Effects of subglottal and supraglottal acoustic loading on voice production

Abstract

Speech production involves sound generation by confined jets through an orifice (the glottis) with a time-varying area. Predictive models are usually based on the quasi-steady assumption. This assumption allows the complex unsteady flows to be treated as steady flows, which are more effectively modeled computationally. Because of the reflective properties of the human lungs, trachea and vocal tract, subglottal and supraglottal resonance and other acoustic effects occur in speech, which might affect glottal impedance, especially in the regime of unsteady flow separation. Changes in the flow structure, or flow regurgitation due to a transient negative transglottal pressure, could also occur. These phenomena may affect the quasi-steady behavior of speech production. To investigate the possible effects of the subglottal and supraglottal acoustic loadings, a dynamic mechanical model of the larynx was designed and built. The subglottal and supraglottal acoustic loadings are simulated using an expansion in the tube upstream of the glottis and a finite length tube downstream, respectively. The acoustic pressures of waves radiated upstream and downstream of the orifice were measured and compared to those predicted using a model based on the quasi-steady assumption. A good agreement between the experimental data and the predictions was obtained for different operating frequencies, flow rates, and orifice shapes. This supports the validity of the quasi-steady assumption for various subglottal and supraglottal acoustic loadings.