Wave field synthesis of moving virtual sound sources with complex radiation properties.

PubMed

Ahrens, Jens; Spors, Sascha

2011-11-01

An approach to the synthesis of moving virtual sound sources with complex radiation properties in wave field synthesis is presented. The approach exploits the fact that any stationary sound source of finite spatial extent radiates spherical waves at sufficient distance. The angular dependency of the radiation properties of the source under consideration is reflected by the amplitude and phase distribution on the spherical wave fronts. The sound field emitted by a uniformly moving monopole source is derived and the far-field radiation properties of the complex virtual source under consideration are incorporated in order to derive a closed-form expression for the loudspeaker driving signal. The results are illustrated via numerical simulations of the synthesis of the sound field of a sample moving complex virtual source.

Radiated BPF sound measurement of centrifugal compressor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohuchida, S.; Tanaka, K.

2013-12-01

A technique to measure radiated BPF sound from an automotive turbocharger compressor impeller is proposed in this paper. Where there are high-level background noises in the measurement environment, it is difficult to discriminate the target component from the background. Since the effort of measuring BPF sound was taken in a room with such condition in this study, no discrete BPF peak was initially found on the sound spectrum. Taking its directionality into consideration, a microphone covered with a parabolic cone was selected and using this technique, the discrete peak of BPF was clearly observed. Since the level of measured sound was amplified due to the area-integration effect, correction was needed to obtain the real level. To do so, sound measurements with and without a parabolic cone were conducted for the fixed source and their level differences were used as correction factors. Consideration is given to the sound propagation mechanism utilizing measured BPF as well as the result of a simple model experiment. The present method is generally applicable to sound measurements conducted with a high level of background noise.

Sound characteristics of Terapon jorbua as a response to temperature changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amron; Jaya, I.; Hestirianoto, T.; Juterzenka, K. v.

2017-10-01

The change of water temperature has potential impact on the behavior of aquatic animal including fish which generated by their sound productivity and characteristics. This research aimed to study the response of sound productivity and characteristics of Terapon jorbua to temperature change. As a response to temperature increase, T. jorbua to have decreased the number of sound productivity. Two characteristic parameters of fish sound, i.e. intensity and frequency as were quadratic increased during the water temperature rises. In contrast, pulse duration was quadratic decreased.

Sound Radiated by a Wave-Like Structure in a Compressible Jet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Golubev, V. V.; Prieto, A. F.; Mankbadi, R. R.; Dahl, M. D.; Hixon, R.

2003-01-01

This paper extends the analysis of acoustic radiation from the source model representing spatially-growing instability waves in a round jet at high speeds. Compared to previous work, a modified approach to the sound source modeling is examined that employs a set of solutions to linearized Euler equations. The sound radiation is then calculated using an integral surface method.

An experimental investigation of sound radiation from a duct with a circumferentially varying liner

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fuller, C. R.; Silcox, R. J.

1983-01-01

The radiation of sound from an asymmetrically lined duct is experimentally studied for various hard-walled standing mode sources. Measurements were made of the directivity of the radiated field and amplitude reflection coefficients in the hard-walled source section. These measurements are compared with baseline hardwall and uniformly lined duct data. The dependence of these characteristics on mode number and angular location of the source is investigated. A comparison between previous theoretical calculations and the experimentally measured results is made and in general good agreement is obtained. For the several cases presented an asymmetry in the liner impedance distribution was found to produce related asymmetries in the radiated acoustic field.

Sound source identification and sound radiation modeling in a moving medium using the time-domain equivalent source method.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiao-Zheng; Bi, Chuan-Xing; Zhang, Yong-Bin; Xu, Liang

2015-05-01

Planar near-field acoustic holography has been successfully extended to reconstruct the sound field in a moving medium, however, the reconstructed field still contains the convection effect that might lead to the wrong identification of sound sources. In order to accurately identify sound sources in a moving medium, a time-domain equivalent source method is developed. In the method, the real source is replaced by a series of time-domain equivalent sources whose strengths are solved iteratively by utilizing the measured pressure and the known convective time-domain Green's function, and time averaging is used to reduce the instability in the iterative solving process. Since these solved equivalent source strengths are independent of the convection effect, they can be used not only to identify sound sources but also to model sound radiations in both moving and static media. Numerical simulations are performed to investigate the influence of noise on the solved equivalent source strengths and the effect of time averaging on reducing the instability, and to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed method on the source identification and sound radiation modeling.

Active control of sound radiation from a vibrating rectangular panel by sound sources and vibration inputs - An experimental comparison

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fuller, C. R.; Hansen, C. H.; Snyder, S. D.

1991-01-01

Active control of sound radiation from a rectangular panel by two different methods has been experimentally studied and compared. In the first method a single control force applied directly to the structure is used with a single error microphone located in the radiated acoustic field. Global attenuation of radiated sound was observed to occur by two main mechanisms. For 'on-resonance' excitation, the control force had the effect of increasing the total panel input impedance presented to the nosie source, thus reducing all radiated sound. For 'off-resonance' excitation, the control force tends not significantly to modify the panel total response amplitude but rather to restructure the relative phases of the modes leading to a more complex vibration pattern and a decrease in radiation efficiency. For acoustic control, the second method, the number of acoustic sources required for global reduction was seen to increase with panel modal order. The mechanism in this case was that the acoustic sources tended to create an inverse pressure distribution at the panel surface and thus 'unload' the panel by reducing the panel radiation impedance. In general, control by structural inputs appears more effective than control by acoustic sources for structurally radiated noise.

Underwater sound radiation patterns of contemporary merchant ships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gassmann, M.; Wiggins, S. M.; Hildebrand, J. A.

2016-12-01

Merchant ships radiate underwater sound as an unintended by-product of their operation and as consequence contribute significantly to low-frequency, man-made noise in the ocean. Current measurement standards for the description of underwater sound from ships (ISO 17208-1:2016 and ANSI S12.64-2009) require nominal hydrophone depths of 15°, 30° and 45° at the starboard and portside of the test vessel.To opportunistically study the underwater sound of contemporary merchant ships that were tracked by the Automatic Identification System (AIS), an array of seven high-frequency acoustic recording packages (HARPs) with a sampling frequency of 200 kHz was deployed in the Santa Barbara Channel in the primary outgoing shipping lane for the port of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The vertical and horizontal aperture of the array allowed for starboard and portside measurements at all standard-required nominal hydrophone depths in addition to measurements taken at the keel aspect. Based on these measurements, frequency-dependent radiation patterns of contemporary merchant ships were estimated and used to evaluate current standards for computing ship source levels.

Perceiving and Reenacting Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Walking Sounds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, William; Rodger, Matthew; Craig, Cathy M.

2013-01-01

Many studies have examined the processes involved in recognizing types of human action through sound, but little is known about whether the physical characteristics of an action (such as kinetic and kinematic parameters) can be perceived and imitated from sound. Twelve young healthy adults listened to recordings of footsteps on a gravel path taken…

Radiation of sound from unflanged cylindrical ducts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hartharan, S. L.; Bayliss, A.

1983-01-01

Calculations of sound radiated from unflanged cylindrical ducts are presented. The numerical simulation models the problem of an aero-engine inlet. The time dependent linearized Euler equations are solved from a state of rest until a harmonic solution is attained. A fourth order accurate finite difference scheme is used and solutions are obtained from a fully vectorized Cyber-203 computer program. Cases of both plane waves and spin modes are treated. Spin modes model the sound generated by a turbofan engine. Boundary conditions for both plane waves and spin modes are treated. Solutions obtained are compared with experiments conducted at NASA Langley Research Center.

The use of an active controlled enclosure to attenuate sound radiation from a heavy radiator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Yao; Yang, Tiejun; Zhu, Minggang; Pan, Jie

2017-03-01

Active structural acoustical control usually experiences difficulty in the control of heavy sources or sources where direct applications of control forces are not practical. To overcome this difficulty, an active controlled enclosure, which forms a cavity with both flexible and open boundary, is employed. This configuration permits indirect implementation of active control in which the control inputs can be applied to subsidiary structures other than the sources. To determine the control effectiveness of the configuration, the vibro-acoustic behavior of the system, which consists of a top plate with an open, a sound cavity and a source panel, is investigated in this paper. A complete mathematical model of the system is formulated involving modified Fourier series formulations and the governing equations are solved using the Rayleigh-Ritz method. The coupling mechanisms of a partly opened cavity and a plate are analysed in terms of modal responses and directivity patterns. Furthermore, to attenuate sound power radiated from both the top panel and the open, two strategies are studied: minimizing the total radiated power and the cancellation of volume velocity. Moreover, three control configurations are compared, using a point force on the control panel (structural control), using a sound source in the cavity (acoustical control) and applying hybrid structural-acoustical control. In addition, the effects of boundary condition of the control panel on the sound radiation and control performance are discussed.

Comparison of sound power radiation from isolated airfoils and cascades in a turbulent flow.

PubMed

Blandeau, Vincent P; Joseph, Phillip F; Jenkins, Gareth; Powles, Christopher J

2011-06-01

An analytical model of the sound power radiated from a flat plate airfoil of infinite span in a 2D turbulent flow is presented. The effects of stagger angle on the radiated sound power are included so that the sound power radiated upstream and downstream relative to the fan axis can be predicted. Closed-form asymptotic expressions, valid at low and high frequencies, are provided for the upstream, downstream, and total sound power. A study of the effects of chord length on the total sound power at all reduced frequencies is presented. Excellent agreement for frequencies above a critical frequency is shown between the fast analytical isolated airfoil model presented in this paper and an existing, computationally demanding, cascade model, in which the unsteady loading of the cascade is computed numerically. Reasonable agreement is also observed at low frequencies for low solidity cascade configurations. © 2011 Acoustical Society of America

Spatial acoustic radiation of respiratory sounds for sleep evaluation.

PubMed

Shabtai, Noam R; Zigel, Yaniv

2017-09-01

Body posture has an effect on sleeping quality and breathing disorders and therefore it is important to be recognized for the completion of the sleep evaluation process. Since humans have a directional acoustic radiation pattern, it is hypothesized that microphone arrays can be used to recognize different body postures, which is highly practical for sleep evaluation applications that already measure respiratory sounds using distant microphones. Furthermore, body posture may have an effect on distant microphone measurement; hence, the measurement can be compensated if the body posture is correctly recognized. A spherical harmonics decomposition approach to the spatial acoustic radiation is presented, assuming an array of eight microphones in a medium-sized audiology booth. The spatial sampling and reconstruction of the radiation pattern is discussed, and a final setup for the microphone array is recommended. A case study is shown using recorded segments of snoring and breathing sounds of three human subjects in three body postures in a silent but not anechoic audiology booth.

Active/Passive Control of Sound Radiation from Panels using Constrained Layer Damping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gibbs, Gary P.; Cabell, Randolph H.

2003-01-01

A hybrid passive/active noise control system utilizing constrained layer damping and model predictive feedback control is presented. This system is used to control the sound radiation of panels due to broadband disturbances. To facilitate the hybrid system design, a methodology for placement of constrained layer damping which targets selected modes based on their relative radiated sound power is developed. The placement methodology is utilized to determine two constrained layer damping configurations for experimental evaluation of a hybrid system. The first configuration targets the (4,1) panel mode which is not controllable by the piezoelectric control actuator, and the (2,3) and (5,2) panel modes. The second configuration targets the (1,1) and (3,1) modes. The experimental results demonstrate the improved reduction of radiated sound power using the hybrid passive/active control system as compared to the active control system alone.

Measurement and characterisation of radiated underwater sound from a 3.6 MW monopile wind turbine.

PubMed

Pangerc, Tanja; Theobald, Peter D; Wang, Lian S; Robinson, Stephen P; Lepper, Paul A

2016-10-01

This paper describes underwater sound pressure measurements obtained in close proximity (∼50 m) to two individual wind turbines, over a 21-day period, capturing the full range of turbine operating conditions. The sound radiated into the water was characterised by a number of tonal components, which are thought to primarily originate from the gearbox for the bandwidth measured. The main signal associated with the turbine operation had a mean-square sound pressure spectral density level which peaked at 126 dB re 1 μPa 2  Hz -1 at 162 Hz. Other tonal components were also present, notably at frequencies between about 20 and 330 Hz, albeit at lower amplitudes. The measured sound characteristics, both in terms of frequency and amplitude, were shown to vary with wind speed. The sound pressure level increased with wind speed up to an average value of 128 dB re 1 μPa at a wind speed of about 10 ms -1 , and then showed a general decrease. Overall, differences in the mean-square sound pressure spectral density level of over 20 dB were observed across the operational envelope of the turbine.

Airborne sound transmission loss characteristics of wood-frame construction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudder, F. F., Jr.

1985-03-01

This report summarizes the available data on the airborne sound transmission loss properties of wood-frame construction and evaluates the methods for predicting the airborne sound transmission loss. The first part of the report comprises a summary of sound transmission loss data for wood-frame interior walls and floor-ceiling construction. Data bases describing the sound transmission loss characteristics of other building components, such as windows and doors, are discussed. The second part of the report presents the prediction of the sound transmission loss of wood-frame construction. Appropriate calculation methods are described both for single-panel and for double-panel construction with sound absorption material in the cavity. With available methods, single-panel construction and double-panel construction with the panels connected by studs may be adequately characterized. Technical appendices are included that summarize laboratory measurements, compare measurement with theory, describe details of the prediction methods, and present sound transmission loss data for common building materials.

Nonlinear acoustics in cicada mating calls enhance sound propagation.

PubMed

Hughes, Derke R; Nuttall, Albert H; Katz, Richard A; Carter, G Clifford

2009-02-01

An analysis of cicada mating calls, measured in field experiments, indicates that the very high levels of acoustic energy radiated by this relatively small insect are mainly attributed to the nonlinear characteristics of the signal. The cicada emits one of the loudest sounds in all of the insect population with a sound production system occupying a physical space typically less than 3 cc. The sounds made by tymbals are amplified by the hollow abdomen, functioning as a tuned resonator, but models of the signal based solely on linear techniques do not fully account for a sound radiation capability that is so disproportionate to the insect's size. The nonlinear behavior of the cicada signal is demonstrated by combining the mutual information and surrogate data techniques; the results obtained indicate decorrelation when the phase-randomized and non-phase-randomized data separate. The Volterra expansion technique is used to fit the nonlinearity in the insect's call. The second-order Volterra estimate provides further evidence that the cicada mating calls are dominated by nonlinear characteristics and also suggests that the medium contributes to the cicada's efficient sound propagation. Application of the same principles has the potential to improve radiated sound levels for sonar applications.

A theoretical approach to sound propagation and radiation for ducts with suppressors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rice, E. J.; Sawdy, D. T.

1981-01-01

The several phenomena involved in theoretical prediction of the far-field sound radiation attenuation from an acoustically lined duct were studied. These include absorption by the suppressor, termination reflections, and far-field radiation. Extensive parametric studies show that the suppressor absorption performance can be correlated with mode cut-off ratio or angle of propagation. The other phenomena can be shown to depend explicitly upon mode cut-off ratio. A complete system can thus be generated which can be used to evaluate aircraft sound suppressors and which can be related to the sound source through the cut-off ratio-acoustic power distribution. Although the method is most fully developed for inlet suppressors, several aft radiated noise phenomena are also discussed. This simplified suppressor design and evaluation method is summarized, the recent improvements in the technique are presented, and areas where further refinement is necessary are discussed. Noise suppressor data from engine experiments are compared with the theoretical calculations.

Some sound transmission loss characteristics of typical general aviation structural materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roskam, J.; Van Dam, C.; Grosveld, F.; Durenberger, D.

1978-01-01

Experimentally measured sound transmission loss characteristics of flat aluminum panels with and without damping and stiffness treatment are presented and discussed. The effect of pressurization on sound transmission loss of flat aluminum panels is shown to be significant.

Analysis of the electromechanical characteristics of a piezoelectric multilayered structure for in-air ultrasound radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shim, Hayeong; Roh, Yongrae

2018-07-01

Ultrasonic sensors in air are used to measure distances from obstacles in household appliances, automobiles, and other areas. Among these ultrasonic sensors in air, sensors using disk-shaped piezoelectric ceramics are composed of a multilayered structure having a vibrational plate, a piezoelectric ceramic disk, and a backing layer. In this study, we derived theoretical equations that can accurately analyze the acoustic characteristics of the piezoelectric multilayered structure, and then analyzed the performance of the ultrasonic sensor according to the geometrical change of the multilayered structure. The characteristics analyzed were the resonant frequency and the radiated sound pressure at a far field of the sensor. The validity of the theoretical analysis was verified by comparing the results with those obtained from the finite element analysis of the same structure. The exact functional forms of the resonant frequency of and the radiated sound pressure from the piezoelectric multilayered structure derived in this study can be directly utilized to maximize the performance of various ultrasonic sensors in air.

Decentralized control of sound radiation using iterative loop recovery.

PubMed

Schiller, Noah H; Cabell, Randolph H; Fuller, Chris R

2010-10-01

A decentralized model-based control strategy is designed to reduce low-frequency sound radiation from periodically stiffened panels. While decentralized control systems tend to be scalable, performance can be limited due to modeling error introduced by the unmodeled interaction between neighboring control units. Since bounds on modeling error are not known in advance, it is difficult to ensure the decentralized control system will be robust without making the controller overly conservative. Therefore an iterative approach is suggested, which utilizes frequency-shaped loop recovery. The approach accounts for modeling error introduced by neighboring control loops, requires no communication between subsystems, and is relatively simple. The control strategy is evaluated numerically using a model of a stiffened aluminum panel that is representative of the sidewall of an aircraft. Simulations demonstrate that the iterative approach can achieve significant reductions in radiated sound power from the stiffened panel without destabilizing neighboring control units.

Decentralized Control of Sound Radiation Using Iterative Loop Recovery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schiller, Noah H.; Cabell, Randolph H.; Fuller, Chris R.

2009-01-01

A decentralized model-based control strategy is designed to reduce low-frequency sound radiation from periodically stiffened panels. While decentralized control systems tend to be scalable, performance can be limited due to modeling error introduced by the unmodeled interaction between neighboring control units. Since bounds on modeling error are not known in advance, it is difficult to ensure the decentralized control system will be robust without making the controller overly conservative. Therefore an iterative approach is suggested, which utilizes frequency-shaped loop recovery. The approach accounts for modeling error introduced by neighboring control loops, requires no communication between subsystems, and is relatively simple. The control strategy is evaluated numerically using a model of a stiffened aluminum panel that is representative of the sidewall of an aircraft. Simulations demonstrate that the iterative approach can achieve significant reductions in radiated sound power from the stiffened panel without destabilizing neighboring control units.

Radiated Sound Power from a Curved Honeycomb Panel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, Jay H.; Buehrle, Ralph D.; Klos, Jacob; Grosveld, Ferdinand W.

2003-01-01

The validation of finite element and boundary element model for the vibro-acoustic response of a curved honeycomb core composite aircraft panel is completed. The finite element and boundary element models were previously validated separately. This validation process was hampered significantly by the method in which the panel was installed in the test facility. The fixture used was made primarily of fiberboard and the panel was held in a groove in the fiberboard by a compression fitting made of plastic tubing. The validated model is intended to be used to evaluate noise reduction concepts from both an experimental and analytic basis simultaneously. An initial parametric study of the influence of core thickness on the radiated sound power from this panel, using this numerical model was subsequently conducted. This study was significantly influenced by the presence of strong boundary condition effects but indicated that the radiated sound power from this panel was insensitive to core thickness primarily due to the offsetting effects of added mass and added stiffness in the frequency range investigated.

Vibrational mode and sound radiation of electrostatic speakers using circular and annular diaphragms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yu-Hsi; Chiang, Hsin-Yuan

2016-06-01

This study modeled two diaphragms comprising a pair of indium tin oxide (ITO) transparent plates sandwiching a vibrating diaphragm to create circular (30 mm radius) and annular (30 mm outer and 3 mm inner radius) push-pull electrostatic speakers. We then measured the displacement amplitudes and mode shapes produced by the devices. Vibration characteristics were used to predict sound pressure levels (SPLs) using the lumped parameter method (LPM) and distributed parameter method (DPM). The two measurement results obtained using a laser system were compared to the SPLs obtained using traditional acoustic measurement (AM) from 20 Hz to 20 kHz in order to verify our predictions. When using LPM and DPM, the SPL prediction results in the first three symmetric modes were in good agreement with the AM results. Under the assumption of linear operations, the DPM and amplitude-fluctuation electronic speckle pattern interferometry (ESPI) techniques proved effective in determining the visualization of mode shape (0,1)-(0,3). The use of ITO plates is a practical technique for the prediction of SPL, as well as measurement of mode shapes. The four evaluation methods, i.e. LPM, DPM, ESPI and AM, present a high degree of consistency with regard to vibrational mode and sound radiation characteristics.

Active Control of Sound Radiation due to Subsonic Wave Scattering from Discontinuities on Thin Elastic Beams.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guigou, Catherine Renee J.

1992-01-01

Much progress has been made in recent years in active control of sound radiation from vibrating structures. Reduction of the far-field acoustic radiation can be obtained by directly modifying the response of the structure by applying structural inputs rather than by adding acoustic sources. Discontinuities, which are present in many structures are often important in terms of sound radiation due to wave scattering behavior at their location. In this thesis, an edge or boundary type discontinuity (clamped edge) and a point discontinuity (blocking mass) are analytically studied in terms of sound radiation. When subsonic vibrational waves impinge on these discontinuities, large scattered sound levels are radiated. Active control is then achieved by applying either control forces, which approximate shakers, or pairs of control moments, which approximate piezoelectric actuators, near the discontinuity. Active control of sound radiation from a simply-supported beam is also examined. For a single frequency, the flexural response of the beam subject to an incident wave or an input force (disturbance) and to control forces or control moments is expressed in terms of waves of both propagating and near-field types. The far-field radiated pressure is then evaluated in terms of the structural response, using Rayleigh's formula or a stationary phase approach, depending upon the application. The control force and control moment magnitudes are determined by optimizing a quadratic cost function, which is directly related to the control performance. On determining the optimal control complex amplitudes, these can be resubstituted in the constitutive equations for the system under study and the minimized radiated fields can be evaluated. High attenuation in radiated sound power and radiated acoustic pressure is found to be possible when one or two active control actuators are located near the discontinuity, as is shown to be mostly associated with local changes in beam response near

Assessment on transient sound radiation of a vibrating steel bridge due to traffic loading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, He; Xie, Xu; Jiang, Jiqing; Yamashita, Mikio

2015-02-01

Structure-borne noise induced by vehicle-bridge coupling vibration is harmful to human health and living environment. Investigating the sound pressure level and the radiation mechanism of structure-borne noise is of great significance for the assessment of environmental noise pollution and noise control. In this paper, the transient noise induced by vehicle-bridge coupling vibration is investigated by employing the hybrid finite element method (FEM) and boundary element method (BEM). The effect of local vibration of the bridge deck is taken into account and the sound responses of the structure-borne noise in time domain is obtained. The precision of the proposed method is validated by comparing numerical results to the on-site measurements of a steel girder-plate bridge in service. It implies that the sound pressure level and its distribution in both time and frequency domains may be predicted by the hybrid approach of FEM-BEM with satisfactory accuracy. Numerical results indicate that the vibrating steel bridge radiates high-level noise because of its extreme flexibility and large surface area for sound radiation. The impact effects of the vehicle on the sound pressure when leaving the bridge are observed. The shape of the contour lines in the area around the bridge deck could be explained by the mode shapes of the bridge. The moving speed of the vehicle only affects the sound pressure components with frequencies lower than 10 Hz.

Broad band sound from wind turbine generators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hubbard, H. H.; Shepherd, K. P.; Grosveld, F. W.

1981-01-01

Brief descriptions are given of the various types of large wind turbines and their sound characteristics. Candidate sources of broadband sound are identified and are rank ordered for a large upwind configuration wind turbine generator for which data are available. The rotor is noted to be the main source of broadband sound which arises from inflow turbulence and from the interactions of the turbulent boundary layer on the blade with its trailing edge. Sound is radiated about equally in all directions but the refraction effects of the wind produce an elongated contour pattern in the downwind direction.

Time Correlations and the Frequency Spectrum of Sound Radiated by Turbulent Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubinstein, Robert; Zhou, Ye

1997-01-01

Theories of turbulent time correlations are applied to compute frequency spectra of sound radiated by isotropic turbulence and by turbulent shear flows. The hypothesis that Eulerian time correlations are dominated by the sweeping action of the most energetic scales implies that the frequency spectrum of the sound radiated by isotropic turbulence scales as omega(exp 4) for low frequencies and as omega(exp -3/4) for high frequencies. The sweeping hypothesis is applied to an approximate theory of jet noise. The high frequency noise again scales as omega(exp -3/4), but the low frequency spectrum scales as omega(exp 2). In comparison, a classical theory of jet noise based on dimensional analysis gives omega(exp -2) and omega(exp 2) scaling for these frequency ranges. It is shown that the omega(exp -2) scaling is obtained by simplifying the description of turbulent time correlations. An approximate theory of the effect of shear on turbulent time correlations is developed and applied to the frequency spectrum of sound radiated by shear turbulence. The predicted steepening of the shear dominated spectrum appears to be consistent with jet noise measurements.

Identifying local characteristic lengths governing sound wave properties in solid foams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan Hoang, Minh; Perrot, Camille

2013-02-01

Identifying microscopic geometric properties and fluid flow through opened-cell and partially closed-cell solid structures is a challenge for material science, in particular, for the design of porous media used as sound absorbers in building and transportation industries. We revisit recent literature data to identify the local characteristic lengths dominating the transport properties and sound absorbing behavior of polyurethane foam samples by performing numerical homogenization simulations. To determine the characteristic sizes of the model, we need porosity and permeability measurements in conjunction with ligament lengths estimates from available scanning electron microscope images. We demonstrate that this description of the porous material, consistent with the critical path picture following from the percolation arguments, is widely applicable. This is an important step towards tuning sound proofing properties of complex materials.

Atmospheric sound propagation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cook, R. K.

1969-01-01

The propagation of sound waves at infrasonic frequencies (oscillation periods 1.0 - 1000 seconds) in the atmosphere is being studied by a network of seven stations separated geographically by distances of the order of thousands of kilometers. The stations measure the following characteristics of infrasonic waves: (1) the amplitude and waveform of the incident sound pressure, (2) the direction of propagation of the wave, (3) the horizontal phase velocity, and (4) the distribution of sound wave energy at various frequencies of oscillation. Some infrasonic sources which were identified and studied include the aurora borealis, tornadoes, volcanos, gravity waves on the oceans, earthquakes, and atmospheric instability waves caused by winds at the tropopause. Waves of unknown origin seem to radiate from several geographical locations, including one in the Argentine.

Synchronized vortex shedding and sound radiation from two side-by-side rectangular cylinders of different cross-sectional aspect ratios

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Octavianty, Ressa, E-mail: ressa-octavianty@ed.tmu.ac.jp; Asai, Masahito, E-mail: masai@tmu.ac.jp

Synchronized vortex shedding from two side-by-side cylinders and the associated sound radiation were examined experimentally at Reynolds numbers of the order of 10{sup 4} in low-Mach-number flows. In addition to a pair of square cylinders, a pair of rectangular cylinders, one with a square cross section (d × d) and the other with a rectangular cross section (d × c) having a cross-sectional aspect ratio (c/d) of 1.2–1.5, was considered. The center-to-center distance between the two cylinders L/d was 3.6, 4.5, and 6.0; these settings were within the non-biased flow regime for side-by-side square cylinders. In case of a squaremore » cylinder pair, anti-phase synchronized vortex shedding occurring for L/d = 3.6 and 4.5 generated a quadrupole-like sound source which radiated in-phase, planar-symmetric sound in the far field. Synchronized vortex shedding from the two rectangular cylinders with different c/d also occurred with almost the same frequency as the characteristic frequency of the square-cylinder wake in the case of the small center-to-center distance, L/d = 3.6, for all the cylinder pairs examined. The synchronized sound field was anti-phase and asymmetric in amplitude, unlike the case of a square cylinder pair. For larger spacing L/d = 4.5, synchronized vortex shedding and anti-phase sound still occurred, but only for close cross-sectional aspect ratios (c/d = 1.0 and 1.2), and highly modulated sound was radiated with two different frequencies due to non-synchronized vortex shedding from the two cylinders for larger differences in c/d. It was also found that when synchronized vortex shedding occurred, near-wake velocity fluctuations exhibited high spanwise-coherency, with a very sharp spectral peak compared with the single-cylinder case.« less

Sound absorption and morphology characteristic of porous concrete paving blocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halim, N. H. Abd; Nor, H. Md; Ramadhansyah, P. J.; Mohamed, A.; Hassan, N. Abdul; Ibrahim, M. H. Wan; Ramli, N. I.; Nazri, F. Mohamed

2017-11-01

In this study, sound absorption and morphology characteristic of Porous Concrete Paving Blocks (PCPB) at different sizes of coarse aggregate were presented. Three different sizes of coarse aggregate were used; passing 10 mm retained 5 mm (as Control), passing 8 mm retained 5 mm (8 - 5) and passing 10 mm retained 8 mm (10 - 8). The sound absorption test was conducted through the impedance tube at different frequency. It was found that the size of coarse aggregate affects the level of absorption of the specimens. It also shows that PCPB 10 - 8 resulted in high sound absorption compared to the other blocks. On the other hand, microstructure morphology of PCPB shows a clearer version of existing micro-cracks and voids inside the specimens which affecting the results of sound absorption.

Characterization of Sound Radiation by Unresolved Scales of Motion in Computational Aeroacoustics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubinstein, Robert; Zhou, Ye

1999-01-01

Evaluation of the sound sources in a high Reynolds number turbulent flow requires time-accurate resolution of an extremely large number of scales of motion. Direct numerical simulations will therefore remain infeasible for the forseeable future: although current large eddy simulation methods can resolve the largest scales of motion accurately the, they must leave some scales of motion unresolved. A priori studies show that acoustic power can be underestimated significantly if the contribution of these unresolved scales is simply neglected. In this paper, the problem of evaluating the sound radiation properties of the unresolved, subgrid-scale motions is approached in the spirit of the simplest subgrid stress models: the unresolved velocity field is treated as isotropic turbulence with statistical descriptors, evaluated from the resolved field. The theory of isotropic turbulence is applied to derive formulas for the total power and the power spectral density of the sound radiated by a filtered velocity field. These quantities are compared with the corresponding quantities for the unfiltered field for a range of filter widths and Reynolds numbers.

The Imagery of Sound

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

Automated Analysis Corporation's COMET is a suite of acoustic analysis software for advanced noise prediction. It analyzes the origin, radiation, and scattering of noise, and supplies information on how to achieve noise reduction and improve sound characteristics. COMET's Structural Acoustic Foam Engineering (SAFE) module extends the sound field analysis capability of foam and other materials. SAFE shows how noise travels while airborne, how it travels within a structure, and how these media interact to affect other aspects of the transmission of noise. The COMET software reduces design time and expense while optimizing a final product's acoustical performance. COMET was developed through SBIR funding and Langley Research Center for Automated Analysis Corporation.

Biological Effect of Audible Sound Control on Mung Bean (Vigna radiate) Sprout

PubMed Central

Cai, W.; He, H.; Zhu, S.; Wang, N.

2014-01-01

Audible sound (20–20000 Hz) widely exists in natural world. However, the interaction between audible sound and the growth of plants is usually neglected in biophysics research. Not much effort has been put forth in studying the relation of plant and audible sound. In this work, the effect of audible sound on germination and growth of mung bean (Vigna radiate) was studied under laboratory condition. Audible sound ranging 1000–1500 Hz, 1500–2000 Hz, and 2000–2500 Hz and intensities [80 dB (A), 90 dB (A), 100 dB (A)] were used to stimulate mung bean for 72 hours. The growth of mung bean was evaluated in terms of mean germination time, total length, and total fresh weight. Experimental results indicated that the sound wave can reduce the germination period of mung bean and the mung bean under treatments of sound with intensity around 90 dB and frequency around 2000 Hz and significant increase in growth. Audible sound treatment can promote the growth of mung bean differently for distinct frequency and intensity. The study provides us with a way to understand the effects and rules of sound field on plant growth and a new way to improve the production of mung bean. PMID:25170517

Photoacoustic Sounds from Meteors.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Spalding, Richard E.; Tencer, John; Sweatt, William C.

2015-03-01

High-speed photometric observations of meteor fireballs have shown that they often produce high-amplitude light oscillations with frequency components in the kHz range, and in some cases exhibit strong millisecond flares. We built a light source with similar characteristics and illuminated various materials in the laboratory, generating audible sounds. Models suggest that light oscillations and pulses can radiatively heat dielectric materials, which in turn conductively heats the surrounding air on millisecond timescales. The sound waves can be heard if the illuminated material is sufficiently close to the observer’s ears. The mechanism described herein may explain many reports of meteors that appearmore » to be audible while they are concurrently visible in the sky and too far away for sound to have propagated to the observer. This photoacoustic (PA) explanation provides an alternative to electrophonic (EP) sounds hypothesized to arise from electromagnetic coupling of plasma oscillation in the meteor wake to natural antennas in the vicinity of an observer.« less

The low-frequency sound power measuring technique for an underwater source in a non-anechoic tank

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yi-Ming; Tang, Rui; Li, Qi; Shang, Da-Jing

2018-03-01

In order to determine the radiated sound power of an underwater source below the Schroeder cut-off frequency in a non-anechoic tank, a low-frequency extension measuring technique is proposed. This technique is based on a unique relationship between the transmission characteristics of the enclosed field and those of the free field, which can be obtained as a correction term based on previous measurements of a known simple source. The radiated sound power of an unknown underwater source in the free field can thereby be obtained accurately from measurements in a non-anechoic tank. To verify the validity of the proposed technique, a mathematical model of the enclosed field is established using normal-mode theory, and the relationship between the transmission characteristics of the enclosed and free fields is obtained. The radiated sound power of an underwater transducer source is tested in a glass tank using the proposed low-frequency extension measuring technique. Compared with the free field, the radiated sound power level of the narrowband spectrum deviation is found to be less than 3 dB, and the 1/3 octave spectrum deviation is found to be less than 1 dB. The proposed testing technique can be used not only to extend the low-frequency applications of non-anechoic tanks, but also for measurement of radiated sound power from complicated sources in non-anechoic tanks.

Sound radiation of a railway rail in close proximity to the ground

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xianying; Squicciarini, Giacomo; Thompson, David J.

2016-02-01

The sound radiation of a railway in close to proximity to a ground (both rigid and absorptive) is predicted by the boundary element method (BEM) in two dimensions (2D). Results are given in terms of the radiation ratio for both vertical and lateral motion of the rail, when the effects of the acoustic boundary conditions due to the sleepers and ballast are taken into account in the numerical models. Allowance is made for the effect of wave propagation along the rail by applying a correction in the 2D modelling. It is shown that the 2D correction is necessary at low frequency, for both vertical and lateral motion of an unsupported rail, especially in the vicinity of the corresponding critical frequency. However, this correction is not applicable for a supported rail; for vertical motion no correction is needed to the 2D result while for lateral motion the corresponding correction would depend on the pad stiffness. Finally, the corresponding numerical predictions of the sound radiation from a rail are verified by comparison with experimental results obtained using a 1/5 scale rail model in different configurations.

A statistical theory for sound radiation and reflection from a duct

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cho, Y. C.

1979-01-01

A new analytical method is introduced for the study of the sound radiation and reflection from the open end of a duct. The sound is thought of as an aggregation of the quasiparticles-phonons. The motion of the latter is described in terms of the statistical distribution, which is derived from the classical wave theory. The results are in good agreement with the solutions obtained using the Wiener-Hopf technique when the latter is applicable, but the new method is simple and provides straightforward physical interpretation of the problem. Furthermore, it is applicable to a problem involving a duct in which modes are difficult to determine or cannot be defined at all, whereas the Wiener-Hopf technique is not.

Distress sounds of thorny catfishes emitted underwater and in air: characteristics and potential significance.

PubMed

Knight, Lisa; Ladich, Friedrich

2014-11-15

Thorny catfishes produce stridulation (SR) sounds using their pectoral fins and drumming (DR) sounds via a swimbladder mechanism in distress situations when hand held in water and in air. It has been argued that SR and DR sounds are aimed at different receivers (predators) in different media. The aim of this study was to analyse and compare sounds emitted in both air and water in order to test different hypotheses on the functional significance of distress sounds. Five representatives of the family Doradidae were investigated. Fish were hand held and sounds emitted in air and underwater were recorded (number of sounds, sound duration, dominant and fundamental frequency, sound pressure level and peak-to-peak amplitudes). All species produced SR sounds in both media, but DR sounds could not be recorded in air for two species. Differences in sound characteristics between media were small and mainly limited to spectral differences in SR. The number of sounds emitted decreased over time, whereas the duration of SR sounds increased. The dominant frequency of SR and the fundamental frequency of DR decreased and sound pressure level of SR increased with body size across species. The hypothesis that catfish produce more SR sounds in air and more DR sounds in water as a result of different predation pressure (birds versus fish) could not be confirmed. It is assumed that SR sounds serve as distress sounds in both media, whereas DR sounds might primarily be used as intraspecific communication signals in water in species possessing both mechanisms. © 2014. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Large Eddy Simulation of Sound Generation by Turbulent Reacting and Nonreacting Shear Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Najafi-Yazdi, Alireza

appears to be associated with the transverse vibration of the shear-layer interface within the ambient quiescent flow, and has dipolar characteristics. This mechanism is believed to be responsible for sound radiation along the sideline directions. Jet noise suppression through the use of microjets was studied. The microjet injection induced secondary instabilities in the shear layer which triggered the transition to turbulence, and suppressed laminar vortex pairing. This in turn resulted in a reduction of OASPL at almost all observer locations. In all cases, the bandpass filtering of the nearfield flow and the associated sound provides revealing details of the sound radiation process. The results suggest that circumferential modes are significant and need to be included in future wavepacket models for jet noise prediction. Numerical simulations of sound radiation from nonpremixed flames were also performed. The simulations featured the solution of the fully compressible Navier-Stokes equations. Therefore, sound generation and radiation were directly captured in the simulations. A thickened flamelet model was proposed for nonpremixed flames. The model yields artificially thickened flames which can be better resolved on the computational grid, while retaining the physically currect values of the total heat released into the flow. Combustion noise has monopolar characteristics for low frequencies. For high frequencies, the sound field is no longer omni-directional. Major sources of sound appear to be located in the jet shear layer within one potential core length from the jet nozzle.

The Biological Effects of Nonionizing Radiation.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-12-29

fraction of incident energy converted into heat by these radiations in any part of the body depends not only on the physical characteristics of the...upon relations between the various relaxation times and resonance periods and the characteristics of the incident u-sound. Chivers felt that while there...discussions, for it would suggest that parallels between pulsed u-sound and pulsed rm-waves of similar pulse characteristics might well be sought experimentally

Wood for sound.

PubMed

Wegst, Ulrike G K

2006-10-01

The unique mechanical and acoustical properties of wood and its aesthetic appeal still make it the material of choice for musical instruments and the interior of concert halls. Worldwide, several hundred wood species are available for making wind, string, or percussion instruments. Over generations, first by trial and error and more recently by scientific approach, the most appropriate species were found for each instrument and application. Using material property charts on which acoustic properties such as the speed of sound, the characteristic impedance, the sound radiation coefficient, and the loss coefficient are plotted against one another for woods. We analyze and explain why spruce is the preferred choice for soundboards, why tropical species are favored for xylophone bars and woodwind instruments, why violinists still prefer pernambuco over other species as a bow material, and why hornbeam and birch are used in piano actions.

Experimental study on the sound absorption characteristics of continuously graded phononic crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, X. H.; Qu, Z. G.; He, X. C.; Lu, D. L.

2016-10-01

Novel three-dimensional (3D) continuously graded phononic crystals (CGPCs) have been designed, and fabricated by 3D printing. Each of the CGPCs is an entity instead of a combination of several other samples, and the porosity distribution of the CGPC along the incident direction is nearly linear. The sound absorption characteristics of CGPCs were experimentally investigated and compared with those of uniform phononic crystals (UPCs) and discretely stepped phononic crystals (DSPCs). Experimental results show that CGPCs demonstrate excellent sound absorption performance because of their continuously graded structures. CGPCs have higher sound absorption coefficients in the large frequency range and more sound absorption coefficient peaks in a specific frequency range than UPCs and DSPCs. In particular, the sound absorption coefficients of the CGPC with a porosity of 0.6 and thickness of 30 mm are higher than 0.56 when the frequency is 1350-6300 Hz and are all higher than 0.2 in the studied frequency range (1000-6300 Hz). CGPCs are expected to have potential application in noise control, especially in the broad frequency and low-frequency ranges.

Directivity pattern of the sound radiated from axisymmetric stepped plates.

PubMed

He, Xiping; Yan, Xiuli; Li, Na

2016-08-01

For the purpose of optimal design and efficient utilization of the kind of stepped plate radiator in air, in this contribution, an approach for calculation of the directivity pattern of the sound radiated from a stepped plate in flexural vibration with a free edge is developed based on Kirchhoff-Love hypothesis and Rayleigh integral principle. Experimental tests of directivity pattern for a fabricated flat plate and two fabricated plates with one and two step radiators were carried out. It shows that the configuration of the measured directivity patterns by the proposed analytic approach is similar to those of the calculated approach. Comparison of the agreement between the calculated directivity pattern of a stepped plate and its corresponding theoretical piston show that the former radiator is equivalent to the latter, and the diffraction field generated by the unbaffled upper surface may be small. It also shows that the directivity pattern of a stepped radiator is independent of the metallic material but dependent on the thickness of base plate and resonant frequency. The thicker the thickness of base plate, the more directive the radiation is. The proposed analytic approach in this work may be adopted for any other plates with multi-steps.

Radiometric sounding system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Whiteman, C.D.; Anderson, G.A.; Alzheimer, J.M.

1995-04-01

Vertical profiles of solar and terrestrial radiative fluxes are key research needs for global climate change research. These fluxes are expected to change as radiatively active trace gases are emitted to the earth`s atmosphere as a consequence of energy production and industrial and other human activities. Models suggest that changes in the concentration of such gases will lead to radiative flux divergences that will produce global warming of the earth`s atmosphere. Direct measurements of the vertical variation of solar and terrestrial radiative fluxes that lead to these flux divergences have been largely unavailable because of the expense of making suchmore » measurements from airplanes. These measurements are needed to improve existing atmospheric radiative transfer models, especially under the cloudy conditions where the models have not been adequately tested. A tethered-balloon-borne Radiometric Sounding System has been developed at Pacific Northwest Laboratory to provide an inexpensive means of making routine vertical soundings of radiative fluxes in the earth`s atmospheric boundary layer to altitudes up to 1500 m above ground level. Such vertical soundings would supplement measurements being made from aircraft and towers. The key technical challenge in the design of the Radiometric Sounding System is to develop a means of keeping the radiometers horizontal while the balloon ascends and descends in a turbulent atmospheric environment. This problem has been addressed by stabilizing a triangular radiometer-carrying platform that is carried on the tetherline of a balloon sounding system. The platform, carried 30 m or more below the balloon to reduce the balloon`s effect on the radiometric measurements, is leveled by two automatic control loops that activate motors, gears and pulleys when the platform is off-level. The sensitivity of the automatic control loops to oscillatory motions of various frequencies and amplitudes can be adjusted using filters.« less

Sound absorption characteristics of aluminum foam with spherical cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yunjie; Wang, Xinfu; Wang, Xingfu; Ren, Yuelu; Han, Fusheng; Wen, Cuie

2011-12-01

Aluminum foams were fabricated by an infiltration process. The foams possess spherical cells with a fixed porosity of 65% and varied pore sizes which ranged from 1.3 to 1.9 mm. The spherical cells are interconnected by small pores or pore openings on the cell walls that cause the foams show a characteristic of open cell structures. The sound absorption coefficient of the aluminum foams was measured by a standing wave tube and calculated by a transfer function method. It is shown that the sound absorption coefficient increases with an increase in the number of pore openings in the unit area or with a decrease of the diameter of the pore openings in the range of 0.3 to 0.4 mm. If backed with an air cavity, the resonant absorption peaks in the sound absorption coefficient versus frequency curves will be shifted toward lower frequencies as the cavity depth is increased. The samples with the same pore opening size but different pore size show almost the same absorption behavior, especially in the low frequency range. The present results are in good agreement with some theoretical predictions based on the acoustic impedance measurements of metal foams with circular apertures and cylindrical cavities and the principle of electroacoustic analogy.

Spherical harmonic analysis of the sound radiation from omnidirectional loudspeaker arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasqual, A. M.

2014-09-01

Omnidirectional sound sources are widely used in room acoustics. These devices are made up of loudspeakers mounted on a spherical or polyhedral cabinet, where the dodecahedral shape prevails. Although such electroacoustic sources have been made readily available to acousticians by many manufacturers, an in-depth investigation of their vibroacoustic behavior has not been provided yet. In order to fulfill this lack, this paper presents a theoretical study of the sound radiation from omnidirectional loudspeaker arrays, which is carried out by using a mathematical model based on the spherical harmonic analysis. Eight different loudspeaker arrangements on the sphere are considered: the well-known five Platonic solid layouts and three extremal system layouts. The latter possess useful properties for spherical loudspeaker arrays used as directivity controlled sound sources, so that these layouts are included here in order to investigate whether or not they could be of interest as omnidirectional sources as well. It is shown through a comparative analysis that the dodecahedral array leads to the lowest error in producing an omnidirectional sound field and to the highest acoustic power, which corroborates the prevalence of such a layout. In addition, if a source with less than 12 loudspeakers is required, it is shown that tetrahedra or hexahedra can be used alternatively, whereas the extremal system layouts are not interesting choices for omnidirectional loudspeaker arrays.

Radiation mechanism for the aerodynamic sound of gears - An explanation for the radiation process by air flow observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houjoh, Haruo

1992-12-01

One specific feature of the aerodynamic sound produced at the face end region is that the radiation becomes equally weak by filling root spaces as by shortening the center distance. However, one can easily expect that such actions make the air flow faster, and consequently make the sound louder. This paper attempts to reveal the reason for such a feature. First, air flow induced by the pumping action of the gear pair was analyzed regarding a series of root spaces as volume varying cavities which have channels to adjacent cavities as well as the exit/inlet at the face ends. The numerical analysis was verified by the hot wire anemometer measurement. Next, from the obtained flow response, the sound source was estimated to be a combination of symmetrically distributed simple sources. Taking the effect of either the center distance or root filling into consideration, it is shown that the simplified model can explain such a feature rationally.

Psychometric Characteristics of Single-Word Tests of Children's Speech Sound Production

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flipsen, Peter, Jr.; Ogiela, Diane A.

2015-01-01

Purpose: Our understanding of test construction has improved since the now-classic review by McCauley and Swisher (1984) . The current review article examines the psychometric characteristics of current single-word tests of speech sound production in an attempt to determine whether our tests have improved since then. It also provides a resource…

Fundamental plasma emission involving ion sound waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cairns, Iver H.

1987-01-01

The theory for fundamental plasma emission by the three-wave processes L + or - S to T (where L, S and T denote Langmuir, ion sound and transverse waves, respectively) is developed. Kinematic constraints on the characteristics and growth lengths of waves participating in the wave processes are identified. In addition the rates, path-integrated wave temperatures, and limits on the brightness temperature of the radiation are derived.

Propagation and radiation of sound from flanged circular ducts with circumferentially varying wall admittances. I Semi-infinite ducts. II - Finite ducts with sources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fuller, C. R.

1984-01-01

Sound propagation in infinite, semiinfinite, and finite circular ducts with circumferentially varying wall admittances is investigated analytically. The infinite case is considered, and an example demonstrates the effects of wall-admittance distribution on dispersion characteristics and mode shapes. An exact solution is obtained for the semiinfinite case, a circular duct with a flanged opening: sidelobe suppression and circumferential-mode energy scattering leading to radiated-field asymmetry are found. A finite duct system with specified hard-walled pressure sources is examined in detail, evaluating reflection coefficients, transmission losses, and radiated-field directivity. Graphs and diagrams are provided, and the implications of the results obtained for the design of aircraft-turbofan inlet liners are discussed.

Decentralized Control of Sound Radiation from an Aircraft-Style Panel Using Iterative Loop Recovery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schiller, Noah H.; Cabell, Randolph H.; Fuller, Chris R.

2008-01-01

A decentralized LQG-based control strategy is designed to reduce low-frequency sound transmission through periodically stiffened panels. While modern control strategies have been used to reduce sound radiation from relatively simple structural acoustic systems, significant implementation issues have to be addressed before these control strategies can be extended to large systems such as the fuselage of an aircraft. For instance, centralized approaches typically require a high level of connectivity and are computationally intensive, while decentralized strategies face stability problems caused by the unmodeled interaction between neighboring control units. Since accurate uncertainty bounds are not known a priori, it is difficult to ensure the decentralized control system will be robust without making the controller overly conservative. Therefore an iterative approach is suggested, which utilizes frequency-shaped loop recovery. The approach accounts for modeling error introduced by neighboring control loops, requires no communication between subsystems, and is relatively simple. The control strategy is validated using real-time control experiments performed on a built-up aluminum test structure representative of the fuselage of an aircraft. Experiments demonstrate that the iterative approach is capable of achieving 12 dB peak reductions and a 3.6 dB integrated reduction in radiated sound power from the stiffened panel.

An experimental evaluation of the application of the Kirchhoff formulation for sound radiation from an oscillating airfoil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brooks, T. F.

1977-01-01

The Kirchhoff integral formulation is evaluated for its effectiveness in quantitatively predicting the sound radiated from an oscillating airfoil whose chord length is comparable with the acoustic wavelength. A rigid airfoil section was oscillated at samll amplitude in a medium at rest to produce the sound field. Simultaneous amplitude and phase measurements were made of surface pressure and surface velocity distributions and the acoustic free field. Measured surface pressure and motion are used in applying the theory, and airfoil thickness and contour are taken into account. The result was that the theory overpredicted the sound pressure level by 2 to 5, depending on direction. Differences are also noted in the sound field phase behavior.

On the sound field radiated by a tuning fork

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russell, Daniel A.

2000-12-01

When a sounding tuning fork is brought close to the ear, and rotated about its long axis, four distinct maxima and minima are heard. However, when the same tuning fork is rotated while being held at arm's length from the ear only two maxima and minima are heard. Misconceptions concerning this phenomenon are addressed and the fundamental mode of the fork is described in terms of a linear quadrupole source. Measured directivity patterns in the near field and far field of several forks agree very well with theoretical predictions for a linear quadrupole. Other modes of vibration are shown to radiate as dipole and lateral quadrupole sources.

Sound radiation from an infinite elastic cylinder with dual-wave propagation-intensity distributions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fuller, C. R.

1988-01-01

The radiation of sound from an elastic cylindrical shell filled with fluid and supporting multiwave propagation is studied analytically. Combinations of supersonic and subsonic shell waves are considered. The radiated field is mapped by using acoustic intensity vectors evaluated at various locations. Both time averaged and instantaneous intensity are investigated. The acoustic intensity is seen to vary markedly with axial distance down the cylinder. The effect is shown to be associated with cross terms in the intensity relations, and its magnitude and location to depend upon the relative phase and amplitudes of individual waves. Subsonic shell waves are demonstrated to interact strongly with supersonic shell waves to cause a large modification in the radiated intensity distributions near the shell surface.

Decentralized Control of Sound Radiation using a High-Authority/Low-Authority Control Strategy with Anisotropic Actuators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schiller, Noah H.; Cabell, Randolph H.; Fuller, Chris R.

2008-01-01

This paper describes a combined control strategy designed to reduce sound radiation from stiffened aircraft-style panels. The control architecture uses robust active damping in addition to high-authority linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) control. Active damping is achieved using direct velocity feedback with triangularly shaped anisotropic actuators and point velocity sensors. While active damping is simple and robust, stability is guaranteed at the expense of performance. Therefore the approach is often referred to as low-authority control. In contrast, LQG control strategies can achieve substantial reductions in sound radiation. Unfortunately, the unmodeled interaction between neighboring control units can destabilize decentralized control systems. Numerical simulations show that combining active damping and decentralized LQG control can be beneficial. In particular, augmenting the in-bandwidth damping supplements the performance of the LQG control strategy and reduces the destabilizing interaction between neighboring control units.

Measurement of energetic radiation caused by thunderstorm activities by a sounding balloon and ground observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torii, T.

2015-12-01

Energetic radiation caused by thunderstorm activity is observed at various places, such as the ground, high mountain areas, and artificial satellites. In order to investigate the radiation source and its energy distribution, we measured energetic radiation by a sounding balloon, and the ground observation. On the measurement inside/above the thundercloud, we conducted a sounding observation using a radiosonde mounted two GM tubes (for gamma-rays, and for beta/gamma-rays), in addition to meteorological instruments. The balloon passed through a region of strong echoes in a thundercloud shown by radar image, at which time an increase in counting rate of the GM tube about 2 orders of magnitude occurred at the altitude from 5 km to 7.5 km. Furthermore, the counting rate of two GM tubes indicated the tendency different depending on movement of a balloon. This result suggests that the ratio for the gamma-rays (energetic photons) of the beta-rays (energetic electrons) varies according to the place in the thundercloud. Furthermore, we carried out a ground observation of the energetic gamma rays during winter thunderstorm at a coastal area facing the Sea of Japan. Two types of the energetic radiation have been observed at this time. We report the outline of these measurements and analysis in the session of the AGU meeting.

Airborne sound transmission loss characteristics of woodframe construction

Treesearch

Fred F. Rudder

1985-01-01

This report summarizes the available data on the airborne sound transmission loss properties of wood-frame construction and evaluates the methods for predicting the airborne sound transmission loss. The first part of the report comprises a summary of sound transmission loss data for wood-frame interior walls and floor-ceiling construction. Data bases describing the...

The radiation of sound from a propeller at angle of attack

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mani, Ramani

1990-01-01

The mechanism by which the noise generated at the blade passing frequency by a propeller is altered when the propeller axis is at an angle of attack to the freestream is examined. The measured noise field is distinctly non axially symmetric under such conditions with far field sound pressure levels both diminished and increased relative to the axially symmetric values produced with the propeller at zero angle of attack. Attempts have been made to explain this non axially symmetric sound field based on the unsteady (once per rev) loading experienced by the propeller blades when the propeller axis is at non zero angle of attack. A calculation based on this notion appears to greatly underestimate the measured azimuthal asymmetry of noise for high tip speed, highly loaded propellers. A new mechanism is proposed; namely, that at angle of attack, there is a non axially symmetric modulation of the radiative efficiency of the steady loading and thickness noise which is the primary cause of the non axially symmetric sound field at angle of attack for high tip speed, heavily loaded propellers with a large number of blades. A calculation of this effect to first order in the crossflow Mach number (component of freestream Mach number normal to the propeller axis) is carried out and shows much better agreement with measured noise data on the angle of attack effect.

47 CFR 73.160 - Vertical plane radiation characteristics, f(θ).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Vertical plane radiation characteristics, f(Î... SERVICES RADIO BROADCAST SERVICES AM Broadcast Stations § 73.160 Vertical plane radiation characteristics, f(θ). (a) The vertical plane radiation characteristics show the relative field being radiated at a...

Meteor fireball sounds identified

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keay, Colin

1992-01-01

Sounds heard simultaneously with the flight of large meteor fireballs are electrical in origin. Confirmation that Extra/Very Low Frequency (ELF/VLF) electromagnetic radiation is produced by the fireball was obtained by Japanese researchers. Although the generation mechanism is not fully understood, studies of the Meteorite Observation and Recovery Project (MORP) and other fireball data indicate that interaction with the atmosphere is definitely responsible and the cut-off magnitude of -9 found for sustained electrophonic sounds is supported by theory. Brief bursts of ELF/VLF radiation may accompany flares or explosions of smaller fireballs, producing transient sounds near favorably placed observers. Laboratory studies show that mundane physical objects can respond to electrical excitation and produce audible sounds. Reports of electrophonic sounds should no longer be discarded. A catalog of over 300 reports relating to electrophonic phenomena associated with meteor fireballs, aurorae, and lightning was assembled. Many other reports have been cataloged in Russian. These may assist the full solution of the similar long-standing and contentious mystery of audible auroral displays.

Stimulus Characteristics of Single-Word Tests of Children's Speech Sound Production

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Macrae, Toby

2017-01-01

Purpose: This clinical focus article provides readers with a description of the stimulus characteristics of 12 popular tests of speech sound production. Method: Using significance testing and descriptive analyses, stimulus items were compared in terms of the number of opportunities for production of all consonant singletons, clusters, and rhotic…

Interpolated Sounding and Gridded Sounding Value-Added Products

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Toto, T.; Jensen, M.

Standard Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility sounding files provide atmospheric state data in one dimension of increasing time and height per sonde launch. Many applications require a quick estimate of the atmospheric state at higher time resolution. The INTERPOLATEDSONDE (i.e., Interpolated Sounding) Value-Added Product (VAP) transforms sounding data into continuous daily files on a fixed time-height grid, at 1-minute time resolution, on 332 levels, from the surface up to a limit of approximately 40 km. The grid extends that high so the full height of soundings can be captured; however, most soundings terminate at an altitude between 25more » and 30 km, above which no data is provided. Between soundings, the VAP linearly interpolates atmospheric state variables in time for each height level. In addition, INTERPOLATEDSONDE provides relative humidity scaled to microwave radiometer (MWR) observations.The INTERPOLATEDSONDE VAP, a continuous time-height grid of relative humidity-corrected sounding data, is intended to provide input to higher-order products, such as the Merged Soundings (MERGESONDE; Troyan 2012) VAP, which extends INTERPOLATEDSONDE by incorporating model data. The INTERPOLATEDSONDE VAP also is used to correct gaseous attenuation of radar reflectivity in products such as the KAZRCOR VAP.« less

Sound reduction by metamaterial-based acoustic enclosure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yao, Shanshan; Li, Pei; Zhou, Xiaoming

In many practical systems, acoustic radiation control on noise sources contained within a finite volume by an acoustic enclosure is of great importance, but difficult to be accomplished at low frequencies due to the enhanced acoustic-structure interaction. In this work, we propose to use acoustic metamaterials as the enclosure to efficiently reduce sound radiation at their negative-mass frequencies. Based on a circularly-shaped metamaterial model, sound radiation properties by either central or eccentric sources are analyzed by numerical simulations for structured metamaterials. The parametric analyses demonstrate that the barrier thickness, the cavity size, the source type, and the eccentricity of themore » source have a profound effect on the sound reduction. It is found that increasing the thickness of the metamaterial barrier is an efficient approach to achieve large sound reduction over the negative-mass frequencies. These results are helpful in designing highly efficient acoustic enclosures for blockage of sound in low frequencies.« less

Interaction Metrics for Feedback Control of Sound Radiation from Stiffened Panels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cabell, Randolph H.; Cox, David E.; Gibbs, Gary P.

2003-01-01

Interaction metrics developed for the process control industry are used to evaluate decentralized control of sound radiation from bays on an aircraft fuselage. The metrics are applied to experimentally measured frequency response data from a model of an aircraft fuselage. The purpose is to understand how coupling between multiple bays of the fuselage can destabilize or limit the performance of a decentralized active noise control system. The metrics quantitatively verify observations from a previous experiment, in which decentralized controllers performed worse than centralized controllers. The metrics do not appear to be useful for explaining control spillover which was observed in a previous experiment.

Identification of impact force acting on composite laminated plates using the radiated sound measured with microphones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atobe, Satoshi; Nonami, Shunsuke; Hu, Ning; Fukunaga, Hisao

2017-09-01

Foreign object impact events are serious threats to composite laminates because impact damage leads to significant degradation of the mechanical properties of the structure. Identification of the location and force history of the impact that was applied to the structure can provide useful information for assessing the structural integrity. This study proposes a method for identifying impact forces acting on CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic) laminated plates on the basis of the sound radiated from the impacted structure. Identification of the impact location and force history is performed using the sound pressure measured with microphones. To devise a method for identifying the impact location from the difference in the arrival times of the sound wave detected with the microphones, the propagation path of the sound wave from the impacted point to the sensor is examined. For the identification of the force history, an experimentally constructed transfer matrix is employed to relate the force history to the corresponding sound pressure. To verify the validity of the proposed method, impact tests are conducted by using a CFRP cross-ply laminate as the specimen, and an impulse hammer as the impactor. The experimental results confirm the validity of the present method for identifying the impact location from the arrival time of the sound wave detected with the microphones. Moreover, the results of force history identification show the feasibility of identifying the force history accurately from the measured sound pressure using the experimental transfer matrix.

Psychometric characteristics of single-word tests of children's speech sound production.

PubMed

Flipsen, Peter; Ogiela, Diane A

2015-04-01

Our understanding of test construction has improved since the now-classic review by McCauley and Swisher (1984). The current review article examines the psychometric characteristics of current single-word tests of speech sound production in an attempt to determine whether our tests have improved since then. It also provides a resource that clinicians may use to help them make test selection decisions for their particular client populations. Ten tests published since 1990 were reviewed to determine whether they met the 10 criteria set out by McCauley and Swisher (1984), as well as 7 additional criteria. All of the tests reviewed met at least 3 of McCauley and Swisher's (1984) original criteria, and 9 of 10 tests met at least 5 of them. Most of the tests met some of the additional criteria as well. The state of the art for single-word tests of speech sound production in children appears to have improved in the last 30 years. There remains, however, room for improvement.

Sound Absorbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuchs, H. V.; Möser, M.

Sound absorption indicates the transformation of sound energy into heat. It is, for instance, employed to design the acoustics in rooms. The noise emitted by machinery and plants shall be reduced before arriving at a workplace; auditoria such as lecture rooms or concert halls require a certain reverberation time. Such design goals are realised by installing absorbing components at the walls with well-defined absorption characteristics, which are adjusted for corresponding demands. Sound absorbers also play an important role in acoustic capsules, ducts and screens to avoid sound immission from noise intensive environments into the neighbourhood.

Understanding the effect of hammering process on the vibration characteristics of cymbals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuratani, F.; Yoshida, T.; Koide, T.; Mizuta, T.; Osamura, K.

2016-09-01

Cymbals are thin domed plates used as percussion instruments. When cymbals are struck, they vibrate and radiate sound. Cymbals are made through spin forming, hammering, and lathing. The spin forming creates the basic shape of the cymbal, which determines its basic vibration characteristics. The hammering and lathing produce specific sound adjustments by changing the cymbal's vibration characteristics. In this study, we study how hammering cymbals affects their vibration characteristics. The hammering produces plastic deformation (small, shallow dents) on the cymbal's surface, generating residual stresses throughout it. These residual stresses change the vibration characteristics. We perform finite element analysis of a cymbal to obtain its stress distribution and the resulting change in vibration characteristics. To reproduce the stress distribution, we use thermal stress analysis, and then with this stress distribution we perform vibration analysis. These results show that each of the cymbal's modes has a different sensitivity to the thermal load (i.e., hammering). This difference causes changes in the frequency response and the deflection shape that significantly improves the sound radiation efficiency. In addition, we explain the changes in natural frequencies by the stress and modal strain energy distributions.

Sound radiation and wing mechanics in stridulating field crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae).

PubMed

Montealegre-Z, Fernando; Jonsson, Thorin; Robert, Daniel

2011-06-15

Male field crickets emit pure-tone mating calls by rubbing their wings together. Acoustic radiation is produced by rapid oscillations of the wings, as the right wing (RW), bearing a file, is swept across the plectrum borne on the left wing (LW). Earlier work found the natural resonant frequency (f(o)) of individual wings to be different, but there is no consensus on the origin of these differences. Previous studies suggested that the frequency along the song pulse is controlled independently by each wing. It has also been argued that the stridulatory file has a variable f(o) and that the frequency modulation observed in most species is associated with this variability. To test these two hypotheses, a method was developed for the non-contact measurement of wing vibrations during singing in actively stridulating Gryllus bimaculatus. Using focal microinjection of the neuroactivator eserine into the cricket's brain to elicit stridulation and micro-scanning laser Doppler vibrometry, we monitored wing vibration in actively singing insects. The results show significantly lower f(o) in LWs compared with RWs, with the LW f(o) being identical to the sound carrier frequency (N=44). But during stridulation, the two wings resonate at one identical frequency, the song carrier frequency, with the LW dominating in amplitude response. These measurements also demonstrate that the stridulatory file is a constant resonator, as no variation was observed in f(o) along the file during sound radiation. Our findings show that, as they engage in stridulation, cricket wings work as coupled oscillators that together control the mechanical oscillations generating the remarkably pure species-specific song.

Spectral Characteristics of Wake Vortex Sound During Roll-Up

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Booth, Earl R., Jr. (Technical Monitor); Zhang, Yan; Wang, Frank Y.; Hardin, Jay C.

2003-01-01

This report presents an analysis of the sound spectra generated by a trailing aircraft vortex during its rolling-up process. The study demonstrates that a rolling-up vortex could produce low frequency (less than 100 Hz) sound with very high intensity (60 dB above threshold of human hearing) at a distance of 200 ft from the vortex core. The spectrum then drops o rapidly thereafter. A rigorous analytical approach has been adopted in this report to derive the spectrum of vortex sound. First, the sound pressure was solved from an alternative treatment of the Lighthill s acoustic analogy approach [1]. After the application of Green s function for free space, a tensor analysis was applied to permit the removal of the source term singularity of the wave equation in the far field. Consequently, the sound pressure is expressed in terms of the retarded time that indicates the time history and spacial distribution of the sound source. The Fourier transformation is then applied to the sound pressure to compute its spectrum. As a result, the Fourier transformation greatly simplifies the expression of the vortex sound pressure involving the retarded time, so that the numerical computation is applicable with ease for axisymmetric line vortices during the rolling-up process. The vortex model assumes that the vortex circulation is proportional to the time and the core radius is a constant. In addition, the velocity profile is assumed to be self-similar along the aircraft flight path, so that a benchmark vortex velocity profile can be devised to obtain a closed form solution, which is then used to validate the numerical calculations for other more realistic vortex profiles for which no closed form solutions are available. The study suggests that acoustic sensors operating at low frequency band could be profitably deployed for detecting the vortex sound during the rolling-up process.

Reconstruction of transient vibration and sound radiation of an impacted plate using time domain plane wave superposition method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geng, Lin; Zhang, Xiao-Zheng; Bi, Chuan-Xing

2015-05-01

Time domain plane wave superposition method is extended to reconstruct the transient pressure field radiated by an impacted plate and the normal acceleration of the plate. In the extended method, the pressure measured on the hologram plane is expressed as a superposition of time convolutions between the time-wavenumber normal acceleration spectrum on a virtual source plane and the time domain propagation kernel relating the pressure on the hologram plane to the normal acceleration spectrum on the virtual source plane. By performing an inverse operation, the normal acceleration spectrum on the virtual source plane can be obtained by an iterative solving process, and then taken as the input to reconstruct the whole pressure field and the normal acceleration of the plate. An experiment of a clamped rectangular steel plate impacted by a steel ball is presented. The experimental results demonstrate that the extended method is effective in visualizing the transient vibration and sound radiation of an impacted plate in both time and space domains, thus providing the important information for overall understanding the vibration and sound radiation of the plate.

Modal propagation angles in a cylindrical duct with flow and their relation to sound radiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rice, E. J.; Heidmann, M. F.; Sofrin, T. G.

1979-01-01

The main emphasis is upon the propagation angle with respect to the duct axis and its relation to the far-field acoustic radiation pattern. When the steady flow Mach number is accounted for in the duct, the propagation angle in the duct is shown to be coincident with the angle of the principal lobe of far-field radiation obtained using the Wiener-Hopf technique. Different Mach numbers are allowed within the duct and in the external field. For static tests with a steady flow in an inlet but with no external Mach number the far-field radiation pattern is shifted considerably toward the inlet axis when compared to zero Mach number radiation theory. As the external Mach number is increased the noise radiation pattern is shifted away from the inlet axis. The theory is developed using approximations for sound propagation in circular ducts. An exact analysis using Hankel function solutions for the zero Mach number case is given to provide a check of the simpler approximate theory.

Control of sound radiation from a wavepacket over a curved surface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maestrello, Lucio; El Hady, Nabil M.

1989-01-01

Active control of acoustic pressure in the far field resulting from the growth and decay of a wavepacket convecting in a boundary layer over a concave-convex surface is investigated numerically using direct computations of the Navier-Stokes equations. The resulting sound radiation is computed using linearized Euler equations with the pressure from the Navier-Stokes solution as a time-dependent boundary condition. The acoustic far field exhibits directivity type of behavior that points upstream to the flow direction. A fixed control algorithm is used where the attenuation signal is synthesized by a filter which actively adapt it to the amplitude-time response of the outgoing acoustic wave.

Point vortex model for prediction of sound generated by a wing with flap interacting with a passing vortex.

PubMed

Manela, A; Huang, L

2013-04-01

Acoustic signature of a rigid wing, equipped with a movable downstream flap and interacting with a line vortex, is studied in a two-dimensional low-Mach number flow. The flap is attached to the airfoil via a torsion spring, and the coupled fluid-structure interaction problem is analyzed using thin-airfoil methodology and application of the emended Brown and Michael equation. It is found that incident vortex passage above the airfoil excites flap motion at the system natural frequency, amplified above all other frequencies contained in the forcing vortex. Far-field radiation is analyzed using Powell-Howe analogy, yielding the leading order dipole-type signature of the system. It is shown that direct flap motion has a negligible effect on total sound radiation. The characteristic acoustic signature of the system is dominated by vortex sound, consisting of relatively strong leading and trailing edge interactions of the airfoil with the incident vortex, together with late-time wake sound resulting from induced flap motion. In comparison with the counterpart rigid (non-flapped) configuration, it is found that the flap may act as sound amplifier or absorber, depending on the value of flap-fluid natural frequency. The study complements existing analyses examining sound radiation in static- and detached-flap configurations.

Left-Right Asymmetry in Spectral Characteristics of Lung Sounds Detected Using a Dual-Channel Auscultation System in Healthy Young Adults.

PubMed

Tsai, Jang-Zern; Chang, Ming-Lang; Yang, Jiun-Yue; Kuo, Dar; Lin, Ching-Hsiung; Kuo, Cheng-Deng

2017-06-07

Though lung sounds auscultation is important for the diagnosis and monitoring of lung diseases, the spectral characteristics of lung sounds have not been fully understood. This study compared the spectral characteristics of lung sounds between the right and left lungs and between healthy male and female subjects using a dual-channel auscultation system. Forty-two subjects aged 18-22 years without smoking habits and any known pulmonary diseases participated in this study. The lung sounds were recorded from seven pairs of auscultation sites on the chest wall simultaneously. We found that in four out of seven auscultation pairs, the lung sounds from the left lung had a higher total power (P T ) than those from the right lung. The P T of male subjects was higher than that of female ones in most auscultation pairs. The ratio of inspiration power to expiration power (R I/E ) of lung sounds from the right lung was greater than that from the left lung at auscultation pairs on the anterior chest wall, while this phenomenon was reversed at auscultation pairs on the posterior chest wall in combined subjects, and similarly in both male and female subjects. Though the frequency corresponding to maximum power density of lung sounds (F MPD ) from the left and right lungs was not significantly different, the frequency that equally divided the power spectrum of lung sounds (F 50 ) from the left lung was significantly smaller than that from the right lung at auscultation site on the anterior and lateral chest walls, while it was significantly larger than that of from the right lung at auscultation site on the posterior chest walls. In conclusion, significant differences in the P T , F MPD , F 50 , and R I/E between the left and right lungs at some auscultation pairs were observed by using a dual-channel auscultation system in this study. Structural differences between the left and the right lungs, between the female and male subjects, and between anterior and posterior lungs might

Left–Right Asymmetry in Spectral Characteristics of Lung Sounds Detected Using a Dual-Channel Auscultation System in Healthy Young Adults

PubMed Central

Tsai, Jang-Zern; Chang, Ming-Lang; Yang, Jiun-Yue; Kuo, Dar; Lin, Ching-Hsiung; Kuo, Cheng-Deng

2017-01-01

Though lung sounds auscultation is important for the diagnosis and monitoring of lung diseases, the spectral characteristics of lung sounds have not been fully understood. This study compared the spectral characteristics of lung sounds between the right and left lungs and between healthy male and female subjects using a dual-channel auscultation system. Forty-two subjects aged 18–22 years without smoking habits and any known pulmonary diseases participated in this study. The lung sounds were recorded from seven pairs of auscultation sites on the chest wall simultaneously. We found that in four out of seven auscultation pairs, the lung sounds from the left lung had a higher total power (PT) than those from the right lung. The PT of male subjects was higher than that of female ones in most auscultation pairs. The ratio of inspiration power to expiration power (RI/E) of lung sounds from the right lung was greater than that from the left lung at auscultation pairs on the anterior chest wall, while this phenomenon was reversed at auscultation pairs on the posterior chest wall in combined subjects, and similarly in both male and female subjects. Though the frequency corresponding to maximum power density of lung sounds (FMPD) from the left and right lungs was not significantly different, the frequency that equally divided the power spectrum of lung sounds (F50) from the left lung was significantly smaller than that from the right lung at auscultation site on the anterior and lateral chest walls, while it was significantly larger than that of from the right lung at auscultation site on the posterior chest walls. In conclusion, significant differences in the PT, FMPD, F50, and RI/E between the left and right lungs at some auscultation pairs were observed by using a dual-channel auscultation system in this study. Structural differences between the left and the right lungs, between the female and male subjects, and between anterior and posterior lungs might account for the

Theoretical analysis of the sound absorption characteristics of periodically stiffened micro-perforated plates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Hai-An; Wang, Xiao-Ming; Mei, Yu-Lin

2014-10-01

The vibro-acoustic responses and sound absorption characteristics of two kinds of periodically stiffened micro-perforated plates are analyzed theoretically. The connected periodical structures of the stiffened plates can be ribs or block-like structures. Based on fundamental acoustic formulas of the micro-perforated plate of Maa and Takahashi, semi-analytical models of the vibrating stiffened plates are developed in this paper. Approaches like the space harmonicmethod, Fourier transforms and finite elementmethod (FEM) are adopted to investigate both kinds of the stiffened plates. In the present work, the vibro-acoustic responses of micro-perforated stiffened plates in the wavenumber space are expressed as functions of plate displacement amplitudes. After approximate numerical solutions of the amplitudes, the vibration equations and sound absorption coefficients of the two kinds of stiffened plates in the physical space are then derived by employing the Fourier inverse transform. In numerical examples, the effects of some physical parameters, such as the perforation ratio, incident angles and periodical distances etc., on the sound absorption performance are examined. The proposed approaches are also validated by comparing the present results with solutions of Takahashi and previous studies of stiffened plates. Numerical results indicate that the flexural vibration of the plate has a significant effect on the sound absorption coefficient in the water but has little influence in the air.

Sound spectrum of a pulsating optical discharge

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grachev, G N; Smirnov, A L; Tishchenko, V N

A spectrum of sound of an optical discharge generated by a repetitively pulsed (RP) laser radiation has been investigated. The parameters of laser radiation are determined at which the spectrum of sound may contains either many lines, or the main line at the pulse repetition rate and several weaker overtones, or a single line. The spectrum of sound produced by trains of RP radiation comprises the line (and overtones) at the repetition rate of train sequences and the line at the repetition rate of pulses in trains. A CO{sub 2} laser with the pulse repetition rate of f ≈ 3more » – 180 kHz and the average power of up to 2 W was used in the experiments. (optical discharges)« less

Sound absorption characteristics of tree bark and forest floor

Treesearch

G. Reethof; O. H. McDaniel; G. M. Heisler

1977-01-01

Results of basic research on absorption of sound by tree bark and forest floors are presented. Amount of sound absorption by tree bark was determined by laboratory experiments with bark samples in a standing-wave tube. A modified portable standing-wave tube was used to measure absorption of sound by forest floors with different moisture contents, with and without leaf...

Analysis of the sound field in finite length infinite baffled cylindrical ducts with vibrating walls of finite impedance.

PubMed

Shao, Wei; Mechefske, Chris K

2005-04-01

This paper describes an analytical model of finite cylindrical ducts with infinite flanges. This model is used to investigate the sound radiation characteristics of the gradient coil system of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. The sound field in the duct satisfies both the boundary conditions at the wall and at the open ends. The vibrating cylindrical wall of the duct is assumed to be the only sound source. Different acoustic conditions for the wall (rigid and absorptive) are used in the simulations. The wave reflection phenomenon at the open ends of the finite duct is described by general radiation impedance. The analytical model is validated by the comparison with its counterpart in a commercial code based on the boundary element method (BEM). The analytical model shows significant advantages over the BEM model with better numerical efficiency and a direct relation between the design parameters and the sound field inside the duct.

Dimensions of vehicle sounds perception.

PubMed

Wagner, Verena; Kallus, K Wolfgang; Foehl, Ulrich

2017-10-01

Vehicle sounds play an important role concerning customer satisfaction and can show another differentiating factor of brands. With an online survey of 1762 German and American customers, the requirement characteristics of high-quality vehicle sounds were determined. On the basis of these characteristics, a requirement profile was generated for every analyzed sound. These profiles were investigated in a second study with 78 customers using real vehicles. The assessment results of the vehicle sounds can be represented using the dimensions "timbre", "loudness", and "roughness/sharpness". The comparison of the requirement profiles and the assessment results show that the sounds which are perceived as pleasant and high-quality, more often correspond to the requirement profile. High-quality sounds are characterized by the fact that they are rather gentle, soft and reserved, rich, a bit dark and not too rough. For those sounds which are assessed worse by the customers, recommendations for improvements can be derived. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sound propagation in and radiation from acoustically lined flow ducts: A comparison of experiment and theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Plumblee, H. E., Jr.; Dean, P. D.; Wynne, G. A.; Burrin, R. H.

1973-01-01

The results of an experimental and theoretical study of many of the fundamental details of sound propagation in hard wall and soft wall annular flow ducts are reported. The theory of sound propagation along such ducts and the theory for determining the complex radiation impedance of higher order modes of an annulus are outlined, and methods for generating acoustic duct modes are developed. The results of a detailed measurement program on propagation in rigid wall annular ducts with and without airflow through the duct are presented. Techniques are described for measuring cut-on frequencies, modal phase speed, and radial and annular mode shapes. The effects of flow velocity on cut-on frequencies and phase speed are measured. Comparisons are made with theoretical predictions for all of the effects studies. The two microphone method of impedance is used to measure the effects of flow on acoustic liners. A numerical study of sound propagation in annular ducts with one or both walls acoustically lined is presented.

Low-flow characteristics of streams in the Puget Sound region, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hidaka, F.T.

1973-01-01

Periods of low streamflow are usually the most critical factor in relation to most water uses. The purpose of this report is to present data on low-flow characteristics of streams in the Puget Sound region, Washington, and to briefly explain some of the factors that influence low flow in the various basins. Presented are data on low-flow frequencies of streams in the Puget Sound region, as gathered at 150 gaging stations. Four indexes were computed from the flow-flow-frequency curves and were used as a basis to compare the low-flow characteristics of the streams. The indexes are the (1) low-flow-yield index, expressed in unit runoff per square mile; (2) base-flow index, or the ratio of the median 7-day low flow to the average discharge; (3) slope index, or slope of annual 7-day low-flow-frequency curve; and (4) spacing index, or spread between the 7-day and 183-day low-flow-frequency curves. The indexes showed a wide variation between streams due to the complex interrelation between climate, topography, and geology. The largest low-flow-yield indexes determined--greater than 1.5 cfs (cubic feet per second) per square mile--were for streams that head at high altitudes in the Cascade and Olympic Mountains and have their sources at glaciers. The smallest low-flow-yield indexes--less than 0.5 cfs per square mile--were for the small streams that drain the lowlands adjacent to Puget Sound. Indexes between the two extremes were for nonglacial streams that head at fairly high altitudes in areas of abundant precipitation. The base-flow index has variations that can be attributed to a basin's hydrogeology, with very little influence from climate. The largest base-flow indexes were obtained for streams draining permeable unconsolidated glacial and alluvial sediments in parts of the lowlands adjacent to Puget Sound. Large volume of ground water in these materials sustain flows during late summer. The smallest indexes were computed for streams draining areas underlain by

Interaction of Sound from Supersonic Jets with Nearby Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fenno, C. C., Jr.; Bayliss, A.; Maestrello, L.

1997-01-01

A model of sound generated in an ideally expanded supersonic (Mach 2) jet is solved numerically. Two configurations are considered: (1) a free jet and (2) an installed jet with a nearby array of flexible aircraft type panels. In the later case the panels vibrate in response to loading by sound from the jet and the full coupling between the panels and the jet is considered, accounting for panel response and radiation. The long time behavior of the jet is considered. Results for near field and far field disturbance, the far field pressure and the vibration of and radiation from the panels are presented. Panel response crucially depends on the location of the panels. Panels located upstream of the Mach cone are subject to a low level, nearly continuous spectral excitation and consequently exhibit a low level, relatively continuous spectral response. In contrast, panels located within the Mach cone are subject to a significant loading due to the intense Mach wave radiation of sound and exhibit a large, relatively peaked spectral response centered around the peak frequency of sound radiation. The panels radiate in a similar fashion to the sound in the jet, in particular exhibiting a relatively peaked spectral response at approximately the Mach angle from the bounding wall.

The sound intensity and characteristics of variable-pitch pulse oximeters.

PubMed

Yamanaka, Hiroo; Haruna, Junichi; Mashimo, Takashi; Akita, Takeshi; Kinouchi, Keiko

2008-06-01

Various studies worldwide have found that sound levels in hospitals significantly exceed the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, and that this noise is associated with audible signals from various medical devices. The pulse oximeter is now widely used in health care; however the health effects associated with the noise from this equipment remain largely unclarified. Here, we analyzed the sounds of variable-pitch pulse oximeters, and discussed the possible associated risk of sleep disturbance, annoyance, and hearing loss. The Nellcor N 595 and Masimo SET Radical pulse oximeters were measured for equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure levels (L(Aeq)), loudness levels, and loudness. Pulse beep pitches were also identified using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis and compared with musical pitches as controls. Almost all alarm sounds and pulse beeps from the instruments tested exceeded 30 dBA, a level that may induce sleep disturbance and annoyance. Several alarm sounds emitted by the pulse oximeters exceeded 70 dBA, which is known to induce hearing loss. The loudness of the alarm sound of each pulse oximeter did not change in proportion to the sound volume level. The pitch of each pulse beep did not correspond to musical pitch levels. The results indicate that sounds from pulse oximeters pose a potential risk of not only sleep disturbance and annoyance but also hearing loss, and that these sounds are unnatural for human auditory perception.

Assessment of spatial and physical neighborhood characteristics that influence sound quality and herewith well-being and health

PubMed Central

Devilee, Jeroen; van Kempen, Elise; Swart, Wim; van Kamp, Irene; Ameling, Caroline

2017-01-01

Environmental noise and health studies seldom address the positive effect of environments with high acoustic quality. Sound quality, in turn, is influenced by a large number of factors, including the spatial–physical characteristics of a neighborhood. In general, these characteristics cannot be retrieved from existing databases. In this article, we describe the design of an audit instrument and demonstrate its value for gathering information about these characteristics of neighborhoods. The audit instrument used was derived from research in other fields than environmental health. The instrument was tested in 33 neighborhoods in the Dutch cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Arnhem. In these neighborhoods, more or less homogeneous subareas were identified that were subject of the audit. The results show that the audit approach is suitable to gather neighborhood data that are relevant for the sound quality of neighborhoods. Together with survey data, they provide information that could further the field of soundscape and health. Several suggestions for improvement of the audit instrument were made. PMID:28615546

Sound Radiation from a Supersonic Jet Passing Through a Partially Open Exhaust Duct

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kandula, Max

2011-01-01

The radiation of sound from a perfectly expanded Mach 2.5 cold supersonic jet of 25.4 mm exit diameter flowing through a partially open rigid-walled duct with an upstream i-deflector has been studied experimentally. In the experiments, the nozzle is mounted vertically, with the nozzle exit plane at a height of 73 jet diameters above ground level. Relative to the nozzle exit plane (NEP), the location of the duct inlet is varied at 10, 5, and -1 jet diameters. Far-field sound pressure levels were obtained at 54 jet diameters above ground with the aid of acoustic sensors equally spaced around a circular arc of radius equal to 80 jet diameters from the jet axis. Data on the jet acoustic field for the partially open duct were obtained and compared with those with a free jet and with a closed duct. The results suggest that for the partially open duct the overall sound pressure level (OASPL) decreases as the distance between the NEP and the duct inlet plane decreases, while the opposite trend is observed for the closed duct. It is also concluded that the observed peak frequency in the partially open duct increases above the free jet value as the angle from the duct axis is increased, and as the duct inlet plane becomes closer to the NEP.

Inside-in, alternative paradigms for sound spatialization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahn, Curtis; Moore, Stephan

2003-04-01

Arrays of widely spaced mono-directional loudspeakers (P.A.-style stereo configurations or ``outside-in'' surround-sound systems) have long provided the dominant paradigms for electronic sound diffusion. So prevalent are these models that alternatives have largely been ignored and electronic sound, regardless of musical aesthetic, has come to be inseparably associated with single-channel speakers, or headphones. We recognize the value of these familiar paradigms, but believe that electronic sound can and should have many alternative, idiosyncratic voices. Through the design and construction of unique sound diffusion structures, one can reinvent the nature of electronic sound; when allied with new sensor technologies, these structures offer alternative modes of interaction with techniques of sonic computation. This paper describes several recent applications of spherical speakers (multichannel, outward-radiating geodesic speaker arrays) and Sensor-Speaker-Arrays (SenSAs: combinations of various sensor devices with outward-radiating multi-channel speaker arrays). This presentation introduces the development of four generations of spherical speakers-over a hundred individual speakers of various configurations-and their use in many different musical situations including live performance, recording, and sound installation. We describe the design and construction of these systems, and, more generally, the new ``voices'' they give to electronic sound.

Structure of supersonic jet flow and its radiated sound

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mankbadi, Reda R.; Hayer, M. Ehtesham; Povinelli, Louis A.

1994-01-01

The present paper explores the use of large-eddy simulations as a tool for predicting noise from first principles. A high-order numerical scheme is used to perform large-eddy simulations of a supersonic jet flow with emphasis on capturing the time-dependent flow structure representating the sound source. The wavelike nature of this structure under random inflow disturbances is demonstrated. This wavelike structure is then enhanced by taking the inflow disturbances to be purely harmonic. Application of Lighthill's theory to calculate the far-field noise, with the sound source obtained from the calculated time-dependent near field, is demonstrated. Alternative approaches to coupling the near-field sound source to the far-field sound are discussed.

Spectral characteristics of wake vortex sound during roll-up

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-12-01

This report presents an analysis of the sound spectra generated by a trailing aircraft vortex during its rolling-up process. The : study demonstrates that a rolling-up vortex could produce low frequency (less than 100 Hz) sound with very high intensi...

Radiation characteristics of Leaky Surface Plasmon polaritons of graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohadesi, V.; Asgari, A.; Siahpoush, V.

2018-07-01

High efficient coupling of graphene surface plasmons to far field radiation is possible by some techniques and can be used in the radiating applications. Besides of the coupling efficiency, the angular distribution of the radiated power is an important parameter in the radiating devices performance. In this paper we investigate the gain of the far field radiation related to the coupling of graphene surface plasmons via a high permittivity medium located close to the graphene. Our results show that high directive radiation and high coupling efficiency can be obtained by this technique and gain and directivity of radiation can be modified by graphene characteristics such as chemical potential and also quality of the graphene. Raising the chemical potential of graphene leads to increase the gain of the radiation as the result of amplifying the directivity of the radiation. Furthermore, high values of relaxation time lead to high directive and strong coupling which raises the maximum value of gain in efficient coupling angle. Tunable characteristics of gain and directivity in this structure can be important designing reconfigurable THz radiating devices.

Determining radiated sound power of building structures by means of laser Doppler vibrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roozen, N. B.; Labelle, L.; Rychtáriková, M.; Glorieux, C.

2015-06-01

This paper introduces a methodology that makes use of laser Doppler vibrometry to assess the acoustic insulation performance of a building element. The sound power radiated by the surface of the element is numerically determined from the vibrational pattern, offering an alternative for classical microphone measurements. Compared to the latter the proposed analysis is not sensitive to room acoustical effects. This allows the proposed methodology to be used at low frequencies, where the standardized microphone based approach suffers from a high uncertainty due to a low acoustic modal density. Standardized measurements as well as laser Doppler vibrometry measurements and computations have been performed on two test panels, a light-weight wall and a gypsum block wall and are compared and discussed in this paper. The proposed methodology offers an adequate solution for the assessment of the acoustic insulation of building elements at low frequencies. This is crucial in the framework of recent proposals of acoustic standards for measurement approaches and single number sound insulation performance ratings to take into account frequencies down to 50 Hz.

Underwater Sound Propagation from Marine Pile Driving.

PubMed

Reyff, James A

2016-01-01

Pile driving occurs in a variety of nearshore environments that typically have very shallow-water depths. The propagation of pile-driving sound in water is complex, where sound is directly radiated from the pile as well as through the ground substrate. Piles driven in the ground near water bodies can produce considerable underwater sound energy. This paper presents examples of sound propagation through shallow-water environments. Some of these examples illustrate the substantial variation in sound amplitude over time that can be critical to understand when computing an acoustic-based safety zone for aquatic species.

Some factors influencing radiation of sound from flow interaction with edges of finite surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hayden, R. E.; Fox, H. L.; Chanaud, R. C.

1976-01-01

Edges of surfaces which are exposed to unsteady flow cause both strictly acoustic effects and hydrodynamic effects, in the form of generation of new hydrodynamic sources in the immediate vicinity of the edge. An analytical model is presented which develops the explicit sound-generation role of the velocity and Mach number of the eddy convection past the edge, and the importance of relative scale lengths of the turbulence, as well as the relative intensity of pressure fluctuations. The Mach number (velocity) effects show that the important paramater is the convection Mach number of the eddies. The effects of turbulence scale lengths, isotropy, and spatial density (separation) are shown to be important in determining the level and spectrum of edge sound radiated for the edge dipole mechanism. Experimental data is presented which provides support for the dipole edge noise model in terms of Mach number (velocity) scaling, parametric dependence on flow field parameter, directivity, and edge diffraction effects.

GPS Sounding Rocket Developments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bull, Barton

1999-01-01

Sounding rockets are suborbital launch vehicles capable of carrying scientific payloads several hundred miles in altitude. These missions return a variety of scientific data including; chemical makeup and physical processes taking place in the atmosphere, natural radiation surrounding the Earth, data on the Sun, stars, galaxies and many other phenomena. In addition, sounding rockets provide a reasonably economical means of conducting engineering tests for instruments and devices used on satellites and other spacecraft prior to their use in more expensive activities. This paper addresses the NASA Wallops Island history of GPS Sounding Rocket experience since 1994 and the development of highly accurate and useful system.

Estimation of Electron Density profile Using the Propagation Characteristics of Radio Waves by S-520-29 Sounding Rocket

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Itaya, K.; Ishisaka, K.; Ashihara, Y.; Abe, T.; Kumamoto, A.; Kurihara, J.

2015-12-01

S-520-29 sounding rocket experiment was carried out at Uchinoura Space Center (USC) at 19:10 JST on 17 August, 2014. The purpose of this sounding rocket experiments is observation of sporadic E layer that appears in the lower ionosphere at near 100km. Three methods were used in order to observe the sporadic E layer. The first method is an optical method that observe the light of metal ion emitted by the resonance scattering in sporadic E layer using the imager. The second method is observation of characteristic of radio wave propagation that the LF/MF band radio waves transmitted from the ground. The third method is measuring the electron density in the vicinity of sounding rocket using the fast Langmuir probe and the impedance probe. We analyze the propagation characteristics of radio wave in sporadic E layer appeared from the results of the second method observation. This rocket was equipped with LF/MF band radio receiver for observe the LF/MF band radio waves in rocket flight. Antenna of LF/MF band radio receiver is composed of three axis loop antenna. LF/MF band radio receiver receives three radio waves of 873kHz (JOGB), 666kHz (JOBK), 60kHz (JJY) from the ground. 873kHz and 60kHz radio waves are transmitting from north side, and 666kHz radio waves are transmitting from the east side to the trajectory of the rocket. In the sounding rocket experiment, LF/MF band radio receiver was working properly. We have completed the observation of radio wave intensity. We analyze the observation results using a Doppler shift calculations by frequency analysis. Radio waves received by the sounding rocket include the influences of Doppler shift by polarization and the direction of rocket spin and the magnetic field of the Earth. So received radio waves that are separate into characteristics waves using frequency analysis. Then we calculate the Doppler shift from the separated data. As a result, 873kHz, 666kHz radio waves are reflected by the ionosphere. 60kHz wave was able to

Sound Absorption Characteristics of Aluminum Foams Treated by Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation

PubMed Central

Jin, Wei; Liu, Jiaan; Wang, Zhili; Wang, Yonghua; Cao, Zheng; Liu, Yaohui; Zhu, Xianyong

2015-01-01

Open-celled aluminum foams with different pore sizes were fabricated. A plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) treatment was applied on the aluminum foams to create a layer of ceramic coating. The sound absorption coefficients of the foams were measured by an impedance tube and they were calculated by a transfer function method. The experimental results show that the sound absorption coefficient of the foam increases gradually with the decrease of pore size. Additionally, when the porosity of the foam increases, the sound absorption coefficient also increases. The PEO coating surface is rough and porous, which is beneficial for improvement in sound absorption. After PEO treatment, the maximum sound absorption of the foam is improved to some extent. PMID:28793653

Spelling-to-Sound Correspondences for Reading vs. Sound-to-Spelling Correspondences for Writing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cronnell, Bruce

Differences between spelling-to-sound correspondences for reading and sound-to-spelling correspondences for writing are discussed in terms of the characteristics of and the relationships between stimuli and responses. While dialect variation can be accommodated in reading, it cannot be accommodated in spelling, where no response variation is…

Tuning the cognitive environment: Sound masking with 'natural' sounds in open-plan offices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeLoach, Alana

With the gain in popularity of open-plan office design and the engineering efforts to achieve acoustical comfort for building occupants, a majority of workers still report dissatisfaction in their workplace environment. Office acoustics influence organizational effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction through meeting appropriate requirements for speech privacy and ambient sound levels. Implementing a sound masking system is one tried-and-true method of achieving privacy goals. Although each sound masking system is tuned for its specific environment, the signal -- random steady state electronic noise, has remained the same for decades. This research work explores how `natural' sounds may be used as an alternative to this standard masking signal employed so ubiquitously in sound masking systems in the contemporary office environment. As an unobtrusive background sound, possessing the appropriate spectral characteristics, this proposed use of `natural' sounds for masking challenges the convention that masking sounds should be as meaningless as possible. Through the pilot study presented in this work, we hypothesize that `natural' sounds as sound maskers will be as effective at masking distracting background noise as the conventional masking sound, will enhance cognitive functioning, and increase participant (worker) satisfaction.

TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL VARIATION IN SOLAR RADIATION AND PHOTO-ENHANCED TOXICITY RISKS OF SPILLED OIL IN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND, ALASKA

EPA Science Inventory

Solar irradiance (W/m2) and downwelling diffuse attenuation coefficients (Kd; m-1) were determined in several locations in Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA, between April 2003 and December 2005 to assess temporal and spatial variation in solar radiation and the risks of photoenh...

The Sound Broadcasting System of the Bullfrog

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Purgue, Alejandro P.

1995-01-01

This work presents a comparison across selected species of several aspects of the mechanism of sound broadcasting in anuran amphibians. These studies indicate that all anuran species studied to date broadcast their calls through structures that resonate at the dominant frequency in their calls. Measurements of the magnitude of the transfer function of the radiating structures show that the structures responsible for radiating the bulk of the energy present in the call vary depending on the species considered. Bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) radiate most of the energy (89% sound level) present in their calls through their eardrums. In this species the transfer function of the eardrum displays several peaks coincident in frequency and amplitude with the energy distribution observed in the mating and release call of the species. The vocal sac and gular area contribute energy only in the lower band (150 to 400 Hz) of the call. The ears are responsible for radiating additional frequency bands to the ones being radiated through the gular area and vocal sacs. This condition appears to be derived. In Rana pipiens the ears also broadcast a significant portion of the energy present in the call (63% sound level) but the frequencies of the aural emissions are a subset of those frequencies radiated through the vocal sac and gular area. Character optimization suggests that this is the primitive condition for ranid frogs. Finally, the barking treefrog (Hyla gratiosa) appears to use two different structures to radiate different portions of the call. The low frequency band appears to be preferentially radiated through the lungs while the high frequency components of the call are radiated through the vocal sac.

Multispectral radiation envelope characteristics of aerial infrared targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kou, Tian; Zhou, Zhongliang; Liu, Hongqiang; Yang, Yuanzhi; Lu, Chunguang

2018-07-01

Multispectral detection signals are relatively stable and complementary to single spectral detection signals with deficiencies of severe scintillation and poor anti-interference. To take advantage of multispectral radiation characteristics in the application of infrared target detection, the concept of a multispectral radiation envelope is proposed. To build the multispectral radiation envelope model, the temperature distribution of an aerial infrared target is calculated first. By considering the coupling heat transfer process, the heat balance equation is built by using the node network, and the convective heat transfer laws as a function of target speed are uncovered. Then, the tail flame temperature distribution model is built and the temperature distributions at different horizontal distances are calculated. Second, to obtain the optimal detection angles, envelope models of reflected background multispectral radiation and target multispectral radiation are built. Finally, the envelope characteristics of the aerial target multispectral radiation are analyzed in different wavebands in detail. The results we obtained reflect Wien's displacement law and prove the effectiveness and reasonableness of the envelope model, and also indicate that the major difference between multispectral wavebands is greatly influenced by the target speed. Moreover, optimal detection angles are obtained by numerical simulation, and these are very important for accurate and fast target detection, attack decision-making and developing multispectral detection platforms.

Sound Power Minimization of Circular Plates Through Damping Layer Placement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wodtke, H.-W.; Lamancusa, J. S.

1998-09-01

Damping layers, widely used for noise and vibration control of thin-walled structures, can be designed to provide an optimal trade-off between performance and weight which is of particular importance in the automotive and aircraft industry. The goal of the presented work is the minimization of sound power radiated from plates under broadband excitation by redistribution of unconstrained damping layers. The total radiated sound power is assumed to be represented by the sound power radiated at the structural resonances. Resonance tracking is performed by means of single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF)-approximations based on near-resonance responses and their frequency derivatives. Axisymmetric vibrations of circular plates under several boundary and forcing conditions are considered. Frequency dependent Young's modulus and loss factor of the damping material are taken into account. Vibration analysis is based on the finite element method (FEM) while acoustic radiation is treated by means of Rayleigh's integral formula. It is shown that, starting from a uniform damping layer distribution, substantial reduction in radiated sound power can be achieved through redistribution of the damping layers. Depending on the given situation, these reductions are not only due to amplitude reductions but also to changes in vibration shapes and frequencies.

Controlling sound radiation through an opening with secondary loudspeakers along its boundaries.

PubMed

Wang, Shuping; Tao, Jiancheng; Qiu, Xiaojun

2017-10-17

We propose a virtual sound barrier system that blocks sound transmission through openings without affecting access, light and air circulation. The proposed system applies active control technique to cancel sound transmission with a double layered loudspeaker array at the edge of the opening. Unlike traditional transparent glass windows, recently invented double-glazed ventilation windows and planar active sound barriers or any other metamaterials designed to reduce sound transmission, secondary loudspeakers are put only along the boundaries of the opening, which provides the possibility to make it invisible. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate its feasibility for broadband sound control, especially for low frequency sound which is usually hard to attenuate with existing methods.

Acoustic analysis of trill sounds.

PubMed

Dhananjaya, N; Yegnanarayana, B; Bhaskararao, Peri

2012-04-01

In this paper, the acoustic-phonetic characteristics of steady apical trills--trill sounds produced by the periodic vibration of the apex of the tongue--are studied. Signal processing methods, namely, zero-frequency filtering and zero-time liftering of speech signals, are used to analyze the excitation source and the resonance characteristics of the vocal tract system, respectively. Although it is natural to expect the effect of trilling on the resonances of the vocal tract system, it is interesting to note that trilling influences the glottal source of excitation as well. The excitation characteristics derived using zero-frequency filtering of speech signals are glottal epochs, strength of impulses at the glottal epochs, and instantaneous fundamental frequency of the glottal vibration. Analysis based on zero-time liftering of speech signals is used to study the dynamic resonance characteristics of vocal tract system during the production of trill sounds. Qualitative analysis of trill sounds in different vowel contexts, and the acoustic cues that may help spotting trills in continuous speech are discussed.

Active control of noise on the source side of a partition to increase its sound isolation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarabini, Marco; Roure, Alain; Pinhede, Cedric

2009-03-01

This paper describes a local active noise control system that virtually increases the sound isolation of a dividing wall by means of a secondary source array. With the proposed method, sound pressure on the source side of the partition is reduced using an array of loudspeakers that generates destructive interference on the wall surface, where an array of error microphones is placed. The reduction of sound pressure on the incident side of the wall is expected to decrease the sound radiated into the contiguous room. The method efficiency was experimentally verified by checking the insertion loss of the active noise control system; in order to investigate the possibility of using a large number of actuators, a decentralized FXLMS control algorithm was used. Active control performances and stability were tested with different array configurations, loudspeaker directivities and enclosure characteristics (sound source position and absorption coefficient). The influence of all these parameters was investigated with the factorial design of experiments. The main outcome of the experimental campaign was that the insertion loss produced by the secondary source array, in the 50-300 Hz frequency range, was close to 10 dB. In addition, the analysis of variance showed that the active noise control performance can be optimized with a proper choice of the directional characteristics of the secondary source and the distance between loudspeakers and error microphones.

Experiment on infrared radiation characteristic of colloid Fe/Al thermite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhen, Jian-wei; Li, Jin-ming; Guo, Meng-meng; Liu, Guo-qing; Wang, Guo-dong

2016-01-01

The Fe/Al thermite was made as bulk material. Mixed proportion with liquid energetic colloid, the Fe/Al thermite was made to be collid Fe/Al thermite combustible agent. Then, combustion test sample was got. The combustion process and the infrared radiation characteristic of colloid Fe/Al thermite was experiment by thermal infrared imager. It was showed that collid Fe/Al thermite combustible agent had better infrared radiation characteristic. It could be as based agentia of infrared decoy with the characteristic of persistent and wide spectral range.

Near-field sound radiation of fan tones from an installed turbofan aero-engine.

PubMed

McAlpine, Alan; Gaffney, James; Kingan, Michael J

2015-09-01

The development of a distributed source model to predict fan tone noise levels of an installed turbofan aero-engine is reported. The key objective is to examine a canonical problem: how to predict the pressure field due to a distributed source located near an infinite, rigid cylinder. This canonical problem is a simple representation of an installed turbofan, where the distributed source is based on the pressure pattern generated by a spinning duct mode, and the rigid cylinder represents an aircraft fuselage. The radiation of fan tones can be modelled in terms of spinning modes. In this analysis, based on duct modes, theoretical expressions for the near-field acoustic pressures on the cylinder, or at the same locations without the cylinder, have been formulated. Simulations of the near-field acoustic pressures are compared against measurements obtained from a fan rig test. Also, the installation effect is quantified by calculating the difference in the sound pressure levels with and without the adjacent cylindrical fuselage. Results are shown for the blade passing frequency fan tone radiated at a supersonic fan operating condition.

Photoacoustic sounds from meteors

DOE PAGES

Spalding, Richard; Tencer, John; Sweatt, William; ...

2017-02-01

Concurrent sound associated with very bright meteors manifests as popping, hissing, and faint rustling sounds occurring simultaneously with the arrival of light from meteors. Numerous instances have been documented with –11 to –13 brightness. These sounds cannot be attributed to direct acoustic propagation from the upper atmosphere for which travel time would be several minutes. Concurrent sounds must be associated with some form of electromagnetic energy generated by the meteor, propagated to the vicinity of the observer, and transduced into acoustic waves. Previously, energy propagated from meteors was assumed to be RF emissions. This has not been well validated experimentally.more » Herein we describe experimental results and numerical models in support of photoacoustic coupling as the mechanism. Recent photometric measurements of fireballs reveal strong millisecond flares and significant brightness oscillations at frequencies ≥40 Hz. Strongly modulated light at these frequencies with sufficient intensity can create concurrent sounds through radiative heating of common dielectric materials like hair, clothing, and leaves. This heating produces small pressure oscillations in the air contacting the absorbers. Calculations show that –12 brightness meteors can generate audible sound at ~25 dB SPL. As a result, the photoacoustic hypothesis provides an alternative explanation for this longstanding mystery about generation of concurrent sounds by fireballs.« less

Study on the electromagnetic radiation characteristics of discharging excimer laser system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Duliang; Liang, Xu; Fang, Xiaodong; Wang, Qingsheng

2016-10-01

Excimer laser in condition of high voltage, large current and fast discharge will produce strong electromagnetic pulse radiation and electromagnetic interference on the around electrical equipment. The research on characteristics and distribution of excimer laser electromagnetic radiation could provide important basis for electromagnetic shielding and suppressing electromagnetic interference, and further improving the electromagnetic compatibility of system. Firstly, electromagnetic radiation source is analyzed according to the working principle of excimer laser. The key test points of the electromagnetic radiation, hydrogen thyratron, main discharge circuit and laser outlet, are determined by the mechanical structure and the theory of electromagnetic radiation. Secondly, characteristics of electromagnetic field were tested using a near field probe on the key positions of the vertical direction at 20, 50, and 80 cm, respectively. The main radiation frequencies and the radiation field characteristics in the near field are obtained. The experimental results show that the main radiation frequencies distribute in 47, 65, and 130 MHz for electric field and the main radiation frequencies distribute in 34, 100, and 165 MHz for magnetic field. The intensity of electromagnetic field decreases rapidly with the increase of test distance. The higher the frequency increases, the faster the amplitude attenuate. Finally, several electromagnetic interference suppression measurement methods are proposed from the perspective of electromagnetic compatibility according to the test results.

Sound radiation quantities arising from a resilient circular radiator.

PubMed

Aarts, Ronald M; Janssen, Augustus J E M

2009-10-01

Power series expansions in ka are derived for the pressure at the edge of a radiator, the reaction force on the radiator, and the total radiated power arising from a harmonically excited, resilient, flat, circular radiator of radius a in an infinite baffle. The velocity profiles on the radiator are either Stenzel functions (1-(sigma/a)2)n, with sigma the radial coordinate on the radiator, or linear combinations of Zernike functions Pn(2(sigma/a)2-1), with Pn the Legendre polynomial of degree n. Both sets of functions give rise, via King's integral for the pressure, to integrals for the quantities of interest involving the product of two Bessel functions. These integrals have a power series expansion and allow an expression in terms of Bessel functions of the first kind and Struve functions. Consequently, many of the results in [M. Greenspan, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 65, 608-621 (1979)] are generalized and treated in a unified manner. A foreseen application is for loudspeakers. The relation between the radiated power in the near-field on one hand and in the far field on the other is highlighted.

Psychophysiological acoustics of indoor sound due to traffic noise during sleep

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tulen, J. H. M.; Kumar, A.; Jurriëns, A. A.

1986-10-01

The relation between the physical characteristics of sound and an individual's perception of its as annoyance is complex and unclear. Sleep disturbance by sound is manifested in the physiological responses to the sound stimuli and the quality of sleep perceived in the morning. Both may result in deterioration of functioning during wakefulness. Therefore, psychophysiological responses to noise during sleep should be studied for the evaluation of the efficacy of sound insulation. Nocturnal sleep and indoor sound level were recorded in the homes of 12 subjects living along a highway with high traffic density. Double glazing sound insulation was used to create two experimental conditions: low insulation and high insulation. Twenty recordings were made per subject, ten recordings in each condition. During the nights with low insulation the quality of sleep was so low that both performance and mood were negatively affected. The enhancement of sound insulation was not effective enough to increase the restorative effects of sleep. The transient and peaky characteristics of traffic sound were also found to result in non-adaptive physiological responses during sleep. Sound insulation did have an effect on noise peak characteristics such as peak level, peak duration and slope. However, the number of sound peaks were found to be the same in both conditions. The relation of these sound peaks detected in the indoor recorded sound level signal to characteristics of passing vehicles was established, indicating that the sound peaks causing the psychophysiological disturbances during sleep were generated by the passing vehicles. Evidence is presented to show that the reduction in sound level is not a good measure of efficacy of sound insulation. The parameters of the sound peaks, as described in this paper, are a better representation of psychophysiological efficacy of sound insulation.

A stepped-plate bi-frequency source for generating a difference frequency sound with a parametric array.

PubMed

Je, Yub; Lee, Haksue; Park, Jongkyu; Moon, Wonkyu

2010-06-01

An ultrasonic radiator is developed to generate a difference frequency sound from two frequencies of ultrasound in air with a parametric array. A design method is proposed for an ultrasonic radiator capable of generating highly directive, high-amplitude ultrasonic sound beams at two different frequencies in air based on a modification of the stepped-plate ultrasonic radiator. The stepped-plate ultrasonic radiator was introduced by Gallego-Juarez et al. [Ultrasonics 16, 267-271 (1978)] in their previous study and can effectively generate highly directive, large-amplitude ultrasonic sounds in air, but only at a single frequency. Because parametric array sources must be able to generate sounds at more than one frequency, a design modification is crucial to the application of a stepped-plate ultrasonic radiator as a parametric array source in air. The aforementioned method was employed to design a parametric radiator for use in air. A prototype of this design was constructed and tested to determine whether it could successfully generate a difference frequency sound with a parametric array. The results confirmed that the proposed single small-area transducer was suitable as a parametric radiator in air.

GPS Sounding Rocket Developments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bull, Barton

1999-01-01

Sounding rockets are suborbital launch vehicles capable of carrying scientific payloads several hundred miles in altitude. These missions return a variety of scientific data including; chemical makeup and physical processes taking place In the atmosphere, natural radiation surrounding the Earth, data on the Sun, stars, galaxies and many other phenomena. In addition, sounding rockets provide a reasonably economical means of conducting engineering tests for instruments and devices used on satellites and other spacecraft prior to their use in more expensive activities. The NASA Sounding Rocket Program is managed by personnel from Goddard Space Flight Center Wallops Flight Facility (GSFC/WFF) in Virginia. Typically around thirty of these rockets are launched each year, either from established ranges at Wallops Island, Virginia, Poker Flat Research Range, Alaska; White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico or from Canada, Norway and Sweden. Many times launches are conducted from temporary launch ranges in remote parts of the world requi6ng considerable expense to transport and operate tracking radars. An inverse differential GPS system has been developed for Sounding Rocket. This paper addresses the NASA Wallops Island history of GPS Sounding Rocket experience since 1994 and the development of a high accurate and useful system.

Prediction of sound radiated from different practical jet engine inlets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zinn, B. T.; Meyer, W. L.

1980-01-01

Existing computer codes for calculating the far field radiation patterns surrounding various practical jet engine inlet configurations under different excitation conditions were upgraded. The computer codes were refined and expanded so that they are now more efficient computationally by a factor of about three and they are now capable of producing accurate results up to nondimensional wave numbers of twenty. Computer programs were also developed to help generate accurate geometrical representations of the inlets to be investigated. This data is required as input for the computer programs which calculate the sound fields. This new geometry generating computer program considerably reduces the time required to generate the input data which was one of the most time consuming steps in the process. The results of sample runs using the NASA-Lewis QCSEE inlet are presented and comparison of run times and accuracy are made between the old and upgraded computer codes. The overall accuracy of the computations is determined by comparison of the results of the computations with simple source solutions.

A sound worth saving: acoustic characteristics of a massive fish spawning aggregation.

PubMed

Erisman, Brad E; Rowell, Timothy J

2017-12-01

Group choruses of marine animals can produce extraordinarily loud sounds that markedly elevate levels of the ambient soundscape. We investigated sound production in the Gulf corvina ( Cynoscion othonopterus ), a soniferous marine fish with a unique reproductive behaviour threatened by overfishing, to compare with sounds produced by other marine animals. We coupled echosounder and hydrophone surveys to estimate the magnitude of the aggregation and sounds produced during spawning. We characterized individual calls and documented changes in the soundscape generated by the presence of as many as 1.5 million corvina within a spawning aggregation spanning distances up to 27 km. We show that calls by male corvina represent the loudest sounds recorded in a marine fish, and the spatio-temporal magnitude of their collective choruses are among the loudest animal sounds recorded in aquatic environments. While this wildlife spectacle is at great risk of disappearing due to overfishing, regional conservation efforts are focused on other endangered marine animals. © 2017 The Author(s).

47 CFR 73.160 - Vertical plane radiation characteristics, f(θ).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..., f(θ). (a) The vertical plane radiation characteristics show the relative field being radiated at a... the electrical height of the tower, not including the base insulator and pier. (In the case of a folded unipole tower, the entire radiating structure's electrical height is used.) (2) For a top-loaded...

Pitch features of environmental sounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Ming; Kang, Jian

2016-07-01

A number of soundscape studies have suggested the need for suitable parameters for soundscape measurement, in addition to the conventional acoustic parameters. This paper explores the applicability of pitch features that are often used in music analysis and their algorithms to environmental sounds. Based on the existing alternative pitch algorithms for simulating the perception of the auditory system and simplified algorithms for practical applications in the areas of music and speech, the applicable algorithms have been determined, considering common types of sound in everyday soundscapes. Considering a number of pitch parameters, including pitch value, pitch strength, and percentage of audible pitches over time, different pitch characteristics of various environmental sounds have been shown. Among the four sound categories, i.e. water, wind, birdsongs, and urban sounds, generally speaking, both water and wind sounds have low pitch values and pitch strengths; birdsongs have high pitch values and pitch strengths; and urban sounds have low pitch values and a relatively wide range of pitch strengths.

Simulations of cloud-radiation interaction using large-scale forcing derived from the CINDY/DYNAMO northern sounding array

DOE PAGES

Wang, Shuguang; Sobel, Adam H.; Fridlind, Ann; ...

2015-09-25

The recently completed CINDY/DYNAMO field campaign observed two Madden-Julian oscillation (MJO) events in the equatorial Indian Ocean from October to December 2011. Prior work has indicated that the moist static energy anomalies in these events grew and were sustained to a significant extent by radiative feedbacks. We present here a study of radiative fluxes and clouds in a set of cloud-resolving simulations of these MJO events. The simulations are driven by the large scale forcing dataset derived from the DYNAMO northern sounding array observations, and carried out in a doubly-periodic domain using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. simulatedmore » cloud properties and radiative fluxes are compared to those derived from the S-Polka radar and satellite observations. Furthermore, to accommodate the uncertainty in simulated cloud microphysics, a number of single moment (1M) and double moment (2M) microphysical schemes in the WRF model are tested.« less

On analytic design of loudspeaker arrays with uniform radiation characteristics

PubMed

Aarts; Janssen

2000-01-01

Some notes on analytical derived loudspeaker arrays with uniform radiation characteristics are presented. The array coefficients are derived via analytical means and compared with so-called maximal flat sequences known from telecommunications and information theory. It appears that the newly derived array, i.e., the quadratic phase array, has a higher efficiency than the Bessel array and a flatter response than the Barker array. The method discussed admits generalization to the design of arrays with desired nonuniform radiating characteristics.

Analysis of sound absorption performance of an electroacoustic absorber using a vented enclosure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Youngeun; Wang, Semyung; Hyun, Jaeyub; Oh, Seungjae; Goo, Seongyeol

2018-03-01

The sound absorption performance of an electroacoustic absorber (EA) is primarily influenced by the dynamic characteristics of the loudspeaker that acts as the actuator of the EA system. Therefore, the sound absorption performance of the EA is maximum at the resonance frequency of the loudspeaker and tends to degrade in the low-frequency and high-frequency bands based on this resonance frequency. In this study, to adjust the sound absorption performance of the EA system in the low-frequency band of approximately 20-80 Hz, an EA system using a vented enclosure that has previously been used to enhance the radiating sound pressure of a loudspeaker in the low-frequency band, is proposed. To verify the usefulness of the proposed system, two acoustic environments are considered. In the first acoustic environment, the vent of the vented enclosure is connected to an external sound field that is distinct from the sound field coupled to the EA. In this case, the acoustic effect of the vented enclosure on the performance of the EA is analyzed through an analytical approach using dynamic equations and an impedance-based equivalent circuit. Then, it is verified through numerical and experimental approaches. Next, in the second acoustic environment, the vent is connected to the same external sound field as the EA. In this case, the effect of the vented enclosure on the EA is investigated through an analytical approach and finally verified through a numerical approach. As a result, it is confirmed that the characteristics of the sound absorption performances of the proposed EA system using the vented enclosure in the two acoustic environments considered in this study are different from each other in the low-frequency band of approximately 20-80 Hz. Furthermore, several case studies on the change tendency of the performance of the EA using the vented enclosure according to the critical design factors or vent number for the vented enclosure are also investigated. In the future

Effects of head geometry simplifications on acoustic radiation of vowel sounds based on time-domain finite-element simulations.

PubMed

Arnela, Marc; Guasch, Oriol; Alías, Francesc

2013-10-01

One of the key effects to model in voice production is that of acoustic radiation of sound waves emanating from the mouth. The use of three-dimensional numerical simulations allows to naturally account for it, as well as to consider all geometrical head details, by extending the computational domain out of the vocal tract. Despite this advantage, many approximations to the head geometry are often performed for simplicity and impedance load models are still used as well to reduce the computational cost. In this work, the impact of some of these simplifications on radiation effects is examined for vowel production in the frequency range 0-10 kHz, by means of comparison with radiation from a realistic head. As a result, recommendations are given on their validity depending on whether high frequency energy (above 5 kHz) should be taken into account or not.

Research on infrared radiation characteristics of Pyromark1200 high-temperature coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Xuyao; Huan, Kewei; Dong, Wei; Wang, Jinghui; Zang, Yanzhe; Shi, Xiaoguang

2014-11-01

Pyromark 1200 (Tempil Co, USA), which is a type of high-temperature high-emissivity coating, is silicon-based with good thermal radiation performance. Its stably working condition is at the temperature range 589~922 K thus a wide range of applications in industrial, scientific research, aviation, aerospace and other fields. Infrared emissivity is one of the most important factors in infrared radiation characteristics. Data on infrared spectral emissivity of Pyromark 1200 is in shortage, as well as the reports on its infrared radiation characteristics affected by its spray painting process, microstructure and thermal process. The results of this research show that: (1) The coating film critical thickness on the metal base is 10μm according to comparison among different types of spray painting process, coating film thickness, microstructure, which would influence the infrared radiation characteristics of Pyromark 1200 coating. The infrared spectral emissivity will attenuate when the coating film thickness is lower or much higher than that. (2) Through measurements, the normal infrared radiation characteristics is analyzed within the range at the temperature range 573~873 K under normal atmospheric conditions, and the total infrared spectral emissivity of Pyromark 1200 coating is higher than 0.93 in the 3~14 μm wavelength range. (3) The result of 72-hour aging test at the temperature 673 K which studied the effect of thermal processes on the infrared radiation characteristics of the coating shows that the infrared spectral emissivity variation range is approximately 0.01 indicating that Pyromark 1200 coating is with good stability. Compared with Nextel Velvet Coating (N-V-C) which is widely used in optics field, Pyromark 1200 high-temperature coating has a higher applicable temperature and is more suitable for spraying on the material surface which is in long-term operation under high temperature work conditions and requires high infrared spectral emissivity.

[The emotional characteristics of the sounding word].

PubMed

Videneeva, N M; Khludova, O O; Vartanov, A V

2000-01-01

The four-dimensional spherical emotional space has been obtained by multi-dimensional scaling of subjective differences between the emotional expressions in sound samples (the words "Yes" and "No" pronounced in different emotional conditions). Euclidean space axes are interpreted as the following neural mechanisms. The first two dimensions are related with the estimation of a sign of emotional condition: the dimension 1--pleasant/unpleasant, useful or not, the dimension 2--an extent of information certainty. The third and the fourth axes are associated with the incentive. The dimension 3 encodes active (anger) or passive (fear) defensive reaction, and the dimension 4 corresponds to achievement. Three angles of four-dimensional hypersphere: the one between the axes 1 and 2, the second between the axes 3 and 4, the third between these two planes determine subjectively experienced emotion characteristics such as described by Vundt emotion modality (pleasure-unpleaure), excitation-quietness-suppression, and tension-relaxation, respectively. Thus, the first and the second angles regulate the modality of ten basic emotions: five emotions determined by a situation and five emotions determined by personal activity. In case of another system of angular parameters (three angles between the axes 4 and 1, 3 and 2, and the angle between the respective planes), another system of emotion classification, which is usually described in the studies of facial expressions (Shlosberg's and Izmaĭlov's circular system) and semantics (Osgood) can be realized: emotion modality or sign (regulates 6 basic emotions), emotion activity or brightness (excitation-rest) and emotion saturation (strength of emotion expression).

Recognition of Isolated Non-Speech Sounds.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-05-31

stapler could be presented within a set of paper shuffling sounds and within a set of sounds characteristic of entering a room. The former context...should act in a top down manner to suggest a stapler event for the sound whereas the latter context will suggest that a light has been switched on. Such...Moulton Street Cambridge, MA 02238 " Department of the Army Or. William B. Rouse School of Industrial and Systems Director, Organizations and Systems

Sound Shell Model for Acoustic Gravitational Wave Production at a First-Order Phase Transition in the Early Universe.

PubMed

Hindmarsh, Mark

2018-02-16

A model for the acoustic production of gravitational waves at a first-order phase transition is presented. The source of gravitational radiation is the sound waves generated by the explosive growth of bubbles of the stable phase. The model assumes that the sound waves are linear and that their power spectrum is determined by the characteristic form of the sound shell around the expanding bubble. The predicted power spectrum has two length scales, the average bubble separation and the sound shell width when the bubbles collide. The peak of the power spectrum is at wave numbers set by the sound shell width. For a higher wave number k, the power spectrum decreases to k^{-3}. At wave numbers below the inverse bubble separation, the power spectrum goes to k^{5}. For bubble wall speeds near the speed of sound where these two length scales are distinguished, there is an intermediate k^{1} power law. The detailed dependence of the power spectrum on the wall speed and the other parameters of the phase transition raises the possibility of their constraint or measurement at a future space-based gravitational wave observatory such as LISA.

Sound Shell Model for Acoustic Gravitational Wave Production at a First-Order Phase Transition in the Early Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hindmarsh, Mark

2018-02-01

A model for the acoustic production of gravitational waves at a first-order phase transition is presented. The source of gravitational radiation is the sound waves generated by the explosive growth of bubbles of the stable phase. The model assumes that the sound waves are linear and that their power spectrum is determined by the characteristic form of the sound shell around the expanding bubble. The predicted power spectrum has two length scales, the average bubble separation and the sound shell width when the bubbles collide. The peak of the power spectrum is at wave numbers set by the sound shell width. For a higher wave number k , the power spectrum decreases to k-3. At wave numbers below the inverse bubble separation, the power spectrum goes to k5. For bubble wall speeds near the speed of sound where these two length scales are distinguished, there is an intermediate k1 power law. The detailed dependence of the power spectrum on the wall speed and the other parameters of the phase transition raises the possibility of their constraint or measurement at a future space-based gravitational wave observatory such as LISA.

The effects of ballast on the sound radiation from railway track

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xianying; Thompson, David; Jeong, Hongseok; Squicciarini, Giacomo

2017-07-01

In a conventional railway track, the rails are laid on sleepers, usually made of concrete, which are supported by a layer of coarse stones known as ballast. This paper focuses on quantifying the influence that the ballast has on the noise produced by the vibration of the track, particularly on the rail and sleeper radiation ratios. A one-fifth scale model of a railway track has been used to conduct acoustic and vibration measurements. This includes reduced-scale ballast that has been produced with stone sizes in the correct proportions. Two different scaling factors (1:√5 and 1:5) have been adopted for the stone sizes in an attempt to reproduce approximately the acoustic properties of full-scale ballast. It is shown that, although a scale factor of 1:√5 gives a better scaling of the acoustic properties, the stones scaled at 1:5 also give acceptable results. The flow resistivity and porosity of this ballast sample have been measured. These have been used in a local reaction model based on the Johnson-Allard formulation to predict the ballast absorption, showing good agreement with measurements of the absorption coefficient. The effects of the presence of the ballast on the noise radiation from a reduced-scale steel rail and concrete sleeper have been investigated experimentally with the ballast located on a rigid foundation. Comparisons are made with the corresponding numerical predictions obtained by using the boundary element method, in which the ballast is represented by a surface impedance. Additionally the finite element method has been used in which the porous medium is considered as an equivalent fluid. From these results it is shown that the extended reaction model gives better agreement with the measurements. Finally, the effects of the ballast vibration on the sleeper radiation have also been investigated for a case of three sleepers embedded in ballast. The ballast vibration is shown to increase the sound radiation by between 1 and 4.5 dB for

Smartphone-Based Real-time Assessment of Swallowing Ability From the Swallowing Sound.

PubMed

Jayatilake, Dushyantha; Ueno, Tomoyuki; Teramoto, Yohei; Nakai, Kei; Hidaka, Kikue; Ayuzawa, Satoshi; Eguchi, Kiyoshi; Matsumura, Akira; Suzuki, Kenji

2015-01-01

Dysphagia can cause serious challenges to both physical and mental health. Aspiration due to dysphagia is a major health risk that could cause pneumonia and even death. The videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS), which is considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of dysphagia, is not widely available, expensive and causes exposure to radiation. The screening tests used for dysphagia need to be carried out by trained staff, and the evaluations are usually non-quantifiable. This paper investigates the development of the Swallowscope, a smartphone-based device and a feasible real-time swallowing sound-processing algorithm for the automatic screening, quantitative evaluation, and the visualisation of swallowing ability. The device can be used during activities of daily life with minimal intervention, making it potentially more capable of capturing aspirations and risky swallow patterns through the continuous monitoring. It also consists of a cloud-based system for the server-side analyzing and automatic sharing of the swallowing sound. The real-time algorithm we developed for the detection of dry and water swallows is based on a template matching approach. We analyzed the wavelet transformation-based spectral characteristics and the temporal characteristics of simultaneous synchronised VFSS and swallowing sound recordings of 25% barium mixed 3-ml water swallows of 70 subjects and the dry or saliva swallowing sound of 15 healthy subjects to establish the parameters of the template. With this algorithm, we achieved an overall detection accuracy of 79.3% (standard error: 4.2%) for the 92 water swallows; and a precision of 83.7% (range: 66.6%-100%) and a recall of 93.9% (range: 72.7%-100%) for the 71 episodes of dry swallows.

Smartphone-Based Real-time Assessment of Swallowing Ability From the Swallowing Sound

PubMed Central

Ueno, Tomoyuki; Teramoto, Yohei; Nakai, Kei; Hidaka, Kikue; Ayuzawa, Satoshi; Eguchi, Kiyoshi; Matsumura, Akira; Suzuki, Kenji

2015-01-01

Dysphagia can cause serious challenges to both physical and mental health. Aspiration due to dysphagia is a major health risk that could cause pneumonia and even death. The videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS), which is considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of dysphagia, is not widely available, expensive and causes exposure to radiation. The screening tests used for dysphagia need to be carried out by trained staff, and the evaluations are usually non-quantifiable. This paper investigates the development of the Swallowscope, a smartphone-based device and a feasible real-time swallowing sound-processing algorithm for the automatic screening, quantitative evaluation, and the visualisation of swallowing ability. The device can be used during activities of daily life with minimal intervention, making it potentially more capable of capturing aspirations and risky swallow patterns through the continuous monitoring. It also consists of a cloud-based system for the server-side analyzing and automatic sharing of the swallowing sound. The real-time algorithm we developed for the detection of dry and water swallows is based on a template matching approach. We analyzed the wavelet transformation-based spectral characteristics and the temporal characteristics of simultaneous synchronised VFSS and swallowing sound recordings of 25% barium mixed 3-ml water swallows of 70 subjects and the dry or saliva swallowing sound of 15 healthy subjects to establish the parameters of the template. With this algorithm, we achieved an overall detection accuracy of 79.3% (standard error: 4.2%) for the 92 water swallows; and a precision of 83.7% (range: 66.6%–100%) and a recall of 93.9% (range: 72.7%–100%) for the 71 episodes of dry swallows. PMID:27170905

Linear models for sound from supersonic reacting mixing layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chary, P. Shivakanth; Samanta, Arnab

2016-12-01

We perform a linearized reduced-order modeling of the aeroacoustic sound sources in supersonic reacting mixing layers to explore their sensitivities to some of the flow parameters in radiating sound. Specifically, we investigate the role of outer modes as the effective flow compressibility is raised, when some of these are expected to dominate over the traditional Kelvin-Helmholtz (K-H) -type central mode. Although the outer modes are known to be of lesser importance in the near-field mixing, how these radiate to the far-field is uncertain, on which we focus. On keeping the flow compressibility fixed, the outer modes are realized via biasing the respective mean densities of the fast (oxidizer) or slow (fuel) side. Here the mean flows are laminar solutions of two-dimensional compressible boundary layers with an imposed composite (turbulent) spreading rate, which we show to significantly alter the growth of instability waves by saturating them earlier, similar to in nonlinear calculations, achieved here via solving the linear parabolized stability equations. As the flow parameters are varied, instability of the slow modes is shown to be more sensitive to heat release, potentially exceeding equivalent central modes, as these modes yield relatively compact sound sources with lesser spreading of the mixing layer, when compared to the corresponding fast modes. In contrast, the radiated sound seems to be relatively unaffected when the mixture equivalence ratio is varied, except for a lean mixture which is shown to yield a pronounced effect on the slow mode radiation by reducing its modal growth.

Simulations of Cloud-Radiation Interaction Using Large-Scale Forcing Derived from the CINDY/DYNAMO Northern Sounding Array

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Shuguang; Sobel, Adam H.; Fridlind, Ann; Feng, Zhe; Comstock, Jennifer M.; Minnis, Patrick; Nordeen, Michele L.

2015-01-01

The recently completed CINDY/DYNAMO field campaign observed two Madden-Julian oscillation (MJO) events in the equatorial Indian Ocean from October to December 2011. Prior work has indicated that the moist static energy anomalies in these events grew and were sustained to a significant extent by radiative feedbacks. We present here a study of radiative fluxes and clouds in a set of cloud-resolving simulations of these MJO events. The simulations are driven by the large-scale forcing data set derived from the DYNAMO northern sounding array observations, and carried out in a doubly periodic domain using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Simulated cloud properties and radiative fluxes are compared to those derived from the S-PolKa radar and satellite observations. To accommodate the uncertainty in simulated cloud microphysics, a number of single-moment (1M) and double-moment (2M) microphysical schemes in the WRF model are tested. The 1M schemes tend to underestimate radiative flux anomalies in the active phases of the MJO events, while the 2M schemes perform better, but can overestimate radiative flux anomalies. All the tested microphysics schemes exhibit biases in the shapes of the histograms of radiative fluxes and radar reflectivity. Histograms of radiative fluxes and brightness temperature indicate that radiative biases are not evenly distributed; the most significant bias occurs in rainy areas with OLR less than 150 W/ cu sq in the 2M schemes. Analysis of simulated radar reflectivities indicates that this radiative flux uncertainty is closely related to the simulated stratiform cloud coverage. Single-moment schemes underestimate stratiform cloudiness by a factor of 2, whereas 2M schemes simulate much more stratiform cloud.

AVE-Sesame 3: 25-MB sounding data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, S. T.; Gerhard, M. L.; Gilchrist, L. P.; Turner, R. E.

1980-01-01

The rawinsonde sounding program for the AVE-SESAME 3 experiment is described and tabulated data at 25-mb intervals from the surface to 25 mb for the 23 National Weather Service and 19 special stations participating in the experiment are presented. Soundings were taken at 3 hr intervals beginning at 1200 GMT on April 25, 1979, and ending at 1200 GMT on April 26, 1979 (nine sounding times). The method of processing is discussed briefly, estimates of the rms errors in the data presented, an example of contact data given, reasons given for the termination of soundings below 100 mb, and soundings listed which exhibit abnormal characteristics.

AVE-SESAME IV: 25 mb sounding data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sienkiewicz, M. E.; Gilchrist, L. P.; Turner, R. E.

1980-01-01

The rawinsonde sounding program for the AVE-SESAME 4 experiment is descirbed and tabulated data at 25 mb for the 23 National Weather Service and 20 special stations participating in the experiment are presented. Soundings were taken at 3 hr intervals beginning at 1200 GMT on May 9, 1979, and ending at 1200 GMT on May 10, 1979 (nine sounding times). The method of processing is discussed, estimates of the rms errors in the data are presented, and an example of contact data is given. Reasons are given for the termination of soundings below 100 mb, and soundings are listed which exhibit abnormal characteristics.

Frequency characteristics of vibration generated by dual acoustic radiation force for estimating viscoelastic properties of biological tissues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Ryoichi; Arakawa, Mototaka; Kanai, Hiroshi

2018-07-01

We proposed a new method for estimating the viscoelastic property of the local region of a sample. The viscoelastic parameters of the phantoms simulating the biological tissues were quantitatively estimated by analyzing the frequency characteristics of displacement generated by acoustic excitation. The samples were locally strained by irradiating them with the ultrasound simultaneously generated from two point-focusing transducers by applying the sum of two signals with slightly different frequencies of approximately 1 MHz. The surface of a phantom was excited in the frequency range of 20–2,000 Hz, and its displacement was measured. The frequency dependence of the acceleration provided by the acoustic radiation force was also measured. From these results, we determined the frequency characteristics of the transfer function from the stress to the strain and estimated the ratio of the elastic modulus to the viscosity modulus (K/η) by fitting the data to the Maxwell model. Moreover, the elastic modulus K was separately estimated from the measured sound velocity and density of the phantom, and the viscosity modulus η was evaluated by substituting the estimated elastic modulus into the obtained K/η ratio.

A study of sound generation in subsonic rotors, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chalupnik, J. D.; Clark, L. T.

1975-01-01

A model for the prediction of wake related sound generation by a single airfoil is presented. It is assumed that the net force fluctuation on an airfoil may be expressed in terms of the net momentum fluctuation in the near wake of the airfoil. The forcing function for sound generation depends on the spectra of the two point velocity correlations in the turbulent region near the airfoil trailing edge. The spectra of the two point velocity correlations were measured for the longitudinal and transverse components of turbulence in the wake of a 91.4 cm chord airfoil. A scaling procedure was developed using the turbulent boundary layer thickness. The model was then used to predict the radiated sound from a 5.1 cm chord airfoil. Agreement between the predicted and measured sound radiation spectra was good. The single airfoil results were extended to a rotor geometry, and various aerodynamic parameters were studied.

Active control of spectral detail radiated by an air-loaded impacted membrane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rollow, J. Douglas, IV

An active control system is developed to independently operate on the vibration of individual modes of an air-loaded drum head, resulting in changes in the acoustic field radiated from the structure. The timbre of the system is investigated, and techniques for changing the characteristic frequencies by means of the control system are proposed. A feedforward control system is constructed for empirical investigation of this approach, creating a musical instrument which can produce a variety of sounds not available with strictly mechanical systems. The work is motivated by applications for actively controlled structures, active control of sound quality, and musical acoustics. The instrument consists of a Mylar timpano head stretched over an enclosure which has been outfitted with electroacoustic drivers. Sensors are arranged on the surface of the drum head and combined to measure modal vibration, and the array of drivers allows independent control of these modes. A signal processor is used to form modal control filters which can modify the loading of each mode, changing the time-dependent and spectral characteristics, and therefore the timbre, of the radiated sound. A theoretical formulation of active control of structural vibration by means of fluid-coupled actuators is expressed, and computational solutions show the effects of fluid loading and the radiated field. Experimental results with the new instrument are shown, with implementations of the control system providing a demonstrated degree of control, and illustrating several limitations of such systems.

Compound simulator IR radiation characteristics test and calibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yanhong; Zhang, Li; Li, Fan; Tian, Yi; Yang, Yang; Li, Zhuo; Shi, Rui

2015-10-01

The Hardware-in-the-loop simulation can establish the target/interference physical radiation and interception of product flight process in the testing room. In particular, the simulation of environment is more difficult for high radiation energy and complicated interference model. Here the development in IR scene generation produced by a fiber array imaging transducer with circumferential lamp spot sources is introduced. The IR simulation capability includes effective simulation of aircraft signatures and point-source IR countermeasures. Two point-sources as interference can move in two-dimension random directions. For simulation the process of interference release, the radiation and motion characteristic is tested. Through the zero calibration for optical axis of simulator, the radiation can be well projected to the product detector. The test and calibration results show the new type compound simulator can be used in the hardware-in-the-loop simulation trial.

Investigation on the effect of MR elastomer based adaptive vibration absorbers on the radiated sound from circular elastic plates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hemmatian, M.; Sedaghati, R.

2016-04-01

This study aims to investigate the effect of using magnetorheological elastomer (MRE)-based adaptive tuned vibration absorbers (ATVA) on the sound transmission in an elastic plate. Sound transmission loss (STL) of an elastic circular thin plate is analytically studied. The plate is excited by a plane acoustic wave as an incident sound and the displacement of the plate is calculated using corresponding mode shapes of the system for clamped boundary condition. Rayleigh integral approach is used to express the transmitted sound pressure in terms of the plate's displacement modal amplitude. In order to increase sound transmission loss of the plate, the MRE-based ATVA is considered. The basic idea is to be able to change the stiffness of the ATVA by varying magnetic field in order to reduce the transmitted acoustic energy of the host structure in a wide frequency range. Here, a MRE-based ATVA under the shear mode consisting of an oscillator mass, magnetic conductor, coils and MRE is investigated. In order to predict the viscoelastic characteristics of the field-dependent MRE based on the applied magnetic field, the double pole model is used. Finally, MRE-based ATVAs are integrated with the plate to absorb the plate energy with the aim of decreasing the transmitted sound power. Results show that plate with integrated MRE-based ATVAs suppresses the axisymmetric vibration of the plate and thus considerably improves the STL. Parametric studies on the influence of the position of MRE-based ATVAs and the effects of applied current on their performance are also presented.

Experimental study using Nearfield Acoustical Holography of sound transmission fuselage sidewall structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maynard, J. D.

1983-01-01

This project involves the development of the Nearfield Acoustic Holography (NAH) technique (in particular its extension from single frequency to wideband noise measurement) and its application in a detailed study of the noise radiation characteristics of several samples of aircraft sidewall panels. With the extensive amount of information provided by the NAH technique, the properties of the sound field radiated by the panels may be correlated with their structure, mounting, and excitation (single frequency or wideband, spatially correlated or uncorrelated, structure-borne). The work accomplished at the beginning of this grant period included: (1) Calibration of the 256 microphone array and test of its accuracy. (2) extension of the facility to permit measurements on wideband noise sources. The extensions incuded the addition of high-speed data acquisition hardware and an array processor, and the development of new software. (3) Installation of motion picture graphics for correlating panel motion with structure, mounting, radiation, etc. (4) Development of new holographic data processing techniques.

Sound specificity effects in spoken word recognition: The effect of integrality between words and sounds.

PubMed

Strori, Dorina; Zaar, Johannes; Cooke, Martin; Mattys, Sven L

2018-01-01

Recent evidence has shown that nonlinguistic sounds co-occurring with spoken words may be retained in memory and affect later retrieval of the words. This sound-specificity effect shares many characteristics with the classic voice-specificity effect. In this study, we argue that the sound-specificity effect is conditional upon the context in which the word and sound coexist. Specifically, we argue that, besides co-occurrence, integrality between words and sounds is a crucial factor in the emergence of the effect. In two recognition-memory experiments, we compared the emergence of voice and sound specificity effects. In Experiment 1 , we examined two conditions where integrality is high. Namely, the classic voice-specificity effect (Exp. 1a) was compared with a condition in which the intensity envelope of a background sound was modulated along the intensity envelope of the accompanying spoken word (Exp. 1b). Results revealed a robust voice-specificity effect and, critically, a comparable sound-specificity effect: A change in the paired sound from exposure to test led to a decrease in word-recognition performance. In the second experiment, we sought to disentangle the contribution of integrality from a mere co-occurrence context effect by removing the intensity modulation. The absence of integrality led to the disappearance of the sound-specificity effect. Taken together, the results suggest that the assimilation of background sounds into memory cannot be reduced to a simple context effect. Rather, it is conditioned by the extent to which words and sounds are perceived as integral as opposed to distinct auditory objects.

Sound Generation by Aircraft Wake Vortices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hardin, Jay C.; Wang, Frank Y.

2003-01-01

This report provides an extensive analysis of potential wake vortex noise sources that might be utilized to aid in their tracking. Several possible mechanisms of aircraft vortex sound generation are examined on the basis of discrete vortex dynamic models and characteristic acoustic signatures calculated by application of vortex sound theory. It is shown that the most robust mechanisms result in very low frequency infrasound. An instability of the vortex core structure is discussed and shown to be a possible mechanism for generating higher frequency sound bordering the audible frequency range. However, the frequencies produced are still low and cannot explain the reasonably high-pitched sound that has occasionally been observed experimentally. Since the robust mechanisms appear to generate only very low frequency sound, infrasonic tracking of the vortices may be warranted.

Hydrologic and salinity characteristics of Currituck Sound and selected tributaries in North Carolina and Virginia, 1998–99

USGS Publications Warehouse

Caldwell, William Scott

2001-01-01

Data collected at three sites in Currituck Sound and three tributary sites between March 1, 1998, and February 28, 1999, were used to describe hydrologic and salinity characteristics of Currituck Sound. Water levels and salinity were measured at West Neck Creek at Pungo and at Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal near Princess Anne in Virginia, and at Coinjock, Bell Island, Poplar Branch, and Point Harbor in North Carolina. Flow velocity also was measured at the West Neck Creek and Coinjock sites.The maximum water-level range during the study period was observed near the lower midpoint of Currituck Sound at Poplar Branch. Generally, water levels at all sites were highest during March and April, and lowest during November and December. Winds from the south typically produced higher water levels in Currituck Sound, whereas winds from the north typically produced lower water levels. Although wind over Currituck Sound is associated with fluctuations in water level within the sound, other mechanisms, such as the effects of wind on Albemarle Sound and on other water bodies south of Currituck Sound, likely affect low-frequency water-level variations in Currituck Sound.Flow in West Neck Creek ranged from 313 cubic feet per second to the south to -227 cubic feet per second to the north (negative indicates flow to the north). Flow at the Coinjock site ranged from 15,300 cubic feet per second to the south to -11,700 cubic feet per second to the north. Flow was to the south 68 percent of the time at the West Neck Creek site and 44 percent of the time at the Coinjock site. Daily flow volumes were calculated as the sum of the instantaneous flow volumes. The West Neck Creek site had a cumulative flow volume to the south of 7.69 x 108 cubic feet for the period March 1, 1998, to February 28, 1999; the Coinjock site had a cumulative flow volume to the north of -1.33 x 1010 cubic feet for the same study period.Wind direction and speed influence flow at the West Neck Creek and Coinjock

Parametric study of flame radiation characteristics of a tubular-can combustor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Humenik, F. M.; Claus, R. W.; Neely, G. M.

1983-01-01

A series of combustor tests were conducted with a tubular-can combustor to study flame radiation characteristics and effects with parametric variations in combustor operating conditions. Two alternate combustor assemblies using a different fuel nozzle were compared. Spectral and total radiation detectors were positioned at three stations along the length of the combustor can. Data were obtained for a range of pressures from 0.34 to 2.07 MPa (50 to 300 psia), inlet temperatures from 533 to 700K (500 to 800 F), for Jet A (13.9 deg hydrogen) and ERBS (12.9% hydrogen) fuels, and with fuel-air ratios nominally from 0.008 to 0.021. Spectral radiation data, total radiant heat flux data, and liner temperature data are presented to illustrate the flame radiation characteristics and effects in the primary, secondary, and tertiary combustion zones.

A general introduction to aeroacoustics and atmospheric sound

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lighthill, James

1992-01-01

A single unifying principle (based upon the nonlinear 'momentum-flux' effects produced when different components of a motion transport different components of its momentum) is used to give a broad scientific background to several aspects of the interaction between airflows and atmospheric sound. First, it treats the generation of sound by airflows of many different types. These include, for example, jet-like flows involving convected turbulent motions (with the resulting aeroacoustic radiation sensitively dependent on the Mach number of convection) and they include, as an extreme case, the supersonic 'boom' (shock waves generated by a supersonically convected flow pattern). Next, an analysis is given of sound propagation through nonuniformly moving airflows, and the exchange is quantified of energy between flow and sound; while, finally, problems are examined of how sound waves 'on their own' may generate the airflows known as acoustic streaming.

Characteristics of Dry Chin-Tuck Swallowing Vibrations and Sounds

PubMed Central

Dudik, Joshua M; Jestrović, Iva; Luan, Bo; Coyle, James L.; Sejdić, Ervin

2015-01-01

Objective The effects of the chin-tuck maneuver, a technique commonly employed to compensate for dysphagia, on cervical auscultation are not fully understood. Characterizing a technique that is known to affect swallowing function is an important step on the way to developing a new instrumentation-based swallowing screening tool. Methods In this study, we recorded data from 55 adult participants who each completed five saliva swallows in a chin-tuck position. The resulting data was processed using previously designed filtering and segmentation algorithms. We then calculated 9 time, frequency, and time-frequency domain features for each independent signal. Results We found that multiple frequency and time domain features varied significantly between male and female subjects as well as between swallowing sounds and vibrations. However, our analysis showed that participant age did not play a significant role on the values of the extracted features. Finally, we found that various frequency features corresponding to swallowing vibrations did demonstrate statistically significant variation between the neutral and chin-tuck positions but sounds showed no changes between these two positions. Conclusion The chin-tuck maneuver affects many facets of swallowing vibrations and sounds and its effects can be monitored via cervical auscultation. Significance These results suggest that a subject’s swallowing technique does need to be accounted for when monitoring their performance with cervical auscultation based instrumentation. PMID:25974926

Sound field separation with sound pressure and particle velocity measurements.

PubMed

Fernandez-Grande, Efren; Jacobsen, Finn; Leclère, Quentin

2012-12-01

In conventional near-field acoustic holography (NAH) it is not possible to distinguish between sound from the two sides of the array, thus, it is a requirement that all the sources are confined to only one side and radiate into a free field. When this requirement cannot be fulfilled, sound field separation techniques make it possible to distinguish between outgoing and incoming waves from the two sides, and thus NAH can be applied. In this paper, a separation method based on the measurement of the particle velocity in two layers and another method based on the measurement of the pressure and the velocity in a single layer are proposed. The two methods use an equivalent source formulation with separate transfer matrices for the outgoing and incoming waves, so that the sound from the two sides of the array can be modeled independently. A weighting scheme is proposed to account for the distance between the equivalent sources and measurement surfaces and for the difference in magnitude between pressure and velocity. Experimental and numerical studies have been conducted to examine the methods. The double layer velocity method seems to be more robust to noise and flanking sound than the combined pressure-velocity method, although it requires an additional measurement surface. On the whole, the separation methods can be useful when the disturbance of the incoming field is significant. Otherwise the direct reconstruction is more accurate and straightforward.

Modeling the characteristics of wheel/rail rolling noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lui, Wai Keung; Li, Kai Ming; Frommer, Glenn H.

2005-04-01

To study the sound radiation characteristics of a passing train, four sets of noise measurements for different train operational conditions have been conducted at three different sites, including ballast tracks at grade and railway on a concrete viaduct. The time histories computed by the horizontal radiation models were compared with the measured noise profiles. The measured sound exposure levels are used to deduce the vertical directivity pattern for different railway systems. It is found that the vertical directivity of different railway systems shows a rather similar pattern. The vertical directivity of train noise is shown to increase up to about 30× before reducing to a minimum at 90×. A multipole expansion model is proposed to account for the vertical radiation directivity of the train noise. An empirical formula, which has been derived, compares well with the experimental data. The empirical model is found to be applicable to different train/rail systems at train speeds ranging up to 120 km/h in this study. [Work supported by MTR Corporation Ltd., Innovation Technology Commission of the HKSAR Government and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Foam-PVDF smart skin for active control of sound

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuller, Chris R.; Guigou, Cathy; Gentry, C. A.

1996-05-01

This work is concerned with the development and testing of a foam-PVDF smart skin designed for active noise control. The smart skin is designed to reduce sound by the action of the passive absorption of the foam (which is effective at higher frequencies) and the active input of an embedded PVDF element driven by an oscillating electrical input (which is effective at lower frequencies). It is primarily developed to be used in an aircraft fuselage in order to reduce interior noise associated with turbulent boundary layer excitation. The device consists of cylindrically curved sections of PVDF piezoelectric film embedded in partially reticulated polyurethane acoustic foam. The active PVDF layer was configured to behave in a linear sense as well as to couple the predominantly in-plane strain due to the piezoelectric effect and the vertical motion that is needed to accelerate fluid particles and hence radiate sound away from the foam surface. For performance testing, the foam-PVDF element was mounted near the surface of an oscillating rigid piston mounted in a baffle in an anechoic chamber. A far-field and a near-field microphone were considered as an error sensor and compared in terms of their efficiency to control the far-field sound radiation. A feedforward LMS controller was used to minimize the error sensor signal under broadband excitation (0 - 1.6 kHz). The potential of the smart foam-PVDF skin for globally reducing sound radiation is demonstrated as more than 20 dB attenuation is obtained over the studied frequency band. The device thus has the potential of simultaneously controlling low and high frequency sound in a very thin compact arrangement.

Aerodynamics of Sounding-Rocket Geometries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barrowman, J.

1982-01-01

Theoretical aerodynamics program TAD predicts aerodynamic characteristics of vehicles with sounding-rocket configurations. These slender, Axisymmetric finned vehicles have a wide range of aeronautical applications from rockets to high-speed armament. TAD calculates characteristics of separate portions of vehicle, calculates interference between portions, and combines results to form total vehicle solution.

Oyster Larvae Settle in Response to Habitat-Associated Underwater Sounds

PubMed Central

Lillis, Ashlee; Eggleston, David B.; Bohnenstiehl, DelWayne R.

2013-01-01

Following a planktonic dispersal period of days to months, the larvae of benthic marine organisms must locate suitable seafloor habitat in which to settle and metamorphose. For animals that are sessile or sedentary as adults, settlement onto substrates that are adequate for survival and reproduction is particularly critical, yet represents a challenge since patchily distributed settlement sites may be difficult to find along a coast or within an estuary. Recent studies have demonstrated that the underwater soundscape, the distinct sounds that emanate from habitats and contain information about their biological and physical characteristics, may serve as broad-scale environmental cue for marine larvae to find satisfactory settlement sites. Here, we contrast the acoustic characteristics of oyster reef and off-reef soft bottoms, and investigate the effect of habitat-associated estuarine sound on the settlement patterns of an economically and ecologically important reef-building bivalve, the Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica). Subtidal oyster reefs in coastal North Carolina, USA show distinct acoustic signatures compared to adjacent off-reef soft bottom habitats, characterized by consistently higher levels of sound in the 1.5–20 kHz range. Manipulative laboratory playback experiments found increased settlement in larval oyster cultures exposed to oyster reef sound compared to unstructured soft bottom sound or no sound treatments. In field experiments, ambient reef sound produced higher levels of oyster settlement in larval cultures than did off-reef sound treatments. The results suggest that oyster larvae have the ability to respond to sounds indicative of optimal settlement sites, and this is the first evidence that habitat-related differences in estuarine sounds influence the settlement of a mollusk. Habitat-specific sound characteristics may represent an important settlement and habitat selection cue for estuarine invertebrates and could play a role in driving

Oyster larvae settle in response to habitat-associated underwater sounds.

PubMed

Lillis, Ashlee; Eggleston, David B; Bohnenstiehl, DelWayne R

2013-01-01

Following a planktonic dispersal period of days to months, the larvae of benthic marine organisms must locate suitable seafloor habitat in which to settle and metamorphose. For animals that are sessile or sedentary as adults, settlement onto substrates that are adequate for survival and reproduction is particularly critical, yet represents a challenge since patchily distributed settlement sites may be difficult to find along a coast or within an estuary. Recent studies have demonstrated that the underwater soundscape, the distinct sounds that emanate from habitats and contain information about their biological and physical characteristics, may serve as broad-scale environmental cue for marine larvae to find satisfactory settlement sites. Here, we contrast the acoustic characteristics of oyster reef and off-reef soft bottoms, and investigate the effect of habitat-associated estuarine sound on the settlement patterns of an economically and ecologically important reef-building bivalve, the Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica). Subtidal oyster reefs in coastal North Carolina, USA show distinct acoustic signatures compared to adjacent off-reef soft bottom habitats, characterized by consistently higher levels of sound in the 1.5-20 kHz range. Manipulative laboratory playback experiments found increased settlement in larval oyster cultures exposed to oyster reef sound compared to unstructured soft bottom sound or no sound treatments. In field experiments, ambient reef sound produced higher levels of oyster settlement in larval cultures than did off-reef sound treatments. The results suggest that oyster larvae have the ability to respond to sounds indicative of optimal settlement sites, and this is the first evidence that habitat-related differences in estuarine sounds influence the settlement of a mollusk. Habitat-specific sound characteristics may represent an important settlement and habitat selection cue for estuarine invertebrates and could play a role in driving

The effect of wing flexibility on sound generation of flapping wings.

PubMed

Geng, Biao; Xue, Qian; Zheng, Xudong; Liu, Geng; Ren, Yan; Dong, Haibo

2017-12-13

In this study, the unsteady flow and acoustic characteristics of a three-dimensional (3D) flapping wing model of a Tibicen linnei cicada in forward-flight are numerically investigated. A single cicada wing is modelled as a membrane with a prescribed motion reconstructed from high-speed videos of a live insect. The numerical solution takes a hydrodynamic/acoustic splitting approach: the flow field is solved with an incompressible Navier-Stokes flow solver based on an immersed boundary method, and the acoustic field is solved with linearized perturbed compressible equations. The 3D simulation allows for the examination of both the directivity and frequency compositions of the flapping wing sound in a full space. Along with the flexible wing model, a rigid wing model that is extracted from real motion is also simulated to investigate the effects of wing flexibility. The simulation results show that the flapping sound is directional; the dominant frequency varies around the wing. The first and second frequency harmonics show different radiation patterns in the rigid and flexible wing cases, which are demonstrated to be highly associated with wing kinematics and loadings. Furthermore, the rotation and deformation in the flexible wing is found to help lower the sound strength in all directions.

Musical Sound, Instruments, and Equipment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Photinos, Panos

2017-12-01

'Musical Sound, Instruments, and Equipment' offers a basic understanding of sound, musical instruments and music equipment, geared towards a general audience and non-science majors. The book begins with an introduction of the fundamental properties of sound waves, and the perception of the characteristics of sound. The relation between intensity and loudness, and the relation between frequency and pitch are discussed. The basics of propagation of sound waves, and the interaction of sound waves with objects and structures of various sizes are introduced. Standing waves, harmonics and resonance are explained in simple terms, using graphics that provide a visual understanding. The development is focused on musical instruments and acoustics. The construction of musical scales and the frequency relations are reviewed and applied in the description of musical instruments. The frequency spectrum of selected instruments is explored using freely available sound analysis software. Sound amplification and sound recording, including analog and digital approaches, are discussed in two separate chapters. The book concludes with a chapter on acoustics, the physical factors that affect the quality of the music experience, and practical ways to improve the acoustics at home or small recording studios. A brief technical section is provided at the end of each chapter, where the interested reader can find the relevant physics and sample calculations. These quantitative sections can be skipped without affecting the comprehension of the basic material. Questions are provided to test the reader's understanding of the material. Answers are given in the appendix.

Dependence of sound characteristics on the bowing position in a violin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roh, YuJi; Kim, Young H.

2014-12-01

A quantitative analysis of violin sounds produced for different bowing positions over the full length of a violin string has been carried out. An automated bowing machine was employed in order to keep the bowing parameters constant. A 3-dimensional profile of the frequency spectrum was introduced in order to characterize the violin's sound. We found that the fundamental frequency did not change for different bowing positions, whereas the frequencies of the higher harmonics were different. Bowing the string at 30 mm from the bridge produced musical sounds. The middle of the string was confirmed to be a dead zone, as reported in previous works. In addition, the quarter position was also found to be a dead zone. Bowing the string 90 mm from the bridge dominantly produces a fundamental frequency of 864 Hz and its harmonics.

Experimental investigation of the radiation of sound from an unflanged duct and a bellmouth, including the flow effect

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ville, J. M.; Silcox, R. J.

1980-01-01

The radiation of sound from an inlet as a function of flow velocity, frequency, duct mode structure, and inlet geometry was examined by using a spinning mode synthesizer to insure a given space-time structure inside the duct. Measurements of the radiation pattern (amplitude and phase) and of the pressure reflection coefficient were obtained over an azimuthal wave number range of 0 to 6 and a frequency range up to 5000 Hz for an unflanged duct and a bellmouth. The measured radiated field and pressure reflection coefficient without flow for the unflanged duct agree reasonably well with theory. The influence of the inlet contour appears to be very drastic near the cut-on frequency of a mode and reasonable agreement is found between the bellmouth pressure reflection coefficient and a infinite hyperboloidal inlet theory. It is also shown that the flow has a weak effect on the amplitude of the directivity factor but significantly shifts the directivity factor phase. The influence of the flow on the modulus of the pressure reflection coefficient is found to be well described by a theoretical prediction.

Methods of sound simulation and applications in flight simulators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaertner, K. P.

1980-01-01

An overview of methods for electronically synthesizing sounds is presented. A given amount of hardware and computer capacity places an upper limit on the degree and fidelity of realism of sound simulation which is attainable. Good sound realism for aircraft simulators can be especially expensive because of the complexity of flight sounds and their changing patterns through time. Nevertheless, the flight simulator developed at the Research Institute for Human Engineering, West Germany, shows that it is possible to design an inexpensive sound simulator with the required acoustic properties using analog computer elements. The characteristics of the sub-sound elements produced by this sound simulator for take-off, cruise and approach are discussed.

Effect of real-world sounds on protein crystallization.

PubMed

Zhang, Chen-Yan; Liu, Yue; Tian, Xu-Hua; Liu, Wen-Jing; Li, Xiao-Yu; Yang, Li-Xue; Jiang, Han-Jun; Han, Chong; Chen, Ke-An; Yin, Da-Chuan

2018-06-01

Protein crystallization is sensitive to the environment, while audible sound, as a physical and environmental factor during the entire process, is always ignored. We have previously reported that protein crystallization can be affected by a computer-generated monotonous sound with fixed frequency and amplitude. However, real-world sounds are not so simple but are complicated by parameters (frequency, amplitude, timbre, etc.) that vary over time. In this work, from three sound categories (music, speech, and environmental sound), we selected 26 different sounds and evaluated their effects on protein crystallization. The correlation between the sound parameters and the crystallization success rate was studied mathematically. The results showed that the real-world sounds, similar to the artificial monotonous sounds, could not only affect protein crystallization, but also improve crystal quality. Crystallization was dependent not only on the frequency, amplitude, volume, irradiation time, and overall energy of the sounds but also on their spectral characteristics. Based on these results, we suggest that intentionally applying environmental sound may be a simple and useful tool to promote protein crystallization. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Modeling and analysis of secondary sources coupling for active sound field reduction in confined spaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montazeri, Allahyar; Taylor, C. James

2017-10-01

This article addresses the coupling of acoustic secondary sources in a confined space in a sound field reduction framework. By considering the coupling of sources in a rectangular enclosure, the set of coupled equations governing its acoustical behavior are solved. The model obtained in this way is used to analyze the behavior of multi-input multi-output (MIMO) active sound field control (ASC) systems, where the coupling of sources cannot be neglected. In particular, the article develops the analytical results to analyze the effect of coupling of an array of secondary sources on the sound pressure levels inside an enclosure, when an array of microphones is used to capture the acoustic characteristics of the enclosure. The results are supported by extensive numerical simulations showing how coupling of loudspeakers through acoustic modes of the enclosure will change the strength and hence the driving voltage signal applied to the secondary loudspeakers. The practical significance of this model is to provide a better insight on the performance of the sound reproduction/reduction systems in confined spaces when an array of loudspeakers and microphones are placed in a fraction of wavelength of the excitation signal to reduce/reproduce the sound field. This is of particular importance because the interaction of different sources affects their radiation impedance depending on the electromechanical properties of the loudspeakers.

Hardwall acoustical characteristics and measurement capabilities of the NASA Lewis 9 x 15 foot low speed wind tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rentz, P. E.

1976-01-01

Experimental evaluations of the acoustical characteristics and source sound power and directionality measurement capabilities of the NASA Lewis 9 x 15 foot low speed wind tunnel in the untreated or hardwall configuration were performed. The results indicate that source sound power estimates can be made using only settling chamber sound pressure measurements. The accuracy of these estimates, expressed as one standard deviation, can be improved from + or - 4 db to + or - 1 db if sound pressure measurements in the preparation room and diffuser are also used and source directivity information is utilized. A simple procedure is presented. Acceptably accurate measurements of source direct field acoustic radiation were found to be limited by the test section reverberant characteristics to 3.0 feet for omni-directional and highly directional sources. Wind-on noise measurements in the test section, settling chamber and preparation room were found to depend on the sixth power of tunnel velocity. The levels were compared with various analytic models. Results are presented and discussed.

The Sounds of Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurnett, Donald

2009-11-01

The popular concept of space is that it is a vacuum, with nothing of interest between the stars, planets, moons and other astronomical objects. In fact most of space is permeated by plasma, sometimes quite dense, as in the solar corona and planetary ionospheres, and sometimes quite tenuous, as is in planetary radiation belts. Even less well known is that these space plasmas support and produce an astonishing large variety of waves, the ``sounds of space.'' In this talk I will give you a tour of these space sounds, starting with the very early discovery of ``whistlers'' nearly a century ago, and proceeding through my nearly fifty years of research on space plasma waves using spacecraft-borne instrumentation. In addition to being of scientific interest, some of these sounds can even be described as ``musical,'' and have served as the basis for various musical compositions, including a production called ``Sun Rings,'' written by the well-known composer Terry Riley, that has been performed by the Kronos Quartet to audiences all around the world.

Numerical-experimental investigation of resonance characteristics of a sounding board

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shlychkov, S. V.

2007-05-01

The paper presents results of numerical and experimental investigations into the vibrations of thin-walled structures, considering such their features as the complexity of geometry, the laminated structure of walls, the anisotropy of materials, the presence of stiffeners, and the initial stresses. The object of the study is the sounding board of an acoustic guitar, the main structural material of which is a three-layer birch veneer. Based on the finite-element method, a corresponding calculation model is created, and the steady-state regimes of forced vibrations of the sounding board are investigated. A good correspondence between calculation results and experimental data is found to exist.

Application of sound and temperature to control boundary-layer transition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maestrello, Lucio; Parikh, Paresh; Bayliss, A.; Huang, L. S.; Bryant, T. D.

1987-01-01

The growth and decay of a wave packet convecting in a boundary layer over a concave-convex surface and its active control by localized surface heating are studied numerically using direct computations of the Navier-Stokes equations. The resulting sound radiations are computed using linearized Euler equations with the pressure from the Navier-Stokes solution as a time-dependent boundary condition. It is shown that on the concave portion the amplitude of the wave packet increases and its bandwidth broadens while on the convex portion some of the components in the packet are stabilized. The pressure field decays exponentially away from the surface and then algebraically, exhibiting a decay characteristic of acoustic waves in two dimensions. The far-field acoustic behavior exhibits a super-directivity type of behavior with a beaming downstream. Active control by surface heating is shown to reduce the growth of the wave packet but have little effect on acoustic far field behavior for the cases considered. Active control by sound emanating from the surface of an airfoil in the vicinity of the leading edge is experimentally investigated. The purpose is to control the separated region at high angles of attack. The results show that injection of sound at shedding frequency of the flow is effective in an increase of lift and reduction of drag.

Nonlinear Sound Field by Interdigital Transducers in Water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maezawa, Miyuki; Kamada, Rui; Kamakura, Tomoo; Matsuda, Kazuhisa

2008-05-01

Nonlinear ultrasound beams in water radiated by a surface acoustic wave (SAW) device are examined experimentally and theoretically. SAWs on an 128° X-cut Y-propagation LiNbO3 substrate are excited by 50 pairs of interdigital transducers (IDTs). The device with a 2 ×10 mm2 rectangular aperture and a center frequency of 20 MHz radiate two ultrasound beams in the direction of the Rayleigh angle determined by the propagation speed of the SAW on the device and of the longitudinal wave in water. The Rayleigh angle becomes 22° in the present experimental situation. The fundamental and second harmonic sound pressures are respectively measured along and across the beam using a miniature hydrophone whose active element 0.4 mm in diameter and whose frequency response is calibrated up to 40 MHz. The Khokhlov-Zabolotskaya-Kuznetsov (KZK) equation is utilized to theoretically predict sound pressure amplitudes. The theoretical predictions of both the fundamental and second harmonic pressures agree well with the measured sound pressures.

Analyses of radiation impedances of finite cylindrical ducts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, W.; Mechefske, C. K.

2005-08-01

To aid in understanding the characteristics of acoustic radiation from finite cylindrical ducts with infinite flanges, mathematical expressions of generalized radiation impedances at the open ends have been developed. Newton's method is used to find the complex wavenumbers of radial modes for the absorption boundary condition. The self-radiation impedances and mutual impedances for some acoustic modes are calculated for the ducts with rigid and absorption walls. The results show that the acoustical conditions of the duct walls have a significant influence on the radiation impedance. The acoustical interaction between the two open ends of the ducts cannot be neglected, especially for plane waves. To increase the wall admittance will reduce this interference effect. This study creates the possibility for simulating the sound field inside finite ducts in future work.

Prediction of light aircraft interior sound pressure level using the room equation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atwal, M.; Bernhard, R.

1984-01-01

The room equation is investigated for predicting interior sound level. The method makes use of an acoustic power balance, by equating net power flow into the cabin volume to power dissipated within the cabin using the room equation. The sound power level transmitted through the panels was calculated by multiplying the measured space averaged transmitted intensity for each panel by its surface area. The sound pressure level was obtained by summing the mean square sound pressures radiated from each panel. The data obtained supported the room equation model in predicting the cabin interior sound pressure level.

Direction selective structural-acoustic coupled radiator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seo, Hee-Seon; Kim, Yang-Hann

2005-04-01

This paper presents a method of designing a structural-acoustic coupled radiator that can emit sound in the desired direction. The structural-acoustic coupled system is consisted of acoustic spaces and wall. The wall composes two plates and an opening, and the wall separates one space that is highly reverberant and the other that is unbounded without any reflection. An equation is developed that predicts energy distribution and energy flow in the two spaces separated by the wall, and its computational examples are presented including near field acoustic characteristics. To design the directional coupled radiator, Pareto optimization method is adapted. An objective is selected to maximize radiation power on a main axis and minimize a side lobe level and a subjective is selected direction of the main axis and dimensions of the walls geometry. Pressure and intensity distribution of the designed radiator is also presented.

Exploring the Earth's Radiation Belts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daglis, I. A.; Anastasiadis, A.; Chatzichristou, E. T.; Ropokis, G.; Giannakis, O.

2012-09-01

We present the outreach efforts of the MAARBLE (Monitoring, Analyzing and Assessing Radiation Belt Loss and Energization) project, intended to provide the general public with simplified information concerning the scientific objectives of the project, its focus and its expected outcomes. MAARBLE involves monitoring of the geospace environment through space and ground-based observations, in order to understand various aspects of the radiation belts (torus-shaped regions encircling the Earth, in which high-energy charged particles are trapped by the geomagnetic field), which have direct impact on human endeavors in space (spacecraft and astronauts exposure). The public outreach website of MAARBLE, besides regular updates with relevant news, also employs a variety of multimedia (image and video galleries) and impressive sounds of space (characteristic sounds such as whistlers or tweeks) related to very low and ultra low frequency (VLF/ULF) electromagnetic waves. It also provides links to some of the most interesting relevant educational activities, including those at partner institutions such as the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics at UCLA, the University of Alberta, the Swedish Institute of Space Physics and the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic.

Application of a finite-element model to low-frequency sound insulation in dwellings.

PubMed

Maluski, S P; Gibbs, B M

2000-10-01

The sound transmission between adjacent rooms has been modeled using a finite-element method. Predicted sound-level difference gave good agreement with experimental data using a full-scale and a quarter-scale model. Results show that the sound insulation characteristics of a party wall at low frequencies strongly depend on the modal characteristics of the sound field of both rooms and of the partition. The effect of three edge conditions of the separating wall on the sound-level difference at low frequencies was examined: simply supported, clamped, and a combination of clamped and simply supported. It is demonstrated that a clamped partition provides greater sound-level difference at low frequencies than a simply supported. It also is confirmed that the sound-pressure level difference is lower in equal room than in unequal room configurations.

Applying cybernetic technology to diagnose human pulmonary sounds.

PubMed

Chen, Mei-Yung; Chou, Cheng-Han

2014-06-01

Chest auscultation is a crucial and efficient method for diagnosing lung disease; however, it is a subjective process that relies on physician experience and the ability to differentiate between various sound patterns. Because the physiological signals composed of heart sounds and pulmonary sounds (PSs) are greater than 120 Hz and the human ear is not sensitive to low frequencies, successfully making diagnostic classifications is difficult. To solve this problem, we constructed various PS recognition systems for classifying six PS classes: vesicular breath sounds, bronchial breath sounds, tracheal breath sounds, crackles, wheezes, and stridor sounds. First, we used a piezoelectric microphone and data acquisition card to acquire PS signals and perform signal preprocessing. A wavelet transform was used for feature extraction, and the PS signals were decomposed into frequency subbands. Using a statistical method, we extracted 17 features that were used as the input vectors of a neural network. We proposed a 2-stage classifier combined with a back-propagation (BP) neural network and learning vector quantization (LVQ) neural network, which improves classification accuracy by using a haploid neural network. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve verifies the high performance level of the neural network. To expand traditional auscultation methods, we constructed various PS diagnostic systems that can correctly classify the six common PSs. The proposed device overcomes the lack of human sensitivity to low-frequency sounds and various PS waves, characteristic values, and a spectral analysis charts are provided to elucidate the design of the human-machine interface.

Soliton-sound interactions in quasi-one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensates.

PubMed

Parker, N G; Proukakis, N P; Leadbeater, M; Adams, C S

2003-06-06

Longitudinal confinement of dark solitons in quasi-one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensates leads to sound emission and reabsorption. We perform quantitative studies of the dynamics of a soliton oscillating in a tight dimple trap, embedded in a weaker harmonic trap. The dimple depth provides a sensitive handle to control the soliton-sound interaction. In the limit of no reabsorption, the power radiated is found to be proportional to the soliton acceleration squared. An experiment is proposed to detect sound emission as a change in amplitude and frequency of soliton oscillations.

From the speed of sound to the speed of light: Ultrasonic Cherenkov refractometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hallewell, G. D.

2017-12-01

Despite its success in the SLD CRID at the SLAC Linear Collider, ultrasonic measurement of Cherenkov radiator refractive index has been less fully exploited in more recent Cherenkov detectors employing gaseous radiators. This is surprising, since it is ideally suited to monitoring hydrostatic variations in refractive index as well as its evolution during the replacement of a light radiator passivation gas (e.g. N2, CO2) with a heavier fluorocarbon (e.g. C4F10[CF4]; mol. wt. 188[88]). The technique exploits the dependence of sound velocity on the molar concentrations of the two components at known temperature and pressure. The SLD barrel CRID used an 87%C5F12/13%N2 blend, mixed before injection into the radiator vessel: blend control based on ultrasonic mixture analysis maintained the β=1 Cherenkov ring angle to a long term variation better than ±0.3%, with refractivity monitored ultrasonically at multiple points within the radiator vessel. Recent advances using microcontroller-based electronics have led to ultrasonic instruments capable of simultaneously measuring gas flow and binary mixture composition in the fluorocarbon evaporative cooling systems of the ATLAS Inner Detector. Sound transit times are measured with multi-MHz transit time clocks in opposite directions in flowing gas for simultaneous measurement of flow rate and sound velocity. Gas composition is evaluated in real-time by comparison with a sound velocity/composition database. Such instruments could be incorporated into new and upgraded gas Cherenkov detectors for radiator gas mixture (and corresponding refractive index) measurement to a precision better than 10-3. They have other applications in binary gas analysis - including in Xenon-based anaesthesia. These possibilities are discussed.

Controlled sound field with a dual layer loudspeaker array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Mincheol; Fazi, Filippo M.; Nelson, Philip A.; Hirono, Fabio C.

2014-08-01

Controlled sound interference has been extensively investigated using a prototype dual layer loudspeaker array comprised of 16 loudspeakers. Results are presented for measures of array performance such as input signal power, directivity of sound radiation and accuracy of sound reproduction resulting from the application of conventional control methods such as minimization of error in mean squared pressure, maximization of energy difference and minimization of weighted pressure error and energy. Procedures for selecting the tuning parameters have also been introduced. With these conventional concepts aimed at the production of acoustically bright and dark zones, all the control methods used require a trade-off between radiation directivity and reproduction accuracy in the bright zone. An alternative solution is proposed which can achieve better performance based on the measures presented simultaneously by inserting a low priority zone named as the “gray” zone. This involves the weighted minimization of mean-squared errors in both bright and dark zones together with the gray zone in which the minimization error is given less importance. This results in the production of directional bright zone in which the accuracy of sound reproduction is maintained with less required input power. The results of simulations and experiments are shown to be in excellent agreement.

Heart sound segmentation of pediatric auscultations using wavelet analysis.

PubMed

Castro, Ana; Vinhoza, Tiago T V; Mattos, Sandra S; Coimbra, Miguel T

2013-01-01

Auscultation is widely applied in clinical activity, nonetheless sound interpretation is dependent on clinician training and experience. Heart sound features such as spatial loudness, relative amplitude, murmurs, and localization of each component may be indicative of pathology. In this study we propose a segmentation algorithm to extract heart sound components (S1 and S2) based on it's time and frequency characteristics. This algorithm takes advantage of the knowledge of the heart cycle times (systolic and diastolic periods) and of the spectral characteristics of each component, through wavelet analysis. Data collected in a clinical environment, and annotated by a clinician was used to assess algorithm's performance. Heart sound components were correctly identified in 99.5% of the annotated events. S1 and S2 detection rates were 90.9% and 93.3% respectively. The median difference between annotated and detected events was of 33.9 ms.

Sound transmission loss of composite sandwich panels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Ran

Light composite sandwich panels are increasingly used in automobiles, ships and aircraft, because of the advantages they offer of high strength-to-weight ratios. However, the acoustical properties of these light and stiff structures can be less desirable than those of equivalent metal panels. These undesirable properties can lead to high interior noise levels. A number of researchers have studied the acoustical properties of honeycomb and foam sandwich panels. Not much work, however, has been carried out on foam-filled honeycomb sandwich panels. In this dissertation, governing equations for the forced vibration of asymmetric sandwich panels are developed. An analytical expression for modal densities of symmetric sandwich panels is derived from a sixth-order governing equation. A boundary element analysis model for the sound transmission loss of symmetric sandwich panels is proposed. Measurements of the modal density, total loss factor, radiation loss factor, and sound transmission loss of foam-filled honeycomb sandwich panels with different configurations and thicknesses are presented. Comparisons between the predicted sound transmission loss values obtained from wave impedance analysis, statistical energy analysis, boundary element analysis, and experimental values are presented. The wave impedance analysis model provides accurate predictions of sound transmission loss for the thin foam-filled honeycomb sandwich panels at frequencies above their first resonance frequencies. The predictions from the statistical energy analysis model are in better agreement with the experimental transmission loss values of the sandwich panels when the measured radiation loss factor values near coincidence are used instead of the theoretical values for single-layer panels. The proposed boundary element analysis model provides more accurate predictions of sound transmission loss for the thick foam-filled honeycomb sandwich panels than either the wave impedance analysis model or the

Hybrid Active/Passive Control of Sound Radiation from Panels with Constrained Layer Damping and Model Predictive Feedback Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cabell, Randolph H.; Gibbs, Gary P.

2000-01-01

There has been considerable interest over the past several years in applying feedback control methods to problems of structural acoustics. One problem of particular interest is the control of sound radiation from aircraft panels excited on one side by a turbulent boundary layer (TBL). TBL excitation appears as many uncorrelated sources acting on the panel, which makes it difficult to find a single reference signal that is coherent with the excitation. Feedback methods have no need for a reference signal, and are thus suited to this problem. Some important considerations for the structural acoustics problem include the fact that the required controller bandwidth can easily extend to several hundred Hertz, so a digital controller would have to operate at a few kilohertz. In addition, aircraft panel structures have a reasonably high modal density over this frequency range. A model based controller must therefore handle the modally dense system, or have some way to reduce the bandwidth of the problem. Further complicating the problem is the fact that the stiffness and dynamic properties of an aircraft panel can vary considerably during flight due to altitude changes resulting in significant resonant frequency shifts. These considerations make the tradeoff between robustness to changes in the system being controlled and controller performance especially important. Recent papers concerning the design and implementation of robust controllers for structural acoustic problems highlight the need to consider both performance and robustness when designing the controller. While robust control methods such as H1 can be used to balance performance and robustness, their implementation is not easy and requires assumptions about the types of uncertainties in the plant being controlled. Achieving a useful controller design may require many tradeoff studies of different types of parametric uncertainties in the system. Another approach to achieving robustness to plant changes is to

Development of a directivity-controlled piezoelectric transducer for sound reproduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bédard, Magella; Berry, Alain

2008-04-01

Present sound reproduction systems do not attempt to simulate the spatial radiation of musical instruments, or sound sources in general, even though the spatial directivity has a strong impact on the psychoacoustic experience. A transducer consisting of 4 piezoelectric elemental sources made from curved PVDF films is used to generate a target directivity pattern in the horizontal plane, in the frequency range of 5-20 kHz. The vibratory and acoustical response of an elemental source is addressed, both theoretically and experimentally. Two approaches to synthesize the input signals to apply to each elemental source are developed in order to create a prescribed, frequency-dependent acoustic directivity. The circumferential Fourier decomposition of the target directivity provides a compromise between the magnitude and the phase reconstruction, whereas the minimization of a quadratic error criterion provides a best magnitude reconstruction. This transducer can improve sound reproduction by introducing the spatial radiation aspect of the original source at high frequency.

Characteristics of the swallowing sounds recorded in the ear, nose and on trachea.

PubMed

Sarraf-Shirazi, Samaneh; Baril, Jonathan-F; Moussavi, Zahra

2012-08-01

The various malfunctions and difficulties of the swallowing mechanism necessitate various diagnostic techniques to address those problems. Swallowing sounds recorded from the trachea have been suggested as a noninvasive method of swallowing assessment. However, acquiring signals from the trachea can be difficult for those with loose skin. The objective of this pilot study was to explore the viability of using the ear and nose as alternative recording locations for recording swallowing sounds. We recorded the swallowing and breathing sounds of five healthy young individuals from the ear, nose and trachea, simultaneously. We computed time-frequency features and compared them for the different locations of recording. The features included the peak and the maximum frequencies of the power spectrum density, average power at different frequency bands and the wavelet coefficients. The average power calculated over the 4 octave bands between 150 and 2,400 Hz showed a consistent trend with less than 20 dB difference for the breath sounds of all the recording locations. Thus, analyzing breath sounds recorded from the ear and nose for the purpose of aspiration detection would give similar results to those from tracheal recordings; thus, ear and nose recording may be a viable alternative when tracheal recording is not possible.

Graphene-on-paper sound source devices.

PubMed

Tian, He; Ren, Tian-Ling; Xie, Dan; Wang, Yu-Feng; Zhou, Chang-Jian; Feng, Ting-Ting; Fu, Di; Yang, Yi; Peng, Ping-Gang; Wang, Li-Gang; Liu, Li-Tian

2011-06-28

We demonstrate an interesting phenomenon that graphene can emit sound. The application of graphene can be expanded in the acoustic field. Graphene-on-paper sound source devices are made by patterning graphene on paper substrates. Three graphene sheet samples with the thickness of 100, 60, and 20 nm were fabricated. Sound emission from graphene is measured as a function of power, distance, angle, and frequency in the far-field. The theoretical model of air/graphene/paper/PCB board multilayer structure is established to analyze the sound directivity, frequency response, and efficiency. Measured sound pressure level (SPL) and efficiency are in good agreement with theoretical results. It is found that graphene has a significant flat frequency response in the wide ultrasound range 20-50 kHz. In addition, the thinner graphene sheets can produce higher SPL due to its lower heat capacity per unit area (HCPUA). The infrared thermal images reveal that a thermoacoustic effect is the working principle. We find that the sound performance mainly depends on the HCPUA of the conductor and the thermal properties of the substrate. The paper-based graphene sound source devices have highly reliable, flexible, no mechanical vibration, simple structure and high performance characteristics. It could open wide applications in multimedia, consumer electronics, biological, medical, and many other areas.

Sound propagation in light-modulated carbon nanosponge suspensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, W.; Tiwari, R. P.; Annamalai, R.; Sooryakumar, R.; Subramaniam, V.; Stroud, D.

2009-03-01

Single-walled carbon nanotube bundles dispersed in a highly polar fluid are found to agglomerate into a porous structure when exposed to low levels of laser radiation. The phototunable nanoscale porous structures provide an unusual way to control the acoustic properties of the suspension. Despite the high sound speed of the nanotubes, the measured speed of longitudinal-acoustic waves in the suspension decreases sharply with increasing bundle concentration. Two possible explanations for this reduction in sound speed are considered. One is simply that the sound speed decreases because of fluid heat induced by laser light absorption by the carbon nanotubes. The second is that this decrease results from the smaller sound velocity of fluid confined in a porous medium. Using a simplified description of convective heat transport, we estimate that the increase in temperature is too small to account for the observed decrease in sound velocity. To test the second possible explanation, we calculate the sound velocity in a porous medium, using a self-consistent effective-medium approximation. The results of this calculation agree qualitatively with experiment. In this case, the observed sound wave would be the analog of the slow compressional mode of porous solids at a structural length scale of order of 100 nm.

Stream ambient noise, spectrum and propagation of sounds in the goby Padogobius martensii: sound pressure and particle velocity.

PubMed

Lugli, Marco; Fine, Michael L

2007-11-01

The most sensitive hearing and peak frequencies of courtship calls of the stream goby, Padogobius martensii, fall within a quiet window at around 100 Hz in the ambient noise spectrum. Acoustic pressure was previously measured although Padogobius likely responds to particle motion. In this study a combination pressure (p) and particle velocity (u) detector was utilized to describe ambient noise of the habitat, the characteristics of the goby's sounds and their attenuation with distance. The ambient noise (AN) spectrum is generally similar for p and u (including the quiet window at noisy locations), although the energy distribution of u spectrum is shifted up by 50-100 Hz. The energy distribution of the goby's sounds is similar for p and u spectra of the Tonal sound, whereas the pulse-train sound exhibits larger p-u differences. Transmission loss was high for sound p and u: energy decays 6-10 dB10 cm, and sound pu ratio does not change with distance from the source in the nearfield. The measurement of particle velocity of stream AN and P. martensii sounds indicates that this species is well adapted to communicate acoustically in a complex noisy shallow-water environment.

Recording and Analysis of Bowel Sounds.

PubMed

Zaborski, Daniel; Halczak, Miroslaw; Grzesiak, Wilhelm; Modrzejewski, Andrzej

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to construct an electronic bowel sound recording system and determine its usefulness for the diagnosis of appendicitis, mechanical ileus and diffuse peritonitis. A group of 67 subjects aged 17 to 88 years including 15 controls was examined. Bowel sounds were recorded using an electret microphone placed on the right side of the hypogastrium and connected to a laptop computer. The method of adjustable grids (converted into binary matrices) was used for bowel sounds analysis. Significantly, fewer (p ≤ 0.05) sounds were found in the mechanical ileus (1004.4) and diffuse peritonitis (466.3) groups than in the controls (2179.3). After superimposing adjustable binary matrices on combined sounds (interval between sounds <0.01 s), significant relationships (p ≤ 0.05) were found between particular positions in the matrices (row-column) and the patient groups. These included the A1_T1 and A1_T2 positions and mechanical ileus as well as the A1_T2 and A1_T4 positions and appendicitis. For diffuse peritonitis, significant positions were A5_T4 and A1_T4. Differences were noted in the number of sounds and binary matrices in the groups of patients with acute abdominal diseases. Certain features of bowel sounds characteristic of individual abdominal diseases were indicated. BS: bowel sound; APP: appendicitis; IL: mechanical ileus; PE: diffuse peritonitis; CG: control group; NSI: number of sound impulses; NCI: number of combined sound impulses; MBS: mean bit-similarity; TMIN: minimum time between impulses; TMAX: maximum time between impulses; TMEAN: mean time between impulses. Zaborski D, Halczak M, Grzesiak W, Modrzejewski A. Recording and Analysis of Bowel Sounds. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2015;5(2):67-73.

On Identifying the Sound Sources in a Turbulent Flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldstein, M. E.

2008-01-01

A space-time filtering approach is used to divide an unbounded turbulent flow into its radiating and non-radiating components. The result is then used to clarify a number of issues including the possibility of identifying the sources of the sound in such flows. It is also used to investigate the efficacy of some of the more recent computational approaches.

The structure of supersonic jet flow and its radiated sound

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mankbadi, Reda R.; Hayder, M. E.; Povinelli, Louis A.

1993-01-01

Large-eddy simulation of a supersonic jet is presented with emphasis on capturing the unsteady features of the flow pertinent to sound emission. A high-accuracy numerical scheme is used to solve the filtered, unsteady, compressible Navier-Stokes equations while modelling the subgrid-scale turbulence. For random inflow disturbance, the wave-like feature of the large-scale structure is demonstrated. The large-scale structure was then enhanced by imposing harmonic disturbances to the inflow. The limitation of using the full Navier-Stokes equation to calculate the far-field sound is discussed. Application of Lighthill's acoustic analogy is given with the objective of highlighting the difficulties that arise from the non-compactness of the source term.

Effect of temperature on acoustic communication: sound production in the croaking gourami (labyrinth fishes).

PubMed

Ladich, Friedrich; Schleinzer, Günter

2015-04-01

Sound communication comprising the production and detection of acoustic signals is affected by ambient temperature in ectothermic animals. In the present study we investigated the effects of temperature on sound production and characteristics in the croaking gourami Trichopsis vittata, a freshwater fish from Southeast Asia possessing a highly specialized sound-generating mechanism found only in a single genus. The croaking gourami produces pulsed sounds by stretching and plucking two enhanced pectoral fin tendons during rapid pectoral fin beating. Croaking sounds typically consist of a series of double-pulsed bursts with main energies between 1 and 1.5 kHz. Sounds were recorded during dyadic contests between two males at three different temperatures (25°, 30° and 35°C). The mean dominant frequency increased with rising temperature from 1.18 to 1.33 kHz, whereas temporal characteristics decreased. The sound interval dropped from 492 to 259 ms, the burst period from 51 to 35 ms and the pulse period from 5.8 to 5.1 ms. In contrast, the number of sounds and number of bursts within a sound were not affected by temperature. The current study shows that spectral and temporal characteristics of sounds are affected in different ways by temperature in the croaking gourami, whereas the numbers of sounds and bursts remain unaffected. We conclude that acoustic communication in gouramis is affected by changes in ambient temperature. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optimum employment of satellite indirect soundings as numerical model input

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horn, L. H.; Derber, J. C.; Koehler, T. L.; Schmidt, B. D.

1981-01-01

The characteristics of satellite-derived temperature soundings that would significantly affect their use as input for numerical weather prediction models were examined. Independent evaluations of satellite soundings were emphasized to better define error characteristics. Results of a Nimbus-6 sounding study reveal an underestimation of the strength of synoptic scale troughs and ridges, and associated gradients in isobaric height and temperature fields. The most significant errors occurred near the Earth's surface and the tropopause. Soundings from the TIROS-N and NOAA-6 satellites were also evaluated. Results again showed an underestimation of upper level trough amplitudes leading to weaker thermal gradient depictions in satellite-only fields. These errors show a definite correlation to the synoptic flow patterns. In a satellite-only analysis used to initialize a numerical model forecast, it was found that these synoptically correlated errors were retained in the forecast sequence.

A time dependent difference theory for sound propagation in ducts with flow. [characteristic of inlet and exhaust ducts of turbofan engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baumeister, K. J.

1979-01-01

A time dependent numerical solution of the linearized continuity and momentum equation was developed for sound propagation in a two dimensional straight hard or soft wall duct with a sheared mean flow. The time dependent governing acoustic difference equations and boundary conditions were developed along with a numerical determination of the maximum stable time increments. A harmonic noise source radiating into a quiescent duct was analyzed. This explicit iteration method then calculated stepwise in real time to obtain the transient as well as the steady state solution of the acoustic field. Example calculations were presented for sound propagation in hard and soft wall ducts, with no flow and plug flow. Although the problem with sheared flow was formulated and programmed, sample calculations were not examined. The time dependent finite difference analysis was found to be superior to the steady state finite difference and finite element techniques because of shorter solution times and the elimination of large matrix storage requirements.

Sound-field reproduction systems using fixed-directivity loudspeakers.

PubMed

Poletti, M; Fazi, F M; Nelson, P A

2010-06-01

Sound reproduction systems using open arrays of loudspeakers in rooms suffer from degradations due to room reflections. These reflections can be reduced using pre-compensation of the loudspeaker signals, but this requires calibration of the array in the room, and is processor-intensive. This paper examines 3D sound reproduction systems using spherical arrays of fixed-directivity loudspeakers which reduce the sound field radiated outside the array. A generalized form of the simple source formulation and a mode-matching solution are derived for the required loudspeaker weights. The exterior field is derived and expressions for the exterior power and direct to reverberant ratio are derived. The theoretical results and simulations confirm that minimum interference occurs for loudspeakers which have hyper-cardioid polar responses.

Exploring Sound with Insects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertson, Laura; Meyer, John R.

2010-01-01

Differences in insect morphology and movement during singing provide a fascinating opportunity for students to investigate insects while learning about the characteristics of sound. In the activities described here, students use a free online computer software program to explore the songs of the major singing insects and experiment with making…

Characteristics of gunshot sound displays by North Atlantic right whales in the Bay of Fundy.

PubMed

Parks, Susan E; Hotchkin, Cara F; Cortopassi, Kathryn A; Clark, Christopher W

2012-04-01

North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) produce a loud, broadband signal referred to as the gunshot sound. These distinctive sounds may be suitable for passive acoustic monitoring and detection of right whales; however, little is known about the prevalence of these sounds in important right whale habitats, such as the Bay of Fundy. This study investigates the timing and distribution of gunshot sound production on the summer feeding grounds using an array of five marine acoustic recording units deployed in the Bay of Fundy, Canada in mid-summer 2004 and 2005. Gunshot sounds were common, detected on 37 of 38 recording days. Stereotyped gunshot bouts averaged 1.5 h, with some bouts exceeding 7 h in duration with up to seven individuals producing gunshots at any one time. Bouts were more commonly detected in the late afternoon and evening than during the morning hours. Locations of gunshots in bouts indicated that whales producing the sounds were either stationary or showed directional travel, suggesting gunshots have different communication functions depending on behavioral context. These results indicate that gunshots are a common right whale sound produced during the summer months and are an important component in the acoustic communication system of this endangered species.

Aeroacoustic model of a modulation fan with pitching blades as a sound generator.

PubMed

Du, Lin; Jing, Xiaodong; Sun, Xiaofeng; Song, Weihua

2014-10-01

This paper is to develop an aeroacoustic model for a type of modulation fan termed as rotary subwoofer that is capable of radiating low-frequency sound at high sound pressure levels. The rotary subwoofer is modeled as a baffled monopole whose source strength is specified by the fluctuating mass flow rate produced by the pitching blades that rotate at constant speed. An immersed boundary method is established to simulate the detailed unsteady flow around the blades and also to estimate the source strength for the prediction of the far-field sound pressure level (SPL). The numerical simulation shows that the rotary subwoofer can output oscillating air flow that is in phase with the pitching motion of the blades. It is found that flow separation is more likely to occur on the pitching blades at higher modulation frequency, resulting in the reduction of the radiated SPL. Increasing the maximum blade excursion is one of the most effective means to enhance the sound radiation, but this effect can also be compromised by the flow separation. As the modulation frequency increases, correspondingly increasing the rotational speed or using larger blade solidity is beneficial to suppressing the flow separation and thus improving the acoustic performance of the rotary subwoofer.

Characterization of the Acoustic Radiation Properties of Laminated and Sandwich Composite Panels in Thermal Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Nitin; Ranjan Mahapatra, Trupti; Panda, Subrata Kumar; Sahu, Pruthwiraj

2018-03-01

In this article, the acoustic radiation characteristics of laminated and sandwich composite spherical panels subjected to harmonic point excitation under thermal environment are investigated. The finite element (FE) simulation model of the vibrating panel structure is developed in ANSYS using ANSYS parametric design language (APDL) code. Initially, the critical buckling temperatures of the considered structures are obtained and the temperature loads are assorted accordingly. Then, the modal analysis of the thermally stressed panels is performed and the thermo-elastic free vibration responses so obtained are validated with the benchmark solutions. Subsequently, an indirect boundary element (BE) method is utilized to conduct a coupled FE-BE analysis to compute the sound radiation properties of panel structure. The agreement of the present sound power responses with the existing results available in the published literature establishes the validity of the proposed scheme. Finally, the current standardised scheme is extended to solve several numerical examples to bring out the influence of various parameters on the thermo-acoustic characteristics of laminated composite panels.

Radiative amplification of sound waves in the winds of O and B stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Macgregor, K. B.; Hartmann, L.; Raymond, J. C.

1979-01-01

The velocity perturbation associated with an outwardly propagating sound wave in a radiation-driven stellar wind gives rise to a periodic Doppler shifting of absorption lines formed in the flow. A linearized theory applicable to optically thin waves is used to show that the resulting fluctuation in the absorption-line force can cause the wave amplitude to grow. Detailed calculations of the acceleration due to a large number of lines indicate that significant amplification can occur throughout the high-velocity portion of winds in which the dominant force-producing lines have appreciable optical depths. In the particular case of the wind of Zeta Pup (O4f), it is found that the e-folding distance for wave growth is considerably shorter than the scale lengths over which the physical properties of the flow vary. A qualitative estimate of the rate at which mechanical energy due to nonlinear waves can be dissipated suggests that this mechanism may be important in heating the supersonic portion of winds of early-type stars.

Some aspects of coupling-induced sound absorption in enclosures.

PubMed

Sum, K S; Pan, J

2003-08-01

It is known that the coupling between a modally reactive boundary structure of an enclosure and the enclosed sound field induces absorption in the sound field. However, the effect of this absorption on the sound-field response can vary significantly, even when material properties of the structure and dimensions of the coupled system are not changed. Although there have been numerous investigations of coupling between a structure and an enclosed sound field, little work has been done in the area of sound absorption induced by the coupling. Therefore, characteristics of the absorption are not well understood and the extent of its influence on the behavior of the sound-field response is not clearly known. In this paper, the coupling of a boundary structure and an enclosed sound field in frequency bands above the low-frequency range is considered. Three aspects of the coupling-induced sound absorption are studied namely, the effects of exciting either the structure or the sound field directly, damping in the uncoupled sound field and damping in the uncoupled structure. The results provide an understanding of some features of the coupling-induced absorption and its significance to the sound-field response.

Design of Alarm Sound of Home Care Equipment Based on Age-related Auditory Sense

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shibano, Jun-Ichi; Tadano, Shigeru; Kaneko, Hirotaka

A wide variety of home care equipment has been developed to support the independent lifestyle and care taking of elderly persons. Almost all of the equipment has an alarm designed to alert a care person or to sound a warning in case of an emergency. Due to the fact that aging human beings' senses physiologically, weaken and deteriorate, each alarm's sound must be designed to account for the full range of elderly person's hearing loss. Since the alarms are usually heard indoors, it is also necessary to evaluate the relationship between the basic characteristics of the sounds and living area's layout. In this study, we investigated the sounds of various alarms of the home care equipment based on both the age-related hearing characteristics of elderly persons and the propagation property of the sounds indoors. As a result, it was determined that the hearing characteristics of elderly persons are attuned to sounds which have a frequency from 700Hz to 1kHz, and it was learned that the indoor absorption ratio of sound is smallest when the frequency is 1kHz. Therefore, a frequency of 1kHz is good for the alarm sound of home care equipment. A flow chart to design the alarm sound of home care equipment was proposed, taking into account the extent of age-related auditory sense deterioration.

Heart sounds as a result of acoustic dipole radiation of heart valves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasoev, S. G.

2005-11-01

Heart sounds are associated with impulses of force acting on heart valves at the moment they close under the action of blood-pressure difference. A unified model for all the valves represents this impulse as an acoustic dipole. The near pressure field of this dipole creates a distribution of the normal velocity on the breast surface with features typical of auscultation practice: a pronounced localization of heart sound audibility areas, an individual area for each of the valves, and a noncoincidence of these areas with the projections of the valves onto the breast surface. In the framework of the dipole theory, the optimum size of the stethoscope’s bell is found and the spectrum of the heart sounds is estimated. The estimates are compared with the measured spectrum.

Instability and sound emission from a flow over a curved surface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maestrello, L.; Parikh, P.; Bayliss, A.

1988-01-01

The growth and decay of a wavepacket convecting in a boundary layer over a concave-convex surface is studied numerically using direct computations of the Navier-Stokes equations. The resulting sound radiation is computed using the linearized Euler equations with the pressure from the Navier-Stokes solution as a time-dependent boundary condition. It is shown that on the concave portion the amplitude of the wavepacket increases and its bandwidth broadens while on the convex portion some of the components in the packet are stabilized. The pressure field decays exponentially away from the surface and then algebraically exhibits a decay characteristic of acoustic waves in two dimensions. The far-field acoustic pressure exhibits a peak at a frequency corresponding to the inflow instability frequency.

Research on Radiation Characteristic of Plasma Antenna through FDTD Method

PubMed Central

Zhou, Jianming; Fang, Jingjing; Lu, Qiuyuan; Liu, Fan

2014-01-01

The radiation characteristic of plasma antenna is investigated by using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) approach in this paper. Through using FDTD method, we study the propagation of electromagnetic wave in free space in stretched coordinate. And the iterative equations of Maxwell equation are derived. In order to validate the correctness of this method, we simulate the process of electromagnetic wave propagating in free space. Results show that electromagnetic wave spreads out around the signal source and can be absorbed by the perfectly matched layer (PML). Otherwise, we study the propagation of electromagnetic wave in plasma by using the Boltzmann-Maxwell theory. In order to verify this theory, the whole process of electromagnetic wave propagating in plasma under one-dimension case is simulated. Results show that Boltzmann-Maxwell theory can be used to explain the phenomenon of electromagnetic wave propagating in plasma. Finally, the two-dimensional simulation model of plasma antenna is established under the cylindrical coordinate. And the near-field and far-field radiation pattern of plasma antenna are obtained. The experiments show that the variation of electron density can introduce the change of radiation characteristic. PMID:25114961

Research on radiation characteristic of plasma antenna through FDTD method.

PubMed

Zhou, Jianming; Fang, Jingjing; Lu, Qiuyuan; Liu, Fan

2014-01-01

The radiation characteristic of plasma antenna is investigated by using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) approach in this paper. Through using FDTD method, we study the propagation of electromagnetic wave in free space in stretched coordinate. And the iterative equations of Maxwell equation are derived. In order to validate the correctness of this method, we simulate the process of electromagnetic wave propagating in free space. Results show that electromagnetic wave spreads out around the signal source and can be absorbed by the perfectly matched layer (PML). Otherwise, we study the propagation of electromagnetic wave in plasma by using the Boltzmann-Maxwell theory. In order to verify this theory, the whole process of electromagnetic wave propagating in plasma under one-dimension case is simulated. Results show that Boltzmann-Maxwell theory can be used to explain the phenomenon of electromagnetic wave propagating in plasma. Finally, the two-dimensional simulation model of plasma antenna is established under the cylindrical coordinate. And the near-field and far-field radiation pattern of plasma antenna are obtained. The experiments show that the variation of electron density can introduce the change of radiation characteristic.

Hearing Aids and Personal Sound Amplifiers: Know the Difference

MedlinePlus

... Devices and Personal Sound Amplification Products - Guidance for Industry and FDA Staff (PDF - 42KB) More in Consumer Updates Animal & Veterinary Children's Health Cosmetics Dietary Supplements Drugs Food Medical Devices Nutrition Radiation-Emitting Products Tobacco Products ...

Validation of finite element and boundary element methods for predicting structural vibration and radiated noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seybert, A. F.; Wu, X. F.; Oswald, Fred B.

1992-01-01

Analytical and experimental validation of methods to predict structural vibration and radiated noise are presented. A rectangular box excited by a mechanical shaker was used as a vibrating structure. Combined finite element method (FEM) and boundary element method (BEM) models of the apparatus were used to predict the noise radiated from the box. The FEM was used to predict the vibration, and the surface vibration was used as input to the BEM to predict the sound intensity and sound power. Vibration predicted by the FEM model was validated by experimental modal analysis. Noise predicted by the BEM was validated by sound intensity measurements. Three types of results are presented for the total radiated sound power: (1) sound power predicted by the BEM modeling using vibration data measured on the surface of the box; (2) sound power predicted by the FEM/BEM model; and (3) sound power measured by a sound intensity scan. The sound power predicted from the BEM model using measured vibration data yields an excellent prediction of radiated noise. The sound power predicted by the combined FEM/BEM model also gives a good prediction of radiated noise except for a shift of the natural frequencies that are due to limitations in the FEM model.

Characteristics of lead-glass γ-spectrometer radiators irradiated by high energy particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inyakin, A. V.; Kakauridze, D. B.; Lednev, A. A.; Prokoshkin, Yu. D.; Singovsky, A. V.

1983-09-01

Changes in the transparency of lead-glass radiators (F8, TF1 and F101 types), irradiated with 70 GeV protons and 30 GeV π mesons, have been studied. A universal dependence has been derived describing the behaviour of the radiator transparency as well as the characteristics of GAMS-type spectrometers after irradiation.

Urban sound energy reduction by means of sound barriers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iordache, Vlad; Ionita, Mihai Vlad

2018-02-01

In urban environment, various heating ventilation and air conditioning appliances designed to maintain indoor comfort become urban acoustic pollution vectors due to the sound energy produced by these equipment. The acoustic barriers are the recommended method for the sound energy reduction in urban environment. The current sizing method of these acoustic barriers is too difficult and it is not practical for any 3D location of the noisy equipment and reception point. In this study we will develop based on the same method a new simplified tool for acoustic barriers sizing, maintaining the same precision characteristic to the classical method. Abacuses for acoustic barriers sizing are built that can be used for different 3D locations of the source and the reception points, for several frequencies and several acoustic barrier heights. The study case presented in the article represents a confirmation for the rapidity and ease of use of these abacuses in the design of the acoustic barriers.

SU-E-T-159: Characteristics of Fiber-Optic Radiation Sensor for Proton Therapeutic Beam

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Son, J; Kim, M; Hwang, U

Purpose: A fiber-optic radiation sensor using Cerenkov radiation has been widely studied for use as a dosimeter for proton therapeutic beam. Although the fiber-optic radiation sensor has already been investigated for proton therapeutic, it has been examined relatively little work for clinical therapeutic proton beams. In this study, we evaluated characteristics of a fiber-optic radiation sensor for clinical therapeutic proton beams. We experimentally evaluated dose-rate dependence, dose response and energy dependence for the proton beam. Methods: A fiber-optic radiation sensor was placed in a water phantom. Beams with energies of low, middle and high were used in the passively-scattered protonmore » therapeutic beam at the National Cancer Center in Korea. The sensor consists of two plastic optical fibers (POF). A reference POF and 2 cm longer POF were used to utilize the subtraction method for having sensitive volume. Each POF is optically coupled to the Multi-Anode Photo Multiplier Tube (MAPMT) and the MAPMT signals are processed using National Instruments Data Acquisition System (NI-DAQ). We were investigated dosimetric properties including dose-rate dependence, dose response and energy dependence. Results: We have successfully evaluated characteristics of a fiber optic radiation sensor using Cerenkov radiation. The fiber-optic radiation sensor showed the dose response linearity and low energy dependence. In addition, as the dose-rate was increased, Cerenkov radiation increased linearly. Conclusion: We evaluated the basic characteristics of the fiber optic radiation sensor, the dosimetry tool, to raise the quality of proton therapy. Based on the research, we developed a real time dosimetry system of the optic fiber to confirm the real time beam position and energy for therapeutic proton pencil beam.« less

Forced sound transmission through a finite-sized single leaf panel subject to a point source excitation.

PubMed

Wang, Chong

2018-03-01

In the case of a point source in front of a panel, the wavefront of the incident wave is spherical. This paper discusses spherical sound waves transmitting through a finite sized panel. The forced sound transmission performance that predominates in the frequency range below the coincidence frequency is the focus. Given the point source located along the centerline of the panel, forced sound transmission coefficient is derived through introducing the sound radiation impedance for spherical incident waves. It is found that in addition to the panel mass, forced sound transmission loss also depends on the distance from the source to the panel as determined by the radiation impedance. Unlike the case of plane incident waves, sound transmission performance of a finite sized panel does not necessarily converge to that of an infinite panel, especially when the source is away from the panel. For practical applications, the normal incidence sound transmission loss expression of plane incident waves can be used if the distance between the source and panel d and the panel surface area S satisfy d/S>0.5. When d/S ≈0.1, the diffuse field sound transmission loss expression may be a good approximation. An empirical expression for d/S=0  is also given.

Acoustic transmission and radiation analysis of adaptive shape-memory alloy reinforced laminated plates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, C.; Rogers, C. A.; Fuller, C. R.

1991-02-01

A theoretical analysis of sound transmission/radiation of shape-memory alloy (SMA) hybrid composite panels is presented. Unlike other composite materials, SMA hybrid composite is dynamically tunable by electrical activation of the SMA fibers and has numerous active control capabilities. Two of the concepts that will be briefly described and utilized in this paper are referred to as active property tuning (APT) and active strain energy tuning (ASET). Tuning or activating the embedded shape-memory alloy fibers in conventional composite materials changes the overall stiffness of the SMA hybrid composite structure and consequently changes natural frequency and mode shapes. The sound transmission and radiation from a composite panel is related to its frequency and mode shapes. Because of the capability to change both the natural frequency and mode shapes, the acoustic characteristics of SMA hybrid composite plates can be changed as well. The directivity pattern, radiation efficiency, and transmission loss of laminated composite materials are investigated based on 'composite' mode shapes in order to derive a basic understanding of the nature and authority of acoustic control by use of SMA hybrid composites.

Outdoor concert hall sound design: idea and possible solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Yang-Hann; Lee, Jung-Min; Kim, Wanjung; Kim, Hwan; Choi, Jung-Woo; Wang, Semyung

Sound design of outdoor concert halls needs to satisfy two contradictory objectives: good sound reproduction within the hall, as well as the minimization of external sound radiation. Outdoor concert hall usually has open space, therefore good sound for the listeners can be bad sound for its neighborhood. It would be a good attempt to have a virtual sound wall that can reflect all sound, therefore making a relatively quiet zone in the outside. This attempt can be possible if we could produce invisible but very high impedance mismatch around the hall, for a selected frequency band. This can be possible if we can generate an acoustically bright zone inside and a dark (quite) zone outside. Earlier work [Choi, J.-W. and Kim, Y.-H. (2002). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 111, 1695-1700], at least, assures it is possible for a selected region and frequencies. Simulations show that it is possible for a two-dimensional case. Experimental verification has been also tried. The discrepancies have been explained in terms of the number of loudspeakers, their spatial distributions, spacing with regard to wavelength. The dependency of its performances with respect to the size of bright and dark zone scaled by wavelength of interest has also been explained.

Development of an alarm sound database and simulator.

PubMed

Takeuchi, Akihiro; Hirose, Minoru; Shinbo, Toshiro; Imai, Megumi; Mamorita, Noritaka; Ikeda, Noriaki

2006-10-01

The purpose of this study was to develop an interactive software package of alarm sounds to present, recognize and share problems about alarm sounds among medical staff and medical manufactures. The alarm sounds were recorded in variable alarm conditions in a WAV file. The alarm conditions were arbitrarily induced by modifying attachments of various medical devices. The software package that integrated an alarm sound database and simulator was used to assess the ability to identify the monitor that sounded the alarm for the medical staff. Eighty alarm sound files (40MB in total) were recorded from 41 medical devices made by 28 companies. There were three pairs of similar alarm sounds that could not easily be distinguished, two alarm sounds which had a different priority, either low or high. The alarm sound database was created in an Excel file (ASDB.xls 170 kB, 40 MB with photos), and included a list of file names that were hyperlinked to alarm sound files. An alarm sound simulator (AlmSS) was constructed with two modules for simultaneously playing alarm sound files and for designing new alarm sounds. The AlmSS was used in the assessing procedure to determine whether 19 clinical engineers could identify 13 alarm sounds only by their distinctive sounds. They were asked to choose from a list of devices and to rate the priority of each alarm. The overall correct identification rate of the alarm sounds was 48%, and six characteristic alarm sounds were correctly recognized by beetween 63% to 100% of the subjects. The overall recognition rate of the alarm sound priority was only 27%. We have developed an interactive software package of alarm sounds by integrating the database and the alarm sound simulator (URL: http://info.ahs.kitasato-u.ac.jp/tkweb/alarm/asdb.html ). The AlmSS was useful for replaying multiple alarm sounds simultaneously and designing new alarm sounds interactively.

Bottom-up approach for microstructure optimization of sound absorbing materials.

PubMed

Perrot, Camille; Chevillotte, Fabien; Panneton, Raymond

2008-08-01

Results from a numerical study examining micro-/macrorelations linking local geometry parameters to sound absorption properties are presented. For a hexagonal structure of solid fibers, the porosity phi, the thermal characteristic length Lambda('), the static viscous permeability k(0), the tortuosity alpha(infinity), the viscous characteristic length Lambda, and the sound absorption coefficient are computed. Numerical solutions of the steady Stokes and electrical equations are employed to provide k(0), alpha(infinity), and Lambda. Hybrid estimates based on direct numerical evaluation of phi, Lambda('), k(0), alpha(infinity), Lambda, and the analytical model derived by Johnson, Allard, and Champoux are used to relate varying (i) throat size, (ii) pore size, and (iii) fibers' cross-section shapes to the sound absorption spectrum. The result of this paper tends to demonstrate the important effect of throat size in the sound absorption level, cell size in the sound absorption frequency selectivity, and fibers' cross-section shape in the porous material weight reduction. In a hexagonal porous structure with solid fibers, the sound absorption level will tend to be maximized with a 48+/-10 microm throat size corresponding to an intermediate resistivity, a 13+/-8 microm fiber radius associated with relatively small interfiber distances, and convex triangular cross-section shape fibers allowing weight reduction.

An initial study of voice characteristics of children using two different sound coding strategies in comparison to normal hearing children.

PubMed

Coelho, Ana Cristina; Brasolotto, Alcione Ghedini; Bevilacqua, Maria Cecília

2015-06-01

To compare some perceptual and acoustic characteristics of the voices of children who use the advanced combination encoder (ACE) or fine structure processing (FSP) speech coding strategies, and to investigate whether these characteristics differ from children with normal hearing. Acoustic analysis of the sustained vowel /a/ was performed using the multi-dimensional voice program (MDVP). Analyses of sequential and spontaneous speech were performed using the real time pitch. Perceptual analyses of these samples were performed using visual-analogic scales of pre-selected parameters. Seventy-six children from three years to five years and 11 months of age participated. Twenty-eight were users of ACE, 23 were users of FSP, and 25 were children with normal hearing. Although both groups with CI presented with some deviated vocal features, the users of ACE presented with voice quality more like children with normal hearing than the users of FSP. Sound processing of ACE appeared to provide better conditions for auditory monitoring of the voice, and consequently, for better control of the voice production. However, these findings need to be further investigated due to the lack of comparative studies published to understand exactly which attributes of sound processing are responsible for differences in performance.

Encyclopedia: Satellites and Sounding Rockets, August 1959 - December 1969

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1970-01-01

Major space missions utilizing satellites or sounding rockets managed by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center between August 1959 and December 1969 were documented. The information was presented in the following form: (1) description of each satellite project where Goddard was responsible for the spacecraft or the successful launch or both, with data such as launch characteristics, objectives, etc.; (2) description of each Goddard sounding rocket project, with the following data: sounding rocket type, vehicle number, experimental affiliation, and type of experiment; (3) brief description of current sounding rockets and launch vehicles; (4) table of tracking and data acquisition stations. Summary tables are also provided.

Amplitude modulation of sound from wind turbines under various meteorological conditions.

PubMed

Larsson, Conny; Öhlund, Olof

2014-01-01

Wind turbine (WT) sound annoys some people even though the sound levels are relatively low. This could be because of the amplitude modulated "swishing" characteristic of the turbine sound, which is not taken into account by standard procedures for measuring average sound levels. Studies of sound immission from WTs were conducted continually between 19 August 2011 and 19 August 2012 at two sites in Sweden. A method for quantifying the degree and strength of amplitude modulation (AM) is introduced here. The method reveals that AM at the immission points occur under specific meteorological conditions. For WT sound immission, the wind direction and sound speed gradient are crucial for the occurrence of AM. Interference between two or more WTs could probably enhance AM. The mechanisms by which WT sound is amplitude modulated are not fully understood.

Noise Radiation Of A Strongly Pulsating Tailpipe Exhaust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peizi, Li; Genhua, Dai; Zhichi, Zhu

1993-11-01

The method of characteristics is used to solve the problem of the propagation of a strongly pulsating flow in an exhaust system tailpipe. For a strongly pulsating exhaust, the flow may shock at the pipe's open end at some point in a pulsating where the flow pressure exceeds its critical value. The method fails if one insists on setting the flow pressure equal to the atmospheric pressure as the pipe end boundary condition. To solve the problem, we set the Mach number equal to 1 as the boundary condition when the flow pressure exceeds its critical value. For a strongly pulsating flow, the fluctuations of flow variables may be much higher than their respective time averages. Therefore, the acoustic radiation method would fail in the computation of the noise radiation from the pipe's open end. We simulate the exhaust flow out of the open end as a simple sound source to compute the noise radiation, which has been successfully applied in reference [1]. The simple sound source strength is proportional to the volume acceleration of exhaust gas. Also computed is the noise radiation from the turbulence of the exhaust flow, as was done in reference [1]. Noise from a reciprocating valve simulator has been treated in detail. The radiation efficiency is very low for the pressure range considered and is about 10 -5. The radiation efficiency coefficient increases with the square of the frequency. Computation of the pipe length dependence of the noise radiation and mass flux allows us to design a suitable length for an aerodynamic noise generator or a reciprocating internal combustion engine. For the former, powerful noise radiation is preferable. For the latter, maximum mass flux is desired because a freer exhaust is preferable.

Development of programs for computing characteristics of ultraviolet radiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dave, J. V.

1972-01-01

Efficient programs were developed for computing all four characteristics of the radiation scattered by a plane-parallel, turbid, terrestrial atmospheric model. They were developed (FORTRAN 4) and tested on the IBM /360 computers with 2314 direct access storage facility. The storage requirement varies between 200K and 750K bytes depending upon the task. The scattering phase matrix (or function) is expanded in a Fourier series whose number of terms depend upon the zenith angles of the incident and scattered radiations, as well as on the nature of aerosols. A Gauss-Seidel procedure is used for obtaining the numerical solution of the transfer equation.

Modal sound transmission loss of a single leaf panel: Asymptotic solutions.

PubMed

Wang, Chong

2015-12-01

In a previously published paper [C. Wang, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 137(6), 3514-3522 (2015)], the modal sound transmission coefficients of a single leaf panel were discussed with regard to the inter-modal coupling effects. By incorporating such effect into the equivalent modal radiation impedance, which is directly related to the modal sound transmission coefficient of each mode, the overall sound transmission loss for both normal and randomized sound incidences was computed through a simple modal superposition. Benefiting from the analytical expressions of the equivalent modal impedance and modal transmission coefficients, in this paper, behaviors of modal sound transmission coefficients in several typical frequency ranges are discussed in detail. Asymptotic solutions are also given for the panels with relatively low bending stiffnesses, for which the sound transmission loss has been assumed to follow the mass law of a limp panel. Results are also compared to numerical analysis and the renowned mass law theories.

Sound Power Estimation for Beam and Plate Structures Using Polyvinylidene Fluoride Films as Sensors

PubMed Central

Mao, Qibo; Zhong, Haibing

2017-01-01

The theory for calculation and/or measurement of sound power based on the classical velocity-based radiation mode (V-mode) approach is well established for planar structures. However, the current V-mode theory is limited in scope in that it can only be applied to conventional motion sensors (i.e., accelerometers). In this study, in order to estimate the sound power of vibrating beam and plate structure by using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) films as sensors, a PVDF-based radiation mode (C-mode) approach concept is introduced to determine the sound power radiation from the output signals of PVDF films of the vibrating structure. The proposed method is a hybrid of vibration measurement and numerical calculation of C-modes. The proposed C-mode approach has the following advantages: (1) compared to conventional motion sensors, the PVDF films are lightweight, flexible, and low-cost; (2) there is no need for special measuring environments, since the proposed method does not require the measurement of sound fields; (3) In low frequency range (typically with dimensionless frequency kl < 4), the radiation efficiencies of the C-modes fall off very rapidly with increasing mode order, furthermore, the shapes of the C-modes remain almost unchanged, which means that the computation load can be significantly reduced due to the fact only the first few dominant C-modes are involved in the low frequency range. Numerical simulations and experimental investigations were carried out to verify the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method. PMID:28509870

Linearly Tapered Slot Antenna Radiation Characteristics at Millimeter-Wave Frequencies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simons, Rainee N.; Lee, Richard Q.

1998-01-01

An endfire travelling wave antenna, such as, a linearly tapered slot antenna (LTSA) is a viable alternative to a patch antenna at millimeter-wave frequencies because of its simple design and ease of fabrication. This paper presents the radiation characteristics of LTSA at higher millimeter-wave frequencies. The measured radiation patterns are observed to be well behaved and symmetric with the main beam in the endfire direction. The measured gain is about 10 dB. The LTSAs have potential wireless applications at 50 GHz, 77 GHz, and 94 GHz.

Spectral Cauchy characteristic extraction of strain, news and gravitational radiation flux

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Handmer, Casey J.; Szilágyi, Béla; Winicour, Jeffrey

2016-11-01

We present a new approach for the Cauchy-characteristic extraction (CCE) of gravitational radiation strain, news function, and the flux of the energy-momentum, supermomentum and angular momentum associated with the Bondi-Metzner-Sachs asymptotic symmetries. In CCE, a characteristic evolution code takes numerical data on an inner worldtube supplied by a Cauchy evolution code, and propagates it outwards to obtain the space-time metric in a neighborhood of null infinity. The metric is first determined in a scrambled form in terms of coordinates determined by the Cauchy formalism. In prior treatments, the waveform is first extracted from this metric and then transformed into an asymptotic inertial coordinate system. This procedure provides the physically proper description of the waveform and the radiated energy but it does not generalize to determine the flux of angular momentum or supermomentum. Here we formulate and implement a new approach which transforms the full metric into an asymptotic inertial frame and provides a uniform treatment of all the radiation fluxes associated with the asymptotic symmetries. Computations are performed and calibrated using the spectral Einstein code.

Long-term radiation effects on GaAs solar cell characteristics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heinbockel, J. H.; Doviak, M. J.

1978-01-01

This report investigates preliminary design considerations which should be considered for a space experiment involving Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) solar cells. The electron radiation effects on GaAs solar cells were conducted in a laboratory environment, and a statistical analysis of the data is presented. In order to augment the limited laboratory data, a theoretical investigation of the effect of radiation on GaAs solar cells is also developed. The results of this study are empirical prediction equations which can be used to estimate the actual damage of electrical characteristics in a space environment. The experimental and theoretical studies also indicate how GaAs solar cell parameters should be designed in order to withstand the effects of electron radiation damage.

Extraordinary absorption of sound in porous lamella-crystals.

PubMed

Christensen, J; Romero-García, V; Picó, R; Cebrecos, A; de Abajo, F J García; Mortensen, N A; Willatzen, M; Sánchez-Morcillo, V J

2014-04-14

We present the design of a structured material supporting complete absorption of sound with a broadband response and functional for any direction of incident radiation. The structure which is fabricated out of porous lamellas is arranged into a low-density crystal and backed by a reflecting support. Experimental measurements show that strong all-angle sound absorption with almost zero reflectance takes place for a frequency range exceeding two octaves. We demonstrate that lowering the crystal filling fraction increases the wave interaction time and is responsible for the enhancement of intrinsic material dissipation, making the system more absorptive with less material.

Extraordinary absorption of sound in porous lamella-crystals

PubMed Central

Christensen, J.; Romero-García, V.; Picó, R.; Cebrecos, A.; de Abajo, F. J. García; Mortensen, N. A.; Willatzen, M.; Sánchez-Morcillo, V. J.

2014-01-01

We present the design of a structured material supporting complete absorption of sound with a broadband response and functional for any direction of incident radiation. The structure which is fabricated out of porous lamellas is arranged into a low-density crystal and backed by a reflecting support. Experimental measurements show that strong all-angle sound absorption with almost zero reflectance takes place for a frequency range exceeding two octaves. We demonstrate that lowering the crystal filling fraction increases the wave interaction time and is responsible for the enhancement of intrinsic material dissipation, making the system more absorptive with less material. PMID:24728322

Sexual dimorphism of sonic apparatus and extreme intersexual variation of sounds in Ophidion rochei (Ophidiidae): first evidence of a tight relationship between morphology and sound characteristics in Ophidiidae

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Many Ophidiidae are active in dark environments and display complex sonic apparatus morphologies. However, sound recordings are scarce and little is known about acoustic communication in this family. This paper focuses on Ophidion rochei which is known to display an important sexual dimorphism in swimbladder and anterior skeleton. The aims of this study were to compare the sound producing morphology, and the resulting sounds in juveniles, females and males of O. rochei. Results Males, females, and juveniles possessed different morphotypes. Females and juveniles contrasted with males because they possessed dramatic differences in morphology of their sonic muscles, swimbladder, supraoccipital crest, and first vertebrae and associated ribs. Further, they lacked the ‘rocker bone’ typically found in males. Sounds from each morphotype were highly divergent. Males generally produced non harmonic, multiple-pulsed sounds that lasted for several seconds (3.5 ± 1.3 s) with a pulse period of ca. 100 ms. Juvenile and female sounds were recorded for the first time in ophidiids. Female sounds were harmonic, had shorter pulse period (±3.7 ms), and never exceeded a few dozen milliseconds (18 ± 11 ms). Moreover, unlike male sounds, female sounds did not have alternating long and short pulse periods. Juvenile sounds were weaker but appear to be similar to female sounds. Conclusions Although it is not possible to distinguish externally male from female in O. rochei, they show a sonic apparatus and sounds that are dramatically different. This difference is likely due to their nocturnal habits that may have favored the evolution of internal secondary sexual characters that help to distinguish males from females and that could facilitate mate choice by females. Moreover, the comparison of different morphotypes in this study shows that these morphological differences result from a peramorphosis that takes place during the development of the gonads. PMID:23217241

Integrated Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A). Engineering Test Report: Radiated Emissions and SARR, SARP, DCS Receivers, Link Frequencies EMI Sensitive Band Test Results, AMSU-A1, S/N 109

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Valdez, A.

2000-01-01

This is the Engineering Test Report, Radiated Emissions and SARR, SARP, DCS Receivers, Link Frequencies EMI Sensitive Band Test Results, AMSU-A1, S/N 109, for the Integrated Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A).

Acoustics of snoring and automatic snore sound detection in children.

PubMed

Çavuşoğlu, M; Poets, C F; Urschitz, M S

2017-10-31

Acoustic analyses of snoring sounds have been used to objectively assess snoring and applied in various clinical problems for adult patients. Such studies require highly automatized tools to analyze the sound recordings of the whole night's sleep, in order to extract clinically relevant snore- related statistics. The existing techniques and software used for adults are not efficiently applicable to snoring sounds in children, basically because of different acoustic signal properties. In this paper, we present a broad range of acoustic characteristics of snoring sounds in children (N  =  38) in comparison to adult (N  =  30) patients. Acoustic characteristics of the signals were calculated, including frequency domain representations, spectrogram-based characteristics, spectral envelope analysis, formant structures and loudness of the snoring sounds. We observed significant differences in spectral features, formant structures and loudness of the snoring signals of children compared to adults that may arise from the diversity of the upper airway anatomy as the principal determinant of the snore sound generation mechanism. Furthermore, based on the specific audio features of snoring children, we proposed a novel algorithm for the automatic detection of snoring sounds from ambient acoustic data specifically in a pediatric population. The respiratory sounds were recorded using a pair of microphones and a multi-channel data acquisition system simultaneously with full-night polysomnography during sleep. Brief sound chunks of 0.5 s were classified as either belonging to a snoring event or not with a multi-layer perceptron, which was trained in a supervised fashion using stochastic gradient descent on a large hand-labeled dataset using frequency domain features. The method proposed here has been used to extract snore-related statistics that can be calculated from the detected snore episodes for the whole night's sleep, including number of snore episodes

Judging sound rotation when listeners and sounds rotate: Sound source localization is a multisystem process.

PubMed

Yost, William A; Zhong, Xuan; Najam, Anbar

2015-11-01

In four experiments listeners were rotated or were stationary. Sounds came from a stationary loudspeaker or rotated from loudspeaker to loudspeaker around an azimuth array. When either sounds or listeners rotate the auditory cues used for sound source localization change, but in the everyday world listeners perceive sound rotation only when sounds rotate not when listeners rotate. In the everyday world sound source locations are referenced to positions in the environment (a world-centric reference system). The auditory cues for sound source location indicate locations relative to the head (a head-centric reference system), not locations relative to the world. This paper deals with a general hypothesis that the world-centric location of sound sources requires the auditory system to have information about auditory cues used for sound source location and cues about head position. The use of visual and vestibular information in determining rotating head position in sound rotation perception was investigated. The experiments show that sound rotation perception when sources and listeners rotate was based on acoustic, visual, and, perhaps, vestibular information. The findings are consistent with the general hypotheses and suggest that sound source localization is not based just on acoustics. It is a multisystem process.

Separation of non-stationary multi-source sound field based on the interpolated time-domain equivalent source method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bi, Chuan-Xing; Geng, Lin; Zhang, Xiao-Zheng

2016-05-01

In the sound field with multiple non-stationary sources, the measured pressure is the sum of the pressures generated by all sources, and thus cannot be used directly for studying the vibration and sound radiation characteristics of every source alone. This paper proposes a separation model based on the interpolated time-domain equivalent source method (ITDESM) to separate the pressure field belonging to every source from the non-stationary multi-source sound field. In the proposed method, ITDESM is first extended to establish the relationship between the mixed time-dependent pressure and all the equivalent sources distributed on every source with known location and geometry information, and all the equivalent source strengths at each time step are solved by an iterative solving process; then, the corresponding equivalent source strengths of one interested source are used to calculate the pressure field generated by that source alone. Numerical simulation of two baffled circular pistons demonstrates that the proposed method can be effective in separating the non-stationary pressure generated by every source alone in both time and space domains. An experiment with two speakers in a semi-anechoic chamber further evidences the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Adaptive changes in echolocation sounds by Pipistrellus abramus in response to artificial jamming sounds.

PubMed

Takahashi, Eri; Hyomoto, Kiri; Riquimaroux, Hiroshi; Watanabe, Yoshiaki; Ohta, Tetsuo; Hiryu, Shizuko

2014-08-15

The echolocation behavior of Pipistrellus abramus during exposure to artificial jamming sounds during flight was investigated. Echolocation pulses emitted by the bats were recorded using a telemetry microphone mounted on the bats' backs, and their adaptation based on acoustic characteristics of emitted pulses was assessed in terms of jamming-avoidance responses (JARs). In experiment 1, frequency-modulated jamming sounds (3 ms duration) mimicking echolocation pulses of P. abramus were prepared. All bats showed significant increases in the terminal frequency of the frequency-modulated pulse by an average of 2.1-4.5 kHz when the terminal frequency of the jamming sounds was lower than the bats' own pulses. This frequency shift was not observed using jamming frequencies that overlapped with or were higher than the bats' own pulses. These findings suggest that JARs in P. abramus are sensitive to the terminal frequency of jamming pulses and that the bats' response pattern was dependent on the slight difference in stimulus frequency. In experiment 2, when bats were repeatedly exposed to a band-limited noise of 70 ms duration, the bats in flight more frequently emitted pulses during silent periods between jamming sounds, suggesting that the bats could actively change the timing of pulse emissions, even during flight, to avoid temporal overlap with jamming sounds. Our findings demonstrate that bats could adjust their vocalized frequency and emission timing during flight in response to acoustic jamming stimuli. © 2014. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Gravitational Radiation Characteristics of Nonspinning Black-Hole Binaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kelly, B. J.; Baker, J. G.; Boggs, W. D.; Centrella, J. M.; vanMeter, J. R.; McWilliams, S. T.

2008-01-01

We present a detailed descriptive analysis of the gravitational radiation from binary mergers of non-spinning black holes, based on numerical relativity simulations of systems varying from equal-mass to a 6:1 mass ratio. Our analysis covers amplitude and phase characteristics of the radiation, suggesting a unified picture of the waveforms' dominant features in terms of an implicit rotating source, applying uniformly to the full wavetrain, from inspiral through ringdown. We construct a model of the late-stage frequency evolution that fits the l = m modes, and identify late-time relationships between waveform frequency and amplitude. These relationships allow us to construct a predictive model for the late-time waveforms, an alternative to the common practice of modelling by a sum of quasinormal mode overtones. We demonstrate an application of this in a new effective-one-body-based analytic waveform model.

Radiation-hardened optically reconfigurable gate array exploiting holographic memory characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seto, Daisaku; Watanabe, Minoru

2015-09-01

In this paper, we present a proposal for a radiation-hardened optically reconfigurable gate array (ORGA). The ORGA is a type of field programmable gate array (FPGA). The ORGA configuration can be executed by the exploitation of holographic memory characteristics even if 20% of the configuration data are damaged. Moreover, the optoelectronic technology enables the high-speed reconfiguration of the programmable gate array. Such a high-speed reconfiguration can increase the radiation tolerance of its programmable gate array to 9.3 × 104 times higher than that of current FPGAs. Through experimentation, this study clarified the configuration dependability using the impulse-noise emulation and high-speed configuration capabilities of the ORGA with corrupt configuration contexts. Moreover, the radiation tolerance of the programmable gate array was confirmed theoretically through probabilistic calculation.

Steerable sound transport in a 3D acoustic network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Bai-Zhan; Jiao, Jun-Rui; Dai, Hong-Qing; Yin, Sheng-Wen; Zheng, Sheng-Jie; Liu, Ting-Ting; Chen, Ning; Yu, De-Jie

2017-10-01

Quasi-lossless and asymmetric sound transports, which are exceedingly desirable in various modern physical systems, are almost always based on nonlinear or angular momentum biasing effects with extremely high power levels and complex modulation schemes. A practical route for the steerable sound transport along any arbitrary acoustic pathway, especially in a three-dimensional (3D) acoustic network, can revolutionize the sound power propagation and the sound communication. Here, we design an acoustic device containing a regular-tetrahedral cavity with four cylindrical waveguides. A smaller regular-tetrahedral solid in this cavity is eccentrically emplaced to break spatial symmetry of the acoustic device. The numerical and experimental results show that the sound power flow can unimpededly transport between two waveguides away from the eccentric solid within a wide frequency range. Based on the quasi-lossless and asymmetric transport characteristic of the single acoustic device, we construct a 3D acoustic network, in which the sound power flow can flexibly propagate along arbitrary sound pathways defined by our acoustic devices with eccentrically emplaced regular-tetrahedral solids.

A unified approach for the spatial enhancement of sound

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Joung-Woo; Jang, Ji-Ho; Kim, Yang-Hann

2005-09-01

This paper aims to control the sound field spatially, so that the desired or target acoustic variable is enhanced within a zone where a listener is located. This is somewhat analogous to having manipulators that can draw sounds in any place. This also means that one can somehow see the controlled shape of sound in frequency or in real time. The former assures its practical applicability, for example, listening zone control for music. The latter provides a mean of analyzing sound field. With all these regards, a unified approach is proposed that can enhance selected acoustic variables using multiple sources. Three kinds of acoustic variables that have to do with magnitude and direction of sound field are formulated and enhanced. The first one, which has to do with the spatial control of acoustic potential energy, enables one to make a zone of loud sound over an area. Otherwise, one can control directional characteristic of sound field by controlling directional energy density, or one can enhance the magnitude and direction of sound at the same time by controlling acoustic intensity. Throughout various examples, it is shown that these acoustic variables can be controlled successfully by the proposed approach.

Integrated Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A). Engineering Test Report: Radiated Emissions and SARR, SARP, DCS Receivers, Link Frequencies EMI Sensitive Band Test Results, AMSU-A2, S/N 108, 08

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Valdez, A.

2000-01-01

This is the Engineering Test Report, Radiated Emissions and SARR, SARP, DCS Receivers, Link Frequencies EMI Sensitive Band Test Results, AMSU-A2, S/N 108, for the Integrated Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A).

Physics of Acoustic Radiation from Jet Engine Inlets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tam, Christopher K. W.; Parrish, Sarah A.; Envia, Edmane; Chien, Eugene W.

2012-01-01

Numerical simulations of acoustic radiation from a jet engine inlet are performed using advanced computational aeroacoustics (CAA) algorithms and high-quality numerical boundary treatments. As a model of modern commercial jet engine inlets, the inlet geometry of the NASA Source Diagnostic Test (SDT) is used. Fan noise consists of tones and broadband sound. This investigation considers the radiation of tones associated with upstream propagating duct modes. The primary objective is to identify the dominant physical processes that determine the directivity of the radiated sound. Two such processes have been identified. They are acoustic diffraction and refraction. Diffraction is the natural tendency for an acoustic wave to follow a curved solid surface as it propagates. Refraction is the turning of the direction of propagation of sound waves by mean flow gradients. Parametric studies on the changes in the directivity of radiated sound due to variations in forward flight Mach number and duct mode frequency, azimuthal mode number, and radial mode number are carried out. It is found there is a significant difference in directivity for the radiation of the same duct mode from an engine inlet when operating in static condition and in forward flight. It will be shown that the large change in directivity is the result of the combined effects of diffraction and refraction.

Early sound symbolism for vowel sounds.

PubMed

Spector, Ferrinne; Maurer, Daphne

2013-01-01

Children and adults consistently match some words (e.g., kiki) to jagged shapes and other words (e.g., bouba) to rounded shapes, providing evidence for non-arbitrary sound-shape mapping. In this study, we investigated the influence of vowels on sound-shape matching in toddlers, using four contrasting pairs of nonsense words differing in vowel sound (/i/ as in feet vs. /o/ as in boat) and four rounded-jagged shape pairs. Crucially, we used reduplicated syllables (e.g., kiki vs. koko) rather than confounding vowel sound with consonant context and syllable variability (e.g., kiki vs. bouba). Toddlers consistently matched words with /o/ to rounded shapes and words with /i/ to jagged shapes (p < 0.01). The results suggest that there may be naturally biased correspondences between vowel sound and shape.

Thermoluminescence glow-curve characteristics of LiF phosphors at high doses of gamma radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benny, P. G.; Khader, S. A.; Sarma, K. S. S.

2013-05-01

High doses of ionising radiation are becoming increasingly common for radiation-processing applications of various medical, agricultural and polymer products using gamma and electron beams. The objective of this work was to study thermoluminescence (TL) glow-curve characteristics of commonly used commercial LiF TL phosphors at high doses of radiation with a view to use them in dosimetry of radiation-processing applications. The TL properties of TLD 100 and 700 phosphors, procured from the Thermo-Scientific (previously Harshaw) company, have been studied in the dose range of 1-60 kGy. The shift in glow peaks was observed in this dose range. Integral TL responses of TLD 100 and TLD 700 were found to decrease as a linear function of dose in the range of 5-50 kGy. The paper describes initial results related to the glow-curve characteristics of these phosphors.

Study on electromagnetic radiation and mechanical characteristics of coal during an SHPB test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chengwu, Li; Qifei, Wang; Pingyang, Lyu

2016-06-01

Dynamic loads provided by a Split Hopkinson pressure bar are applied in the impact failure experiment on coal with an impact velocity of 4.174-17.652 m s-1. The mechanical property characteristics of coal and an electromagnetic radiation signal can be detected and measured during the experiment. The variation of coal stress, strain, incident energy, dissipated energy and other mechanical parameters are analyzed by the unidimensional stress wave theory. It suggests that with an increase of the impact velocity, the mechanical parameters and electromagnetic radiation increased significantly and the dissipated energy of the coal sample has a high discrete growing trend during the failure process of coal impact. Combined with the received energy of the electromagnetic radiation signal, the relationship between these mechanical parameters and electromagnetic radiation during the failure process of coal burst could be analyzed by the grey correlation model. The results show that the descending order of the gray correlation degree between the mechanical characteristics and electromagnetic radiation energy are impact velocity, maximum stress, the average stress, incident energy, the average strain, maximum strain, the average strain rate and dissipation energy. Due to the correlation degree, the impact velocity and incident energy are relatively large, and the main factor affecting the electromagnetic radiation energy of coal is the energy magnitude. While the relationship between extreme stress and the radiation energy change trend is closed, the stress state of coal has a greater impact on electromagnetic radiation than the strain and destruction which can deepen the research of the coal-rock dynamic disaster electromagnetic monitoring technique.

Spectral analysis of bowel sounds in intestinal obstruction using an electronic stethoscope.

PubMed

Ching, Siok Siong; Tan, Yih Kai

2012-09-07

To determine the value of bowel sounds analysis using an electronic stethoscope to support a clinical diagnosis of intestinal obstruction. Subjects were patients who presented with a diagnosis of possible intestinal obstruction based on symptoms, signs, and radiological findings. A 3M™ Littmann(®) Model 4100 electronic stethoscope was used in this study. With the patients lying supine, six 8-second recordings of bowel sounds were taken from each patient from the lower abdomen. The recordings were analysed for sound duration, sound-to-sound interval, dominant frequency, and peak frequency. Clinical and radiological data were reviewed and the patients were classified as having either acute, subacute, or no bowel obstruction. Comparison of bowel sound characteristics was made between these subgroups of patients. In the presence of an obstruction, the site of obstruction was identified and bowel calibre was also measured to correlate with bowel sounds. A total of 71 patients were studied during the period July 2009 to January 2011. Forty patients had acute bowel obstruction (27 small bowel obstruction and 13 large bowel obstruction), 11 had subacute bowel obstruction (eight in the small bowel and three in large bowel) and 20 had no bowel obstruction (diagnoses of other conditions were made). Twenty-five patients received surgical intervention (35.2%) during the same admission for acute abdominal conditions. A total of 426 recordings were made and 420 recordings were used for analysis. There was no significant difference in sound-to-sound interval, dominant frequency, and peak frequency among patients with acute bowel obstruction, subacute bowel obstruction, and no bowel obstruction. In acute large bowel obstruction, the sound duration was significantly longer (median 0.81 s vs 0.55 s, P = 0.021) and the dominant frequency was significantly higher (median 440 Hz vs 288 Hz, P = 0.003) when compared to acute small bowel obstruction. No significant difference was seen

Spectral analysis of bowel sounds in intestinal obstruction using an electronic stethoscope

PubMed Central

Ching, Siok Siong; Tan, Yih Kai

2012-01-01

AIM: To determine the value of bowel sounds analysis using an electronic stethoscope to support a clinical diagnosis of intestinal obstruction. METHODS: Subjects were patients who presented with a diagnosis of possible intestinal obstruction based on symptoms, signs, and radiological findings. A 3M™ Littmann® Model 4100 electronic stethoscope was used in this study. With the patients lying supine, six 8-second recordings of bowel sounds were taken from each patient from the lower abdomen. The recordings were analysed for sound duration, sound-to-sound interval, dominant frequency, and peak frequency. Clinical and radiological data were reviewed and the patients were classified as having either acute, subacute, or no bowel obstruction. Comparison of bowel sound characteristics was made between these subgroups of patients. In the presence of an obstruction, the site of obstruction was identified and bowel calibre was also measured to correlate with bowel sounds. RESULTS: A total of 71 patients were studied during the period July 2009 to January 2011. Forty patients had acute bowel obstruction (27 small bowel obstruction and 13 large bowel obstruction), 11 had subacute bowel obstruction (eight in the small bowel and three in large bowel) and 20 had no bowel obstruction (diagnoses of other conditions were made). Twenty-five patients received surgical intervention (35.2%) during the same admission for acute abdominal conditions. A total of 426 recordings were made and 420 recordings were used for analysis. There was no significant difference in sound-to-sound interval, dominant frequency, and peak frequency among patients with acute bowel obstruction, subacute bowel obstruction, and no bowel obstruction. In acute large bowel obstruction, the sound duration was significantly longer (median 0.81 s vs 0.55 s, P = 0.021) and the dominant frequency was significantly higher (median 440 Hz vs 288 Hz, P = 0.003) when compared to acute small bowel obstruction. No significant

A study of sound generation in subsonic rotors, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chalupnik, J. D.; Clark, L. T.

1975-01-01

Computer programs were developed for use in the analysis of sound generation by subsonic rotors. Program AIRFOIL computes the spectrum of radiated sound from a single airfoil immersed in a laminar flow field. Program ROTOR extends this to a rotating frame, and provides a model for sound generation in subsonic rotors. The program also computes tone sound generation due to steady state forces on the blades. Program TONE uses a moving source analysis to generate a time series for an array of forces moving in a circular path. The resultant time series are than Fourier transformed to render the results in spectral form. Program SDATA is a standard time series analysis package. It reads in two discrete time series and forms auto and cross covariances and normalizes these to form correlations. The program then transforms the covariances to yield auto and cross power spectra by means of a Fourier transformation.

Radiation and chemical degradation of UVR protection characteristics of fabrics.

PubMed

Khazova, M; O'Hagan, J B; Grainger, K J-L

2007-01-01

Clothing can provide substantial protection against solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and quantifying the amount of protection can have useful applications to recreational, occupational and medical situations. However, exposure of fabrics to sunlight and sea water can alter their physical and chemical properties, resulting in a change of UVR attenuation characteristics. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effects of environmental degradation of fabrics on their UVR protection characteristics. The methodologies applied in this study can be used also for the assessment of protective clothing against occupational exposure.

Calculating the radiation characteristics of accelerated electrons in laser-plasma interactions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, X. F.; Graduate School of Engineering, Utsunomiya University, 7-1-2 Yohtoh, Utsunomiya 321-8585; Yu, Q.

2016-03-15

In this paper, we studied the characteristics of radiation emitted by electrons accelerated in a laser–plasma interaction by using the Lienard–Wiechert field. In the interaction of a laser pulse with a underdense plasma, electrons are accelerated by two mechanisms: direct laser acceleration (DLA) and laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA). At the beginning of the process, the DLA electrons emit most of the radiation, and the DLA electrons emit a much higher peak photon energy than the LWFA electrons. As the laser–plasma interaction progresses, the LWFA electrons become the major radiation emitter; however, even at this stage, the contribution from DLA electronsmore » is significant, especially to the peak photon energy.« less

Active Noise Control Experiments using Sound Energy Flu

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krause, Uli

2015-03-01

This paper reports on the latest results concerning the active noise control approach using net flow of acoustic energy. The test set-up consists of two loudspeakers simulating the engine noise and two smaller loudspeakers which belong to the active noise system. The system is completed by two acceleration sensors and one microphone per loudspeaker. The microphones are located in the near sound field of the loudspeakers. The control algorithm including the update equation of the feed-forward controller is introduced. Numerical simulations are performed with a comparison to a state of the art method minimising the radiated sound power. The proposed approach is experimentally validated.

Techniques and instrumentation for the measurement of transient sound energy flux

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watkinson, P. S.; Fahy, F. J.

1983-12-01

The evaluation of sound intensity distributions, and sound powers, of essentially continuous sources such as automotive engines, electric motors, production line machinery, furnaces, earth moving machinery and various types of process plants were studied. Although such systems are important sources of community disturbance and, to a lesser extent, of industrial health hazard, the most serious sources of hearing hazard in industry are machines operating on an impact principle, such as drop forges, hammers and punches. Controlled experiments to identify major noise source regions and mechanisms are difficult because it is normally impossible to install them in quiet, anechoic environments. The potential for sound intensity measurement to provide a means of overcoming these difficulties has given promising results, indicating the possibility of separation of directly radiated and reverberant sound fields. However, because of the complexity of transient sound fields, a fundamental investigation is necessary to establish the practicability of intensity field decomposition, which is basic to source characterization techniques.

Positioning actuators in efficient locations for rendering the desired sound field using inverse approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Wan-Ho; Ih, Jeong-Guon; Toi, Takeshi

2015-12-01

For rendering a desired characteristics of a sound field, a proper conditioning of acoustic actuators in an array are required, but the source condition depends strongly on its position. Actuators located at inefficient positions for control would consume the input power too much or become too much sensitive to disturbing noise. These actuators can be considered redundant, which should be sorted out as far as such elimination does not damage the whole control performance significantly. It is known that the inverse approach based on the acoustical holography concept, employing the transfer matrix between sources and field points as core element, is useful for rendering the desired sound field. By investigating the information indwelling in the transfer matrix between actuators and field points, the linear independency of an actuator from the others in the array can be evaluated. To this end, the square of the right singular vector, which means the radiation contribution from the source, can be used as an indicator. Inefficient position for fulfilling the desired sound field can be determined as one having smallest indicator value among all possible actuator positions. The elimination process continues one by one, or group by group, until the remaining number of actuators meets the preset number. Control examples of exterior and interior spaces are taken for the validation. The results reveal that the present method for choosing least dependent actuators, for a given number of actuators and field condition, is quite effective in realizing the desired sound field with a noisy input condition, and in minimizing the required input power.

Deltas, freshwater discharge, and waves along the Young Sound, NE Greenland.

PubMed

Kroon, Aart; Abermann, Jakob; Bendixen, Mette; Lund, Magnus; Sigsgaard, Charlotte; Skov, Kirstine; Hansen, Birger Ulf

2017-02-01

A wide range of delta morphologies occurs along the fringes of the Young Sound in Northeast Greenland due to spatial heterogeneity of delta regimes. In general, the delta regime is related to catchment and basin characteristics (geology, topography, drainage pattern, sediment availability, and bathymetry), fluvial discharges and associated sediment load, and processes by waves and currents. Main factors steering the Arctic fluvial discharges into the Young Sound are the snow and ice melt and precipitation in the catchment, and extreme events like glacier lake outburst floods (GLOFs). Waves are subordinate and only rework fringes of the delta plain forming sandy bars if the exposure and fetch are optimal. Spatial gradients and variability in driving forces (snow and precipitation) and catchment characteristics (amount of glacier coverage, sediment characteristics) as well as the strong and local influence of GLOFs in a specific catchment impede a simple upscaling of sediment fluxes from individual catchments toward a total sediment flux into the Young Sound.

The attenuation of sound by turbulence in internal flows.

PubMed

Weng, Chenyang; Boij, Susann; Hanifi, Ardeshir

2013-06-01

The attenuation of sound waves due to interaction with low Mach number turbulent boundary layers in internal flows (channel or pipe flow) is examined. Dynamic equations for the turbulent Reynolds stress on the sound wave are derived, and the analytical solution to the equation provides a frequency dependent eddy viscosity model. This model is used to predict the attenuation of sound propagating in fully developed turbulent pipe flow. The predictions are shown to compare well with the experimental data. The proposed dynamic equation shows that the turbulence behaves like a viscoelastic fluid in the interaction process, and that the ratio of turbulent relaxation time near the wall and the sound wave period is the parameter that controls the characteristics of the attenuation induced by the turbulent flow.

Contribution of the AIRS Shortwave Sounding Channels to Retrieval Accuracy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Susskind, Joel; Kouvaris, Louis

2006-01-01

AIRS contains 2376 high spectral resolution channels between 650/cm and 2665/cm, including channels in both the 15 micron (near 667/cm) and 4.2 micron (near 2400/cm) COP sounding bands. Use of temperature sounding channels in the 15 micron CO2 band has considerable heritage in infra-red remote sensing. Channels in the 4.2 micron CO2 band have potential advantages for temperature sounding purposes because they are essentially insensitive to absorption by water vapor and ozone, and also have considerably sharper lower tropospheric temperature sounding weighting functions than do the 15 micron temperature sounding channels. Potential drawbacks with regard to use of 4.2 micron channels arise from effects on the observed radiances of solar radiation reflected by the surface and clouds, as well as effects of non-local thermodynamic equilibrium on shortwave observations during the day. These are of no practical consequences, however, when properly accounted for. We show results of experiments performed utilizing different spectral regions of AIRS, conducted with the AIRS Science Team candidate Version 5 algorithm. Experiments were performed using temperature sounding channels within the entire AIRS spectral coverage, within only the spectral region 650/cm to 1614 /cm; and within only the spectral region 1000/cm-2665/cm. These show the relative importance of utilizing only 15 micron temperature sounding channels, only the 4.2 micron temperature sounding channels, and both, with regards to sounding accuracy. The spectral region 2380/cm to 2400/cm is shown to contribute significantly to improve sounding accuracy in the lower troposphere, both day and night.

Wideband characterization of the complex wave number and characteristic impedance of sound absorbers.

PubMed

Salissou, Yacoubou; Panneton, Raymond

2010-11-01

Several methods for measuring the complex wave number and the characteristic impedance of sound absorbers have been proposed in the literature. These methods can be classified into single frequency and wideband methods. In this paper, the main existing methods are revisited and discussed. An alternative method which is not well known or discussed in the literature while exhibiting great potential is also discussed. This method is essentially an improvement of the wideband method described by Iwase et al., rewritten so that the setup is more ISO 10534-2 standard-compliant. Glass wool, melamine foam and acoustical/thermal insulator wool are used to compare the main existing wideband non-iterative methods with this alternative method. It is found that, in the middle and high frequency ranges the alternative method yields results that are comparable in accuracy to the classical two-cavity method and the four-microphone transfer-matrix method. However, in the low frequency range, the alternative method appears to be more accurate than the other methods, especially when measuring the complex wave number.

Statistics of natural reverberation enable perceptual separation of sound and space

PubMed Central

Traer, James; McDermott, Josh H.

2016-01-01

In everyday listening, sound reaches our ears directly from a source as well as indirectly via reflections known as reverberation. Reverberation profoundly distorts the sound from a source, yet humans can both identify sound sources and distinguish environments from the resulting sound, via mechanisms that remain unclear. The core computational challenge is that the acoustic signatures of the source and environment are combined in a single signal received by the ear. Here we ask whether our recognition of sound sources and spaces reflects an ability to separate their effects and whether any such separation is enabled by statistical regularities of real-world reverberation. To first determine whether such statistical regularities exist, we measured impulse responses (IRs) of 271 spaces sampled from the distribution encountered by humans during daily life. The sampled spaces were diverse, but their IRs were tightly constrained, exhibiting exponential decay at frequency-dependent rates: Mid frequencies reverberated longest whereas higher and lower frequencies decayed more rapidly, presumably due to absorptive properties of materials and air. To test whether humans leverage these regularities, we manipulated IR decay characteristics in simulated reverberant audio. Listeners could discriminate sound sources and environments from these signals, but their abilities degraded when reverberation characteristics deviated from those of real-world environments. Subjectively, atypical IRs were mistaken for sound sources. The results suggest the brain separates sound into contributions from the source and the environment, constrained by a prior on natural reverberation. This separation process may contribute to robust recognition while providing information about spaces around us. PMID:27834730

Statistics of natural reverberation enable perceptual separation of sound and space.

PubMed

Traer, James; McDermott, Josh H

2016-11-29

In everyday listening, sound reaches our ears directly from a source as well as indirectly via reflections known as reverberation. Reverberation profoundly distorts the sound from a source, yet humans can both identify sound sources and distinguish environments from the resulting sound, via mechanisms that remain unclear. The core computational challenge is that the acoustic signatures of the source and environment are combined in a single signal received by the ear. Here we ask whether our recognition of sound sources and spaces reflects an ability to separate their effects and whether any such separation is enabled by statistical regularities of real-world reverberation. To first determine whether such statistical regularities exist, we measured impulse responses (IRs) of 271 spaces sampled from the distribution encountered by humans during daily life. The sampled spaces were diverse, but their IRs were tightly constrained, exhibiting exponential decay at frequency-dependent rates: Mid frequencies reverberated longest whereas higher and lower frequencies decayed more rapidly, presumably due to absorptive properties of materials and air. To test whether humans leverage these regularities, we manipulated IR decay characteristics in simulated reverberant audio. Listeners could discriminate sound sources and environments from these signals, but their abilities degraded when reverberation characteristics deviated from those of real-world environments. Subjectively, atypical IRs were mistaken for sound sources. The results suggest the brain separates sound into contributions from the source and the environment, constrained by a prior on natural reverberation. This separation process may contribute to robust recognition while providing information about spaces around us.

Experimental validation of finite element and boundary element methods for predicting structural vibration and radiated noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seybert, A. F.; Wu, T. W.; Wu, X. F.

1994-01-01

This research report is presented in three parts. In the first part, acoustical analyses were performed on modes of vibration of the housing of a transmission of a gear test rig developed by NASA. The modes of vibration of the transmission housing were measured using experimental modal analysis. The boundary element method (BEM) was used to calculate the sound pressure and sound intensity on the surface of the housing and the radiation efficiency of each mode. The radiation efficiency of each of the transmission housing modes was then compared to theoretical results for a finite baffled plate. In the second part, analytical and experimental validation of methods to predict structural vibration and radiated noise are presented. A rectangular box excited by a mechanical shaker was used as a vibrating structure. Combined finite element method (FEM) and boundary element method (BEM) models of the apparatus were used to predict the noise level radiated from the box. The FEM was used to predict the vibration, while the BEM was used to predict the sound intensity and total radiated sound power using surface vibration as the input data. Vibration predicted by the FEM model was validated by experimental modal analysis; noise predicted by the BEM was validated by measurements of sound intensity. Three types of results are presented for the total radiated sound power: sound power predicted by the BEM model using vibration data measured on the surface of the box; sound power predicted by the FEM/BEM model; and sound power measured by an acoustic intensity scan. In the third part, the structure used in part two was modified. A rib was attached to the top plate of the structure. The FEM and BEM were then used to predict structural vibration and radiated noise respectively. The predicted vibration and radiated noise were then validated through experimentation.

Influence of panel fastening on the acoustic performance of light-weight building elements: Study by sound transmission and laser scanning vibrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roozen, N. B.; Muellner, H.; Labelle, L.; Rychtáriková, M.; Glorieux, C.

2015-06-01

Structural details and workmanship can cause considerable differences in sound insulation properties of timber frame partitions. In this study, the influence of panel fastening is investigated experimentally by means of standardized sound reduction index measurements, supported by detailed scanning laser Doppler vibrometry. In particular the effect of the number of screws used to fasten the panels to the studs, and the tightness of the screws, is studied using seven different configurations of lightweight timber frame building elements. In the frequency range from 300 to 4000 Hz, differences in the weighted sound reduction index RW as large as 10 dB were measured, suggesting that the method of fastening can have a large impact on the acoustic performance of building elements. Using the measured vibrational responses of the element, its acoustic radiation efficiency was computed numerically by means of a Rayleigh integral. The increased radiation efficiency partly explains the reduced sound reduction index. Loosening the screws, or reducing the number of screws, lowers the radiation efficiency, and significantly increases the sound reduction index of the partition.

46 CFR 7.20 - Nantucket Sound, Vineyard Sound, Buzzards Bay, Narragansett Bay, MA, Block Island Sound and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Nantucket Sound, Vineyard Sound, Buzzards Bay, Narragansett Bay, MA, Block Island Sound and easterly entrance to Long Island Sound, NY. 7.20 Section 7.20... Atlantic Coast § 7.20 Nantucket Sound, Vineyard Sound, Buzzards Bay, Narragansett Bay, MA, Block Island...

46 CFR 7.20 - Nantucket Sound, Vineyard Sound, Buzzards Bay, Narragansett Bay, MA, Block Island Sound and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Nantucket Sound, Vineyard Sound, Buzzards Bay, Narragansett Bay, MA, Block Island Sound and easterly entrance to Long Island Sound, NY. 7.20 Section 7.20... Atlantic Coast § 7.20 Nantucket Sound, Vineyard Sound, Buzzards Bay, Narragansett Bay, MA, Block Island...

46 CFR 7.20 - Nantucket Sound, Vineyard Sound, Buzzards Bay, Narragansett Bay, MA, Block Island Sound and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Nantucket Sound, Vineyard Sound, Buzzards Bay, Narragansett Bay, MA, Block Island Sound and easterly entrance to Long Island Sound, NY. 7.20 Section 7.20... Atlantic Coast § 7.20 Nantucket Sound, Vineyard Sound, Buzzards Bay, Narragansett Bay, MA, Block Island...

46 CFR 7.20 - Nantucket Sound, Vineyard Sound, Buzzards Bay, Narragansett Bay, MA, Block Island Sound and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Nantucket Sound, Vineyard Sound, Buzzards Bay, Narragansett Bay, MA, Block Island Sound and easterly entrance to Long Island Sound, NY. 7.20 Section 7.20... Atlantic Coast § 7.20 Nantucket Sound, Vineyard Sound, Buzzards Bay, Narragansett Bay, MA, Block Island...

46 CFR 7.20 - Nantucket Sound, Vineyard Sound, Buzzards Bay, Narragansett Bay, MA, Block Island Sound and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Nantucket Sound, Vineyard Sound, Buzzards Bay, Narragansett Bay, MA, Block Island Sound and easterly entrance to Long Island Sound, NY. 7.20 Section 7.20... Atlantic Coast § 7.20 Nantucket Sound, Vineyard Sound, Buzzards Bay, Narragansett Bay, MA, Block Island...

Investigating a compact phantom and setup for testing body sound transducers

PubMed Central

Mansy, Hansen A; Grahe, Joshua; Royston, Thomas J; Sandler, Richard H

2011-01-01

Contact transducers are a key element in experiments involving body sounds. The characteristics of these devices are often not known with accuracy. There are no standardized calibration setups or procedures for testing these sensors. This study investigated the characteristics of a new computer-controlled sound source phantom for testing sensors. Results suggested that sensors with different sizes require special phantom requirements. The effectiveness of certain approaches on increasing the spatial and spectral uniformity of the phantom surface signal was studied. Non-uniformities >20 dB were removable, which can be particularly helpful in comparing the characteristics of different size sensors more accurately. PMID:21496795

Experimental investigation on Performance and Emission Characteristics of J20, P20, N20 Biodiesel blends and Sound Characteristics of P20 Biodiesel blend Used in Single Cylinder Diesel Engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

rajasekar, R.; karthik, N.; Xavier, Goldwin

2017-05-01

Present work provides the effect of biodiesel blends and Sound Characteristics of P20 Biodiesel blend compared with Performance and emission Characteristics of diesel. Methods and analysis biodiesel blends was prepared by the Transesterification Process. Experiments were conducted in single cylinder constant speed direct injection diesel engine for various test fuels. Research is mainly focused on pongamia oil. It was observed that a 20% Pongamia oil blends and its properties were similar to diesel. The results showed that 20% Pongamia oil blends gave better performance, less in noise and emission compared with ester of Jatropha and neem oil blends. Hence Pongamia blends can be used in existing diesel engine without compromising the engine performance.

Studies of self-reciprocating characteristic of carbon nanotube film-based cantilevers under light and thermal radiation.

PubMed

Gong, Zhongcheng; Tseng, Yi-Hsuan; He, Yuan; Que, Long

2012-01-01

Self-reciprocating characteristic of carbon nanotube film (CNF)-Cu cantilevers upon exposure to light and thermal radiation was observed. This unique characteristic offers an attractive technical platform for harvesting solar and thermal energies on a single chip, which has been demonstrated recently. This paper reports the detailed experimental studies of this phenomenon. It reveals that the low-frequency self-reciprocation, sensitive to the thicknesses of CNF and Cu and the intensity of the light and thermal radiation, is mainly attributed to the electrostatic interaction among randomly connected carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in CNF. This is due to the fact that electrical currents in CNF induced by light and thermal radiation also exhibit an oscillating characteristic, similar to the self-reciprocating characteristic of the CNF-Cu cantilevers. The mechanism for this observed phenomenon is also discussed by relating the optical, thermal, electrical, elastic and mechanical properties of the CNF.

The opponent channel population code of sound location is an efficient representation of natural binaural sounds.

PubMed

Młynarski, Wiktor

2015-05-01

In mammalian auditory cortex, sound source position is represented by a population of broadly tuned neurons whose firing is modulated by sounds located at all positions surrounding the animal. Peaks of their tuning curves are concentrated at lateral position, while their slopes are steepest at the interaural midline, allowing for the maximum localization accuracy in that area. These experimental observations contradict initial assumptions that the auditory space is represented as a topographic cortical map. It has been suggested that a "panoramic" code has evolved to match specific demands of the sound localization task. This work provides evidence suggesting that properties of spatial auditory neurons identified experimentally follow from a general design principle- learning a sparse, efficient representation of natural stimuli. Natural binaural sounds were recorded and served as input to a hierarchical sparse-coding model. In the first layer, left and right ear sounds were separately encoded by a population of complex-valued basis functions which separated phase and amplitude. Both parameters are known to carry information relevant for spatial hearing. Monaural input converged in the second layer, which learned a joint representation of amplitude and interaural phase difference. Spatial selectivity of each second-layer unit was measured by exposing the model to natural sound sources recorded at different positions. Obtained tuning curves match well tuning characteristics of neurons in the mammalian auditory cortex. This study connects neuronal coding of the auditory space with natural stimulus statistics and generates new experimental predictions. Moreover, results presented here suggest that cortical regions with seemingly different functions may implement the same computational strategy-efficient coding.

Effect of deep centers on the radiative characteristics of epitaxial structures in the Ga-As-P system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ermakov, O.P.

1986-08-01

This paper studies the radiative characteristics of structures not doped with nitrogen based on AgP and GaAs /SUB 1-y/ P /SUB y/ in a wide range of compositions, containing stoichiometry and radiation defects. The structures studied were obtained by the methods of liquid-phase and gas-phase epitaxy. Zn was used as the acceptor impurity in obtaining the p-n structures. The radiation defects were introduced by irradiation with a beam of fast 2.5-MeV electrons and the radiative characteristics were studied with the help of the method of electroluminescence (EL).

Second harmonic sound field after insertion of a biological tissue sample

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Dong; Gong, Xiu-Fen; Zhang, Bo

2002-01-01

Second harmonic sound field after inserting a biological tissue sample is investigated by theory and experiment. The sample is inserted perpendicular to the sound axis, whose acoustical properties are different from those of surrounding medium (distilled water). By using the superposition of Gaussian beams and the KZK equation in quasilinear and parabolic approximations, the second harmonic field after insertion of the sample can be derived analytically and expressed as a linear combination of self- and cross-interaction of the Gaussian beams. Egg white, egg yolk, porcine liver, and porcine fat are used as the samples and inserted in the sound field radiated from a 2 MHz uniformly excited focusing source. Axial normalized sound pressure curves of the second harmonic wave before and after inserting the sample are measured and compared with the theoretical results calculated with 10 items of Gaussian beam functions.

Sources of sound in fluid flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, J. E. F.

1974-01-01

Some features of a flow that produce acoustic radiation, particularly when the flow is turbulent and interacting with solid surfaces such as turbine or compressor blades are discussed. Early theoretical ideas on the subject are reviewed and are shown to be inadequate at high Mach number. Some recent theoretical developments that form the basis of a description of sound generation by supersonic flows interacting with surfaces are described. At high frequencies the problem is treated as one of describing the surface-induced diffraction field of adjacent aerodynamic quadrupole sources. This approach has given rise to distinctly new features of the problem that seem to have bearing on the radiating properties of relatively large aerodynamic surfaces.

The Sound Generated by Mid-Ocean Ridge Black Smoker Hydrothermal Vents

PubMed Central

Crone, Timothy J.; Wilcock, William S.D.; Barclay, Andrew H.; Parsons, Jeffrey D.

2006-01-01

Hydrothermal flow through seafloor black smoker vents is typically turbulent and vigorous, with speeds often exceeding 1 m/s. Although theory predicts that these flows will generate sound, the prevailing view has been that black smokers are essentially silent. Here we present the first unambiguous field recordings showing that these vents radiate significant acoustic energy. The sounds contain a broadband component and narrowband tones which are indicative of resonance. The amplitude of the broadband component shows tidal modulation which is indicative of discharge rate variations related to the mechanics of tidal loading. Vent sounds will provide researchers with new ways to study flow through sulfide structures, and may provide some local organisms with behavioral or navigational cues. PMID:17205137

A Radiation Transfer Solver for Athena Using Short Characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, Shane W.; Stone, James M.; Jiang, Yan-Fei

2012-03-01

We describe the implementation of a module for the Athena magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) code that solves the time-independent, multi-frequency radiative transfer (RT) equation on multidimensional Cartesian simulation domains, including scattering and non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) effects. The module is based on well known and well tested algorithms developed for modeling stellar atmospheres, including the method of short characteristics to solve the RT equation, accelerated Lambda iteration to handle scattering and non-LTE effects, and parallelization via domain decomposition. The module serves several purposes: it can be used to generate spectra and images, to compute a variable Eddington tensor (VET) for full radiation MHD simulations, and to calculate the heating and cooling source terms in the MHD equations in flows where radiation pressure is small compared with gas pressure. For the latter case, the module is combined with the standard MHD integrators using operator splitting: we describe this approach in detail, including a new constraint on the time step for stability due to radiation diffusion modes. Implementation of the VET method for radiation pressure dominated flows is described in a companion paper. We present results from a suite of test problems for both the RT solver itself and for dynamical problems that include radiative heating and cooling. These tests demonstrate that the radiative transfer solution is accurate and confirm that the operator split method is stable, convergent, and efficient for problems of interest. We demonstrate there is no need to adopt ad hoc assumptions of questionable accuracy to solve RT problems in concert with MHD: the computational cost for our general-purpose module for simple (e.g., LTE gray) problems can be comparable to or less than a single time step of Athena's MHD integrators, and only few times more expensive than that for more general (non-LTE) problems.

Possibilities of psychoacoustics to determine sound quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Genuit, Klaus

For some years, acoustic engineers have increasingly become aware of the importance of analyzing and minimizing noise problems not only with regard to the A-weighted sound pressure level, but to design sound quality. It is relatively easy to determine the A-weighted SPL according to international standards. However, the objective evaluation to describe subjectively perceived sound quality - taking into account psychoacoustic parameters such as loudness, roughness, fluctuation strength, sharpness and so forth - is more difficult. On the one hand, the psychoacoustic measurement procedures which are known so far have yet not been standardized. On the other hand, they have only been tested in laboratories by means of listening tests in the free-field and one sound source and simple signals. Therefore, the results achieved cannot be transferred to complex sound situations with several spatially distributed sound sources without difficulty. Due to the directional hearing and selectivity of human hearing, individual sound events can be selected among many. Already in the late seventies a new binaural Artificial Head Measurement System was developed which met the requirements of the automobile industry in terms of measurement technology. The first industrial application of the Artificial Head Measurement System was in 1981. Since that time the system was further developed, particularly by the cooperation between HEAD acoustics and Mercedes-Benz. In addition to a calibratable Artificial Head Measurement System which is compatible with standard measurement technologies and has transfer characteristics comparable to human hearing, a Binaural Analysis System is now also available. This system permits the analysis of binaural signals regarding physical and psychoacoustic procedures. Moreover, the signals to be analyzed can be simultaneously monitored through headphones and manipulated in the time and frequency domain so that those signal components being responsible for noise

A breath sound analysis in children with cough variant asthma.

PubMed

Enseki, Mayumi; Nukaga, Mariko; Tadaki, Hiromi; Tabata, Hideyuki; Hirai, Kota; Kato, Masahiko; Mochizuki, Hiroyuki

2018-05-29

Cough variant asthma (CVA) is characterized by a chronic cough and bronchial hyperresponsiveness without confirmation of wheezing. Using a breath sound analyzer, we evaluate the characteristics of breath sound in children with CVA. Nine children with CVA (median age, 7.0 years) participated. The existence of breath sounds was confirmed by sound spectrogram. Breath sound parameters, the frequency limiting 50% and 99% of the power spectrum (F 50 and F 99 ), the roll-off from 600 to 1200 Hz (Slope) and spectrum curve indices, the ratio of the third and fourth area to the total area of the power spectrum (P 3 /P T and P 4 /P T ) and the ratio of power and frequency at 50% and 75% of the highest frequency of the power spectrum (RPF 75 and RPF 50 ) were calculated before and after β 2 agonist inhalation. A spirogram and/or forced oscillation technique were performed in all subjects. On a sound spectrogram, wheezing was confirmed in seven of nine patients. All wheezing on the image was polyphonic, and they almost disappeared after β 2 agonist inhalation. An analysis of the breath sound spectrum showed that P T , P 3 /P T , P 4 /P T , RPF 50 and RPF 75 were significantly increased after β 2 agonist inhalation. Children with CVA showed a high rate of inaudible wheezing that disappeared after β 2 agonist inhalation. Changes in the spectrum curve indices also indicated the bronchial reversibility. These results may suggest the characteristics of CVA in children. Copyright © 2018 Japanese Society of Allergology. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A novel method for pediatric heart sound segmentation without using the ECG.

PubMed

Sepehri, Amir A; Gharehbaghi, Arash; Dutoit, Thierry; Kocharian, Armen; Kiani, A

2010-07-01

In this paper, we propose a novel method for pediatric heart sounds segmentation by paying special attention to the physiological effects of respiration on pediatric heart sounds. The segmentation is accomplished in three steps. First, the envelope of a heart sounds signal is obtained with emphasis on the first heart sound (S(1)) and the second heart sound (S(2)) by using short time spectral energy and autoregressive (AR) parameters of the signal. Then, the basic heart sounds are extracted taking into account the repetitive and spectral characteristics of S(1) and S(2) sounds by using a Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) neural network classifier. In the final step, by considering the diastolic and systolic intervals variations due to the effect of a child's respiration, a complete and precise heart sounds end-pointing and segmentation is achieved. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Sound of the Microwave Background

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whittle, M.

2004-05-01

One of the most impressive developments in modern cosmology has been the measurement and analysis of the tiny fluctuations seen in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation. When discussing these fluctuations, cosmologists frequently refer to their acoustic nature -- sound waves moving through the hot gas appear as peaks and troughs when they cross the surface of last scattering. As is now well known, recent observations quantify the amplitudes of these waves over several octaves, revealing a fundamental tone with several harmonics, whose relative strengths and pitches reveal important cosmological parameters, including global curvature. Not surprisingly, these results have wonderful pedagogical value in educating and inspiring both students and the general public. To further enhance this educational experience, I have attempted what might seem rather obvious, namely converting the CMB power spectrum into an audible sound. By raising the pitch some 50 octaves so that the fundamental falls at 200 Hz (matching its harmonic ``l" value), we hear the resulting sound as a loud hissing roar. Matching the progress in observational results has been an equally impressive development of the theoretical treatment of CMB fluctuations. Using available computer simulations (e.g. CMBFAST) it is possible to recreate the subtley different sounds generated by different kinds of universe (e.g. different curvature or baryon content). Pushing further, one can generate the ``true" sound, characterized by P(k), rather than the ``observed" sound, characterized by C(l). From P(k), we learn that the fundamental and harmonics are offset, yielding a chord somewhere between a major and minor third. A sequence of models also allows one to follow the growth of sound during the first megayear: a descending scream, changing into a deepening roar, with subsequent growing hiss; matching the increase in wavelength caused by universal expansion, followed by the post recombination flow of gas into

Multichannel sound reinforcement systems at work in a learning environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malek, John; Campbell, Colin

2003-04-01

Many people have experienced the entertaining benefits of a surround sound system, either in their own home or in a movie theater, but another application exists for multichannel sound that has for the most part gone unused. This is the application of multichannel sound systems to the learning environment. By incorporating a 7.1 surround processor and a touch panel interface programmable control system, the main lecture hall at the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning has been converted from an ordinary lecture hall to a working audiovisual laboratory. The multichannel sound system is used in a wide variety of experiments, including exposure to sounds to test listeners' aural perception of the tonal characteristics of varying pitch, reverberation, speech transmission index, and sound-pressure level. The touch panel's custom interface allows a variety of user groups to control different parts of the AV system and provides preset capability that allows for numerous system configurations.

Framing sound: Using expectations to reduce environmental noise annoyance.

PubMed

Crichton, Fiona; Dodd, George; Schmid, Gian; Petrie, Keith J

2015-10-01

Annoyance reactions to environmental noise, such as wind turbine sound, have public health implications given associations between annoyance and symptoms related to psychological distress. In the case of wind farms, factors contributing to noise annoyance have been theorised to include wind turbine sound characteristics, the noise sensitivity of residents, and contextual aspects, such as receiving information creating negative expectations about sound exposure. The experimental aim was to assess whether receiving positive or negative expectations about wind farm sound would differentially influence annoyance reactions during exposure to wind farm sound, and also influence associations between perceived noise sensitivity and noise annoyance. Sixty volunteers were randomly assigned to receive either negative or positive expectations about wind farm sound. Participants in the negative expectation group viewed a presentation which incorporated internet material indicating that exposure to wind turbine sound, particularly infrasound, might present a health risk. Positive expectation participants viewed a DVD which framed wind farm sound positively and included internet information about the health benefits of infrasound exposure. Participants were then simultaneously exposed to sub-audible infrasound and audible wind farm sound during two 7 min exposure sessions, during which they assessed their experience of annoyance. Positive expectation participants were significantly less annoyed than negative expectation participants, while noise sensitivity only predicted annoyance in the negative group. Findings suggest accessing negative information about sound is likely to trigger annoyance, particularly in noise sensitive people and, importantly, portraying sound positively may reduce annoyance reactions, even in noise sensitive individuals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Artificial intelligence techniques used in respiratory sound analysis--a systematic review.

PubMed

Palaniappan, Rajkumar; Sundaraj, Kenneth; Sundaraj, Sebastian

2014-02-01

Artificial intelligence (AI) has recently been established as an alternative method to many conventional methods. The implementation of AI techniques for respiratory sound analysis can assist medical professionals in the diagnosis of lung pathologies. This article highlights the importance of AI techniques in the implementation of computer-based respiratory sound analysis. Articles on computer-based respiratory sound analysis using AI techniques were identified by searches conducted on various electronic resources, such as the IEEE, Springer, Elsevier, PubMed, and ACM digital library databases. Brief descriptions of the types of respiratory sounds and their respective characteristics are provided. We then analyzed each of the previous studies to determine the specific respiratory sounds/pathology analyzed, the number of subjects, the signal processing method used, the AI techniques used, and the performance of the AI technique used in the analysis of respiratory sounds. A detailed description of each of these studies is provided. In conclusion, this article provides recommendations for further advancements in respiratory sound analysis.

Seismic and Biological Sources of Ambient Ocean Sound

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freeman, Simon Eric

Sound is the most efficient radiation in the ocean. Sounds of seismic and biological origin contain information regarding the underlying processes that created them. A single hydrophone records summary time-frequency information from the volume within acoustic range. Beamforming using a hydrophone array additionally produces azimuthal estimates of sound sources. A two-dimensional array and acoustic focusing produce an unambiguous two-dimensional `image' of sources. This dissertation describes the application of these techniques in three cases. The first utilizes hydrophone arrays to investigate T-phases (water-borne seismic waves) in the Philippine Sea. Ninety T-phases were recorded over a 12-day period, implying a greater number of seismic events occur than are detected by terrestrial seismic monitoring in the region. Observation of an azimuthally migrating T-phase suggests that reverberation of such sounds from bathymetric features can occur over megameter scales. In the second case, single hydrophone recordings from coral reefs in the Line Islands archipelago reveal that local ambient reef sound is spectrally similar to sounds produced by small, hard-shelled benthic invertebrates in captivity. Time-lapse photography of the reef reveals an increase in benthic invertebrate activity at sundown, consistent with an increase in sound level. The dominant acoustic phenomenon on these reefs may thus originate from the interaction between a large number of small invertebrates and the substrate. Such sounds could be used to take census of hard-shelled benthic invertebrates that are otherwise extremely difficult to survey. A two-dimensional `map' of sound production over a coral reef in the Hawaiian Islands was obtained using two-dimensional hydrophone array in the third case. Heterogeneously distributed bio-acoustic sources were generally co-located with rocky reef areas. Acoustically dominant snapping shrimp were largely restricted to one location within the area surveyed

Drying characteristics and quality of rough rice under infrared radiation heating

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Infrared (IR) radiation heating could provide high heating rate and rapid moisture removal for rough rice drying. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of the drying bed thickness on drying characteristics and quality of rough rice subjected to IR heating. Samples of freshly ...

A study of air-to-ground sound propagation using an instrumented meteorological tower

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kasper, P. K.; Pappa, R. S.; Keefe, L. R.; Sutherland, L. C.

1975-01-01

The results of an exploratory NASA study, leading to a better understanding of the effects of meteorological conditions on the propagation of aircraft noise, are reported. The experimental program utilized a known sound source fixed atop an instrumented meteorological tower. The basic experimental scheme consisted of measuring the amplitude of sound radiated toward the ground along a line of microphones fixed to a tower guy wire. Experimental results show the feasibility of this approach in the acquisition of data indicating the variations encountered in the time-averaged and instantaneous amplitudes of propagated sound. The investigation included a consideration of ground reflections, a comparison of measured attenuations with predicted atmospheric absorption losses, and an evaluation of the amplitude fluctuations of recorded sound pressures.

Blind separation of incoherent and spatially disjoint sound sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Bin; Antoni, Jérôme; Pereira, Antonio; Kellermann, Walter

2016-11-01

Blind separation of sound sources aims at reconstructing the individual sources which contribute to the overall radiation of an acoustical field. The challenge is to reach this goal using distant measurements when all sources are operating concurrently. The working assumption is usually that the sources of interest are incoherent - i.e. statistically orthogonal - so that their separation can be approached by decorrelating a set of simultaneous measurements, which amounts to diagonalizing the cross-spectral matrix. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is traditionally used to this end. This paper reports two new findings in this context. First, a sufficient condition is established under which "virtual" sources returned by PCA coincide with true sources; it stipulates that the sources of interest should be not only incoherent but also spatially orthogonal. A particular case of this instance is met by spatially disjoint sources - i.e. with non-overlapping support sets. Second, based on this finding, a criterion that enforces both statistical and spatial orthogonality is proposed to blindly separate incoherent sound sources which radiate from disjoint domains. This criterion can be easily incorporated into acoustic imaging algorithms such as beamforming or acoustical holography to identify sound sources of different origins. The proposed methodology is validated on laboratory experiments. In particular, the separation of aeroacoustic sources is demonstrated in a wind tunnel.

The Opponent Channel Population Code of Sound Location Is an Efficient Representation of Natural Binaural Sounds

PubMed Central

Młynarski, Wiktor

2015-01-01

In mammalian auditory cortex, sound source position is represented by a population of broadly tuned neurons whose firing is modulated by sounds located at all positions surrounding the animal. Peaks of their tuning curves are concentrated at lateral position, while their slopes are steepest at the interaural midline, allowing for the maximum localization accuracy in that area. These experimental observations contradict initial assumptions that the auditory space is represented as a topographic cortical map. It has been suggested that a “panoramic” code has evolved to match specific demands of the sound localization task. This work provides evidence suggesting that properties of spatial auditory neurons identified experimentally follow from a general design principle- learning a sparse, efficient representation of natural stimuli. Natural binaural sounds were recorded and served as input to a hierarchical sparse-coding model. In the first layer, left and right ear sounds were separately encoded by a population of complex-valued basis functions which separated phase and amplitude. Both parameters are known to carry information relevant for spatial hearing. Monaural input converged in the second layer, which learned a joint representation of amplitude and interaural phase difference. Spatial selectivity of each second-layer unit was measured by exposing the model to natural sound sources recorded at different positions. Obtained tuning curves match well tuning characteristics of neurons in the mammalian auditory cortex. This study connects neuronal coding of the auditory space with natural stimulus statistics and generates new experimental predictions. Moreover, results presented here suggest that cortical regions with seemingly different functions may implement the same computational strategy-efficient coding. PMID:25996373

Temperature characteristics of the radiation detector using TlBr crystals

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shoji, T.; Hitomi, K.; Muroi, O.

1999-12-01

The radiation detector was fabricated from the TlBr crystals grown by TMZ (traveling molten zone) method and the FWHM and transit time of electrons and holes were measured as a function of temperature. The TlBr radiation detector shows the best response characteristics at about 313 K (3.19K{sup {sm{underscore}bullet}1}) in cases where holes mainly contributed to the output pulses. However, in the temperatures higher than 300 K (2.22 K{sup {sm{underscore}bullet}1}), the FWHM for {sup 241}Am {alpha}-particles (5.498 MeV) becomes worse. An activation energy of about 0.90eV has been deduced from the resistivity measurement.

Problems in nonlinear acoustics: Scattering of sound by sound, parametric receiving arrays, nonlinear effects in asymmetric sound beams and pulsed finite amplitude sound beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamilton, Mark F.

1989-08-01

Four projects are discussed in this annual summary report, all of which involve basic research in nonlinear acoustics: Scattering of Sound by Sound, a theoretical study of two nonconlinear Gaussian beams which interact to produce sum and difference frequency sound; Parametric Receiving Arrays, a theoretical study of parametric reception in a reverberant environment; Nonlinear Effects in Asymmetric Sound Beams, a numerical study of two dimensional finite amplitude sound fields; and Pulsed Finite Amplitude Sound Beams, a numerical time domain solution of the KZK equation.

Sound absorption of a new oblique-section acoustic metamaterial with nested resonator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Nansha; Hou, Hong; Zhang, Yanni; Wu, Jiu Hui

2018-02-01

This study designs and investigates high-efficiency sound absorption of new oblique-section nested resonators. Impedance tube experiment results show that different combinations of oblique-section nest resonators have tunable low-frequency bandwidth characteristics. The sound absorption mechanism is due to air friction losses in the slotted region and the sample structure resonance. The acousto-electric analogy model demonstrates that the sound absorption peak and bandwidth can be modulated over an even wider frequency range by changing the geometric size and combinations of structures. The proposed structure can be easily fabricated and used in low-frequency sound absorption applications.

Polarization characteristics of radiation in both 'light' and conventional undulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potylitsyn, A. P.; Kolchuzhkin, A. M.; Strokov, S. A.

2017-07-01

As a rule, an intensity spectrum of undulator radiation (UR) is calculated by using the classical approach, even for electron energy higher than 10 GeV. Such a spectrum is determined by an electron trajectory in an undulator while neglecting radiation loss. Using Planck's law, the UR photon spectrum can be calculated from the obtained intensity spectrum, for both linear and nonlinear regimes. The electron radiation process in a field of strong electromagnetic waves is considered within the quantum electrodynamics framework, using the Compton scattering process or radiation in a 'light' undulator. A comparison was made of the results from using these two approaches, for UR spectra generated by 250-GeV electrons in an undulator with a 11.5-mm period; this comparison shows that they coincide with high accuracy. The characteristics of the collimated UR beam (i.e. spectrum and circular polarization) were simulated while taking into account the discrete process of photon emission along an electron trajectory in both undulator types. Both spectral photon distributions and polarization dependence on photon energy are 'smoothed', in comparison to that expected for a long undulator-the latter of which considers the ILC positron source (ILC Technical Design Report).

77 FR 36260 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Puget Sound Recreational Shellfish Harvesting...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-18

... characteristics of recreational shellfish harvesting participants; (2) The economic value of access to Puget Sound... reasons, and how these actions affect the value of shellfish harvesting. The Puget Sound Recreational Shellfish Harvesting Project (PSRSHP) will provide critical economic data related to recreational shellfish...

Broadband sound blocking in phononic crystals with rotationally symmetric inclusions.

PubMed

Lee, Joong Seok; Yoo, Sungmin; Ahn, Young Kwan; Kim, Yoon Young

2015-09-01

This paper investigates the feasibility of broadband sound blocking with rotationally symmetric extensible inclusions introduced in phononic crystals. By varying the size of four equally shaped inclusions gradually, the phononic crystal experiences remarkable changes in its band-stop properties, such as shifting/widening of multiple Bragg bandgaps and evolution to resonance gaps. Necessary extensions of the inclusions to block sound effectively can be determined for given incident frequencies by evaluating power transmission characteristics. By arraying finite dissimilar unit cells, the resulting phononic crystal exhibits broadband sound blocking from combinational effects of multiple Bragg scattering and local resonances even with small-numbered cells.

Reported radiation overexposure accidents worldwide, 1980-2013: a systematic review.

PubMed

Coeytaux, Karen; Bey, Eric; Christensen, Doran; Glassman, Erik S; Murdock, Becky; Doucet, Christelle

2015-01-01

Radiation overexposure accidents are rare but can have severe long-term health consequences. Although underreporting can be an issue, some extensive literature reviews of reported radiation overexposures have been performed and constitute a sound basis for conclusions on general trends. Building further on this work, we performed a systematic review that completes previous reviews and provides new information on characteristics and trends of reported radiation accidents. We searched publications and reports from MEDLINE, EMBASE, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the International Radiation Protection Association, the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site radiation accident registry over 1980-2013. We retrieved the reported overexposure cases, systematically extracted selected information, and performed a descriptive analysis. 297 out of 5189 publications and reports and 194 records from the REAC/TS registry met our eligibility criteria. From these, 634 reported radiation accidents were retrieved, involving 2390 overexposed people, of whom 190 died from their overexposure. The number of reported cases has decreased for all types of radiation use, but the medical one. 64% of retrieved overexposure cases occurred with the use of radiation therapy and fluoroscopy. Additionally, the types of reported accidents differed significantly across regions. This review provides an updated and broader view of reported radiation overexposures. It suggests an overall decline in reported radiation overexposures over 1980-2013. The greatest share of reported overexposures occurred in the medical fields using radiation therapy and fluoroscopy; this larger number of reported overexposures accidents indicates the potential need for enhanced quality assurance programs. Our data also highlights variations in characteristics of reported

A RADIATION TRANSFER SOLVER FOR ATHENA USING SHORT CHARACTERISTICS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Davis, Shane W.; Stone, James M.; Jiang Yanfei

2012-03-01

We describe the implementation of a module for the Athena magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) code that solves the time-independent, multi-frequency radiative transfer (RT) equation on multidimensional Cartesian simulation domains, including scattering and non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) effects. The module is based on well known and well tested algorithms developed for modeling stellar atmospheres, including the method of short characteristics to solve the RT equation, accelerated Lambda iteration to handle scattering and non-LTE effects, and parallelization via domain decomposition. The module serves several purposes: it can be used to generate spectra and images, to compute a variable Eddington tensor (VET) for full radiationmore » MHD simulations, and to calculate the heating and cooling source terms in the MHD equations in flows where radiation pressure is small compared with gas pressure. For the latter case, the module is combined with the standard MHD integrators using operator splitting: we describe this approach in detail, including a new constraint on the time step for stability due to radiation diffusion modes. Implementation of the VET method for radiation pressure dominated flows is described in a companion paper. We present results from a suite of test problems for both the RT solver itself and for dynamical problems that include radiative heating and cooling. These tests demonstrate that the radiative transfer solution is accurate and confirm that the operator split method is stable, convergent, and efficient for problems of interest. We demonstrate there is no need to adopt ad hoc assumptions of questionable accuracy to solve RT problems in concert with MHD: the computational cost for our general-purpose module for simple (e.g., LTE gray) problems can be comparable to or less than a single time step of Athena's MHD integrators, and only few times more expensive than that for more general (non-LTE) problems.« less

The mechanical forces in katydid sound production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Huaping; Chiu, Cheng-Wei; Zhou, Yan; He, Xingliang; Epstein, Ben; Liang, Hong

2013-10-01

Katydids and crickets generate their characteristic calling sound by rubbing their wings together. The mechanisms of the rubbing force, however, have not been extensively studied. The change of mechanical force with external parameters (speed and applied load) in the stridulation process has not been reported. Our current study aims to investigate the mechanical forces of katydid stridulation. Four pairs of files and plectrums from a katydid, which are responsible for the katydid's sound production, were examined with a specially designed experimental configuration. Due to the asymmetric nature of the wing motion in their opening and closing, the contact between the plectrum and file resembles that of a ratchet. Multiple frequencies were generated during experimental wing rubbing so that a calling-like sound was produced. Results showed that the morphology of the plectrum/file contact has significant effects on mechanical forces induced on the wings and resulting sound production. The roles of the mechanical forces include sound generation, tone modification, and energy consumption. The findings in this work reveal the variation trend of mechanical force with sliding speed and applied load. The frequency and amplitude of the sound wave produced in tribo-test are close to those in natural condition. By mimicking the microstructure of the plectrum and file teeth, acoustic instruments with high mechanical energy conversion rate can be developed. Our results provide new approaches in the design and improvement of micro-machines for acoustic applications, as well as in hybrid robotic systems.

Gamma radiation influence on technological characteristics of wheat flour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teixeira, Christian A. H. M.; Inamura, Patricia Y.; Uehara, Vanessa B.; Mastro, Nelida L. d.

2012-08-01

This study aimed at determining the influence of gamma radiation on technological characteristics of wheat (Triticum sativum) flour and physical properties of pan breads made with this flour. The bread formulation included wheat flour, water, milk, salt, sugar, yeast and butter. The α-amylase activity of wheat flour irradiated with 1, 3 and 9 kGy in a Gammacell 220 (AECL), one day, five days and one month after irradiation was evaluated. Deformation force, height and weight of breads prepared with the irradiated flour were also determined. The enzymatic activity increased—reduction of falling number time—as radiation dose increased, their values being 397 s (0 kGy), 388 s (1 kGy), 343 s (3 kGy) and 293 s (9 kGy) respectively, remaining almost constant over the period of one month. Pan breads prepared with irradiated wheat flour showed increased weight. Texture analysis showed that bread made of irradiated flour presented an increase in maximum deformation force. The results indicate that wheat flour ionizing radiation processing may confer increased enzymatic activity on bread making and depending on the irradiation dose, an increase in weight, height and deformation force parameters of pan breads made of it.

Ultrasonic Power Output Measurement by Pulsed Radiation Pressure

PubMed Central

Fick, Steven E.; Breckenridge, Franklin R.

1996-01-01

Direct measurements of time-averaged spatially integrated output power radiated into reflectionless water loads can be made with high accuracy using techniques which exploit the radiation pressure exerted by sound on all objects in its path. With an absorptive target arranged to intercept the entirety of an ultrasound beam, total beam power can be determined as accurately as the radiation force induced on the target can be measured in isolation from confounding forces due to buoyancy, streaming, surface tension, and vibration. Pulse modulation of the incident ultrasound at a frequency well above those characteristics of confounding phenomena provides the desired isolation and other significant advantages in the operation of the radiation force balance (RFB) constructed in 1974. Equipped with purpose-built transducers and electronics, the RFB is adjusted to equate the radiation force and a counterforce generated by an actuator calibrated against reference masses using direct current as the transfer variable. Improvements made during its one overhaul in 1988 have nearly halved its overall measurement uncertainty and extended the capabilities of the RFB to include measuring the output of ultrasonic systems with arbitrary pulse waveforms. PMID:27805084

Experimental investigation of sound absorption of acoustic wedges for anechoic chambers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belyaev, I. V.; Golubev, A. Yu.; Zverev, A. Ya.; Makashov, S. Yu.; Palchikovskiy, V. V.; Sobolev, A. F.; Chernykh, V. V.

2015-09-01

The results of measuring the sound absorption by acoustic wedges, which were performed in AC-3 and AC-11 reverberation chambers at the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI), are presented. Wedges of different densities manufactured from superfine basaltic and thin mineral fibers were investigated. The results of tests of these wedges were compared to the sound absorption of wedges of the operating AC-2 anechoic facility at TsAGI. It is shown that basaltic-fiber wedges have better sound-absorption characteristics than the investigated analogs and can be recommended for facing anechoic facilities under construction.

Multimodal far-field acoustic radiation pattern: An approximate equation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rice, E. J.

1977-01-01

The far-field sound radiation theory for a circular duct was studied for both single mode and multimodal inputs. The investigation was intended to develop a method to determine the acoustic power produced by turbofans as a function of mode cut-off ratio. With reasonable simplifying assumptions the single mode radiation pattern was shown to be reducible to a function of mode cut-off ratio only. With modal cut-off ratio as the dominant variable, multimodal radiation patterns can be reduced to a simple explicit expression. This approximate expression provides excellent agreement with an exact calculation of the sound radiation pattern using equal acoustic power per mode.

Breath sounds

MedlinePlus

The lung sounds are best heard with a stethoscope. This is called auscultation. Normal lung sounds occur ... the bottom of the rib cage. Using a stethoscope, the doctor may hear normal breathing sounds, decreased ...

What the Toadfish Ear Tells the Toadfish Brain About Sound.

PubMed

Edds-Walton, Peggy L

2016-01-01

Of the three, paired otolithic endorgans in the ear of teleost fishes, the saccule is the one most often demonstrated to have a major role in encoding frequencies of biologically relevant sounds. The toadfish saccule also encodes sound level and sound source direction in the phase-locked activity conveyed via auditory afferents to nuclei of the ipsilateral octaval column in the medulla. Although paired auditory receptors are present in teleost fishes, binaural processes were believed to be unimportant due to the speed of sound in water and the acoustic transparency of the tissues in water. In contrast, there are behavioral and anatomical data that support binaural processing in fishes. Studies in the toadfish combined anatomical tract-tracing and physiological recordings from identified sites along the ascending auditory pathway to document response characteristics at each level. Binaural computations in the medulla and midbrain sharpen the directional information provided by the saccule. Furthermore, physiological studies in the central nervous system indicated that encoding frequency, sound level, temporal pattern, and sound source direction are important components of what the toadfish ear tells the toadfish brain about sound.

Experimental investigation of sound generation by a protuberance in a laminar boundary layer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kobayashi, M.; Asai, M.; Inasawa, A.

2014-08-15

Sound radiation from a two-dimensional protuberance glued on the wall in a laminar boundary layer was investigated experimentally at low Mach numbers. When the protuberance was as high as the boundary-layer thickness, a feedback-loop mechanism set in between protuberance-generated sound and Tollmien-Schlichting (T-S) waves generated by the leading-edge receptivity to the upstream-propagating sound. Although occurrence of a separation bubble immediately upstream of the protuberance played important roles in the evolution of instability waves into vortices interacting with the protuberance, the frequency of tonal vortex sound was determined by the selective amplification of T-S waves in the linear instability stage upstreammore » of the separation bubble and was not affected by the instability of the separation bubble.« less

Sound production and mechanism in Heniochus chrysostomus (Chaetodontidae).

PubMed

Parmentier, Eric; Boyle, Kelly S; Berten, Laetitia; Brié, Christophe; Lecchini, David

2011-08-15

The diversity in calls and sonic mechanisms appears to be important in Chaetodontidae. Calls in Chaetodon multicinctus seem to include tail slap, jump, pelvic fin flick and dorsal-anal fin erection behaviors. Pulsatile sounds are associated with dorsal elevation of the head, anterior extension of the ventral pectoral girdle and dorsal elevation of the caudal skeleton in Forcipiger flavissiumus. In Hemitaurichthys polylepis, extrinsic swimbladder muscles could be involved in sounds originating from the swimbladder and correspond to the inward buckling of tissues situated dorsally in front of the swimbladder. These examples suggest that this mode of communication could be present in other members of the family. Sounds made by the pennant bannerfish (Heniochus chrysostomus) were recorded for the first time on coral reefs and when fish were hand held. In hand-held fishes, three types of calls were recorded: isolated pulses (51%), trains of four to 11 pulses (19%) and trains preceded by an isolated pulse (29%). Call frequencies were harmonic and had a fundamental frequency between 130 and 180 Hz. The fundamental frequency, sound amplitude and sound duration were not related to fish size. Data from morphology, sound analysis and electromyography recordings highlight that the calls are made by extrinsic sonic drumming muscles in association with the articulated bones of the ribcage. The pennant bannerfish system differs from other Chaetodontidae in terms of sound characteristics, associated body movements and, consequently, mechanism.

Modal sound transmission loss of a single leaf panel: Effects of inter-modal coupling.

PubMed

Wang, Chong

2015-06-01

Sound transmission through a single leaf panel has mostly been discussed and explained by using the approaching wave concept, from which the well-known mass law can be derived. In this paper, the modal behavior in sound transmission coefficients is explored, and it is shown that the mutual modal radiation impedances in modal sound transmission coefficients may not be ignored even for a panel immersed in a light fluid. By introducing the equivalent modal impedance which incorporates the inter-modal coupling effect, an analytical expression for the modal sound transmission coefficient is derived, and the overall sound transmission coefficient is simply a modal superposition of modal sound transmission coefficients. A good correlation is obtained between analytical calculation and boundary element method. In addition, it is found that inter-modal coupling has noticeable effects in modal sound transmission coefficients in the subsonic region but may be ignored as modes become supersonic. It is also shown that the well-known mass law performance is attributed to all the supersonic modes.

Research on fiber Bragg grating heart sound sensing and wavelength demodulation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Cheng; Miao, Chang-Yun; Gao, Hua; Gan, Jing-Meng; Li, Hong-Qiang

2010-11-01

Heart sound includes a lot of physiological and pathological information of heart and blood vessel. Heart sound detecting is an important method to gain the heart status, and has important significance to early diagnoses of cardiopathy. In order to improve sensitivity and reduce noise, a heart sound measurement method based on fiber Bragg grating was researched. By the vibration principle of plane round diaphragm, a heart sound sensor structure of fiber Bragg grating was designed and a heart sound sensing mathematical model was established. A formula of heart sound sensitivity was deduced and the theoretical sensitivity of the designed sensor is 957.11pm/KPa. Based on matched grating method, the experiment system was built, by which the excursion of reflected wavelength of the sensing grating was detected and the information of heart sound was obtained. Experiments show that the designed sensor can detect the heart sound and the reflected wavelength variety range is about 70pm. When the sampling frequency is 1 KHz, the extracted heart sound waveform by using the db4 wavelet has the same characteristics with a standard heart sound sensor.

Improvement of thermal radiation characteristic of AC servomotor using Al-CNT composite material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kikuchi, Y.; Wakiwaka, H.; Yanagihara, M.

2018-02-01

This study deals with a high thermal conductivity material of aluminum-carbon nanotube (CNT) composite with carbon fiber (CF) and the high radiation performance of AC servomotor using a stator made of nanotube composite material. The composite fabrication process was performed by melting a mixture of granular aluminum of less than 200 μm and CNT under conditions of pressed atmosphere at the same time. Two kinds of motors made using aluminum and the composite were evaluated to confirm the effect of thermal conductivity as the motor stator. A test rod of the composite with 14 wt% CF-7 wt% CNT-aluminum indicated the excellent thermal conductivity of 169 W/(mK) in the radial direction and 173 W/(mK) in the lengthwise direction. According to the obtained temperature radiation characteristic of the AC servomotor, the composite stator using CNT decreased the consumption energy to 16% compared to the conventional one. As a result, the highly efficient motor improved the radiation characteristic using the CNT composite stator.

Boundary element analyses for sound transmission loss of panels.

PubMed

Zhou, Ran; Crocker, Malcolm J

2010-02-01

The sound transmission characteristics of an aluminum panel and two composite sandwich panels were investigated by using two boundary element analyses. The effect of air loading on the structural behavior of the panels is included in one boundary element analysis, by using a light-fluid approximation for the eigenmode series to evaluate the structural response. In the other boundary element analysis, the air loading is treated as an added mass. The effect of the modal energy loss factor on the sound transmission loss of the panels was investigated. Both boundary element analyses were used to study the sound transmission loss of symmetric sandwich panels excited by a random incidence acoustic field. A classical wave impedance analysis was also used to make sound transmission loss predictions for the two foam-filled honeycomb sandwich panels. Comparisons between predictions of sound transmission loss for the two foam-filled honeycomb sandwich panels excited by a random incidence acoustic field obtained from the wave impedance analysis, the two boundary element analyses, and experimental measurements are presented.

General analytical approach for sound transmission loss analysis through a thick metamaterial plate

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oudich, Mourad; Zhou, Xiaoming; Badreddine Assouar, M., E-mail: Badreddine.Assouar@univ-lorraine.fr

We report theoretically and numerically on the sound transmission loss performance through a thick plate-type acoustic metamaterial made of spring-mass resonators attached to the surface of a homogeneous elastic plate. Two general analytical approaches based on plane wave expansion were developed to calculate both the sound transmission loss through the metamaterial plate (thick and thin) and its band structure. The first one can be applied to thick plate systems to study the sound transmission for any normal or oblique incident sound pressure. The second approach gives the metamaterial dispersion behavior to describe the vibrational motions of the plate, which helpsmore » to understand the physics behind sound radiation through air by the structure. Computed results show that high sound transmission loss up to 72 dB at 2 kHz is reached with a thick metamaterial plate while only 23 dB can be obtained for a simple homogeneous plate with the same thickness. Such plate-type acoustic metamaterial can be a very effective solution for high performance sound insulation and structural vibration shielding in the very low-frequency range.« less

Digital stethoscopes compared to standard auscultation for detecting abnormal paediatric breath sounds.

PubMed

Kevat, Ajay C; Kalirajah, Anaath; Roseby, Robert

2017-07-01

Our study aimed to objectively describe the audiological characteristics of wheeze and crackles in children by using digital stethoscope (DS) auscultation, as well as assess concordance between standard auscultation and two different DS devices in their ability to detect pathological breath sounds. Twenty children were auscultated by a paediatric consultant doctor and digitally recorded using the Littman™ 3200 Digital Electronic Stethoscope and a Clinicloud™ DS with smart device. Using spectrographic analysis, we found those with clinically described wheeze had prominent periodic waveform segments spanning expiration for a period of 0.03-1.2 s at frequencies of 100-1050 Hz, and occasionally spanning shorter inspiratory segments; paediatric crackles were brief discontinuous sounds with a distinguishing waveform. There was moderate concordance with respect to wheeze detection between digital and standard binaural stethoscopes, and 100% concordance for crackle detection. Importantly, DS devices were more sensitive than clinician auscultation in detecting wheeze in our study. Objective definition of audio characteristics of abnormal paediatric breath sounds was achieved using DS technology. We demonstrated superiority of our DS method compared to traditional auscultation for detection of wheeze. What is Known: • The audiological characteristics of abnormal breath sounds have been well-described in adult populations but not in children. • Inter-observer agreement for detection of pathological breath sounds using standard auscultation has been shown to be poor, but the clinical value of now easily available digital stethoscopes has not been sufficiently examined. What is New: • Digital stethoscopes can objectively define the nature of pathological breath sounds such as wheeze and crackles in children. • Paediatric wheeze was better detected by digital stethoscopes than by standard auscultation performed by an expert paediatric clinician.

Defect center characteristics of silica optical fiber material by gamma ray radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Wenyun; Xiao, Zhongyin; Wen, Jianxiang; Yin, Jianchong; Chen, Zhenyi; Wang, Zihua; Wang, Tingyun

2011-12-01

Defect centers play a major role in the radiation-induced transmission loss for silica optical fibers. We have investigated characteristics of the best known defect centers E' in silica optical fiber material irradiated with γ ray at room temperature, and measured by using electron spin resonance (ESR) and spectrophotometer. The results show that the defect concentrations increase linearly with radiation doses from 1kGy to 50kGy. We have established the mechanism models of radiation induced defect centers' formation. We have also studied the influences of thermal annealing on defect centers. The radiation induced defect centers can be efficiently decreased by thermal annealing. Particularly, the defect concentration is less than the initial one when the temperature of thermal annealing is over 500°C for our silica samples. These phenomena can also be explained by the optical absorption spectra we have obtained.

Analysis of different techniques to improve sound transmission loss in cylindrical shells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliazadeh, Pouria; Farshidianfar, Anooshiravan

2017-02-01

In this study, sound transmission through double- and triple-walled shells is investigated. The structure-acoustic equations based on Donnell's shell theory are presented and transmission losses calculated by this approach are compared with the transmission losses obtained according to Love's theory. An experimental set-up is also constructed to compare natural frequencies obtained from Donnell and Love's theories with experimental results in the high frequency region. Both comparisons show that Donnell's theory predicts the sound transmission characteristics and vibrational behavior better than Love's theory in the high frequency region. The transmission losses of the double- and triple-walled construction are then presented for various radii and thicknesses. Then the effects of air gap size as an important design parameter are studied. Sound transmission characteristics through a circular cylindrical shell are also computed along with consideration of the effects of material damping. Modest absorption is shown to greatly reduce the sound transmission at ring frequency and coincidence frequency. Also the effects of five common gases that are used for filling the gap are investigated.

Assessing the potential for passive radio sounding of Europa and Ganymede with RIME and REASON

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schroeder, Dustin M.; Romero-Wolf, Andrew; Carrer, Leonardo; Grima, Cyril; Campbell, Bruce A.; Kofman, Wlodek; Bruzzone, Lorenzo; Blankenship, Donald D.

2016-12-01

Recent work has raised the potential for Jupiter's decametric radiation to be used as a source for passive radio sounding of its icy moons. Two radar sounding instruments, the Radar for Icy Moon Exploration (RIME) and the Radar for Europa Assessment and Sounding: Ocean to Near-surface (REASON) have been selected for ESA and NASA missions to Ganymede and Europa. Here, we revisit the projected performance of the passive sounding concept and assess the potential for its implementation as an additional mode for RIME and REASON. We find that the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of passive sounding can approach or exceed that of active sounding in a noisy sub-Jovian environment, but that active sounding achieves a greater SNR in the presence of quiescent noise and outperforms passive sounding in terms of clutter. We also compare the performance of passive sounding at the 9 MHz HF center frequency of RIME and REASON to other frequencies within the Jovian decametric band. We conclude that the addition of a passive sounding mode on RIME or REASON stands to enhance their science return by enabling sub-Jovian HF sounding in the presence of decametric noise, but that there is not a compelling case for implementation at a different frequency.

Tropical Cloud Properties and Radiative Heating Profiles

DOE Data Explorer

Mather, James

2008-01-15

We have generated a suite of products that includes merged soundings, cloud microphysics, and radiative fluxes and heating profiles. The cloud microphysics is strongly based on the ARM Microbase value added product (Miller et al., 2003). We have made a few changes to the microbase parameterizations to address issues we observed in our initial analysis of the tropical data. The merged sounding product is not directly related to the product developed by ARM but is similar in that it uses the microwave radiometer to scale the radiosonde column water vapor. The radiative fluxes also differ from the ARM BBHRP (Broadband Heating Rate Profile) product in terms of the radiative transfer model and the sampling interval.

Acoustic characteristics of biosonar sounds of free-ranging botos (Inia geoffrensis) and tucuxis (Sotalia fluviatilis) in the Negro River, Amazon, Brazil.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Yukiko; Akamatsu, Tomonari; da Silva, Vera M F; Yoshida, Yayoi; Kohshima, Shiro

2015-08-01

Odontoceti emit broadband high-frequency clicks on echolocation for orientation or prey detection. In the Amazon Basin, two odontoceti species, boto (Amazon River dolphin, Inia geoffrensis) and tucuxi (Sotalia fluviatilis), live sympatrically. The acoustic characteristics of the echolocation clicks of free-ranging botos and tucuxis were measured with a hydrophone array consisting of a full-band and an acoustic event recorder (A-tag). The clicks of the two species were short-duration broadband signals. The apparent source level was 201 dB 1 μPa peak-to-peak at 1 m in the botos and 181 dB 1 μPa peak-to-peak at 1 m in the tucuxis, and the centroid frequency was 82.3 kHz in the botos and 93.1 kHz in the tucuxis. The high apparent source level and low centroid frequency are possibly due to the difference in body size or sound production organs, especially the nasal structure, the sound source of clicks in odontoceti.

Aerodynamic sound generation of flapping wing.

PubMed

Bae, Youngmin; Moon, Young J

2008-07-01

The unsteady flow and acoustic characteristics of the flapping wing are numerically investigated for a two-dimensional model of Bombus terrestris bumblebee at hovering and forward flight conditions. The Reynolds number Re, based on the maximum translational velocity of the wing and the chord length, is 8800 and the Mach number M is 0.0485. The computational results show that the flapping wing sound is generated by two different sound generation mechanisms. A primary dipole tone is generated at wing beat frequency by the transverse motion of the wing, while other higher frequency dipole tones are produced via vortex edge scattering during a tangential motion. It is also found that the primary tone is directional because of the torsional angle in wing motion. These features are only distinct for hovering, while in forward flight condition, the wing-vortex interaction becomes more prominent due to the free stream effect. Thereby, the sound pressure level spectrum is more broadband at higher frequencies and the frequency compositions become similar in all directions.

Letter-Sound Reading: Teaching Preschool Children Print-to-Sound Processing

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

This intervention study investigated the growth of letter sound reading and growth of consonant–vowel–consonant (CVC) word decoding abilities for a representative sample of 41 US children in preschool settings. Specifically, the study evaluated the effectiveness of a 3-step letter-sound teaching intervention in teaching pre-school children to decode, or read, single letters. The study compared a control group, which received the preschool’s standard letter-sound instruction, to an intervention group which received a 3-step letter-sound instruction intervention. The children’s growth in letter-sound reading and CVC word decoding abilities were assessed at baseline and 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks. When compared to the control group, the growth of letter-sound reading ability was slightly higher for the intervention group. The rate of increase in letter-sound reading was significantly faster for the intervention group. In both groups, too few children learned to decode any CVC words to allow for analysis. Results of this study support the use of the intervention strategy in preschools for teaching children print-to-sound processing. PMID:26839494

About sound mufflers sound-absorbing panels aircraft engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dudarev, A. S.; Bulbovich, R. V.; Svirshchev, V. I.

2016-10-01

The article provides a formula for calculating the frequency of sound absorbed panel with a perforated wall. And although the sound absorbing structure is a set of resonators Helmholtz, not individual resonators should be considered in acoustic calculations, and all the perforated wall panel. The analysis, showing how the parameters affect the size and sound-absorbing structures in the absorption rate.

Sound Propagation in Shallow Water with an Inhomogeneous GAS-Saturated Bottom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grigor'ev, V. A.; Petnikov, V. G.; Roslyakov, A. G.; Terekhina, Ya. E.

2018-05-01

We present the methods and results of numerical experiments studying the low-frequency sound propagation in one of the areas of the Arctic shelf with a randomly inhomogeneous gas-saturated bottom. The characteristics of the upper layer of bottom sedimentary rocks (sediments) used in calculations were obtained during a 3D seismic survey and trial drilling of the seafloor. We demonstrate the possibilities of substituting in numerical simulation a real bottom with a fluid homogeneous half-space where the effective value of the sound speed is equal to the average sound speed in the bottom, with averaging along the sound propagation path to a sediment depth of 0.6 wavelength in the bottom. An original technique is proposed for estimating the sound speed propagation in an upper inhomogeneous sediment layer. The technique is based on measurements of acoustic wave attenuation in water during waveguide propagation.

Effects of sounding temperature assimilation on weather forecasting - Model dependence studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ghil, M.; Halem, M.; Atlas, R.

1979-01-01

In comparing various methods for the assimilation of remote sounding information into numerical weather prediction (NWP) models, the problem of model dependence for the different results obtained becomes important. The paper investigates two aspects of the model dependence question: (1) the effect of increasing horizontal resolution within a given model on the assimilation of sounding data, and (2) the effect of using two entirely different models with the same assimilation method and sounding data. Tentative conclusions reached are: first, that model improvement as exemplified by increased resolution, can act in the same direction as judicious 4-D assimilation of remote sounding information, to improve 2-3 day numerical weather forecasts. Second, that the time continuous 4-D methods developed at GLAS have similar beneficial effects when used in the assimilation of remote sounding information into NWP models with very different numerical and physical characteristics.

Method of sound synthesis

DOEpatents

Miner, Nadine E.; Caudell, Thomas P.

2004-06-08

A sound synthesis method for modeling and synthesizing dynamic, parameterized sounds. The sound synthesis method yields perceptually convincing sounds and provides flexibility through model parameterization. By manipulating model parameters, a variety of related, but perceptually different sounds can be generated. The result is subtle changes in sounds, in addition to synthesis of a variety of sounds, all from a small set of models. The sound models can change dynamically according to changes in the simulation environment. The method is applicable to both stochastic (impulse-based) and non-stochastic (pitched) sounds.

Effects of finite ground plane on the radiation characteristics of a circular patch antenna

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharyya, Arun K.

1990-02-01

An analytical technique to determine the effects of finite ground plane on the radiation characteristics of a microstrip antenna is presented. The induced currents on the ground plane and on the upper surface of the patch are determined from the discontinuity of the near field produced by the equivalent magnetic current source on the physical aperture of the patch. The radiated fields contributed by the induced current on the ground plane and the equivalent sources on the physical aperture yield the radiation pattern of the antenna. Radiation patterns of the circular patch with finite ground plane size are computed and compared with the experimental data, and the agreement is found to be good. The radiation pattern, directive gain, and input impedance are found to vary widely with the ground plane size.

Radiation characteristics of input power from surface wave sustained plasma antenna

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Naito, T., E-mail: Naito.Teruki@bc.MitsubishiElectric.co.jp; Yamaura, S.; Fukuma, Y.

This paper reports radiation characteristics of input power from a surface wave sustained plasma antenna investigated theoretically and experimentally, especially focusing on the power consumption balance between the plasma generation and the radiation. The plasma antenna is a dielectric tube filled with argon and small amount of mercury, and the structure is a basic quarter wavelength monopole antenna at 2.45 GHz. Microwave power at 2.45 GHz is supplied to the plasma antenna. The input power is partially consumed to sustain the plasma, and the remaining part is radiated as a signal. The relationship between the antenna gain and the input powermore » is obtained by an analytical derivation and numerical simulations. As a result, the antenna gain is kept at low values, and most of the input power is consumed to increase the plasma volume until the tube is filled with the plasma whose electron density is higher than the critical electron density required for sustaining the surface wave. On the other hand, the input power is consumed to increase the electron density after the tube is fully filled with the plasma, and the antenna gain increases with increasing the electron density. The dependence of the antenna gain on the electron density is the same as that of a plasma antenna sustained by a DC glow discharge. These results are confirmed by experimental results of the antenna gain and radiation patterns. The antenna gain of the plasma is a few dB smaller than that of the identical metal antenna. The antenna gain of the plasma antenna is sufficient for the wireless communication, although it is difficult to substitute the plasma antenna for metal antennas completely. The plasma antenna is suitable for applications having high affinity with the plasma characteristics such as low interference and dynamic controllability.« less

Opo lidar sounding of trace atmospheric gases in the 3 - 4 μm spectral range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romanovskii, Oleg A.; Sadovnikov, Sergey A.; Kharchenko, Olga V.; Yakovlev, Semen V.

2018-04-01

The applicability of a KTA crystal-based laser system with optical parametric oscillators (OPO) generation to lidar sounding of the atmosphere in the spectral range 3-4 μm is studied in this work. A technique developed for lidar sounding of trace atmospheric gases (TAG) is based on differential absorption lidar (DIAL) method and differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS). The DIAL-DOAS technique is tested to estimate its efficiency for lidar sounding of atmospheric trace gases. The numerical simulation performed shows that a KTA-based OPO laser is a promising source of radiation for remote DIAL-DOAS sounding of the TAGs under study along surface tropospheric paths. A possibility of using a PD38-03-PR photodiode for the DIAL gas analysis of the atmosphere is shown.

Wave Characteristics of Temperature Inversion Process of Nighttime Radiation,

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-12-09

CHARACTERISTICS OF TEMPERATURE INVERSION PROCESS OF NIGHTTIME RADIATION By: Zhou Mingyu and Zhang ¥i English pages: 8 Source: Kexue Tongbao, 1982, pp. 156...lJournal of Meteorology], 39 (1981), 1:70-81. 3. Drazin, P. G., J. Fluid. Mech., 4 (1958), 214-224. 4. Zhou Mingyu et al., QIXIANG XUEBAO, 38 (1980), 3: 250...258. 5. Emnanuel, C. B., B-L. Meteor., 5(1973), N(1/2)8 19-27. 6. Zhou Mingyu et al., J. Acoust. Soc., A. m., 68 (1980), 1: 303-308. 8 I iI

Numerical research of dynamic characteristics in tower solar cavity receiver based on step-change radiation flux

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhengwei; Wang, Yueshe; Hao, Yun; Wang, Qizhi

2013-07-01

The solar cavity receiver is an important light-energy to thermal-energy convector in the tower solar thermal power plant system. The heat flux in the inner surface of the cavity will show the characteristics of non-continuous step change especially in non-normal and transient weather conditions, which may result in a continuous dynamic variation of the characteristic parameters. Therefore, the research of dynamic characteristics of the receiver plays a very important role in the operation and the control safely in solar cavity receiver system. In this paper, based on the non-continuous step change of radiation flux, a non-linear dynamic model is put forward to obtain the effects of the non-continuous step change radiation flux and step change feed water flow on the receiver performance by sequential modular approach. The subject investigated in our study is a 1MW solar power station constructed in Yanqing County, Beijing. This study has obtained the dynamic responses of the characteristic parameters in the cavity receiver, such as drum pressure, drum water level, main steam flow and main steam enthalpy under step change radiation flux. And the influence law of step-change feed water flow to the dynamic characteristics in the receiver also has been analyzed. The results have a reference value for the safe operation and the control in solar cavity receiver system.

The hearing threshold of a harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) for impulsive sounds (L).

PubMed

Kastelein, Ronald A; Gransier, Robin; Hoek, Lean; de Jong, Christ A F

2012-08-01

The distance at which harbor porpoises can hear underwater detonation sounds is unknown, but depends, among other factors, on the hearing threshold of the species for impulsive sounds. Therefore, the underwater hearing threshold of a young harbor porpoise for an impulsive sound, designed to mimic a detonation pulse, was quantified by using a psychophysical technique. The synthetic exponential pulse with a 5 ms time constant was produced and transmitted by an underwater projector in a pool. The resulting underwater sound, though modified by the response of the projection system and by the pool, exhibited the characteristic features of detonation sounds: A zero to peak sound pressure level of at least 30 dB (re 1 s(-1)) higher than the sound exposure level, and a short duration (34 ms). The animal's 50% detection threshold for this impulsive sound occurred at a received unweighted broadband sound exposure level of 60 dB re 1 μPa(2)s. It is shown that the porpoise's audiogram for short-duration tonal signals [Kastelein et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 128, 3211-3222 (2010)] can be used to estimate its hearing threshold for impulsive sounds.

PROTAX-Sound: A probabilistic framework for automated animal sound identification.

PubMed

de Camargo, Ulisses Moliterno; Somervuo, Panu; Ovaskainen, Otso

2017-01-01

Autonomous audio recording is stimulating new field in bioacoustics, with a great promise for conducting cost-effective species surveys. One major current challenge is the lack of reliable classifiers capable of multi-species identification. We present PROTAX-Sound, a statistical framework to perform probabilistic classification of animal sounds. PROTAX-Sound is based on a multinomial regression model, and it can utilize as predictors any kind of sound features or classifications produced by other existing algorithms. PROTAX-Sound combines audio and image processing techniques to scan environmental audio files. It identifies regions of interest (a segment of the audio file that contains a vocalization to be classified), extracts acoustic features from them and compares with samples in a reference database. The output of PROTAX-Sound is the probabilistic classification of each vocalization, including the possibility that it represents species not present in the reference database. We demonstrate the performance of PROTAX-Sound by classifying audio from a species-rich case study of tropical birds. The best performing classifier achieved 68% classification accuracy for 200 bird species. PROTAX-Sound improves the classification power of current techniques by combining information from multiple classifiers in a manner that yields calibrated classification probabilities.

Detailed Characteristics of Radiation Belt Electrons Revealed by CSSWE/REPTile Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, K.; Li, X.; Schiller, Q.; Gerhardt, D. T.; Millan, R. M.

2016-12-01

The outer radiation belt electrons are highly dynamic. We study the detailed characteristics of the relativistic electrons in the outer belt using measurements from the Colorado Student Space Weather Experiment (CSSWE) mission, a low Earth orbit Cubesat, which transverses the radiation belt four times in one orbit ( 1.5 hr) and has the advantage of measuring the dynamic activities of the electrons including their rapid precipitations. Among the features of the relativistic electrons, we show the measured electron distribution as a function of geomagnetic activities and local magnetic field strength. Moreover, a specific precipitation band, which happened on 19 Jan 2013, is investigated based on the conjunctive measurement of CSSWE and the Balloon Array for Radiation belt Relativistic Electron Losses (BARREL). In this precipitation band event, the net loss of the 0.58 1.63 MeV electrons (L=3.5 6) is estimated to account for 6.84% of the total electron content.

Perfect sound insulation property of reclaimed waste tire rubber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ubaidillah, Harjana, Yahya, Iwan; Kristiani, Restu; Muqowi, Eki; Mazlan, Saiful Amri

2016-03-01

This article reports an experimental investigation of sound insulation and absorption performance of a materials made of reclaimed ground tire rubber which is known as un-recyclable thermoset. The bulk waste tire is processed using single step recycling methods namely high-pressure high-temperature sintering (HPHTS). The bulk waste tire is simply placed into a mold and then a pressure load of 3 tons and a heating temperature of 200°C are applied to the mold. The HPHTS conducted for an hour and then it is cooled in room temperature. The resulted product is then evaluated the acoustical properties namely sound transmission loss (STL) and sound absorption coefficient using B&K Tube Kit Type 4206-T based on ISO 10534-2, ASTM E1050 and ASTM E2611. The sound absorption coefficient is found about 0.04 until 0.08 while STL value ranges between 50 to 60 dB. The sound absorption values are found to be very low (<0.1), while the average STL is higher than other elastomeric matrix found in previous work. The reclaimed tire rubber through HPHTS technique gives good soundproof characteristic.

Analysis of swallowing sounds using hidden Markov models.

PubMed

Aboofazeli, Mohammad; Moussavi, Zahra

2008-04-01

In recent years, acoustical analysis of the swallowing mechanism has received considerable attention due to its diagnostic potentials. This paper presents a hidden Markov model (HMM) based method for the swallowing sound segmentation and classification. Swallowing sound signals of 15 healthy and 11 dysphagic subjects were studied. The signals were divided into sequences of 25 ms segments each of which were represented by seven features. The sequences of features were modeled by HMMs. Trained HMMs were used for segmentation of the swallowing sounds into three distinct phases, i.e., initial quiet period, initial discrete sounds (IDS) and bolus transit sounds (BTS). Among the seven features, accuracy of segmentation by the HMM based on multi-scale product of wavelet coefficients was higher than that of the other HMMs and the linear prediction coefficient (LPC)-based HMM showed the weakest performance. In addition, HMMs were used for classification of the swallowing sounds of healthy subjects and dysphagic patients. Classification accuracy of different HMM configurations was investigated. When we increased the number of states of the HMMs from 4 to 8, the classification error gradually decreased. In most cases, classification error for N=9 was higher than that of N=8. Among the seven features used, root mean square (RMS) and waveform fractal dimension (WFD) showed the best performance in the HMM-based classification of swallowing sounds. When the sequences of the features of IDS segment were modeled separately, the accuracy reached up to 85.5%. As a second stage classification, a screening algorithm was used which correctly classified all the subjects but one healthy subject when RMS was used as characteristic feature of the swallowing sounds and the number of states was set to N=8.

Comparison of snoring sounds between natural and drug-induced sleep recorded using a smartphone.

PubMed

Koo, Soo Kweon; Kwon, Soon Bok; Moon, Ji Seung; Lee, Sang Hoon; Lee, Ho Byung; Lee, Sang Jun

2018-08-01

Snoring is an important clinical feature of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and recent studies suggest that the acoustic quality of snoring sounds is markedly different in drug-induced sleep compared with natural sleep. However, considering differences in sound recording methods and analysis parameters, further studies are required. This study explored whether acoustic analysis of drug-induced sleep is useful as a screening test that reflects the characteristics of natural sleep in snoring patients. The snoring sounds of 30 male subjects (mean age=41.8years) were recorded using a smartphone during natural and induced sleep, with the site of vibration noted during drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE); then, we compared the sound intensity (dB), formant frequencies, and spectrograms of snoring sounds. Regarding the intensity of snoring sounds, there were minor differences within the retrolingual level obstruction group, but there was no significant difference between natural and induced sleep at either obstruction site. There was no significant difference in the F 1 and F 2 formant frequencies of snoring sounds between natural sleep and induced sleep at either obstruction site. Compared with natural sleep, induced sleep was slightly more irregular, with a stronger intensity on the spectrogram, but the spectrograms showed the same pattern at both obstruction sites. Although further studies are required, the spectrograms and formant frequencies of the snoring sounds of induced sleep did not differ significantly from those of natural sleep, and may be used as a screening test that reflects the characteristics of natural sleep according to the obstruction site. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Relationship between breast sound speed and mammographic percent density

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sak, Mark; Duric, Nebojsa; Boyd, Norman; Littrup, Peter; Myc, Lukasz; Faiz, Muhammad; Li, Cuiping; Bey-Knight, Lisa

2011-03-01

Despite some shortcomings, mammography is currently the standard of care for breast cancer screening and diagnosis. However, breast ultrasound tomography is a rapidly developing imaging modality that has the potential to overcome the drawbacks of mammography. It is known that women with high breast densities have a greater risk of developing breast cancer. Measuring breast density is accomplished through the use of mammographic percent density, defined as the ratio of fibroglandular to total breast area. Using an ultrasound tomography (UST) prototype, we created sound speed images of the patient's breast, motivated by the fact that sound speed in a tissue is proportional to the density of the tissue. The purpose of this work is to compare the acoustic performance of the UST system with the measurement of mammographic percent density. A cohort of 251 patients was studied using both imaging modalities and the results suggest that the volume averaged breast sound speed is significantly related to mammographic percent density. The Spearman correlation coefficient was found to be 0.73 for the 175 film mammograms and 0.69 for the 76 digital mammograms obtained. Since sound speed measurements do not require ionizing radiation or physical compression, they have the potential to form the basis of a safe, more accurate surrogate marker of breast density.

Pulse-echo sound speed estimation using second order speckle statistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosado-Mendez, Ivan M.; Nam, Kibo; Madsen, Ernest L.; Hall, Timothy J.; Zagzebski, James A.

2012-10-01

This work presents a phantom-based evaluation of a method for estimating soft-tissue speeds of sound using pulse-echo data. The method is based on the improvement of image sharpness as the sound speed value assumed during beamforming is systematically matched to the tissue sound speed. The novelty of this work is the quantitative assessment of image sharpness by measuring the resolution cell size from the autocovariance matrix for echo signals from a random distribution of scatterers thus eliminating the need of strong reflectors. Envelope data were obtained from a fatty-tissue mimicking (FTM) phantom (sound speed = 1452 m/s) and a nonfatty-tissue mimicking (NFTM) phantom (1544 m/s) scanned with a linear array transducer on a clinical ultrasound system. Dependence on pulse characteristics was tested by varying the pulse frequency and amplitude. On average, sound speed estimation errors were -0.7% for the FTM phantom and -1.1% for the NFTM phantom. In general, no significant difference was found among errors from different pulse frequencies and amplitudes. The method is currently being optimized for the differentiation of diffuse liver diseases.

High-frequency monopole sound source for anechoic chamber qualification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saussus, Patrick; Cunefare, Kenneth A.

2003-04-01

Anechoic chamber qualification procedures require the use of an omnidirectional monopole sound source. Required characteristics for these monopole sources are explicitly listed in ISO 3745. Building a high-frequency monopole source that meets these characteristics has proved difficult due to the size limitations imposed by small wavelengths at high frequency. A prototype design developed for use in hemianechoic chambers employs telescoping tubes, which act as an inverse horn. This same design can be used in anechoic chambers, with minor adaptations. A series of gradually decreasing brass telescoping tubes is attached to the throat of a well-insulated high-frequency compression driver. Therefore, all of the sound emitted from the driver travels through the horn and exits through an opening of approximately 2.5 mm. Directivity test data show that this design meets all of the requirements set forth by ISO 3745.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Retain Their Defining Stem Cell Characteristics After Exposure to Ionizing Radiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nicolay, Nils H., E-mail: n.nicolay@dkfz.de; Department of Molecular and Radiation Oncology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg; Sommer, Eva

2013-12-01

Purpose: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the ability to migrate to lesion sites and undergo differentiation into functional tissues. Although this function may be important for tissue regeneration after radiation therapy, the influence of ionizing radiation (IR) on cellular survival and the functional aspects of differentiation and stem cell characteristics of MSCs have remained largely unknown. Methods and Materials: Radiation sensitivity of human primary MSCs from healthy volunteers and primary human fibroblast cells was examined, and cellular morphology, cell cycle effects, apoptosis, and differentiation potential after exposure to IR were assessed. Stem cell gene expression patterns after exposure to IRmore » were studied using gene arrays. Results: MSCs were not more radiosensitive than human primary fibroblasts, whereas there were considerable differences regarding radiation sensitivity within individual MSCs. Cellular morphology, cytoskeletal architecture, and cell motility were not markedly altered by IR. Even after high radiation doses up to 10 Gy, MSCs maintained their differentiation potential. Compared to primary fibroblast cells, MSCs did not show an increase in irradiation-induced apoptosis. Gene expression analyses revealed an upregulation of various genes involved in DNA damage response and DNA repair, but expression of established MSC surface markers appeared only marginally influenced by IR. Conclusions: These data suggest that human MSCs are not more radiosensitive than differentiated primary fibroblasts. In addition, upon photon irradiation, MSCs were able to retain their defining stem cell characteristics both on a functional level and regarding stem cell marker expression.« less

PROTAX-Sound: A probabilistic framework for automated animal sound identification

PubMed Central

Somervuo, Panu; Ovaskainen, Otso

2017-01-01

Autonomous audio recording is stimulating new field in bioacoustics, with a great promise for conducting cost-effective species surveys. One major current challenge is the lack of reliable classifiers capable of multi-species identification. We present PROTAX-Sound, a statistical framework to perform probabilistic classification of animal sounds. PROTAX-Sound is based on a multinomial regression model, and it can utilize as predictors any kind of sound features or classifications produced by other existing algorithms. PROTAX-Sound combines audio and image processing techniques to scan environmental audio files. It identifies regions of interest (a segment of the audio file that contains a vocalization to be classified), extracts acoustic features from them and compares with samples in a reference database. The output of PROTAX-Sound is the probabilistic classification of each vocalization, including the possibility that it represents species not present in the reference database. We demonstrate the performance of PROTAX-Sound by classifying audio from a species-rich case study of tropical birds. The best performing classifier achieved 68% classification accuracy for 200 bird species. PROTAX-Sound improves the classification power of current techniques by combining information from multiple classifiers in a manner that yields calibrated classification probabilities. PMID:28863178

Making Sound Connections

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deal, Walter F., III

2007-01-01

Sound provides and offers amazing insights into the world. Sound waves may be defined as mechanical energy that moves through air or other medium as a longitudinal wave and consists of pressure fluctuations. Humans and animals alike use sound as a means of communication and a tool for survival. Mammals, such as bats, use ultrasonic sound waves to…

A Simple Experiment to Explore Standing Waves in a Flexible Corrugated Sound Tube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amorim, Maria Eva; Sousa, Teresa Delmira; Carvalho, P. Simeão; Sousa, Adriano Sampaioe

2011-09-01

Sound tubes, pipes, and singing rods are used as musical instruments and as toys to perform amusing experiments. In particular, corrugated tubes present unique characteristics with respect to the sounds they can produce; that is why they have been studied so intensively, both at theoretical and experimental levels.1-4 Experimental studies usually involve expensive and sophisticated equipment that is out of reach of school laboratory facilities.3-6 In this paper we show how to investigate quantitatively the sounds produced by a flexible sound tube corrugated on the inside by using educational equipment readily available in school laboratories, such as the oscilloscope, the microphone, the anemometer, and the air pump. We show that it is possible for students to study the discontinuous spectrum of sounds produced by a flexible corrugated tube and go even further, computing the speed of sound in air with a simple experimental procedure.

Reported Radiation Overexposure Accidents Worldwide, 1980-2013: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Coeytaux, Karen; Bey, Eric; Christensen, Doran; Glassman, Erik S.; Murdock, Becky; Doucet, Christelle

2015-01-01

Background Radiation overexposure accidents are rare but can have severe long-term health consequences. Although underreporting can be an issue, some extensive literature reviews of reported radiation overexposures have been performed and constitute a sound basis for conclusions on general trends. Building further on this work, we performed a systematic review that completes previous reviews and provides new information on characteristics and trends of reported radiation accidents. Methods We searched publications and reports from MEDLINE, EMBASE, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the International Radiation Protection Association, the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site radiation accident registry over 1980-2013. We retrieved the reported overexposure cases, systematically extracted selected information, and performed a descriptive analysis. Results 297 out of 5189 publications and reports and 194 records from the REAC/TS registry met our eligibility criteria. From these, 634 reported radiation accidents were retrieved, involving 2390 overexposed people, of whom 190 died from their overexposure. The number of reported cases has decreased for all types of radiation use, but the medical one. 64% of retrieved overexposure cases occurred with the use of radiation therapy and fluoroscopy. Additionally, the types of reported accidents differed significantly across regions. Conclusions This review provides an updated and broader view of reported radiation overexposures. It suggests an overall decline in reported radiation overexposures over 1980-2013. The greatest share of reported overexposures occurred in the medical fields using radiation therapy and fluoroscopy; this larger number of reported overexposures accidents indicates the potential need for enhanced quality assurance programs. Our data also highlights

Using speed of sound imaging to characterize breast density

PubMed Central

Sak, Mark; Duric, Neb; Littrup, Peter; Bey-Knight, Lisa; Ali, Haythem; Vallieres, Patricia; Sherman, Mark E.; Gierach, Gretchen L.

2017-01-01

A population of 165 women with negative mammographic screens also received an ultrasound tomography (UST) exam at the Karmanos Cancer Institute (KCI) in Detroit, MI. Standard statistical techniques were employed to measure the associations between the various mammographic and UST related density measures and various participant characteristics such as age, weight and height. The Mammographic percent density (MPD) was found to have similar strength associations with UST mean sound speed (Spearman coefficient, rs = 0.722, p < 0.001) and UST median sound speed (rs = 0.737, p < 0.001). Both were stronger than the associations between MPD with two separate measures of UST percent density, a k-means (rs = 0.568, p < 0.001) or a threshold (rs = 0.715, p < 0.001) measure. Segmentation of the UST sound speed images into dense and non-dense volumes showed weak to moderate associations with the mammographically equivalent measures. Relationships were found to be inversely and weakly associated between age and the UST mean sound speed (rs = −0.239, p = 0.002), UST median sound speed (rs = −0.226, p= 0.004) and MPD (rs = −0.204, p= 0.008). Relationships were found to be inversely and moderately associated between BMI and the UST mean sound speed (rs = −0.429, p < 0.001), UST median sound speed (rs = −0.447, p < 0.001) and MPD (rs = −0.489, p < 0.001). The results confirm and strengthen findings presented in previous work indicating that UST sound speed imaging yields viable markers of breast density in a manner consistent with mammography, the current clinical standard. These results lay the groundwork for further studies to assess the role of sound speed imaging in risk prediction. PMID:27692872

Investigation of the sound generation mechanisms for in-duct orifice plates.

PubMed

Tao, Fuyang; Joseph, Phillip; Zhang, Xin; Stalnov, Oksana; Siercke, Matthias; Scheel, Henning

2017-08-01

Sound generation due to an orifice plate in a hard-walled flow duct which is commonly used in air distribution systems (ADS) and flow meters is investigated. The aim is to provide an understanding of this noise generation mechanism based on measurements of the source pressure distribution over the orifice plate. A simple model based on Curle's acoustic analogy is described that relates the broadband in-duct sound field to the surface pressure cross spectrum on both sides of the orifice plate. This work describes careful measurements of the surface pressure cross spectrum over the orifice plate from which the surface pressure distribution and correlation length is deduced. This information is then used to predict the radiated in-duct sound field. Agreement within 3 dB between the predicted and directly measured sound fields is obtained, providing direct confirmation that the surface pressure fluctuations acting over the orifice plates are the main noise sources. Based on the developed model, the contributions to the sound field from different radial locations of the orifice plate are calculated. The surface pressure is shown to follow a U 3.9 velocity scaling law and the area over which the surface sources are correlated follows a U 1.8 velocity scaling law.

Similarities between the irrelevant sound effect and the suffix effect.

PubMed

Hanley, J Richard; Bourgaize, Jake

2018-03-29

Although articulatory suppression abolishes the effect of irrelevant sound (ISE) on serial recall when sequences are presented visually, the effect persists with auditory presentation of list items. Two experiments were designed to test the claim that, when articulation is suppressed, the effect of irrelevant sound on the retention of auditory lists resembles a suffix effect. A suffix is a spoken word that immediately follows the final item in a list. Even though participants are told to ignore it, the suffix impairs serial recall of auditory lists. In Experiment 1, the irrelevant sound consisted of instrumental music. The music generated a significant ISE that was abolished by articulatory suppression. It therefore appears that, when articulation is suppressed, irrelevant sound must contain speech for it to have any effect on recall. This is consistent with what is known about the suffix effect. In Experiment 2, the effect of irrelevant sound under articulatory suppression was greater when the irrelevant sound was spoken by the same voice that presented the list items. This outcome is again consistent with the known characteristics of the suffix effect. It therefore appears that, when rehearsal is suppressed, irrelevant sound disrupts the acoustic-perceptual encoding of auditorily presented list items. There is no evidence that the persistence of the ISE under suppression is a result of interference to the representation of list items in a postcategorical phonological store.

A Review: Characteristics of Noise Absorption Material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amares, S.; Sujatmika, E.; Hong, T. W.; Durairaj, R.; Hamid, H. S. H. B.

2017-10-01

Noise is always treated as a nuisance to human and even noise pollution appears in the environmental causing discomfort. This also concerns the engineering design that tends to cultivate this noise propagation. Solution such as using material to absorb the sound have been widely used. The fundamental of the sound absorbing propagation, sound absorbing characteristics and its factors are minimally debated. Furthermore, the method in order to pertain sound absorbing related to the sound absorption coefficient is also limited, as many studies only contributes in result basis and very little in literature aspect. This paper revolves in providing better insight on the importance of sound absorption and the materials factors in obtaining the sound absorption coefficient.

Impact of low-frequency sound on historic structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutherland, Louis C.; Horonjeff, Richard D.

2005-09-01

In common usage, the term soundscape usually refers to portions of the sound spectrum audible to human observers, and perhaps more broadly other members of the animal kingdom. There is, however, a soundscape regime at the low end of the frequency spectrum (e.g., 10-25 Hz), which is inaudible to humans, where nonindigenous sound energy may cause noise-induced vibrations in structures. Such low frequency components may be of sufficient magnitude to pose damage risk potential to historic structures and cultural resources. Examples include Anasazi cliff and cave dwellings, and pueblo structures of vega type roof construction. Both are susceptible to noise induced vibration from low-frequency sound pressures that excite resonant frequencies in these structures. The initial damage mechanism is usually fatigue cracking. Many mechanisms are subtle, temporally multiphased, and not initially evident to the naked eye. This paper reviews the types of sources posing the greatest potential threat, their low-frequency spectral characteristics, typical structural responses, and the damage risk mechanisms involved. Measured sound and vibration levels, case history studies, and conditions favorable to damage risk are presented. The paper concludes with recommendations for increasing the damage risk knowledge base to better protect these resources.

Near Field Radiation Characteristics of Implantable Square Spiral Chip Inductor Antennas for Bio-Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nessel, James A.; Simons, Rainee N.; Miranda, Felix A.

2007-01-01

The near field radiation characteristics of implantable Square Spiral Chip Inductor Antennas (SSCIA) for Bio-Sensors have been measured. Our results indicate that the measured near field relative signal strength of these antennas agrees with simulated results and confirm that in the near field region the radiation field is fairly uniform in all directions. The effects of parameters such as ground-plane, number of turns and microstrip-gap width on the performance of the SSCIA are presented. Furthermore, the SSCIA antenna with serrated ground plane produce a broad radiation pattern, with a relative signal strength detectable at distances within the range of operation of hand-held devices for self-diagnosis.

Active control of turbulent boundary layer-induced sound transmission through the cavity-backed double panels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caiazzo, A.; Alujević, N.; Pluymers, B.; Desmet, W.

2018-05-01

This paper presents a theoretical study of active control of turbulent boundary layer (TBL) induced sound transmission through the cavity-backed double panels. The aerodynamic model used is based on the Corcos wall pressure distribution. The structural-acoustic model encompasses a source panel (skin panel), coupled through an acoustic cavity to the radiating panel (trim panel). The radiating panel is backed by a larger acoustic enclosure (the back cavity). A feedback control unit is located inside the acoustic cavity between the two panels. It consists of a control force actuator and a sensor mounted at the actuator footprint on the radiating panel. The control actuator can react off the source panel. It is driven by an amplified velocity signal measured by the sensor. A fully coupled analytical structural-acoustic model is developed to study the effects of the active control on the sound transmission into the back cavity. The stability and performance of the active control system are firstly studied on a reduced order model. In the reduced order model only two fundamental modes of the fully coupled system are assumed. Secondly, a full order model is considered with a number of modes large enough to yield accurate simulation results up to 1000 Hz. It is shown that convincing reductions of the TBL-induced vibrations of the radiating panel and the sound pressure inside the back cavity can be expected. The reductions are more pronounced for a certain class of systems, which is characterised by the fundamental natural frequency of the skin panel larger than the fundamental natural frequency of the trim panel.

Ultraviolet radiation-blocking characteristics of contact lenses: relevance to eye protection for psoralen-sensitised patients.

PubMed

Anstey, A; Taylor, D; Chalmers, I; Ansari, E

1999-10-01

Nine brands of contact lens marketed as "UV protective" were tested for ultraviolet (UV) transmission in order to assess potential suitability for psoralen-sensitised patients. UV-transmission characteristics of hydrated lenses was tested with a Bentham monochromator spectro-radiometer system. All lenses showed minimal transmission loss in the visible band. The performance of the nine lenses was uniform for ultraviolet B radiation with negligible transmission, but showed variation in transmission for ultraviolet A radiation. None of the lenses complied with UV-transmission criteria used previously to assess UV-blocking spectacles. Only two lenses had UV-blocking characteristics which came close to the arbitrary criteria used. The performance of ordinary soft and hard lenses was very similar, with negligible blocking of UV radiation. None of the nine contact lenses marketed as "UV protective" excluded sufficient UVA to comply with criteria in current use to assess UV protection in spectacles for psoralen-sensitised patients. However, the improved UV-blocking characteristics of contact lenses identified in this paper compared to previous studies suggests that such a contact lens will soon become available. Meanwhile, contact lens-wearing systemically sensitised PUVA patients should continue to wear approved spectacles for eye protection whilst photosensitised with psoralen.

The sound manifesto

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Donnell, Michael J.; Bisnovatyi, Ilia

2000-11-01

Computing practice today depends on visual output to drive almost all user interaction. Other senses, such as audition, may be totally neglected, or used tangentially, or used in highly restricted specialized ways. We have excellent audio rendering through D-A conversion, but we lack rich general facilities for modeling and manipulating sound comparable in quality and flexibility to graphics. We need coordinated research in several disciplines to improve the use of sound as an interactive information channel. Incremental and separate improvements in synthesis, analysis, speech processing, audiology, acoustics, music, etc. will not alone produce the radical progress that we seek in sonic practice. We also need to create a new central topic of study in digital audio research. The new topic will assimilate the contributions of different disciplines on a common foundation. The key central concept that we lack is sound as a general-purpose information channel. We must investigate the structure of this information channel, which is driven by the cooperative development of auditory perception and physical sound production. Particular audible encodings, such as speech and music, illuminate sonic information by example, but they are no more sufficient for a characterization than typography is sufficient for characterization of visual information. To develop this new conceptual topic of sonic information structure, we need to integrate insights from a number of different disciplines that deal with sound. In particular, we need to coordinate central and foundational studies of the representational models of sound with specific applications that illuminate the good and bad qualities of these models. Each natural or artificial process that generates informative sound, and each perceptual mechanism that derives information from sound, will teach us something about the right structure to attribute to the sound itself. The new Sound topic will combine the work of computer

Retrievals with the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Liu, Xu; Larar, Allen M.; Smith, William L.; Taylor, Jonathan P.; Schlussel, Peter; Strow, L. Larrabee; Calbet, Xavier; Mango, Stephen A.

2007-01-01

The Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) on the MetOp satellite was launched on October 19, 2006. The Joint Airborne IASI Validation Experiment (JAIVEx) was conducted during April 2007 mainly for validation of the IASI on the MetOp satellite. IASI possesses an ultra-spectral resolution of 0.25/cm and a spectral coverage from 645 to 2760/cm. Ultraspectral resolution infrared spectral radiance obtained from near nadir observations provide atmospheric, surface, and cloud property information. An advanced retrieval algorithm with a fast radiative transfer model, including cloud effects, is used for atmospheric profile and cloud parameter retrieval. Preliminary retrievals of atmospheric soundings, surface properties, and cloud optical/microphysical properties with the IASI observations during the JAIVEx are obtained and presented. These retrievals are further inter-compared with those obtained from airborne FTS system, such as the NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed Interferometer (NAST-I), dedicated dropsondes, radiosondes, and ground based Raman Lidar. The capabilities of satellite ultra-spectral sounder such as the IASI are investigated.

Usefulness of bowel sound auscultation: a prospective evaluation.

PubMed

Felder, Seth; Margel, David; Murrell, Zuri; Fleshner, Phillip

2014-01-01

Although the auscultation of bowel sounds is considered an essential component of an adequate physical examination, its clinical value remains largely unstudied and subjective. The aim of this study was to determine whether an accurate diagnosis of normal controls, mechanical small bowel obstruction (SBO), or postoperative ileus (POI) is possible based on bowel sound characteristics. Prospectively collected recordings of bowel sounds from patients with normal gastrointestinal motility, SBO diagnosed by computed tomography and confirmed at surgery, and POI diagnosed by clinical symptoms and a computed tomography without a transition point. Study clinicians were instructed to categorize the patient recording as normal, obstructed, ileus, or not sure. Using an electronic stethoscope, bowel sounds of healthy volunteers (n = 177), patients with SBO (n = 19), and patients with POI (n = 15) were recorded. A total of 10 recordings randomly selected from each category were replayed through speakers, with 15 of the recordings duplicated to surgical and internal medicine clinicians (n = 41) blinded to the clinical scenario. The sensitivity, positive predictive value, and intra-rater variability were determined based on the clinician's ability to properly categorize the bowel sound recording when blinded to additional clinical information. Secondary outcomes were the clinician's perceived level of expertise in interpreting bowel sounds. The overall sensitivity for normal, SBO, and POI recordings was 32%, 22%, and 22%, respectively. The positive predictive value of normal, SBO, and POI recordings was 23%, 28%, and 44%, respectively. Intra-rater reliability of duplicated recordings was 59%, 52%, and 53% for normal, SBO, and POI, respectively. No statistically significant differences were found between the surgical and internal medicine clinicians for sensitivity, positive predictive value, or intra-rater variability. Overall, 44% of clinicians reported that they rarely listened

Simulation studies of improved sounding systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yates, H.; Wark, D.; Aumann, H.; Evans, N.; Phillips, N.; Susskind, J.; Mcmillin, L.; Goldman, A.; Chahine, M.; Crone, L.

1989-01-01

Two instrument designs for indirect satellite sounding of the atmosphere in the infrared are represented by the High Resolution Infra-Red Sounder, Model 2 (HIRS-2) and by the Advanced Meteorological Temperature Sounder (AMTS). The relative capabilities of the two instruments were tested by simulating satellite measurements from a group of temperature soundings, allowing the two participants to retrieve the temperature profiles from the simulated data, and comparing the results with the original temperature profiles. Four data sets were produced from radiosondes data extrapolated to a suitable altitude, representing continents and oceans, between 30S and 30N. From the information available, temperature profiles were retrieved by two different methods, statistical regression and inversion of the radiative transfer equation. Results show the consequence of greater spectral purity, concomitant increase in the number of spectral intervals, and the better spatial resolution in partly clouded areas. At the same time, the limitation of the HIRS-2 without its companion instrument leads to some results which should be ignored in comparing the two instruments. A clear superiority of AMTS results is shown.

Anomalous sound absorption in the Voronoi liquid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farago, Jean; Ruscher, CéLine; Semenov, Alexandr; Baschnagel, Joerg

The physics of simple fluids in the hydrodynamic limit, and notably the connection between the proper microscopic scales and the macroscopic hydrodynamical description are nowadays well understood. In particular, the three peak shape of the dynamical structure factor S (k , ω) is a universal feature, as well as the k-dependence of the peak position ( k), and width k2 , the latter accounting for the sound attenuation rate. In this talk, I will present a theoretical model of monodisperse fluid, whose interactions are defined via the Voronoi tessellations of the configurations (called the Voronoi liquid and first studied in), which displays at low temperatures a marked violation of the universal features of S (k , ω) with sound attenuation rate only k . This anomalous behaviour, which apparently violates the basic symmetries of the liquid state, is traced back to the existence of a timescale which is both (1) short enough for the viscoelastic features of the liquid to impact the relaxational dynamics and (2) long enough for the momentum diffusion to be substantially slower than the sound propagation on that characteristic time.

Differences between Outdoor and Indoor Sound Levels for Open, Tilted, and Closed Windows.

PubMed

Locher, Barbara; Piquerez, André; Habermacher, Manuel; Ragettli, Martina; Röösli, Martin; Brink, Mark; Cajochen, Christian; Vienneau, Danielle; Foraster, Maria; Müller, Uwe; Wunderli, Jean Marc

2018-01-18

Noise exposure prediction models for health effect studies normally estimate free field exposure levels outside. However, to assess the noise exposure inside dwellings, an estimate of indoor sound levels is necessary. To date, little field data is available about the difference between indoor and outdoor noise levels and factors affecting the damping of outside noise. This is a major cause of uncertainty in indoor noise exposure prediction and may lead to exposure misclassification in health assessments. This study aims to determine sound level differences between the indoors and the outdoors for different window positions and how this sound damping is related to building characteristics. For this purpose, measurements were carried out at home in a sample of 102 Swiss residents exposed to road traffic noise. Sound pressure level recordings were performed outdoors and indoors, in the living room and in the bedroom. Three scenarios-of open, tilted, and closed windows-were recorded for three minutes each. For each situation, data on additional parameters such as the orientation towards the source, floor, and room, as well as sound insulation characteristics were collected. On that basis, linear regression models were established. The median outdoor-indoor sound level differences were of 10 dB(A) for open, 16 dB(A) for tilted, and 28 dB(A) for closed windows. For open and tilted windows, the most relevant parameters affecting the outdoor-indoor differences were the position of the window, the type and volume of the room, and the age of the building. For closed windows, the relevant parameters were the sound level outside, the material of the window frame, the existence of window gaskets, and the number of windows.

Early sound symbolism for vowel sounds

PubMed Central

Spector, Ferrinne; Maurer, Daphne

2013-01-01

Children and adults consistently match some words (e.g., kiki) to jagged shapes and other words (e.g., bouba) to rounded shapes, providing evidence for non-arbitrary sound–shape mapping. In this study, we investigated the influence of vowels on sound–shape matching in toddlers, using four contrasting pairs of nonsense words differing in vowel sound (/i/ as in feet vs. /o/ as in boat) and four rounded–jagged shape pairs. Crucially, we used reduplicated syllables (e.g., kiki vs. koko) rather than confounding vowel sound with consonant context and syllable variability (e.g., kiki vs. bouba). Toddlers consistently matched words with /o/ to rounded shapes and words with /i/ to jagged shapes (p < 0.01). The results suggest that there may be naturally biased correspondences between vowel sound and shape. PMID:24349684

Comparison of sound reproduction using higher order loudspeakers and equivalent line arrays in free-field conditions.

PubMed

Poletti, Mark A; Betlehem, Terence; Abhayapala, Thushara D

2014-07-01

Higher order sound sources of Nth order can radiate sound with 2N + 1 orthogonal radiation patterns, which can be represented as phase modes or, equivalently, amplitude modes. This paper shows that each phase mode response produces a spiral wave front with a different spiral rate, and therefore a different direction of arrival of sound. Hence, for a given receiver position a higher order source is equivalent to a linear array of 2N + 1 monopole sources. This interpretation suggests performance similar to a circular array of higher order sources can be produced by an array of sources, each of which consists of a line array having monopoles at the apparent source locations of the corresponding phase modes. Simulations of higher order arrays and arrays of equivalent line sources are presented. It is shown that the interior fields produced by the two arrays are essentially the same, but that the exterior fields differ because the higher order sources produces different equivalent source locations for field positions outside the array. This work provides an explanation of the fact that an array of L Nth order sources can reproduce sound fields whose accuracy approaches the performance of (2N + 1)L monopoles.

Do top predators cue on sound production by mesopelagic prey?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baumann-Pickering, S.; Checkley, D. M., Jr.; Demer, D. A.

2016-02-01

Deep-scattering layer (DSL) organisms, comprising a variety of mesopelagic fishes, and squids, siphonophores, crustaceans, and other invertebrates, are preferred prey for numerous large marine predators, e.g. cetaceans, seabirds, and fishes. Some of the DSL species migrate from depth during daylight to feed near the surface at night, transitioning during dusk and dawn. We investigated if any DSL organisms create sound, particularly during the crepuscular periods. Over several nights in summer 2015, underwater sound was recorded in the San Diego Trough using a high-frequency acoustic recording package (HARP, 10 Hz to 100 kHz), suspended from a drifting surface float. Acoustic backscatter from the DSL was monitored nearby using a calibrated multiple-frequency (38, 70, 120, and 200 kHz) split-beam echosounder (Simrad EK60) on a small boat. DSL organisms produced sound, between 300 and 1000 Hz, and the received levels were highest when the animals migrated past the recorder during ascent and descent. The DSL are globally present, so the observed acoustic phenomenon, if also ubiquitous, has wide-reaching implications. Sound travels farther than light or chemicals and thus can be sensed at greater distances by predators, prey, and mates. If sound is a characteristic feature of pelagic ecosystems, it likely plays a role in predator-prey relationships and overall ecosystem dynamics. Our new finding inspires numerous questions such as: Which, how, and why have DSL organisms evolved to create sound, for what do they use it and under what circumstances? Is sound production by DSL organisms truly ubiquitous, or does it depend on the local environment and species composition? How may sound production and perception be adapted to a changing environment? Do predators react to changes in sound? Can sound be used to quantify the composition of mixed-species assemblages, component densities and abundances, and hence be used in stock assessment or predictive modeling?

Thump, Ring: The Sound of a Bouncing Ball

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katz, J. I.

2010-01-01

A basketball bounced on a stiff surface produces a characteristic loud thump, followed by a high-pitched ringing. Describing the ball as an inextensible but flexible membrane containing compressed air, I formulate an approximate theory of the generation of these sounds and predict their amplitudes and waveforms. (Contains 3 figures.)

Children's Auditory Perception of Movement of Traffic Sounds.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pfeffer, K.; Barnecutt, P.

1996-01-01

Examined children's auditory perception of traffic sounds, focusing on identification of vehicle movement. Subjects were 60 children of 5, 8, and 11 years. Results indicated that the auditory perception of movement was a problem area for children, especially five-year olds. Discussed the role of attention-demanding characteristics of some traffic…

[Realization of Heart Sound Envelope Extraction Implemented on LabVIEW Based on Hilbert-Huang Transform].

PubMed

Tan, Zhixiang; Zhang, Yi; Zeng, Deping; Wang, Hua

2015-04-01

We proposed a research of a heart sound envelope extraction system in this paper. The system was implemented on LabVIEW based on the Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT). We firstly used the sound card to collect the heart sound, and then implemented the complete system program of signal acquisition, pretreatment and envelope extraction on LabVIEW based on the theory of HHT. Finally, we used a case to prove that the system could collect heart sound, preprocess and extract the envelope easily. The system was better to retain and show the characteristics of heart sound envelope, and its program and methods were important to other researches, such as those on the vibration and voice, etc.

Experiments of multichannel least-square methods for sound field reproduction inside aircraft mock-up: Objective evaluations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gauthier, P.-A.; Camier, C.; Lebel, F.-A.; Pasco, Y.; Berry, A.; Langlois, J.; Verron, C.; Guastavino, C.

2016-08-01

Sound environment reproduction of various flight conditions in aircraft mock-ups is a valuable tool for the study, prediction, demonstration and jury testing of interior aircraft sound quality and annoyance. To provide a faithful reproduced sound environment, time, frequency and spatial characteristics should be preserved. Physical sound field reproduction methods for spatial sound reproduction are mandatory to immerse the listener's body in the proper sound fields so that localization cues are recreated at the listener's ears. Vehicle mock-ups pose specific problems for sound field reproduction. Confined spaces, needs for invisible sound sources and very specific acoustical environment make the use of open-loop sound field reproduction technologies such as wave field synthesis (based on free-field models of monopole sources) not ideal. In this paper, experiments in an aircraft mock-up with multichannel least-square methods and equalization are reported. The novelty is the actual implementation of sound field reproduction with 3180 transfer paths and trim panel reproduction sources in laboratory conditions with a synthetic target sound field. The paper presents objective evaluations of reproduced sound fields using various metrics as well as sound field extrapolation and sound field characterization.

Sound transmission through a microperforated-panel structure with subdivided air cavities.

PubMed

Toyoda, Masahiro; Takahashi, Daiji

2008-12-01

The absorption characteristics of a microperforated-panel (MPP) absorber have been widely investigated, and MPPs are recognized as a next-generation absorbing material due to their fiber-free nature and attractive appearance. Herein, further possibilities of MPPs are investigated theoretically from a sound transmission viewpoint. Employing an analytical model composed of a typical MPP and a back wall with an infinite extent, transmission loss through the structure is obtained. Although MPP structures generally have great potential for sound absorption, an improvement in the transmission loss at midfrequencies, which is important for architectural sound insulation, is not sufficient when using a backing cavity alone. Hence, to improve transmission loss at midfrequencies, an air-cavity-subdivision technique is applied to MPP structures. By subdividing the air cavity with partitions, each cell can create a local one-dimensional sound field as well as lead to a normal incidence into the apertures, which is the most effective condition for Helmholtz-type resonance absorption. Moreover, by providing the same motion as the back wall to the MPP, the sound-insulation performance can be further improved at midfrequencies.

Sound propagation and absorption in foam - A distributed parameter model.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manson, L.; Lieberman, S.

1971-01-01

Liquid-base foams are highly effective sound absorbers. A better understanding of the mechanisms of sound absorption in foams was sought by exploration of a mathematical model of bubble pulsation and coupling and the development of a distributed-parameter mechanical analog. A solution by electric-circuit analogy was thus obtained and transmission-line theory was used to relate the physical properties of the foams to the characteristic impedance and propagation constants of the analog transmission line. Comparison of measured physical properties of the foam with values obtained from measured acoustic impedance and propagation constants and the transmission-line theory showed good agreement. We may therefore conclude that the sound propagation and absorption mechanisms in foam are accurately described by the resonant response of individual bubbles coupled to neighboring bubbles.

Novel algorithm to identify and differentiate specific digital signature of breath sound in patients with diffuse parenchymal lung disease.

PubMed

Bhattacharyya, Parthasarathi; Mondal, Ashok; Dey, Rana; Saha, Dipanjan; Saha, Goutam

2015-05-01

Auscultation is an important part of the clinical examination of different lung diseases. Objective analysis of lung sounds based on underlying characteristics and its subsequent automatic interpretations may help a clinical practice. We collected the breath sounds from 8 normal subjects and 20 diffuse parenchymal lung disease (DPLD) patients using a newly developed instrument and then filtered off the heart sounds using a novel technology. The collected sounds were thereafter analysed digitally on several characteristics as dynamical complexity, texture information and regularity index to find and define their unique digital signatures for differentiating normality and abnormality. For convenience of testing, these characteristic signatures of normal and DPLD lung sounds were transformed into coloured visual representations. The predictive power of these images has been validated by six independent observers that include three physicians. The proposed method gives a classification accuracy of 100% for composite features for both the normal as well as lung sound signals from DPLD patients. When tested by independent observers on the visually transformed images, the positive predictive value to diagnose the normality and DPLD remained 100%. The lung sounds from the normal and DPLD subjects could be differentiated and expressed according to their digital signatures. On visual transformation to coloured images, they retain 100% predictive power. This technique may assist physicians to diagnose DPLD from visual images bearing the digital signature of the condition. © 2015 Asian Pacific Society of Respirology.

Some new results on irradiation characteristics of synthetic quartz crystals and their application to radiation hardening

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bahadur, H.; Parshad, R.

1983-01-01

The paper reports some new results on irradiation characteristics of synthetic quartz crystals and their application to radiation hardening. The present results show how the frequency shift in quartz crystals can be influenced by heat processing prior to irradiation and how this procedure can lead to radiation hardening for obtaining precise frequencies and time intervals from quartz oscillators in space.

Radiative characteristics of Clouds embedded in and occurring beneath Smoke analyzed using airborne multiangular measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gautam, R.; Gatebe, C. K.; Varnai, T.; Singh, M.; Poudyal, R.

2016-12-01

Clouds in the presence of absorbing aerosols results in their apparent darkening, observed at the Top of Atmosphere (TOA), which is associated with the radiative effects of aerosol absorption. Owing to the warming/darkening effect and potential impacts on regional climate via semidirect and thermodynamic pathways, above-cloud aerosols have been characterized in recent satellite-based studies. While satellite data are particularly useful in showing the radiative impact of above-cloud aerosols at the TOA, retrievals of aerosol and cloud properties are affected by large uncertainties when they co-occur. In this study, we present radiative characteristics of clouds in the presence of wildfire smoke using airborne data primarily from NASA's Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR), collected during the ARCTAS and SAFARI campaigns in Canada and southern Africa, respectively. Scattered cumulus clouds embedded in dense smoke over land (Canada) as well as smoke aerosols above marine stratocumulus clouds (southeast Atlantic) show characteristic spectral gradient across the UV-visible-NIR spectrum using CAR data. In general, clouds in the presence of smoke are impacted by absorbing aerosol-induced darkening at the shorter wavelengths (e.g. UV and blue bands), as opposed to an (expected) negative gradient for cloud-free smoke and a flat spectrum for smoke-free cloud cover. The circular and spiral flights not only allowed the complete characterization of the angular distribution of smoke-cloud radiative interactions, but also provided the vertical distribution of smoke and clouds. Overall, the observational-based smoke-cloud radiative interactions were found to be physically consistent with theoretical 1D and 3D radiation calculations. These airborne observations are also complemented by satellite data from MODIS reflectances and CERES shortwave fluxes, providing a synergistic radiative impact assessment of clouds in the presence of smoke. http://car.gsfc.nasa.gov/

Techniques for decoding speech phonemes and sounds: A concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lokerson, D. C.; Holby, H. G.

1975-01-01

Techniques studied involve conversion of speech sounds into machine-compatible pulse trains. (1) Voltage-level quantizer produces number of output pulses proportional to amplitude characteristics of vowel-type phoneme waveforms. (2) Pulses produced by quantizer of first speech formants are compared with pulses produced by second formants.

Numerical Models for Sound Propagation in Long Spaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Chenly Yuen Cheung

Both reverberation time and steady-state sound field are the key elements for assessing the acoustic condition in an enclosed space. They affect the noise propagation, speech intelligibility, clarity index, and definition. Since the sound field in a long space is non diffuse, classical room acoustics theory does not apply in this situation. The ray tracing technique and the image source methods are two common models to fathom both reverberation time and steady-state sound field in long enclosures nowadays. Although both models can give an accurate estimate of reverberation times and steady-state sound field directly or indirectly, they often involve time-consuming calculations. In order to simplify the acoustic consideration, a theoretical formulation has been developed for predicting both steady-state sound fields and reverberation times in street canyons. The prediction model is further developed to predict the steady-state sound field in a long enclosure. Apart from the straight long enclosure, there are other variations such as a cross junction, a long enclosure with a T-intersection, an U-turn long enclosure. In the present study, an theoretical and experimental investigations were conducted to develop formulae for predicting reverberation times and steady-state sound fields in a junction of a street canyon and in a long enclosure with T-intersection. The theoretical models are validated by comparing the numerical predictions with published experimental results. The theoretical results are also compared with precise indoor measurements and large-scale outdoor experimental results. In all of previous acoustical studies related to long enclosure, most of the studies are focused on the monopole sound source. Besides non-directional noise source, many noise sources in long enclosure are dipole like, such as train noise and fan noise. In order to study the characteristics of directional noise sources, a review of available dipole source was conducted. A dipole was

How do auditory cortex neurons represent communication sounds?

PubMed

Gaucher, Quentin; Huetz, Chloé; Gourévitch, Boris; Laudanski, Jonathan; Occelli, Florian; Edeline, Jean-Marc

2013-11-01

A major goal in auditory neuroscience is to characterize how communication sounds are represented at the cortical level. The present review aims at investigating the role of auditory cortex in the processing of speech, bird songs and other vocalizations, which all are spectrally and temporally highly structured sounds. Whereas earlier studies have simply looked for neurons exhibiting higher firing rates to particular conspecific vocalizations over their modified, artificially synthesized versions, more recent studies determined the coding capacity of temporal spike patterns, which are prominent in primary and non-primary areas (and also in non-auditory cortical areas). In several cases, this information seems to be correlated with the behavioral performance of human or animal subjects, suggesting that spike-timing based coding strategies might set the foundations of our perceptive abilities. Also, it is now clear that the responses of auditory cortex neurons are highly nonlinear and that their responses to natural stimuli cannot be predicted from their responses to artificial stimuli such as moving ripples and broadband noises. Since auditory cortex neurons cannot follow rapid fluctuations of the vocalizations envelope, they only respond at specific time points during communication sounds, which can serve as temporal markers for integrating the temporal and spectral processing taking place at subcortical relays. Thus, the temporal sparse code of auditory cortex neurons can be considered as a first step for generating high level representations of communication sounds independent of the acoustic characteristic of these sounds. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Communication Sounds and the Brain: New Directions and Perspectives". Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A State-of-the-Art Review: Personalization of Tinnitus Sound Therapy.

PubMed

Searchfield, Grant D; Durai, Mithila; Linford, Tania

2017-01-01

Background: There are several established, and an increasing number of putative, therapies using sound to treat tinnitus. There appear to be few guidelines for sound therapy selection and application. Aim: To review current approaches to personalizing sound therapy for tinnitus. Methods: A "state-of-the-art" review (Grant and Booth, 2009) was undertaken to answer the question: how do current sound-based therapies for tinnitus adjust for tinnitus heterogeneity? Scopus, Google Scholar, Embase and PubMed were searched for the 10-year period 2006-2016. The search strategy used the following key words: "tinnitus" AND "sound" AND "therapy" AND "guidelines" OR "personalized" OR "customized" OR "individual" OR "questionnaire" OR "selection." The results of the review were cataloged and organized into themes. Results: In total 165 articles were reviewed in full, 83 contained sufficient details to contribute to answering the study question. The key themes identified were hearing compensation, pitched-match therapy, maskability, reaction to sound and psychosocial factors. Although many therapies mentioned customization, few could be classified as being personalized. Several psychoacoustic and questionnaire-based methods for assisting treatment selection were identified. Conclusions: Assessment methods are available to assist clinicians to personalize sound-therapy and empower patients to be active in therapy decision-making. Most current therapies are modified using only one characteristic of the individual and/or their tinnitus.

Investigations of the Sound Generated by Supercavity Ventilation

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-08-20

2 1.2.2 Supercavitating vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1.2.3...1.1 Motivation The successful development of high-speed supercavitating underwater vehicles is an im- portant U.S. Navy objective. All aspects of...provide naval researchers with an understanding of the characteristics of the sound generated by the ventilating jets of a supercavitating vehicle

Speed of sound as a function of temperature for ultrasonic propagation in soybean oil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliveira, P. A.; Silva, R. M. B.; Morais, G. C.; Alvarenga, A. V.; Costa-Félix, R. P. B.

2016-07-01

Ultrasound has been used for characterization of liquid in several productive sectors and research. This work presents the studied about the behavior of the speed of sound in soybean oil with increasing temperature. The pulse echo technique allowed observing that the speed of sound decreases linearly with increasing temperature in the range 20 to 50 °C at 1 MHz. As result, a characteristic function capable to reproduce the speed of sound behavior in soybean oil, as a function of temperature was established, with the respective measurement uncertainty.

Differences between Outdoor and Indoor Sound Levels for Open, Tilted, and Closed Windows

PubMed Central

Locher, Barbara; Piquerez, André; Habermacher, Manuel; Ragettli, Martina; Cajochen, Christian; Vienneau, Danielle; Foraster, Maria; Müller, Uwe; Wunderli, Jean Marc

2018-01-01

Noise exposure prediction models for health effect studies normally estimate free field exposure levels outside. However, to assess the noise exposure inside dwellings, an estimate of indoor sound levels is necessary. To date, little field data is available about the difference between indoor and outdoor noise levels and factors affecting the damping of outside noise. This is a major cause of uncertainty in indoor noise exposure prediction and may lead to exposure misclassification in health assessments. This study aims to determine sound level differences between the indoors and the outdoors for different window positions and how this sound damping is related to building characteristics. For this purpose, measurements were carried out at home in a sample of 102 Swiss residents exposed to road traffic noise. Sound pressure level recordings were performed outdoors and indoors, in the living room and in the bedroom. Three scenarios—of open, tilted, and closed windows—were recorded for three minutes each. For each situation, data on additional parameters such as the orientation towards the source, floor, and room, as well as sound insulation characteristics were collected. On that basis, linear regression models were established. The median outdoor–indoor sound level differences were of 10 dB(A) for open, 16 dB(A) for tilted, and 28 dB(A) for closed windows. For open and tilted windows, the most relevant parameters affecting the outdoor–indoor differences were the position of the window, the type and volume of the room, and the age of the building. For closed windows, the relevant parameters were the sound level outside, the material of the window frame, the existence of window gaskets, and the number of windows. PMID:29346318

Sound sensitivity of neurons in rat hippocampus during performance of a sound-guided task

PubMed Central

Vinnik, Ekaterina; Honey, Christian; Schnupp, Jan; Diamond, Mathew E.

2012-01-01

To investigate how hippocampal neurons encode sound stimuli, and the conjunction of sound stimuli with the animal's position in space, we recorded from neurons in the CA1 region of hippocampus in rats while they performed a sound discrimination task. Four different sounds were used, two associated with water reward on the right side of the animal and the other two with water reward on the left side. This allowed us to separate neuronal activity related to sound identity from activity related to response direction. To test the effect of spatial context on sound coding, we trained rats to carry out the task on two identical testing platforms at different locations in the same room. Twenty-one percent of the recorded neurons exhibited sensitivity to sound identity, as quantified by the difference in firing rate for the two sounds associated with the same response direction. Sensitivity to sound identity was often observed on only one of the two testing platforms, indicating an effect of spatial context on sensory responses. Forty-three percent of the neurons were sensitive to response direction, and the probability that any one neuron was sensitive to response direction was statistically independent from its sensitivity to sound identity. There was no significant coding for sound identity when the rats heard the same sounds outside the behavioral task. These results suggest that CA1 neurons encode sound stimuli, but only when those sounds are associated with actions. PMID:22219030

Auditory brainstem response to complex sounds: a tutorial

PubMed Central

Skoe, Erika; Kraus, Nina

2010-01-01

This tutorial provides a comprehensive overview of the methodological approach to collecting and analyzing auditory brainstem responses to complex sounds (cABRs). cABRs provide a window into how behaviorally relevant sounds such as speech and music are processed in the brain. Because temporal and spectral characteristics of sounds are preserved in this subcortical response, cABRs can be used to assess specific impairments and enhancements in auditory processing. Notably, subcortical function is neither passive nor hardwired but dynamically interacts with higher-level cognitive processes to refine how sounds are transcribed into neural code. This experience-dependent plasticity, which can occur on a number of time scales (e.g., life-long experience with speech or music, short-term auditory training, online auditory processing), helps shape sensory perception. Thus, by being an objective and non-invasive means for examining cognitive function and experience-dependent processes in sensory activity, cABRs have considerable utility in the study of populations where auditory function is of interest (e.g., auditory experts such as musicians, persons with hearing loss, auditory processing and language disorders). This tutorial is intended for clinicians and researchers seeking to integrate cABRs into their clinical and/or research programs. PMID:20084007

Baleen whale infrasonic sounds: Natural variability and function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, Christopher W.

2004-05-01

Blue and fin whales (Balaenoptera musculus and B. physalus) produce very intense, long, patterned sequences of infrasonic sounds. The acoustic characteristics of these sounds suggest strong selection for signals optimized for very long-range propagation in the deep ocean as first hypothesized by Payne and Webb in 1971. This hypothesis has been partially validated by very long-range detections using hydrophone arrays in deep water. Humpback songs recorded in deep water contain units in the 20-l00 Hz range, and these relatively simple song components are detectable out to many hundreds of miles. The mid-winter peak in the occurrence of 20-Hz fin whale sounds led Watkins to hypothesize a reproductive function similar to humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae) song, and by default this function has been extended to blue whale songs. More recent evidence shows that blue and fin whales produce infrasonic calls in high latitudes during the feeding season, and that singing is associated with areas of high productivity where females congregate to feed. Acoustic sampling over broad spatial and temporal scales for baleen species is revealing higher geographic and seasonal variability in the low-frequency vocal behaviors than previously reported, suggesting that present explanations for baleen whale sounds are too simplistic.

Development of a directivity controlled piezoelectric transducer for sound reproduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bédard, Magella; Berry, Alain

2005-04-01

One of the inherent limitations of loudspeaker systems in audio reproduction is their inability to reproduce the possibly complex acoustic directivity patterns of real sound sources. For music reproduction for example, it may be desirable to separate diffuse field and direct sound components and project them with different directivity patterns. Because of their properties, poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) films offer lot of advantages for the development of electroacoustic transducers. A system of piezoelectric transducers made with PVDF that show a controllable directivity was developed. A cylindrical omnidirectional piezoelectric transducer is used to produce an ambient field, and a piezoelectric transducers system, consisting of a series of curved sources placed around a cylinder frame, is used to produce a sound field with a given directivity. To develop the system, a numerical model was generated with ANSYS Multiphysics TM8.1 and used to calculate the mechanical response of the piezoelectric transducer. The acoustic radiation of the driver was then computed using the Kirchoff-Helmoltz theorem. Numerical and experimental results of the mechanical and acoustical response of the system will be shown.

Applications of cluster analysis to satellite soundings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Munteanu, M. J.; Jakubowicz, O.; Kalnay, E.; Piraino, P.

1984-01-01

The advantages of the use of cluster analysis in the improvement of satellite temperature retrievals were evaluated since the use of natural clusters, which are associated with atmospheric temperature soundings characteristic of different types of air masses, has the potential for improving stratified regression schemes in comparison with currently used methods which stratify soundings based on latitude, season, and land/ocean. The method of discriminatory analysis was used. The correct cluster of temperature profiles from satellite measurements was located in 85% of the cases. Considerable improvement was observed at all mandatory levels using regression retrievals derived in the clusters of temperature (weighted and nonweighted) in comparison with the control experiment and with the regression retrievals derived in the clusters of brightness temperatures of 3 MSU and 5 IR channels.

Active room compensation for sound reinforcement using sound field separation techniques.

PubMed

Heuchel, Franz M; Fernandez-Grande, Efren; Agerkvist, Finn T; Shabalina, Elena

2018-03-01

This work investigates how the sound field created by a sound reinforcement system can be controlled at low frequencies. An indoor control method is proposed which actively absorbs the sound incident on a reflecting boundary using an array of secondary sources. The sound field is separated into incident and reflected components by a microphone array close to the secondary sources, enabling the minimization of reflected components by means of optimal signals for the secondary sources. The method is purely feed-forward and assumes constant room conditions. Three different sound field separation techniques for the modeling of the reflections are investigated based on plane wave decomposition, equivalent sources, and the Spatial Fourier transform. Simulations and an experimental validation are presented, showing that the control method performs similarly well at enhancing low frequency responses with the three sound separation techniques. Resonances in the entire room are reduced, although the microphone array and secondary sources are confined to a small region close to the reflecting wall. Unlike previous control methods based on the creation of a plane wave sound field, the investigated method works in arbitrary room geometries and primary source positions.

Investigation of Passive Atmospheric Sounding Using Millimeter- and Submillimeter- Wavelength Channels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gasiewski, Albin J.

1996-01-01

This report summarizes progress made during the period from July 1, 1994 through June 30, 1996 on the development of satellite-based observational techniques for high resolution imaging of precipitation and sounding of atmospheric ice and water vapor using passive microwave radiometers in the millimeter (MMW)- and submillimeter (SMMW)-wavelength. This is being achieved by radiative transfer modeling a millimeter and submillimeter wave frequencies and by the development and operation of an airborne millimeter wave imaging radiometer (MIR). The MIR has been used in both airborne and ground-based experiments. Its primary application is to provide calibrated radiometric imagery to verify MMW and SMMW radiative transfer models in clear air, cloud, and precipitation and to develop retrieval techniques using MMW and SMMW channels. The MIR imagery over convective storm cells has been used to illustrate the potentially useful cloud and water vapor sensing and storm-cell mapping capabilities of SMMW channels. The radiometric data has also been used to analyze radiative transfer model discrepancies caused by water vapor errors in radiosondes. The MMW and SMMW channels can be used to extend the altitude that water vapor sounding can be performed up into the lower stratosphere. Together, the use of both SMMW and MMW channels are expected to provide additional observational degrees of freedom related to cloud ice particle size.

Priming Gestures with Sounds

PubMed Central

Lemaitre, Guillaume; Heller, Laurie M.; Navolio, Nicole; Zúñiga-Peñaranda, Nicolas

2015-01-01

We report a series of experiments about a little-studied type of compatibility effect between a stimulus and a response: the priming of manual gestures via sounds associated with these gestures. The goal was to investigate the plasticity of the gesture-sound associations mediating this type of priming. Five experiments used a primed choice-reaction task. Participants were cued by a stimulus to perform response gestures that produced response sounds; those sounds were also used as primes before the response cues. We compared arbitrary associations between gestures and sounds (key lifts and pure tones) created during the experiment (i.e. no pre-existing knowledge) with ecological associations corresponding to the structure of the world (tapping gestures and sounds, scraping gestures and sounds) learned through the entire life of the participant (thus existing prior to the experiment). Two results were found. First, the priming effect exists for ecological as well as arbitrary associations between gestures and sounds. Second, the priming effect is greatly reduced for ecologically existing associations and is eliminated for arbitrary associations when the response gesture stops producing the associated sounds. These results provide evidence that auditory-motor priming is mainly created by rapid learning of the association between sounds and the gestures that produce them. Auditory-motor priming is therefore mediated by short-term associations between gestures and sounds that can be readily reconfigured regardless of prior knowledge. PMID:26544884

Characterizing urban areas with good sound quality: development of a research protocol.

PubMed

van Kempen, Elise; Devilee, Jeroen; Swart, Wim; van Kamp, Irene

2014-01-01

Due to rapid urbanization, the spatial variation between wanted and unwanted sounds will decrease or even disappear. Consequently, the characteristics of (urban) areas where people can temporarily withdraw themselves from urban stressors such as noise may change or become increasingly scarce. Hardly any research has been carried out into the positive health effects of spending time in areas with a good sound quality. One of the problems is that an overview of what aspects determines good sound quality in urban areas and how these are interrelated is lacking. This paper reviews the literature pertaining to the sound quality of urban areas. Aim is to summarize what is known about the influence of social, spatial, and physical aspects other than sounds, on peoples' perception of urban sound qualities. Literature from both conventional sound research and from the so-called soundscape field, published between 2000 and the beginning of 2013 in English or Dutch, was evaluated. Although a general set of validated indicators that can be directly applied, is not available yet, a set of indicators was derived from the literature. These form the basis of a study protocol that will be applied in "Towards a Sustainable acoustic Environment", a project that aims to describe sound qualities at a low-scale level. Key-elements of this study protocol, including a questionnaire and the systematic audit of neighborhoods, were presented in this paper.

Radiated Sound of a High-Speed Water-Jet-Propelled Transportation Vessel.

PubMed

Rudd, Alexis B; Richlen, Michael F; Stimpert, Alison K; Au, Whitlow W L

2016-01-01

The radiated noise from a high-speed water-jet-propelled catamaran was measured for catamaran speeds of 12, 24, and 37 kn. The radiated noise increased with catamaran speed, although the shape of the noise spectrum was similar for all speeds and measuring hydrophone depth. The spectra peaked at ~200 Hz and dropped off continuously at higher frequencies. The radiated noise was 10-20 dB lower than noise from propeller-driven ships at comparable speeds. The combination of low radiated noise and high speed could be a factor in the detection and avoidance of water-jet-propelled ships by baleen whales.

Memory for product sounds: the effect of sound and label type.

PubMed

Ozcan, Elif; van Egmond, René

2007-11-01

The (mnemonic) interactions between auditory, visual, and the semantic systems have been investigated using structurally complex auditory stimuli (i.e., product sounds). Six types of product sounds (air, alarm, cyclic, impact, liquid, mechanical) that vary in spectral-temporal structure were presented in four label type conditions: self-generated text, text, image, and pictogram. A memory paradigm that incorporated free recall, recognition, and matching tasks was employed. The results for the sound type suggest that the amount of spectral-temporal structure in a sound can be indicative for memory performance. Findings related to label type suggest that 'self' creates a strong bias for the retrieval and the recognition of sounds that were self-labeled; the density and the complexity of the visual information (i.e., pictograms) hinders the memory performance ('visual' overshadowing effect); and image labeling has an additive effect on the recall and matching tasks (dual coding). Thus, the findings suggest that the memory performances for product sounds are task-dependent.

Modeling the ascent of sounding balloons: derivation of the vertical air motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallice, A.; Wienhold, F. G.; Hoyle, C. R.; Immler, F.; Peter, T.

2011-10-01

A new model to describe the ascent of sounding balloons in the troposphere and lower stratosphere (up to ∼30-35 km altitude) is presented. Contrary to previous models, detailed account is taken of both the variation of the drag coefficient with altitude and the heat imbalance between the balloon and the atmosphere. To compensate for the lack of data on the drag coefficient of sounding balloons, a reference curve for the relationship between drag coefficient and Reynolds number is derived from a dataset of flights launched during the Lindenberg Upper Air Methods Intercomparisons (LUAMI) campaign. The transfer of heat from the surrounding air into the balloon is accounted for by solving the radial heat diffusion equation inside the balloon. In its present state, the model does not account for solar radiation, i.e. it is only able to describe the ascent of balloons during the night. It could however be adapted to also represent daytime soundings, with solar radiation modeled as a diffusive process. The potential applications of the model include the forecast of the trajectory of sounding balloons, which can be used to increase the accuracy of the match technique, and the derivation of the air vertical velocity. The latter is obtained by subtracting the ascent rate of the balloon in still air calculated by the model from the actual ascent rate. This technique is shown to provide an approximation for the vertical air motion with an uncertainty error of 0.5 m s-1 in the troposphere and 0.2 m s-1 in the stratosphere. An example of extraction of the air vertical velocity is provided in this paper. We show that the air vertical velocities derived from the balloon soundings in this paper are in general agreement with small-scale atmospheric velocity fluctuations related to gravity waves, mechanical turbulence, or other small-scale air motions measured during the SUCCESS campaign (Subsonic Aircraft: Contrail and Cloud Effects Special Study) in the orographically

Sound Guard

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

Lubrication technology originally developed for a series of NASA satellites has produced a commercial product for protecting the sound fidelity of phonograph records. Called Sound Guard, the preservative is a spray-on fluid that deposits a microscopically thin protective coating which reduces friction and prevents the hard diamond stylus from wearing away the softer vinyl material of the disc. It is marketed by the Consumer Products Division of Ball Corporation, Muncie, Indiana. The lubricant technology on which Sound Guard is based originated with NASA's Orbiting Solar Observatory (OSO), an Earth-orbiting satellite designed and built by Ball Brothers Research Corporation, Boulder, Colorado, also a division of Ball Corporation. Ball Brothers engineers found a problem early in the OSO program: known lubricants were unsuitable for use on satellite moving parts that would be exposed to the vacuum of space for several months. So the company conducted research on the properties of materials needed for long life in space and developed new lubricants. They worked successfully on seven OSO flights and attracted considerable attention among other aerospace contractors. Ball Brothers now supplies its "Vac Kote" lubricants and coatings to both aerospace and non-aerospace industries and the company has produced several hundred variations of the original technology. Ball Corporation expanded its product line to include consumer products, of which Sound Guard is one of the most recent. In addition to protecting record grooves, Sound Guard's anti-static quality also retards particle accumulation on the stylus. During comparison study by a leading U.S. electronic laboratory, a record not treated by Sound Guard had to be cleaned after 50 plays and the stylus had collected a considerable number of small vinyl particles. The Sound Guard-treated disc was still clean after 100 plays, as was its stylus.

Sound absorption of metallic sound absorbers fabricated via the selective laser melting process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Li-Wei; Cheng, Chung-Wei; Chung, Kuo-Chun; Kam, Tai-Yan

2017-01-01

The sound absorption capability of metallic sound absorbers fabricated using the additive manufacturing (selective laser melting) method is investigated via both the experimental and theoretical approaches. The metallic sound absorption structures composed of periodic cubic cells were made of laser-melted Ti6Al4 V powder. The acoustic impedance equations with different frequency-independent and frequency-dependent end corrections factors are employed to calculate the theoretical sound absorption coefficients of the metallic sound absorption structures. The calculated sound absorption coefficients are in close agreement with the experimental results for the frequencies ranging from 2 to 13 kHz.

Sounds Exaggerate Visual Shape

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sweeny, Timothy D.; Guzman-Martinez, Emmanuel; Ortega, Laura; Grabowecky, Marcia; Suzuki, Satoru

2012-01-01

While perceiving speech, people see mouth shapes that are systematically associated with sounds. In particular, a vertically stretched mouth produces a /woo/ sound, whereas a horizontally stretched mouth produces a /wee/ sound. We demonstrate that hearing these speech sounds alters how we see aspect ratio, a basic visual feature that contributes…

The influence of crowd density on the sound environment of commercial pedestrian streets.

PubMed

Meng, Qi; Kang, Jian

2015-04-01

Commercial pedestrian streets are very common in China and Europe, with many situated in historic or cultural centres. The environments of these streets are important, including their sound environments. The objective of this study is to explore the relationships between the crowd density and the sound environments of commercial pedestrian streets. On-site measurements were performed at the case study site in Harbin, China, and a questionnaire was administered. The sound pressure measurements showed that the crowd density has an insignificant effect on sound pressure below 0.05 persons/m2, whereas when the crowd density is greater than 0.05 persons/m2, the sound pressure increases with crowd density. The sound sources were analysed, showing that several typical sound sources, such as traffic noise, can be masked by the sounds resulting from dense crowds. The acoustic analysis showed that crowd densities outside the range of 0.10 to 0.25 persons/m2 exhibited lower acoustic comfort evaluation scores. In terms of audiovisual characteristics, the subjective loudness increases with greater crowd density, while the acoustic comfort decreases. The results for an indoor underground shopping street are also presented for comparison. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Slow-wave metamaterial open panels for efficient reduction of low-frequency sound transmission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Jieun; Lee, Joong Seok; Lee, Hyeong Rae; Kang, Yeon June; Kim, Yoon Young

2018-02-01

Sound transmission reduction is typically governed by the mass law, requiring thicker panels to handle lower frequencies. When open holes must be inserted in panels for heat transfer, ventilation, or other purposes, the efficient reduction of sound transmission through holey panels becomes difficult, especially in the low-frequency ranges. Here, we propose slow-wave metamaterial open panels that can dramatically lower the working frequencies of sound transmission loss. Global resonances originating from slow waves realized by multiply inserted, elaborately designed subwavelength rigid partitions between two thin holey plates contribute to sound transmission reductions at lower frequencies. Owing to the dispersive characteristics of the present metamaterial panels, local resonances that trap sound in the partitions also occur at higher frequencies, exhibiting negative effective bulk moduli and zero effective velocities. As a result, low-frequency broadened sound transmission reduction is realized efficiently in the present metamaterial panels. The theoretical model of the proposed metamaterial open panels is derived using an effective medium approach and verified by numerical and experimental investigations.

Real-ear acoustical characteristics of impulse sound generated by golf drivers and the estimated risk to hearing: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Zhao, Fei; Bardsley, Barry

2014-01-21

This study investigated real-ear acoustical characteristics in terms of the sound pressure levels (SPLs) and frequency responses in situ generated from golf club drivers at impact with a golf ball. The risk of hearing loss caused by hitting a basket of golf balls using various drivers was then estimated. Cross-sectional study. The three driver clubs were chosen on the basis of reflection of the commonality and modern technology of the clubs. The participants were asked to choose the clubs in a random order and hit six two-piece range golf balls with each club. The experiment was carried out at a golf driving range in South Wales, UK. 19 male amateur golfers volunteered to take part in the study, with an age range of 19-54 years. The frequency responses and peak SPLs in situ of the transient sound generated from the club at impact were recorded bilaterally and simultaneously using the GN Otometric Freefit wireless real-ear measurement system. A swing speed radar system was also used to investigate the relationship between noise level and swing speed. Different clubs generated significantly different real-ear acoustical characteristics in terms of SPL and frequency responses. However, they did not differ significantly between the ears. No significant correlation was found between the swing speed and noise intensity. On the basis of the SPLs measured in the present study, the percentage of daily noise exposure for hitting a basket of golf balls using the drivers described above was less than 2%. The immediate danger of noise-induced hearing loss for amateur golfers is quite unlikely. However, it may be dangerous to hearing if the noise level generated by the golf clubs exceeded 116 dBA.

Real-ear acoustical characteristics of impulse sound generated by golf drivers and the estimated risk to hearing: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Zhao, Fei; Bardsley, Barry

2014-01-01

Objectives This study investigated real-ear acoustical characteristics in terms of the sound pressure levels (SPLs) and frequency responses in situ generated from golf club drivers at impact with a golf ball. The risk of hearing loss caused by hitting a basket of golf balls using various drivers was then estimated. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting The three driver clubs were chosen on the basis of reflection of the commonality and modern technology of the clubs. The participants were asked to choose the clubs in a random order and hit six two-piece range golf balls with each club. The experiment was carried out at a golf driving range in South Wales, UK. Participants 19 male amateur golfers volunteered to take part in the study, with an age range of 19–54 years. Outcome measures The frequency responses and peak SPLs in situ of the transient sound generated from the club at impact were recorded bilaterally and simultaneously using the GN Otometric Freefit wireless real-ear measurement system. A swing speed radar system was also used to investigate the relationship between noise level and swing speed. Results Different clubs generated significantly different real-ear acoustical characteristics in terms of SPL and frequency responses. However, they did not differ significantly between the ears. No significant correlation was found between the swing speed and noise intensity. On the basis of the SPLs measured in the present study, the percentage of daily noise exposure for hitting a basket of golf balls using the drivers described above was less than 2%. Conclusions The immediate danger of noise-induced hearing loss for amateur golfers is quite unlikely. However, it may be dangerous to hearing if the noise level generated by the golf clubs exceeded 116 dBA. PMID:24448845

The Sound of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merwade, Venkatesh; Eichinger, David; Harriger, Bradley; Doherty, Erin; Habben, Ryan

2014-01-01

While the science of sound can be taught by explaining the concept of sound waves and vibrations, the authors of this article focused their efforts on creating a more engaging way to teach the science of sound--through engineering design. In this article they share the experience of teaching sound to third graders through an engineering challenge…

SYNCHROTRON RADIATION, FREE ELECTRON LASER, APPLICATION OF NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY, ETC.: Study on the characteristics of linac based THz light source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Xiong-Wei; Wang, Shu-Hong; Chen, Sen-Yu

2009-10-01

There are many methods based on linac for THz radiation production. As one of the options for the Beijing Advanced Light, an ERL test facility is proposed for THz radiation. In this test facility, there are 4 kinds of methods to produce THz radiation: coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR), synchrotron radiation (SR), low gain FEL oscillator, and high gain SASE FEL. In this paper, we study the characteristics of the 4 kinds of THz light sources.

An efficient robust sound classification algorithm for hearing aids.

PubMed

Nordqvist, Peter; Leijon, Arne

2004-06-01

An efficient robust sound classification algorithm based on hidden Markov models is presented. The system would enable a hearing aid to automatically change its behavior for differing listening environments according to the user's preferences. This work attempts to distinguish between three listening environment categories: speech in traffic noise, speech in babble, and clean speech, regardless of the signal-to-noise ratio. The classifier uses only the modulation characteristics of the signal. The classifier ignores the absolute sound pressure level and the absolute spectrum shape, resulting in an algorithm that is robust against irrelevant acoustic variations. The measured classification hit rate was 96.7%-99.5% when the classifier was tested with sounds representing one of the three environment categories included in the classifier. False-alarm rates were 0.2%-1.7% in these tests. The algorithm is robust and efficient and consumes a small amount of instructions and memory. It is fully possible to implement the classifier in a DSP-based hearing instrument.

Radiation hazards in scoliosis management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Drummond, D.; Ranallo, F.; Lonstein, J.

1983-10-01

Safe radiography in scoliosis management is based on a sound knowledge of 1) the radiographic imaging process, 2) the degree of risk to the patient from radiation exposure, and 3) the radiographic requirements to both evaluate and follow patients with spine deformity. This paper is a current review of the subject and work done at the authors' centers. It includes recommendations for reducing the radiation risk while maintaining necessary diagnostic information.

Optical and thermodynamic properties of MgO from radiative shock temperature and sound speed measurements on samples preheated to 2300 K

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fatýanov, O. V.; Asimow, P. D.

2013-12-01

Thermodynamic properties of MgO, one of the major end-members of deep planetary interiors, play a significant role in the processes inside the Earth's lower mantle. Of particular importance in geophysics and geochemistry is the MgO melting behavior at high pressure. Despite considerable theoretical and experimental efforts over decades, it remains essentially unknown. The melting temperature predictions for MgO at 135 GPa, the Earth's core-mantle boundary pressure, range from 5 to 9 kK. In a continuous effort to resolve this inconsistency and to probe the P-T region previously unexplored, we developed a technique for radiative shock temperature measurements in single-crystal MgO preheated to 2300 K. Large ventilated Mo capsules were employed to hold ~20 mm long MgO crystals with controlled longitudinal thermal gradients. These hot targets were impacted by 0.8 mm thick Ta flyers launched at 6.5 to 7.5 km/s on the Caltech two-stage light-gas gun. Six spectral radiance histories from MgO shock front were recorded in every shot with 3 ns time resolution over 440-750 nm or 500-830 nm spectral range. The majority of our experiments showed smooth pressure dependence of MgO shock temperature and sound speed consistent with the solid phase at 197-243 GPa. Although most observed temperatures are ~700 K lower and sound speeds ~1 km/s higher than the model predictions, the pressure slopes for both parameters are in close agreement with those calculated for the solid phase. Unconfirmed data from a single experiment at 239 GPa and 8.3 kK showed correlated temperature and sound speed anomalies (both values lower than expected) that may be explained by partial melting. Our past and recent data on shock-compressed preheated MgO suggest its melting curve above 200 GPa is higher than the extrapolation of the experiments of Zerr & Boehler or the theoretical calculation by Strachan et. al. These results, features of shock experiments with 2300 K pre-heat temperatures, data analysis

Discrete Huygens’ modeling for the characterization of a sound absorbing medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chai, L.; Kagawa, Y.

2007-07-01

Based on the equivalence between the wave propagation in the electrical transmission-lines and acoustic tubes, the authors proposed the use of the transmission-line matrix modeling (TLM) for time-domain solution method of the sound field. TLM is known in electromagnetic engineering community, which is equivalent to the discrete Huygens' modeling. The wave propagation is simulated by tracing the sequences of the transmission and scattering of impulses. The theory and the demonstrated examples are presented in the references, in which a sound absorbing field was preliminarily considered to be a medium with simple acoustic resistance independent of frequency and the angle of incidence for the absorbing layer placed on the room wall surface. The present work is concerned with the time-domain response for the characterization of the sound absorbing materials. A lossy component with variable propagation velocity is introduced for sound absorbing materials to facilitate the energy consumption. The frequency characteristics of the absorption coefficient are also considered for the normal, oblique and random incidence. Some numerical demonstrations show that the present modeling provide a reasonable modeling of the homogeneous sound absorbing materials in time domain.

Beamed microwave power transmitting and receiving subsystems radiation characteristics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dickinson, R. M.

1980-01-01

Measured characteristics of the spectrum of typical converters and the distribution of radiated Radio Frequency (RF) energy from the terminals (transmitting antenna and rectenna) of a beamed microwave power subsystem are presented for small transmitting and receiving S-band (2.45 GHz) subarrays. Noise and harmonic levels of tube and solid-state RF power amplifiers are shown. The RF patterns and envelope of a 64 element slotted waveguide antenna are given for the fundamental frequency and harmonics through the fifth. Reflected fundamental and harmonic patterns through the fourth for a 42 element rectenna subarray are presented for various dc load and illumination conditions. Bandwidth measurements for the waveguide antenna and rectenna are shown.

Vaporization characteristics of carbon heat shields under radiative heating.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davy, W. C.; Bar-Nun, A.

1972-01-01

Study of the vaporization characteristics of samples of ATJ graphite, a material that has been considered for use on a Jovian probe. These samples were subjected to radiative heating loads of approximately 2 kW/sq cm in argon atmospheres of pressures from 0.00046 to 1 atm. Surface temperatures, mass loss rates, and spatially resolved emission spectral data were recorded. These data are analyzed to determine carbon vapor pressure as a function of temperature and are compared with current models for the vapor pressure of carbon. The effects of finite vaporization (i.e., nonequilibrium) rates are considered and compared with experiment. Estimates of the heat of vaporization from an energy balance are also presented.

Emitted radiation characteristics of plutonium dioxide radioisotope thermoelectric generators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gingo, P. J.; Steyn, J. J.

1971-01-01

The nuclear and emitted radiation characteristics of the radioisotope elements and impurities in commercial grade plutonium dioxide are presented in detail. The development of the methods of analysis are presented. Radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTG) of 1575, 3468 and 5679 thermal watts are characterized with respect to neutron and gamma photon source strength as well as spatial and number flux distribution. The results are presented as a function of detector position and light element contamination concentration for fuel age ranging from 'fresh' to 18 years. The data may be used to obtain results for given O-18 and Pu-236 concentrations. The neutron and gamma photon flux and dose calculations compare favorably with reported experimental values for SNAP-27.

Influence of Sound Wave Stimulation on the Growth of Strawberry in Sunlight Greenhouse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Lirong; Teng, Guanghui; Hou, Tianzhen; Zhu, Baoying; Liu, Xiaona

In this paper, we adopt the QGWA-03 plant audio apparatus to investigate the sound effects on strawberry in the leaf area, the photosynthetic characteristics and other physiological indexes. It was found that when there were no significant differences between the circumstances of the two sunlight greenhouses, the strawberry after the sound wave stimulation grew stronger than in the control and its leaf were deeper green, and shifted to an earlier time about one week to blossom and bear fruit. It was also found that the resistance of strawberry against disease and insect pest were enhanced. The experiment results show that sound wave stimulation can certainly promote the growth of plants.

On the attenuating effect of permeability on the low frequency sound of an airfoil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weidenfeld, M.; Manela, A.

2016-08-01

The effect of structure permeability on the far-field radiation of a thin airfoil is studied. Assuming low-Mach and high-Reynolds number flow, the near- and far-field descriptions are investigated at flapping-flight and unsteady flow conditions. Analysis is carried out using thin-airfoil theory and compact-body-based calculations for the hydrodynamic and acoustic fields, respectively. Airfoil porosity is modeled via Darcy's law, governed by prescribed distribution of surface intrinsic permeability. Discrete vortex model is applied to describe airfoil wake evolution. To assess the impact of penetrability, results are compared to counterpart predictions for the sound of an impermeable airfoil. Considering the finite-chord airfoil as "acoustically transparent", the leading-order contribution of surface porosity is obtained in terms of an acoustic dipole. It is shown that, at all flow conditions considered, porosity causes attenuation in outcome sound level. This is accompanied by a time-delay in the pressure signal, reflecting the mediating effect of permeability on the interaction of fluid flow with airfoil edge points. To the extent that thin-airfoil theory holds (requiring small normal-to-airfoil flow velocities), the results indicate on a decrease of ~ 10 percent and more in the total energy radiated by a permeable versus an impermeable airfoil. This amounts to a reduction in system sound pressure level of 3 dB and above at pitching flight conditions, where the sound-reducing effect of the seepage dipole pressure becomes dominant. The applicability of Darcy's law to model the effect of material porosity is discussed in light of existing literature.

SoundCompass: A Distributed MEMS Microphone Array-Based Sensor for Sound Source Localization

PubMed Central

Tiete, Jelmer; Domínguez, Federico; da Silva, Bruno; Segers, Laurent; Steenhaut, Kris; Touhafi, Abdellah

2014-01-01

Sound source localization is a well-researched subject with applications ranging from localizing sniper fire in urban battlefields to cataloging wildlife in rural areas. One critical application is the localization of noise pollution sources in urban environments, due to an increasing body of evidence linking noise pollution to adverse effects on human health. Current noise mapping techniques often fail to accurately identify noise pollution sources, because they rely on the interpolation of a limited number of scattered sound sensors. Aiming to produce accurate noise pollution maps, we developed the SoundCompass, a low-cost sound sensor capable of measuring local noise levels and sound field directionality. Our first prototype is composed of a sensor array of 52 Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) microphones, an inertial measuring unit and a low-power field-programmable gate array (FPGA). This article presents the SoundCompass’s hardware and firmware design together with a data fusion technique that exploits the sensing capabilities of the SoundCompass in a wireless sensor network to localize noise pollution sources. Live tests produced a sound source localization accuracy of a few centimeters in a 25-m2 anechoic chamber, while simulation results accurately located up to five broadband sound sources in a 10,000-m2 open field. PMID:24463431

Seeing with sound? exploring different characteristics of a visual-to-auditory sensory substitution device.

PubMed

Brown, David; Macpherson, Tom; Ward, Jamie

2011-01-01

Sensory substitution devices convert live visual images into auditory signals, for example with a web camera (to record the images), a computer (to perform the conversion) and headphones (to listen to the sounds). In a series of three experiments, the performance of one such device ('The vOICe') was assessed under various conditions on blindfolded sighted participants. The main task that we used involved identifying and locating objects placed on a table by holding a webcam (like a flashlight) or wearing it on the head (like a miner's light). Identifying objects on a table was easier with a hand-held device, but locating the objects was easier with a head-mounted device. Brightness converted into loudness was less effective than the reverse contrast (dark being loud), suggesting that performance under these conditions (natural indoor lighting, novice users) is related more to the properties of the auditory signal (ie the amount of noise in it) than the cross-modal association between loudness and brightness. Individual differences in musical memory (detecting pitch changes in two sequences of notes) was related to the time taken to identify or recognise objects, but individual differences in self-reported vividness of visual imagery did not reliably predict performance across the experiments. In general, the results suggest that the auditory characteristics of the device may be more important for initial learning than visual associations.

Experimental verification of enhanced sound transmission from water to air at low frequencies.

PubMed

Calvo, David C; Nicholas, Michael; Orris, Gregory J

2013-11-01

Laboratory measurements of enhanced sound transmission from water to air at low frequencies are presented. The pressure at a monitoring hydrophone is found to decrease for shallow source depths in agreement with the classical theory of a monopole source in proximity to a pressure release interface. On the other hand, for source depths below 1/10 of an acoustic wavelength in water, the radiation pattern in the air measured by two microphones becomes progressively omnidirectional in contrast to the classical geometrical acoustics picture in which sound is contained within a cone of 13.4° half angle. The measured directivities agree with wavenumber integration results for a point source over a range of frequencies and source depths. The wider radiation pattern owes itself to the conversion of evanescent waves in the water into propagating waves in the air that fill the angular space outside the cone. A ratio of pressure measurements made using an on-axis microphone and a near-axis hydrophone are also reported and compared with theory. Collectively, these pressure measurements are consistent with the theory of anomalous transparency of the water-air interface in which a large fraction of acoustic power emitted by a shallow source is radiated into the air.

Functional morphology of the sound-generating labia in the syrinx of two songbird species.

PubMed

Riede, Tobias; Goller, Franz

2010-01-01

In songbirds, two sound sources inside the syrinx are used to produce the primary sound. Laterally positioned labia are passively set into vibration, thus interrupting a passing air stream. Together with subsyringeal pressure, the size and tension of the labia determine the spectral characteristics of the primary sound. Very little is known about how the histological composition and morphology of the labia affect their function as sound generators. Here we related the size and microstructure of the labia to their acoustic function in two songbird species with different acoustic characteristics, the white-crowned sparrow and zebra finch. Histological serial sections of the syrinx and different staining techniques were used to identify collagen, elastin and hyaluronan as extracellular matrix components. The distribution and orientation of elastic fibers indicated that the labia in white-crowned sparrows are multi-layered structures, whereas they are more uniformly structured in the zebra finch. Collagen and hyaluronan were evenly distributed in both species. A multi-layered composition could give rise to complex viscoelastic properties of each sound source. We also measured labia size. Variability was found along the dorso-ventral axis in both species. Lateral asymmetry was identified in some individuals but not consistently at the species level. Different size between the left and right sound sources could provide a morphological basis for the acoustic specialization of each sound generator, but only in some individuals. The inconsistency of its presence requires the investigation of alternative explanations, e.g. differences in viscoelastic properties of the labia of the left and right syrinx. Furthermore, we identified attachments of syringeal muscles to the labia as well as to bronchial half rings and suggest a mechanism for their biomechanical function.