Prediction of psychological impacts of noise from ventilation systems

Abstract

Air-conditioning ventilation systems are essential for maintaining good indoor environmental quality. However, the noise generated by these systems can have negative psychological impacts on occupants, such as dissatisfaction, discomfort, disturbance, and unacceptability. This problem cannot be solved simply by reducing the noise level. With the help of a valid, reliable, and applicable psychometric tool called the psychoacoustics perception scale (PPS), the psychological impacts of the noise on human general judgment (Evaluation, E), sensitivity to the magnitude (Potency, P), and sensation of the temporal and spectral compositions (Activity, A) of sounds can be quantified. A holistic sound quality assessment was proposed to cover the objective assessments of traditional indoor criteria and acoustic metrics, as well as subjective assessment using the PPS. The correlations found between the objective characteristics of the noise from ventilation systems, the PPS scores, and the occupants’ cognitive performance can extend traditional noise level prediction to the prediction of psychological impacts of air-conditioned environments. This advanced knowledge of noise prediction will help acoustic professionals in the design of teaching courses in acoustics, noise, and vibration control, as well as in building services engineering, and throughout the built environment.