groups, those who normally vocalize on 4, 5, or 6 vowels, and those who sing all 11 vowels during their daily vocalises. The sung words were cropped to isolate the vowels, and listening tapes were created. Two listening groups, four singing teachers and five speech-language pathologists, were asked to identify the vowels intended by the singers. Results suggest that singing fewer vowels during daily vocalises does not decrease intelligibility compared with singing the 11 American English vowels. Also, in general, vowel intelligibility was lower with the higher pitch, and vowels sung by the women were less intelligible than those sung by the men. Identification accuracy was about the same for the singing teacher listeners and the speech-language pathologist listeners except for the lower pitch, where the singing teachers were more accurate.     

Acoustic wavefront imaging

We introduce a new class of experiments which provide graphic insights into the propagation of acoustic waves in anisotropic media. Simply stated, we have devised a means of observing the expanding acoustic wavefront from a point disturbance in a solid. The data may be viewed as a movie or a series of snapshots. The observed wavefronts represent the group-velocity surfaces of acoustic waves, which reflect the basic elastic anisotropy of the solid. The technique has been applied to coherent acoustic waves with frequencies in the megahertz range (at ambient temperatures) and to incoherent heat pulses in the hundred-gigahertz range (at liquid-helium temperatures). In this article, we first provide a pedagogical introduction to wave propagation in elastically anisotropic media, reviewing some early methods for visualizing acoustic waves. Next, we describe the “acoustic wavefront imaging” method and give representative results in crystals and composite materials. Finally, we show how this method relates to recent advances in phonon imaging and internal diffraction of ultrasound.     

一种光纤F-P声发射传感器的设计与实现

为克服压电陶瓷传感器易受电磁干扰、不能实现长期实时检测的缺点,提出了光纤非本征F-P结构测量声发射信号的思想.对光纤非本征F-P腔声发射测量原理进行分析,提出了双波长的稳定方法,并进行了结构参量的优化设计,确定了合适的反射比、波长及F-P腔长.理论分析和实验结果表明：所设计的非本征F-P光纤声发射传感器具有良好的敏感性和高分辨率.     

A computational simulation study on the acoustic pressure generated by a dental endosonic file: Effects of intensity,file shape and volume

One of the uses of ultrasound in dentistry is in the field of endodontics (i.e. root canal treatment) in order to enhance cleaning efficiency during the treatment. The acoustic pressures generated by the oscillation of files in narrow channels has been calculated using the COMSOL simulation package. Acoustic pressures in excess of the cavitation threshold can be generated and higher values were found in narrower channels. This parallels experimental observations of sonochemiluminescence. The effect of varying the channel width and length and the dimensions and shape of the file are reported. As well as explaining experimental observations, the work provides a basis for the further development and optimisation of the design of endosonic files.