Sound Radiation Research Articles

Isogeometric modeling and vibro-acoustic analysis of flow-excited irregular cavity-plate-exterior space coupled system

The flow-induced noise has become an important noise source in marine sonar self-noise, which can adversely affect the normal operation of sonar. The marine sonar cabin is simplified as a cavity-plate-exterior space coupled system whose flow-induced vibro-acoustic characteristics are investigated in this paper. An isogeometric vibro-acoustic formulation is proposed in which the cavity with an irregular geometry is precisely described by adjusting the control points and corresponding weights. The flow-induced vibro-acoustic response is obtained by transferring the turbulent pressure data from computational fluid dynamics into the isogeometric vibro-acoustic model. Imposing turbulent pressure into the isogeometric control points is proposed to achieve this objective using a node-based interpolation method. The vibro-acoustic modeling is validated and compared with previous experimental results. These comparisons demonstrate that the developed formulation accurately predicts the vibro-acoustic characteristics of the fluid-excited coupled system. The influences of flow speed, acoustic medium, and cavity shape on flow-excited vibration and sound radiation are discussed. Results show a decrease in radiated acoustic power and radiation efficiency in the exterior space, and a shift in the plate-exterior space coupling modal frequency to lower frequencies when the cavity changes from convex to concave.

On the cutoff, reappearance, and persistence of subsonic leaky A0 Lamb waves

Abstract Subsonic leaky A0 Lamb waves, whose phase speeds are lower than the fluid’s sound speed, exhibit several peculiar behaviours. In this work, we investigate three such behaviours: Cutoff, where the A0 branch cuts off at some point in the subsonic domain, reappearance, where the cut-off A0 branch reappears at lower frequencies, and persistence, where the A0 branch is never cut off at all. From the literature, we take the case of a 1 mm thick aluminium plate immersed in air of varying density. We then analyse its exact leaky A0 wave solutions by means of a sound radiation model that takes energy conservation into account. This analysis explains these peculiar behaviours by connecting them with the conditions that allow sound-radiating subsonic leaky A0 Lamb waves.

Vibroacoustic suppression of sandwich plates with imperfect acoustic black hole

Acoustic black holes (ABHs) have recently been revealed as an effective vibration-control technology. However, owing to their disadvantages such as low stiffness, structural discontinuity and manufacturing difficulties, ABHs are limited in terms of their practical application. Therefore, a multilayer composite sandwich plate with filled imperfect-ABH (F-IABH) is proposed in this study to attenuate the vibration and sound radiation of the multilayer sandwich plate, as well as to enhance its bearing capacity and maintain its topological continuity. The structural-damping characteristics and vibroacoustic response of F-IABH are determined using a semi-analytical wave propagation model developed based on symplectic and discrete radiation model methods. The accuracy and effectiveness of the analytical model are validated using the finite-element method. The results show that the F-IABH can achieve broadband vibration-attenuation and noise-reduction effects, and their vibration and noise reduction effects are significantly better than those of ABH structures. Additionally, the wave-damping characteristics of uniform, ABH, and F-IABH plates are analyzed. The results show that the wave damping of the F-IABH plate is much higher than that of the uniform plate, and that it generates more propagative waves to dissipate energy. Additionally, the damping-attenuation characteristics of each wave in the F-IABH and ABH plates exhibit similar variations. However, owing to the large variation range of the wave-mode damping characteristics of the F-IABH plate, the control effect of the latter on structural vibration and acoustic radiation is more significant than that of the ABH plate.

Research on Noise Reduction Performance of Wheel–Rail with Amplitude Amplifying Vibration Absorber

This paper introduces a novel rail vibration absorber leveraging the amplitude amplification mechanism. Employing a continuous slab ballastless track as the experimental framework, we develop a predictive model for rail sound radiation considering various absorber configurations. Additionally, we analyze the efficacy of the amplitude-amplifying vibration absorber in mitigating wheel–rail radiated noise. Our findings demonstrate that the amplitude-amplifying vibration absorber significantly reduces rail radiation noise within the frequency band of 800–1[Formula: see text]600[Formula: see text]Hz. Specifically, close to the design frequency (1[Formula: see text]000[Formula: see text]Hz), the sound power level experiences a reduction of 15.34[Formula: see text]dB, leading to a total reduction in rail radiation sound power by 3.21[Formula: see text]dB. Comparative analysis reveals that both the frequency band and noise reduction effect of the amplitude amplifying vibration absorber outperform those of conventional sound radiation absorbers with identical parameters. Moreover, they surpass the performance of conventional vibration absorbers with similar parameters. This study substantiates the superior noise reduction capabilities of the amplitude-amplifying (AA) vibration absorber compared to conventional counterparts.

Internal combustion engine acoustic diagnostics

Introduction. To ensure stable performance of transport and technological machines, constant monitoring of their technical condition is necessary. Timely diagnosis is difficult to carry out when working in remote regions, as well as when transporting goods over long distances due to the lack of closely located maintenance centers.Materials and methods. One of the solutions to the above problem is the use of a diagnostic method based on sound parameters. In particular, this method is applicable to power plants. Its advantage is the ability to quickly assess the condition of the engine mechanisms and systems on site using a portable device (without the use of large-sized and low-mobility equipment) by non-destructive testing. Thus, the research and implementation of the acoustic diagnostic method is promising and in demand today. One of the most important areas for improving power plants today is the automation of control processes for their operation based on the use of electronics and microprocessor systems. With a positive effect on the efficiency of the engine, these complex systems expand the range of its potential malfunctions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the fundamental possibility of determining and comparing the acoustic parameters of an engine with and without violations of the operating mode in the event of failures in electronic control systems of its operation. As an example, the Ford Focus passenger car was chosen as the object of the study. A malfunction in the electronic ignition module was used as a test fault. The obtained spectral patterns of the sound radiation of the internal combustion engine (with and without violations of the operating mode) enable to determine the nature of the engine malfunction by sound parameters.Results. A frequency range at which it is possible to identify the spectral pattern of an engine with impaired operation and an engine without impaired operation was obtained. This range was 6,000-6,500 Hz, since in this segment the sound level reaches more than 40 dB.Discussions and conclusions. The conducted experiment is the initial stage of a large-scale experimental study, the result of which will serve as a starting point for the introduction of the acoustic method into the process of diagnosing electronic control systems for internal combustion engines.

Effects of Hollowed Neck Designs on Sound Radiation and Loudness of Baglama

This study investigated the effects of two experimental (patented) neck designs on sound radiation and the perceived loudness of the baglama, a stringed instrument. The primary hypothesis of this research is that compared to traditional neck, the experimental neck designs increase the stringed instrument's air volume and vibrating surface area, thereby contributing to radiation efficiency and perceived loudness. Sound radiation analysis based on acoustic modal analysis and psychoacoustic analysis were conducted. First, sound radiation measurements were made in an experimental setup. The data were then examined using the Frequency Response Function (FRF). The results revealed that the experimental necked baglamas’ sound radiated better than the traditional one. Second, listening (N=38) and playability (N=26) tests were conducted in focus group interviews. The participants listened to or played traditional and experimental necked baglamas and rated their loudness. The Friedman and Wilcoxon signed-rank test on the scores indicated that the participants perceived the experimental necked baglamas as significantly louder than the traditional one. Most participants stated that the experimental necked baglamas sounded higher and had better quality than the traditional one. Psychoacoustic findings corroborated the results of sound radiation analysis.

Correlation-enhanced short-time analysis of coherent structures for acoustic bursts in subsonic jets

A correlation-enhanced event-driven decomposition (CEED) method is developed to analyze the coherent structure during the acoustic burst in subsonic jets. To sample the acoustic burst signal for the CEED, a conditional filter is proposed. The correlation between the acoustic burst signal and the signal from the flow field is introduced into the decomposition, to deal with the low signal-to-noise ratio issue between these two signals. Suitability for the subsonic jets is demonstrated for the CEED, based on validated large eddy simulation results. Then, the short-time evolution of the coherent structure is analyzed by the CEED. The results show that the sampled acoustic burst signal is intermittent. Its spectrum appears the same shape as that of the original signal. Thus, the acoustic burst is dominant in the sound radiation. The correlation is found to accelerate the convergence of the CEED. The leading mode of the CEED is shown able to represent the short-time evolution of the coherent structure clearly. During the acoustic burst, the leading mode appears as a train of puffs, and it presents three stages: (1) Two in-phase puffs enclose an anti-phase puff. These puffs move downstream with their size growing. (2) The anti-phase puff vanishes, while the two in-phase puffs merge into a large puff. The large puff forms a wavefront. (3) Three puffs form waves in sequence. Together, these waves compose a train of waves. The merging accelerates the puff into a supersonic state intermittently; therefore, the merging is responsible for the acoustic burst.

Study on the radiation directivity of a ring-excited thin circular plate with a fixed boundary

Air-coupled transducer with a flat plate structure have many applications in the fields of ground weather observation, ultrasonic defoaming, and directional strong acoustic radiation. In this paper, an analytical equation of the far-field radiation directivity of a fixed boundary ring-excited thin circular plate (RTCP) is deduced using Rayleigh integration method. A finite element model of the RTCP is established, and the relationship between the far-field radiation directivity and the excitation position, excitation area and working frequency is studied by considering the third-order axisymmetric flexural vibration of the RTCP. Computation results show that, for a RTCP, the excitation position has more effect on its radiation directivity. When the plate is excited at the positions between first two nodes, the directivity can be enhanced. When the excitation position is in the trough of the normal displacement curve along radius direction, the side lobes of the radiation directivity of the RTCP are minimized. The area of excitation region has smaller influence on the frequency and radiation directivity of the RTCP. However, working frequency has a great influence on the radiation directivity of the RTCP. When the working frequency is close to the vibration frequency of the circular plate, the sound radiation directivity is the best. A prototype fixed boundary circular plate excited by a longitudinal sandwich transducer was designed and manufactured. For comparison, its finite element model was also setup to simulate its acoustic radiation directivity. Experimental results were found to be in agreement with the theoretical calculations and finite element simulation results.

On the vortex dynamical contribution to the emission of infrasound from tornadoes.

Previous field experiments support the claim that a tornado can radiate discernible infrasound between 0.5 and 10 Hz. The physical mechanisms of tornado sound generation are still not fully understood, although several potential mechanisms have been proposed. In this paper, the theory of vortex sound is applied to the sound radiation from two numerical tornado simulations based on large eddy simulations. There are two different vortex-related mechanisms in distinct frequency regimes. It is found that rotation of a non-axisymmetric vorticity field produces low-frequency infrasound less than 2.0 Hz. High-frequency tornado infrasound can be attributed to more complex vortex dynamics such as vortex merging.

Generalized interpolation-supplemented cascaded lattice Boltzmann method for noise radiated from a circular cylinder

Flow past a stationary or vibrating body usually leads to intense noise radiation. In order to study this problem via direct simulations, a cascaded lattice Boltzmann method (CLBM) is developed in the moving frame of reference, and implemented in a body-fitted grid using the generalized interpolation-supplemented particle streaming. A far-field perfectly matched layer is also incorporated so as to avoid sound reflection. The proposed generalized interpolation-supplemented cascaded lattice Boltzmann method (GICLBM) is then validated through numerical experiments concerning fixed and forced oscillating circular cylinders, in terms of forces exerting on the cylinder, wall stress, near-field flow dynamics, and far-field sound radiation. Very good consistency is observed for all quantities discussed therein with previous benchmark tests. Furthermore, the noise radiated from a circular cylinder undergoing vortex-induced vibration (VIV) is investigated using the GICLBM, providing interesting results. Firstly, at a mass ratio of m⁎=2, the flow and vibration dynamics are found to be dependent on the Mach number, and the critical value is found to be approximately Ma=0.1. Secondly, through comparisons with scenarios involving a fixed cylinder and a forced vibrating cylinder, it is noted that the VIV generates significantly more complicated sound sources including monopole and drag dipole. Thirdly, in the lock-in condition, the increase in the reduced velocity only alters the magnitude of the radiated sound pressure but not the directivity. Through this study, a high-fidelity, efficient, and relatively simple framework for fluid-structure-sound interactions is proposed.

Dynamic response and sound radiation of cracked asphalt pavements under moving loads and variable thermal profiles

ABSTRACT This study investigates the acoustic performance and dynamic response of cracked, viscoelastic porous asphalt pavements under moving loads and variable thermal conditions. Realistic pavement cracks are modelled using an advanced line spring model with fracture compliance coefficients. The novelty lies in the synergistic integration of a heterogeneous triple-porosity media model, a non-uniform depth-dependent temperature profile, and an advanced fracture mechanics-based line spring model with arbitrary crack orientation. Variations in temperature that are uniform, linear, and nonlinear with respect to the thickness layer axis are taken into account. The governing equations are derived by Hamilton’s principle and solved analytically via Fourier-Laplace transforms. The acoustic pressure is first-time predicted through Rayleigh integral analysis. Durbin’s numerical inversion validates the model’s accuracy versus sophisticated finite element simulations. Parametric analysis offers new insights into the effects of crack length, pore size distribution, loading frequency, and thermal gradients on noise pollution and fatigue cracking. The integrated chemo-thermo-mechanical modelling enables optimal structural design and accelerated pavement testing to limit acoustic radiation and premature failure in porous asphalt pavements. It allows for the development of noise-reducing porous asphalt mixtures by modifying aggregate gradation, binder content, and air void distribution.

Sound radiation and wave propagation of functionally graded carbon nanotube reinforced composite plates

Sound radiation and wave propagation of functionally graded carbon nanotube reinforced composite plates

Modifying the radiation ratio of tonewoods through wood degradation

ABSTRACT This work investigates different wood modification techniques to modify the acoustical properties of tonewoods, in particular the sound radiation ratio (R). The treatments used were heat- and fungal exposure, as well as immersion into NaOH and Na2SO3 solution and a combination of the most successful treatments. All initial experiments were performed on pine wood (Pinus patula) due to cost factors, before replicating the best-performing treatment on high-quality spruce tonewood (Picea abies). The main objective was to reduce the hemicellulose content without severely degrading cellulose, which results in a reduction of density, while maintaining, or even improving the elasticity (MOE L ), which results in an increase of R. Overall, the combined heat–fungal and heat–sodium treatments performed best and increased R by up to 20%. Sodium treatment led to the best increases in R, but compromised the wood structure in spruce and the treatment protocol needs to be developed further. Consequently, the most successful wood treatment to improve acoustical properties was determined to be exposure to white rot combined with heat treatment.

Noise reduction mechanism of high-speed railway box-girder bridges installed with MTMDs on top plate

The issue of low-frequency structural noise radiated from high-speed railway (HSR) box-girder bridges (BGBs) is a significant challenge worldwide. Although it is known that vibrations in BGBs caused by moving trains can be reduced by installing multiple tuned mass dampers (MTMDs) on the top plate, there is limited research on the noise reduction achieved by this method. This study aims to investigate the noise reduction mechanism of BGBs installed with MTMDs on the top plate. A sound radiation prediction model for the BGB installed with MTMDs is developed, based on the vehicle–track–bridge coupled dynamics and acoustics boundary element method. After being verified by field tested results, the prediction model is employed to study the reduction of vibration and noise of BGBs caused by the MTMDs. It is found that installing MTMDs on top plate can significantly affect the vibration distribution and sound radiation law of BGBs. However, its impact on the sound radiation caused by vibrations dominated by the global modes of BGBs is minimal. The noise reduction achieved by MTMDs is mainly through changing the acoustic radiation contributions of each plate of the bridge. In the lower frequency range, the noise reduction of BGB caused by MTMDs can be more effective if the installation of MTMDs can modify the vibration frequency and distribution of the BGB to avoid the influence of small vibrations and disperse the sound radiation from each plate.

Metalite, a new class of composite laminates with unique properties

Metalite is a new class of antisymmetric composite laminates composed of angle-plies, 0-degree, and 90-degree plies, presenting unique properties. These include extremely thin laminates suitable for minimum gauge applications, remarkable weight savings compared to conventional quads, adjustable zero and negative coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE), ease of manufacturing, excellent ability to adjust mode frequency, change sound radiation characteristics, and high tunability. In this study, Metalite laminates ranging from 3 to 8 plies are described using their feasible spaces and compared with quads, detailing the weight savings achieved for hard, soft, and neutral laminates. Through an experimental study, the CTE value of a hybrid Metalite is correlated with theory, demonstrating how to tune zero and negative CTE values. The proposed work offers significant benefits through practical solutions for designing and manufacturing lightweight composite laminates with unique properties.

On the sound field of an oscillating elliptical disk in free space with an open and closed back.

An oscillating elliptical disk in free space has a uniform surface velocity distribution and is therefore a rigid sound radiator. The radiated sound also represents that scattered from a stationary disk in the presence of a normal plane wave. Using the Fourier (Hankel) Green's function in cylindrical coordinates, together with the monopole Kirchhoff-Helmholtz boundary integral, rigorous analytical formulas are derived for calculating the surface pressure distribution, radiation impedance, on-axis pressure, and, directivity pattern of an elliptical open-back disk in free space, and these are plotted over a range of normalized frequencies. The directivity is compared with that of a rigid circular disk in free space, and asymptotic low-frequency approximations are derived for the radiation impedance and on-axis pressure. Using the Gutin concept, the radiated sound is combined with that from a rigid elliptical disk in an infinite baffle to obtain the radiation impedance, on-axis pressure, and, directivity pattern of a closed-back elliptical disk in free space. The latter has a uniform velocity distribution on the front surface and zero velocity over the entire back surface.

Study on the sound radiation characteristics of polygonal wear wheels of CRH3 high-speed train

Abstract Due to the increase in train operating speed, the phenomenon of collision vibration between wheels and rails becomes more and more obvious, and the degree of wheel wear increases dramatically. As a result, the wheel-rail noise problem has become more and more complex. The wheel polygonal wear is also widespread on the train. For the wheel in the form of polygonal wear of the wheel-rail vertical force, combined with the principle of wheel-rail noise, we conduct an in-depth study. An aerodynamic mutual coupling model for CRH3 high-speed vehicles is proposed. The role of the amplitude of 0.03 mm, i.e., the twentieth-order polygonal abrasion rate on the wheel-rail force is analyzed at the speed class of 200~350 km/h, and the acoustic radiation characteristics of the wheels are investigated at different speed classes. The results show that under different speed classes, when the wheel polygon order is in the twentieth order, the wheel-rail vertical force rises with the increase of speed, and the wheel sound power is also affected by a great change. There is a significant increase in the sound power from the low frequency of 20 Hz to 100 Hz and a peak in the mid-frequency up to 1, 000 Hz. Secondly, when the wheel radiated sound pressure levels at different speed levels, significant changes also occurred, with the sound pressure reaching a maximum of 110 dB at 350 km/h.

Characteristics and Mechanism of Sound Radiation of Urban Railway Bridge Installed with Sound Barrier

In noise-sensitive areas of urban rail transit (URT), sound barriers are often used to block the propagation of on-track noise such as the wheel–rail noise. However, the vibrations induced by passing trains can also transmit to the sound barriers. Therefore, it is necessary to study the acoustic radiation characteristics of the sound barrier under moving train loads and to evaluate whether installing sound barriers will affect the overall low-frequency noise radiation from the elevated railway. In this paper, the train–track–bridge dynamic interaction theory is adopted to establish a dynamics model for train–track–bridge-sound barrier coupled system, and the acoustic theory is employed to establish acoustic boundary element models for sound barrier, box girder bridge and sound barrier-box girder bridge coupled system, respectively. These models are then used to systematically analyze the characteristics and mechanism of vibrational noise of the sound barrier due to passing trains. The effects of sound barrier on the acoustic environment are also evaluated. Finally, the influencing mechanism of sound barrier on low-frequency acoustic radiation of elevated railway is investigated, and suggestions for future research on low-frequency acoustic radiation of elevated railway are presented. The research results show that the sound barrier can become a significant low-frequency sound source during the trains passing. Installing sound barriers on elevated railway affects the sound environment around the railway mainly through acoustic effects on the noise propagation. The installation of sound barriers has an effect on the vibration characteristics of the box girder bridge. In order to explore the characteristics of low-frequency sound radiation of elevated railways installed with sound barriers, it is necessary to reanalyze the acoustic generation mechanism of the entire structure of the bridge-sound barriers coupled system and combine it with the propagation mechanism of various sound sources.

Modelling of railway ballast as a poro-elastic medium and its effects on sleeper sound radiation

Conventional railway track is laid in a layer of coarse stones known as ballast. Due to the gaps between the stones, the railway ballast behaves as a porous acoustic material, with absorptive properties that are important for the noise produced by the railway system. Sound radiated by the bottom of the sleepers may also be transmitted through the ballast. Moreover, during a train pass-by the ballast can vibrate, which may contribute to the radiated noise. To consider all three effects simultaneously, the ballast is treated here as a poro-elastic medium. To obtain the properties of the ballast as a porous medium, transfer function measurements are performed in a vertical impedance tube to determine the surface impedance and absorption coefficient of different depths of reduced scale ballast. The complex wavenumber is also determined through transfer function measurements within the ballast in the vertical tube. Porosity and flow resistivity are determined by non-acoustic measurements, and the Johnson-Champoux-Allard model for porous materials is then fitted to the measured wavenumbers, allowing the remaining parameters to be determined. Comparison is made with the measured impedance and normal incidence absorption coefficient. The model is then used to predict the diffuse field absorption coefficients of both the reduced scale ballast and full-size ballast, which are compared with measurements, showing acceptable agreement. Finally, the effects on the sleeper radiation of introducing the poro-elastic ballast model are estimated and the sensitivity of the results to a practical range of ballast properties is assessed. The ballast vibration increases the sleeper radiation at low frequency, and especially between 120 and 280 Hz. This is caused by the structural vibration of the ballast driven by the sleepers, which has a resonance around 250 Hz. The acoustic velocity within the ballast is 180° out of phase with the structural velocity, and this leads to a small reduction in the sound radiation around 100 Hz. These effects could not be predicted using a surface impedance model for the ballast. Compared with the effect of the ballast vibration and sound transmission, the absorption of the ballast has a much smaller influence on the sleeper radiation.

Vibration and Sound Radiation Characteristics of a Novel Integrated Absorber Periodic Layered Isolator

Vibration and Sound Radiation Characteristics of a Novel Integrated Absorber Periodic Layered Isolator