Active control of periodic fan noise in laptops: spectral width requirements in a delayed buffer implementation

Abstract

An active control system intended for the reduction of strictly periodic noise components in computer cooling fans is described, which is based on high‐performance digital sound device architectures found in some personal computers. The system overcomes causality and synchronization constrains imposed by delayed buffering, as usually found in computer audio processing. Performance of the system is demonstrated and evaluated through measurements in a physical implementation of active noise control of synthetic tones combined with laptop fan noise, carried out under anechoic and slightly everberant conditions. Tests on other types of tonal noise sources, like an electrical transformer, were also carried out. However, its wider applicability to the cancellation of tonal noise has been proved compromised by weak periodicity issues found and reported in this work. Also, a study of noise spectral width requirements for successful operation is presented.