Sound Radiation Efficiency Research Articles

Meta-barriers for ventilated sound reduction via transformation acoustics

Resolving the trade-off problem between wave obstructing and flow transport is an intriguing but challenging task that may find potential applications in many noise control scenarios. Herein, we present a meta-barrier for achieving broadband sound reduction yet keeping efficient ventilation based on transformation acoustics. The proposed meta-barrier consists of an internal core and a coating made of double-negative acoustic metamaterial with high damping dissipation. Unlike conventional barriers, the meta-barrier has a magnified scattering cross-section far beyond its actual size, allowing it to provide the coherent interference effect in addition to the enhanced blocking effect. The coherent interference effect can directly reduce the sound radiation efficiency of sound waves radiating from an aperture. Moreover, the inherent material loss in the coating has a positive effect on the sound reduction performance of the meta-barrier over a wide frequency range. The robust sound reduction performance of the meta-barrier is demonstrated numerically for the cases of large placed distances and wide-range incident angles. Experiments were conducted to confirm the effectiveness of a meta-barrier sample constructed of a plate-type double-negative acoustic metamaterial with multiple constituent layers for sound reduction and ventilation. The fabricated meta-barrier sample, with the wind-speed ratio of 75 %, can achieve superior sound attenuation in the frequency range of 500–1000 Hz. This work may inspire the design and development of passive acoustic devices to suppress low-frequency airborne noise while supporting large-area ventilation.

A high-intensity low-frequency acoustic generator based on the Helmholtz resonator and airflow modulator.

The high-intensity low-frequency acoustic sources have essential applications in acoustic biological effects research, airport bird repelling, and boiler ash removal. However, generating high-intensity low-frequency acoustic waves in open space is difficult. In this paper, a low-frequency acoustic generator with a resonant cavity used to enhance the acoustic intensity in open space was developed, which is an aerodynamic acoustic generator to radiates a high-intensity acoustic wave of 52Hz. Some experiments were carried out to measure this generator's internal flow field and radiated acoustic field characteristics, including the propagation characteristics at 100m. The experimental results show that the resonant enhancement effect is presented near the predetermined resonance frequency, and the enhanced value is about 4dB. The acoustic intensity for 52Hz at 1m position is 124dB. By combining the Helmholtz resonator with the airflow modulator, the airflow resonance in the resonator enhances the air pressure pulsation inside the chamber and increases the disturbance of acoustic radiation to the air. So as to improve the sound intensity and radiation efficiency in the low-frequency range.

Temperature effects on noise radiated by concrete railway structures

In recent years, concerns have arisen regarding the periodic deformation of high-speed railway tracks owing to the temperature effects caused by the solar radiation. This phenomenon has prompted investigations into temperature-induced changes in the dynamic responses of vehicle–track–bridge systems. Previous studies have commonly taken the additional track irregularity caused by thermal deformation as the sole factor affecting dynamic responses while neglected changes in the structural frequency response characteristics. Structural radiation noise is also a prominent issue that affects the lives of people and the environment. However, studies on track–bridge-borne noise rarely consider the influence of temperature. To address the impact of temperature on structure-borne noise radiated by tracks and bridges, this study employed a sequentially coupled multi-physics analysis method. This approach allowed a comprehensive exploration of the temperature effects on track irregularities, structural frequency responses, and sound radiation efficiency. A full-scale temperature deformation field test of a CRTS III slab was also conducted to determine the necessary initial thermodynamic boundary conditions. The analysis results revealed that the thermally induced deterioration of track irregularity and changes in structural frequency response characteristics were the primary factors affecting structure-borne noise radiated by track–bridges under local climate conditions.

Computational and Theoretical Investigation of Acoustical and Vibrational Properties of Rigid Thin Material

A computational and theoretical investigation of acoustical and vibrational properties of rigid thin fiberglass material was carried out for different boundary conditions. Fiberglass materials could be applied in industries varying from the aircraft and automotive sectors to the built environment and construction sectors. Plate vibration and acoustic radiation were applied to predict the deflection of the thin fiberglass material and sound radiation efficiency at different locations on its surface, while a study-controlled equation of motion known as the Kirchhoff thin plate theory was applied for a COMSOL simulation of the thin material to determine the deflection of the plate and to obtain stress distribution, velocity contour, displacement, and acoustic pressure at the first resonance of the material. The results of this paper show that thin fiberglass material could be applied to sandwich building elements to form panels for reducing airborne noise and to lessen the sound transmission of structural borne noise, to cover noise barriers to make them more sustainable and weather resistant, to dampen the vibration of machines, and to reduce the structural vibration of buildings.

Vibro-acoustic performance of graded piezoelectric metamaterial plates

This work investigates the vibro-acoustic performance of graded piezoelectric metamaterial plates. A piezoelectric layer with electrodes segmented in a regular lattice is attached over a rectangular, simply-supported panel to realize the electromechanically coupled metamaterial plate, rendering a geometrically periodic structure. The grading is achieved in the electric domain, as each unit cell’s inductive shunt resonant frequency can be tuned independently. We investigate two first-order grading patterns based on linear variations along one and both dimensions of the plate and evaluate their impact on vibration attenuation, sound power, kinetic energy, and acoustic radiation efficiency. The graded metamaterial plates outperform the periodic locally resonant counterparts in vibration and radiated sound power attenuation. Moreover, sound radiation efficiency may increase within the attenuation band for steep grading patterns related to the vibration localization phenomenon. The results show that piezoelectric metamaterial plates with reconfigurable properties are an interesting alternative for enhanced vibro-acoustic performance.

Fast method for the determination of radiation-relevant eigenmodes of underwater structures when using FEM shell elements (“modal reduction”)

A self-developed code based on the BEM for the determination of the backscattered sound pressure level in the far field was extended so that additional FEM shell elements and thus elastic material properties can be considered. For this purpose, a separate FEM equation system is built up and directly integrated into the system of the BEM via corresponding transformation matrices. A common variant for solving the FEM-specific parts is to use a solver based on eigenvalue calculations, which provides the corresponding eigenfrequencies and eigenvectors of the uncoupled FEM equation system for a given upper cutoff frequency. It can be observed that only a part of the determined modes has a considerable sound radiation efficiency and is therefore relevant for the result. An algorithm determines these modes by a fast post-processing routine considering a given percentage, reduces the size of the eigenvalue equation system accordingly, and thus shortens the solution time. Furthermore, it was investigated whether the condition of the entire system of equations is improved by removing the irrelevant modes when using iterative solution methods and whether the number of iterations can thus be reduced. The paper describes the basics of FEM coupling with BEM, presents the reduction algorithm used and shows the results obtained for corresponding test structures depending on the reduction percentage used.

Acoustic response of bi-directional functionally graded beam under axially varying load

This paper investigates the effects of bi-directional gradation, length-to-height ratio, and end conditions on the acoustic behaviour of bi-directionally varying functional graded beams. The acoustic responses, including sound-power level (dB), sound-pressure level (dB), and sound-radiation efficiency, are evaluated using Rayleigh’s integral and modal superposition method. The sound power levels are presented up to the selected bandwidth, as well as the octave band center frequency. In contrast, the sound pressure levels are presented as contour plots and in directivity pattern. The buckling load, calculated for quadratically decreasing axial load, is applied in increments from 0 to its highest value. The study reveals that the highest value in the gradation indexes in both directions significantly influences the sound power levels. It is also evident from the study that thin beams have higher sound power levels compared to thick beams. The directivity pattern reveals that bi-directional functionally graded beams predict higher sound pressure levels at the critical buckling load. From the current acoustic study, it is observed that both structural and end stiffness are influential factors in sound power levels (dB) and sound pressure levels (dB).

Analysis of Vibration and Noise in a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor Based on Temperature-Dependent Characteristics of Permanent Magnet

Interior permanent magnet synchronous motors (IPMSMs) are widely utilized due to their high power density. However, noise and vibration issues are often encountered in these motors. While researchers have extensively investigated individual aspects such as noise, vibration, and heat generation in PMSMs, there has been a lack of comprehensive studies examining the interrelationships among these factors. In this paper, a novel approach is proposed for predicting vibration by considering the radial force in the air gap as the exciting force, while also accounting for the changes in the permanent magnet (PM) characteristics caused by heat generation during motor operation. The method involves decomposing and identifying vibration components associated with each vibration mode and predicting noise based on the sound radiation efficiency of each mode. By constructing a vibration map based on current and temperature at a specific frequency, the components most affected by current variations and PM characteristics can be identified. This allows for the proposal of design improvements aimed at reducing vibration. Furthermore, by comparing the vibration map with the noise map, it is confirmed that vibration serves as a source of noise and influences its generation. However, it is found that vibration and noise are not strictly proportional. Overall, a comprehensive analysis of the correlations between vibration, noise, and other factors in IPMSMs is presented in this study. The proposed method and findings contribute to the understanding of the complex dynamics involved and provide valuable insights for the design of quieter and more efficient motor systems.

Sound radiation attenuation by circular total-reflection elastic metasurface composed of subunits with cubic profiles

Utilizing metamaterials or acoustic black holes (ABHs) to control wave propagation and then to realize vibration control and sound radiation attenuation is a hot topic in recent years. However, using elastic metasurfaces that possess similar wave manipulation abilities with metamaterials and ABHs to attenuate sound radiation has not been reported yet. In this paper, a circular total-reflection elastic metasurface (CTREM) composed of subunits with cubic profiles similar with ABHs is proposed to realize vibration isolation and achieve broadband sound radiation attenuation of a plate below the cut-on frequency of the ABH. Compared with the corresponding bare plate and the plate containing a single ABH with a conventional design, the sound radiation efficiencies of the CTREM plate within and outside the vibration isolation band are both substantially attenuated. This phenomenon can be attributed to two distinct mechanisms: the total reflection of flexural waves caused by vibration isolation, and the local resonances of subunits. Analyses of the wavenumber spectra obtained from normal vibration velocities of the CTREM plate, both experimentally and numerically, along with the supersonic intensity patterns, reveal that the confined vibration energies are subsonic components localized within ineffective sound radiation areas. This, in turn, reduces the coupling strength of sound and vibration, thereby significantly attenuating sound radiation efficiency. The proposed CTREM provides a lossless and lightweight method for sound radiation attenuation.

Vibro-acoustic characteristics of a submarine model excited by excitation forces of pump-jet duct

The vibro-acoustic responses of coupled pump-jet-submarine systems excited by fluid excitations on the wall of the duct are numerically investigated. The unsteady excitations are calculated by computational fluid dynamics and the vibration responses for different excitations on the inner and outer walls are contrastively analyzed through establishing a finite element model of the coupled system. Meanwhile, the effect of fluid–structure interaction and the excitation loading methods for the inner flow of duct are considered. The sound radiation characteristics for different excitation sources are predicted through using a boundary element model. The results show that the excitation force spectra of the inner wall have a remarkable discrete peak at blade passing frequency and its multiple, while the excitation force spectra of the outer wall show a broadband characteristic and discrete components appear at blade passing frequency. The modes of hull both dominate the vibro-acoustic responses of the coupled system for different excitation sources of the duct. The transmitted energy for inner excitation forces is significantly greater than that of outer excitation forces, but the sound radiation efficiency is relatively close. The excitations of the duct can transfer to the thrust bearing through stators as well as the hull and cause a coupled vibration between the duct–stator–hull and the shafting system. Besides, the method for applying distributed forces on the inner wall is more reliable.

Towards time-domain modelling of wheel/rail noise: Effect of the dynamic track model

Transient events in railway rolling noise, such as the characteristic impulsive noise at switches and crossings, can significantly contribute to the perceived annoyance, despite being difficult to detect in the standard frequency-domain methods to analyse rolling noise. Studying these transient effects and their perception requires predicting the noise in the time domain. While several time-domain approaches exist for predicting the dynamic interaction of wheel and rail, predicting the associated rolling noise with adequate accuracy is computationally costly. The lack of a model for transient noise and the need for studying its perception was recently identified. Aiming for a comprehensive time-domain radiation model that includes the wheel and track contributions to rolling noise, this work focuses on the track radiation. The modelling approach taken here is based on a 2.5D formulation for the acoustic radiation and moving Green’s functions in the air. The computational cost, which lies mainly in the 2.5D BE calculations, is addressed by pre-calculating acoustic transfer functions. These transfer functions can be combined with different dynamic track models. Different dynamic track models in turn affect radiated sound field in different ways. Here, the sound fields produced by six different track models are compared, including different support types and analytical and numerical rail models. Several descriptors of the sound field are analysed. In terms of the radiated sound power and radiation efficiency, modelling the rail as a simple beam leads to similar results as elaborate numerical models up to about 5 kHz. In terms of the track-side sound pressure, simple beam models can provide similar results only up to 2.5 kHz. Euler-Bernoulli (E-B) beams seem unfit for time-domain predictions of the radiated noise as they over-estimate the bending wave speed at high frequencies. The results also show that the standard track decay rate (TDR) and the decay of acoustic sound pressure along the track are comparable.

Radiation of a metaplate made of an acoustic black hole and local resonators

In recent years, acoustic black holes (ABHs) have been shown very effective to suppress radiation. However, below the cut-on frequency, the waves cannot be trapped into the ABH. In this paper, locally resonant metamaterials are introduced to the ABH plate to improve the low-frequency performance. The suggested material is called MMABH. The total mass of resonators is kept the same to the one when fabricating the ABH, such that the lightweight feature still remains valid for the MMABH. Using the Gaussian expansion component mode synthesis (GECMS) method, the band gap and the coincidences between the MMABH and the air are first characterized, together with the paramagnetic studies of the plate thickness and lattice constant. In what follows, the vibration field of the MMABH is recovered, showing that whole-band reduction can be achieved. The sound pressure, power and radiation efficiency are next characterized via a discretized radiation model. Likewise, the radiated power is substantially mitigated in the whole frequency range being considered. Finally, the implementation of non-negative intensity (NNI) shows that the sound reduction not only associates with the outstanding damping capabilities of the resonators and the ABH, but also involves the wave slowdown phenomenon that breaks the coupling with air.

Acoustic radiation efficiencies of laminated composite structure under mechanical excitation and hygrothermal loading: Numerical analysis

In this research, the sound radiation efficiencies of multi-layer composite flat as well as curved structure under harmonic mechanical excitation in hygrothermal environment is numerically investigated using a coupled micromechanical finite element and boundary element scheme. The higher-order mid-plane kinematics including the stretching effect is equipped for the structural modeling and the Hamilton’s principle is utilized to evaluate the hygro-thermo-elastic natural frequencies alongside corresponding modes of the structures lying on an infinite rigid-baffle. An isoparametric Lagrangian element with zero order Hermitian interpolation function (ten degrees of freedom per node) is utilized for transforming the continuous structural equations into discrete counterparts. The effective composite material properties due to combined hygrothermal loading are considered via a micromechanical model. Then, an indirect boundary element method is employed to attain the structure-surrounding coupling and the sound radiation efficiencies are computed by solving the Helmholtz wave equation. The effectiveness of the model is established by converging it with the similar results available in the open literature for vibrational as well as sound radiation efficiencies and the results reveal the confirmation of the model accuracy. Upon solving diverse numerical illustrations, the sound radiation efficiency found to decrease with intensity of hygrothermal loads and the cross-ply spherical panels with less volume fraction of fiber depicted the least RE values over the entire frequency range considered.

Analytical Investigation of Sound Radiation from Functionally Graded Thin Plates Based on Elemental Radiator Approach and Physical Neutral Surface

This paper analyzes the sound radiation behavior of a clamped thin, functionally graded material plate using the classical plate theory and Rayleigh Integral with the elemental radiator approach. The material properties of the plate are assumed to vary according to the power-law distribution of the constituent materials in the transverse direction. The functionally graded material is modeled using a physical neutral surface instead of a geometric middle surface. The effects of the power-law index, elastic modulus ratio, different constituent materials, and damping loss factor on the sound radiation of functionally graded plate are analyzed. It was found that, for the considered plate, the power-law index significantly influences sound power level and radiation efficiency. There exists a critical value of the power-law index for which the corresponding peak of sound power level is minimum. In a wide operating frequency range, approximately 500–1500 Hz, this research suggests that the radiation efficiency is lower for the power-law index equal to 0 and 1. However, for very low frequencies (less than 250 Hz), the power-law index does not affect radiation efficiency significantly. Further, as the modulus ratio increases, the sound power peak decreases for a given power-law index. For the given material constituents of the functionally graded plate, the different values of damping loss factors do not significantly influence radiation efficiency. However, the selection of material constituents affects the radiation efficiency peak.

LOAD NOISE INCREASE OF TRANSFORMERS BY LOAD HARMONICS

Harmonic components in the load-current have a larger impact to the increase of the load noise level of transformers than might be expected from their amplitude. The reasons are (a) the interaction of the harmonics with the large load-current at power frequency, (b) the rising sound radiation efficiency with frequency and (c) the A-weighting filter curve which suppresses sound components at lower frequencies. This paper presents a calculation scheme able to estimate the noise increase and the noise spectrum of electrical transformers for non-sinusoidal load conditions. The proposed calculation scheme is applied to three practical examples

The mechanics of acoustic signal evolution in field crickets.

Field crickets (Family Gryllidae, Subfamily Gryllinae) typically produce tonal calls with carrier frequencies in the range 3-8 kHz. In this study, we explored the use of a finite element model (FEM) of the stridulatory apparatus of a field cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus, based on experimental measurements of resonator geometry and mechanical properties, to predict the measured call carrier frequencies of eight other field cricket species, ranging between 3 and 7 kHz. The model allowed accurate predictions of carrier frequencies for all eight species to within a few hundred hertz from morphological measurements of their resonators. We then used the model to explore the plausible evolutionary design space for field cricket call carrier frequency along the axes of resonator size and thickness, and mapped the locations of the nine experimentally measured species in this design space. Although the nine species spanned the evolutionarily conserved spectrum of carrier frequency and body size in field crickets, they were clustered in a small region of the available design space. We then explored the reasons for this apparent evolutionary constraint on field cricket carrier frequencies at both the lower and higher limit. We found that body size and sound radiation efficiency were the main constraints at the lower limits, whereas the energetics of stridulation using the clockwork mechanism may pose a constraint at higher frequencies.

A light-weight periodic plate with embedded acoustic black holes and bandgaps for broadband sound radiation reduction

Conceiving lightweight structures with low vibration and sound radiation properties is an important topic. The concept of Acoustic Black Hole (ABH) offers new impetus to tackle this problem. Most existing ABH structures are based on simple ABH cells. Apart from the reduced structural strength, systematic ABH effects occur typically above the cut-on frequency of the ABH element, which is perceived as a bottlenecking problem. To tackle the problem, this paper examines the sound radiation properties of a plate comprising periodically tangled ABH cells. Through combining ABH effects with sub-wavelength bandgaps (BGs), numerical and experimental studies show that the plate exhibits reduced sound radiation properties in an ultra-broad frequency range, far below the cut-on frequency of an ABH element. This is owing to the tangled nature of the ABH elements, which extends the actual dimension of the ABH, lowers its onset frequency and reduces the sound radiation efficiency through creating slow waves. Inside the BGs, the reduced sound radiation is mainly due to the redistribution of the vibration energy, basically confined to the excitation area. Capitalizing on the combined ABH and BG features alongside improved mechanical properties, the proposed structure shows promise as a light-weight solution for broadband noise reduction.

Vocal tract adjustments to minimize vocal fold contact pressure during phonation

This computational study aims to identify vocal tract adjustments that minimize the peak vocal fold contact pressure during phonation and thus should be targeted in voice therapy treating phonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction. The results showed that for a given subglottal pressure, the effect of vocal tract adjustments on the peak vocal fold contact pressure was generally small except when such adjustments caused noticeable changes in the glottal flow amplitude. In this study, this occurred mainly when the lip opening was reduced and at conditions of large initial glottal angles or high subglottal pressures, which decreased the peak contact pressure but also significantly reduced the output sound pressure level (SPL). On the other hand, increasing lip opening significantly increased sound radiation efficiency from the mouth and reduced the subglottal pressure required to produce a target SPL. Because of the large effect of the subglottal pressure on the peak contact pressure, increasing lip opening thus was able to significantly reduce the peak contact pressure in voice tasks targeting a specific SPL. In contrast, the effect of pharyngeal expansion alone had only a small effect on the peak contact pressure, whether controlling for the subglottal pressure or targeting a specific SPL.

Effects of annular acoustic black holes on sound radiated by cylindrical shells

While most acoustic black hole (ABH) designs are intended to reduce vibrations in beams and plates, annular ABHs have been recently proposed for cylindrical shells. The key to achieve the ABH effect in a structure consists in embedding an indentation on it such that it slows down incident waves and concentrates their energy at the center of the ABH. There, it can be typically dissipated by means of a viscoelastic layer. Many studies exist on the vibration of structures with ABH indentations but only a few address the topic of sound radiation. In this work, we evaluate the impact that an annular ABH has on the sound radiated by a baffled cylindrical shell. The vibration of the cylinder is computed using Gaussian basis functions in the Rayleigh-Ritz method. Once determined the surface velocity of the ABH cylinder, a Green's function approach is employed to obtain its surface acoustic pressure and then the sound power level, radiation efficiency and supersonic intensity. The dependency of the latter on the ranges determined by the ring and critical frequencies is analyzed for the case of a thick acoustic shell. Beyond the critical frequency, supersonic flexural waves entering the ABH become subsonic, substantially reducing the radiation efficiency and therefore, the emitted sound. Further reduction is achieved once passed the ring frequency.

The influence of nonlinearities on jet noise modeling based on parabolized stability equation

With the aid of a large eddy simulation (LES) model of a turbulent jet, we study the modeling of jet noise based on wavepackets by considering a certain degree of nonlinearity. Linear parabolized stability equations (PSEs) are utilized to solve the spatial evolution of wavepackets with the base flow obtained from the LES. The spectral proper orthogonal decomposition (SPOD) is performed to extract the most energetic coherent structures. Since the mean flow includes partial nonlinearity, improved agreement of hydrodynamic pressure fields between SPOD-filtered results and linear-PSE solutions is obtained in the near field. Deviations only occur when the coherent structures decay. Although linear-PSE solutions represent the near-field hydrodynamics reasonably, the far-field noise propagated from this linear model shows a large deviation from the LES results. Then, a small external harmonic forcing is added to the right-hand side of the PSE to mimic the effects of nonlinearity due to incoherent fluctuations on the late evolution of near-field wavepackets, and an adjoint approach is further utilized to search for optimal forcing distribution. Optimized forcing is mainly located near the critical layer; enhances the energy of wavepackets; and raises the sound radiation efficiency, but to a limited extent. Meanwhile, the coherence-matched PSE wavepacket is proposed to incorporate the coherence decay of wavepackets calculated based on LES. An improved agreement in far-field sound pressure levels for low-frequency components is achieved. In short, these findings all prove the vital role of nonlinearity in jet noise modeling, and the current modeling approaches have made some progress. However, a more physics-based and generalized nonlinear model is still required.