Apparent Negative Reflection with the Gradient Acoustic Metasurface by Integrating Supercell Periodicity into the Generalized Law of Reflection.

PubMed

Liu, Bingyi; Zhao, Wenyu; Jiang, Yongyuan

2016-12-05

As the two dimensional version of the functional wavefront manipulation metamaterial, metasurface has become a research hot spot for engineering the wavefront at will with a subwavelength thickness. The wave scattered by the gradient metasurface, which is composed by the periodic supercells, is governed by the generalized Snell's law. However, the critical angle that derived from the generalized Snell's law circles the domain of the incident angles that allow the occurrence of the anomalous reflection and refraction, and no free space scattering waves could exist when the incident angle is beyond the critical angle. Here we theoretically demonstrate that apparent negative reflection can be realized by a gradient acoustic metasurface when the incident angle is beyond the critical angle. The underlying mechanism of the apparent negative reflection is understood as the higher order diffraction arising from the interaction between the local phase modulation and the non-local effects introduced by the supercell periodicity. The apparent negative reflection phenomena has been perfectly verified by the calculated scattered acoustic waves of the reflected gradient acoustic metasurface. This work may provide new freedom in designing functional acoustic signal modulation devices, such as acoustic isolator and acoustic illusion device.

Apparent Negative Reflection with the Gradient Acoustic Metasurface by Integrating Supercell Periodicity into the Generalized Law of Reflection

PubMed Central

Liu, Bingyi; Zhao, Wenyu; Jiang, Yongyuan

2016-01-01

As the two dimensional version of the functional wavefront manipulation metamaterial, metasurface has become a research hot spot for engineering the wavefront at will with a subwavelength thickness. The wave scattered by the gradient metasurface, which is composed by the periodic supercells, is governed by the generalized Snell’s law. However, the critical angle that derived from the generalized Snell’s law circles the domain of the incident angles that allow the occurrence of the anomalous reflection and refraction, and no free space scattering waves could exist when the incident angle is beyond the critical angle. Here we theoretically demonstrate that apparent negative reflection can be realized by a gradient acoustic metasurface when the incident angle is beyond the critical angle. The underlying mechanism of the apparent negative reflection is understood as the higher order diffraction arising from the interaction between the local phase modulation and the non-local effects introduced by the supercell periodicity. The apparent negative reflection phenomena has been perfectly verified by the calculated scattered acoustic waves of the reflected gradient acoustic metasurface. This work may provide new freedom in designing functional acoustic signal modulation devices, such as acoustic isolator and acoustic illusion device. PMID:27917909

Interaction of acoustic levitation field with liquid reflecting surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Z. Y.; Xie, W. J.; Wei, B.

2010-01-01

Single-axis acoustic levitation of substances, such as foam, water, polymer, and aluminum, is achieved by employing various liquids as the sound reflectors. The interaction of acoustic levitation field with liquid reflecting surface is investigated theoretically by considering the deformation of the liquid surface under acoustic radiation pressure. Numerical calculations indicate that the deformation degree of the reflecting surface shows a direct proportion to the acoustic radiation power. Appropriate deformation is beneficial whereas excessive deformation is unfavorable to enhance the levitation capability. Typically, the levitation capability with water reflector is smaller than that with the concave rigid reflector but slightly larger than that with the planar rigid reflector at low emitter vibration intensity. Liquid reflectors with larger surface tension and higher density behave more closely to the planar rigid reflector.

Reflected wavefront manipulation based on ultrathin planar acoustic metasurfaces

PubMed Central

Li, Yong; Liang, Bin; Gu, Zhong-ming; Zou, Xin-ye; Cheng, Jian-chun

2013-01-01

The introduction of metasurfaces has renewed the Snell's law and opened up new degrees of freedom to tailor the optical wavefront at will. Here, we theoretically demonstrate that the generalized Snell's law can be achieved for reflected acoustic waves based on ultrathin planar acoustic metasurfaces. The metasurfaces are constructed with eight units of a solid structure to provide discrete phase shifts covering the full 2π span with steps of π/4 by coiling up the space. By careful selection of the phase profiles in the transverse direction of the metasurfaces, some fascinating wavefront engineering phenomena are demonstrated, such as anomalous reflections, conversion of propagating waves into surface waves, planar aberration-free lens and nondiffracting Bessel beam generated by planar acoustic axicon. Our results could open up a new avenue for acoustic wavefront engineering and manipulations. PMID:23986034

Acoustic Immittance, Absorbance, and Reflectance in the Human Ear Canal

PubMed Central

Rosowski, John J.; Wilber, Laura Ann

2015-01-01

Ear canal measurements of acoustic immittance (a term that groups impedance and its inverse, admittance) and the related quantities of acoustic reflectance and power absorbance have been used to assess auditory function and aid in the differential diagnosis of conductive hearing loss for over 50 years. The change in such quantities after stimulation of the acoustic reflex also has been used in diagnosis. In this article, we define these quantities, describe how they are commonly measured, and discuss appropriate calibration procedures and standards necessary for accurate immittance/reflectance measurements. PMID:27516708

High Frequency Acoustic Reflection and Transmission in Ocean Sediments

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-09-30

Development of a physical model of high-frequency acoustic interaction with the ocean floor, including penetration through and reflection from smooth and...experiments and additional laboratory measurements in the ARL:UT sand tank, an improved model of sediment acoustics will be developed that is...distinct areas of concentration: development of a broadband the oretical model to describe the acoustic interaction with the ocean floor in littoral

Low frequency acoustic microscope

DOEpatents

Khuri-Yakub, Butrus T.

1986-11-04

A scanning acoustic microscope is disclosed for the detection and location of near surface flaws, inclusions or voids in a solid sample material. A focused beam of acoustic energy is directed at the sample with its focal plane at the subsurface flaw, inclusion or void location. The sample is scanned with the beam. Detected acoustic energy specularly reflected and mode converted at the surface of the sample and acoustic energy reflected by subsurface flaws, inclusions or voids at the focal plane are used for generating an interference signal which is processed and forms a signal indicative of the subsurface flaws, inclusions or voids.

High frequency acoustic reflections from an air-snow interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Courville, Z.; Albert, D. G.; Lieb-Lappen, R.; Fegyveresi, J. M.

2016-12-01

High frequency wave propagation methods can be used to determine in situ near surface micro-pore geometry parameters in real Earth materials including snow. To this end, we have been developing a portable ultrasonic transducer rig to make measurements of acoustic reflections from a variety of natural porous media. Fresh natural snow, in particular, is a difficult material to characterize, as any mechanical interaction is likely to damage the fragile pores and grain bonds. Because acoustic waves are sensitive to the porous material properties, they potentially can be used to measure snow properties in a non-destructive manner. Such methods have already been demonstrated on cohesive porous materials including manufactured foams, porous metals, and sintered glass beads. We conducted high frequency, oblique-angle and near vertical reflection measurements on snow samples in a cold room. We then compare the acoustically derived snow physical parameters, including porosity, with values determined from micro-computed tomography (μCT) and with standard (but destructive) laboratory measurements. Preliminary results using a manufactured open cell foam following previous work by Fellah et al., (2003) shows very good agreement between values of porosity determined from the acoustic measurements and the values determined from μCT image analysis and gravimetric determination. Similarly, preliminary results comparing acoustic measurements of natural, dry snow samples prepared in the laboratory show good agreement between acoustically-derived porosity values and porosity values derived through independent means. Fellah, Z.E.A., S. Berger, W. Lauriks, C. Depollier, C. Aristegui, and J.Y. Chapelon, (2003b), Measuring the porosity and tortuosity of porous materials via reflected waves at oblique incidence, J. Acous. Soc. Am., 113, 2424-2433.

Fracture identification based on remote detection acoustic reflection logging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Gong; Li, Ning; Guo, Hong-Wei; Wu, Hong-Liang; Luo, Chao

2015-12-01

Fracture identification is important for the evaluation of carbonate reservoirs. However, conventional logging equipment has small depth of investigation and cannot detect rock fractures more than three meters away from the borehole. Remote acoustic logging uses phase-controlled array-transmitting and long sound probes that increase the depth of investigation. The interpretation of logging data with respect to fractures is typically guided by practical experience rather than theory and is often ambiguous. We use remote acoustic reflection logging data and high-order finite-difference approximations in the forward modeling and prestack reverse-time migration to image fractures. First, we perform forward modeling of the fracture responses as a function of the fracture-borehole wall distance, aperture, and dip angle. Second, we extract the energy intensity within the imaging area to determine whether the fracture can be identified as the formation velocity is varied. Finally, we evaluate the effect of the fracture-borehole distance, fracture aperture, and dip angle on fracture identification.

Method and apparatus for generating acoustic energy

DOEpatents

Guerrero, Hector N.

2002-01-01

A method and apparatus for generating and emitting amplified coherent acoustic energy. A cylindrical transducer is mounted within a housing, the transducer having an acoustically open end and an acoustically closed end. The interior of the transducer is filled with an active medium which may include scattering nuclei. Excitation of the transducer produces radially directed acoustic energy in the active medium, which is converted by the dimensions of the transducer, the acoustically closed end thereof, and the scattering nuclei, to amplified coherent acoustic energy directed longitudinally within the transducer. The energy is emitted through the acoustically open end of the transducer. The emitted energy can be used for, among other things, effecting a chemical reaction or removing scale from the interior walls of containment vessels.

Acoustic energy in ducts - Further observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eversman, W.

1979-01-01

The transmission of acoustic energy in uniform ducts carrying uniform flow is investigated with the purpose of clarifying two points of interest. The two commonly used definitions of acoustic 'energy' flux are shown to be related by a Legendre transformation of the Lagrangian density exactly as in deriving the Hamiltonian density in mechanics. In the acoustic case the total energy density and the Hamiltonian density are not the same which accounts for two different 'energy' fluxes. When the duct has acoustically absorptive walls neither of the two flux expressions gives correct results. A reevaluation of the basis of derivation of the energy density and energy flux provides forms which yield consistent results for soft walled ducts.

Reverberant acoustic energy in auditoria that comprise systems of coupled rooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Summers, Jason E.

2003-11-01

A frequency-dependent model for reverberant energy in coupled rooms is developed and compared with measurements for a 1:10 scale model and for Bass Hall, Ft. Worth, TX. At high frequencies, prior statistical-acoustics models are improved by geometrical-acoustics corrections for decay within sub-rooms and for energy transfer between sub-rooms. Comparisons of computational geometrical acoustics predictions based on beam-axis tracing with scale model measurements indicate errors resulting from tail-correction assuming constant quadratic growth of reflection density. Using ray tracing in the late part corrects this error. For mid-frequencies, the models are modified to account for wave effects at coupling apertures by including power transmission coefficients. Similarly, statical-acoustics models are improved through more accurate estimates of power transmission measurements. Scale model measurements are in accord with the predicted behavior. The edge-diffraction model is adapted to study transmission through apertures. Multiple-order scattering is theoretically and experimentally shown inaccurate due to neglect of slope diffraction. At low frequencies, perturbation models qualitatively explain scale model measurements. Measurements confirm relation of coupling strength to unperturbed pressure distribution on coupling surfaces. Measurements in Bass Hall exhibit effects of the coupled stage house. High frequency predictions of statistical acoustics and geometrical acoustics models and predictions of coupling apertures all agree with measurements.

Reflection and Refraction of Acoustic Waves by a Shock Wave

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brillouin, J.

1957-01-01

The presence of sound waves in one or the other of the fluid regions on either side of a shock wave is made apparent, in the region under superpressure, by acoustic waves (reflected or refracted according to whether the incident waves lie in the region of superpressure or of subpressure) and by thermal waves. The characteristics of these waves are calculated for a plane, progressive, and uniform incident wave. In the case of refraction, the refracted acoustic wave can, according to the incidence, be plane, progressive, and uniform or take the form of an 'accompanying wave' which remains attached to the front of the shock while sliding parallel to it. In all cases, geometrical constructions permit determination of the kinematic characteristics of the reflected or refractive acoustic waves. The dynamic relationships show that the amplitude of the reflected wave is always less than that of the incident wave. The amplitude of the refracted wave, whatever its type, may in certain cases be greater than that of the incident wave.

Experimental realization for abnormal reflection caused by an acoustic metasurface with subwavelength apertures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xuanjun; Zeng, Xinwu; Gao, Dongbao; Shen, Weidong; Wang, Jianli; Wang, Shengchun

2017-03-01

The reflection characteristics of the unit cell, consisting of a subwavelength circular hole and a rigid wall, was discussed theoretically, and it was found that the phase shift of the reflected waves could cover almost 2π span by adjusting the hole radius when the acoustic waves normally impinge on it. Based on the analytical formulas, an acoustic metasurface (AMS) sample constructed by an array of unit cells with different radii was designed and fabricated. The sound pressure fields induced by the sample were then measured through the experimental setup and the reflected field pattern was derived after data processing. Experimental results and COMSOL simulations both demonstrated the fact that the designed AMS has the ability to reflect acoustic waves into an unusual yet controllable direction, verifying the correctness of the theory and design about the AMS in this paper. Simulations also show that the designed AMS has a narrow working bandwidth of 50 Hz around 800 Hz and its total thickness is about 1/8 of the incident wavelength, giving it the potential for the miniaturization and integration of acoustic devices.

Broadband anomalous reflection caused by unsymmetrical specific acoustic impedance in phononic crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, S. K.; Wu, C. W.; Chen, Z.

2018-01-01

We investigate through numerical simulation the anomalous reflection (AR) of acoustic waves with perfect phononic crystals (PCs). Broadband AR is observed in a wide angle for the oblique incidence. The AR is due to the unsymmetrical specific acoustic impedance (SAI) profile along the surface, which is caused by the high frequency incidence. The findings in this paper complement the theories for the AR of acoustic waves with PCs, and may find applications in acoustic engineerings.

Reflection Acoustic Microscopy for Micro-NDE.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-02-01

WORDS (Coni, wu rere side. 14 It noeeeey And Idenify1 by block esife) Nondestructive Evaluation Acoustic Microscopy I Subsurface Imaging Pulsecio Cmrsin... subsurface imaging is presented and it is shown that with such lenses it is possible to obtain good focussing performance over a wide depth range...typically few millimeters at 50 MHz. A major problem in subsurface imaging derives from the large reflection obtained frnm the surface, and the small amount

Acoustic energy exchange through flow turning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baum, Joseph D.

1987-01-01

A numerical investigation of the mechanisms of acoustic energy exchange between the mean and acoustic flow fields in resonance chambers, such as rocket engines, is reported. A noniterative linearized block implicit scheme was used to solve the time-dependent compressible Navier-Stokes equations. Two test cases were investigated: acoustic wave propagation in a tube with a coexisting sheared mean flow (the refraction test) and acoustic wave propagation in a tube where the mean sheared flow was injected into the tube through its lateral boundary (the flow turning study). For flow turning, significant excitation of mean flow energy was observed at two locations: at the edge of the acoustic boundary layer and within a zone adjacent to the acoustic boundary layer extending up to 0.1 radii away from the wall. A weaker streaming effect was observed for the refraction study, and only at the edge of the acoustic boundary layer. The total dissipation for the flow turning test was twice the dissipation for refraction.

Mach stem formation in reflection and focusing of weak shock acoustic pulses.

PubMed

Karzova, Maria M; Khokhlova, Vera A; Salze, Edouard; Ollivier, Sébastien; Blanc-Benon, Philippe

2015-06-01

The aim of this study is to show the evidence of Mach stem formation for very weak shock waves with acoustic Mach numbers on the order of 10(-3) to 10(-2). Two representative cases are considered: reflection of shock pulses from a rigid surface and focusing of nonlinear acoustic beams. Reflection experiments are performed in air using spark-generated shock pulses. Shock fronts are visualized using a schlieren system. Both regular and irregular types of reflection are observed. Numerical simulations are performed to demonstrate the Mach stem formation in the focal region of periodic and pulsed nonlinear beams in water.

Acoustic analog computing based on a reflective metasurface with decoupled modulation of phase and amplitude

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuo, Shu-Yu; Tian, Ye; Wei, Qi; Cheng, Ying; Liu, Xiao-Jun

2018-03-01

The use of metasurfaces has allowed the provision of a variety of functionalities by ultrathin structures, paving the way toward novel highly compact analog computing devices. Here, we conceptually realize analog computing using an acoustic reflective computational metasurface (RCM) that can independently manipulate the reflection phase and amplitude of an incident acoustic signal. This RCM is composed of coating unit cells and perforated panels, where the first can tune the transmission phase within the full range of 2π and the second can adjust the reflection amplitude in the range of 0-1. We show that this RCM can achieve arbitrary reflection phase and amplitude and can be used to realize a unique linear spatially invariant transfer function. Using the spatial Fourier transform (FT), an acoustic analog computing (AAC) system is proposed based on the RCM together with a focusing lens. Based on numerical simulations, we demonstrate that this AAC system can perform mathematical operations such as spatial differentiation, integration, and convolution on an incident acoustic signal. The proposed system has low complexity and reduced size because the RCM is able to individually adjust the reflection phase and amplitude and because only one block is involved in performing the spatial FT. Our work may offer a practical, efficient, and flexible approach to the design of compact devices for acoustic computing applications, signal processing, equation solving, and acoustic wave manipulations.

All-angle Negative Reflection with An Ultrathin Acoustic Gradient Metasurface: Floquet-Bloch Modes Perspective and Experimental Verification.

PubMed

Liu, Bingyi; Zhao, Jiajun; Xu, Xiaodong; Zhao, Wenyu; Jiang, Yongyuan

2017-10-23

Metasurface with gradient phase response offers new alternative for steering the propagation of waves. Conventional Snell's law has been revised by taking the contribution of local phase gradient into account. However, the requirement of momentum matching along the metasurface sets its nontrivial beam manipulation functionality within a limited-angle incidence. In this work, we theoretically and experimentally demonstrate that the acoustic gradient metasurface supports the negative reflection for all-angle incidence. The mode expansion theory is developed to help understand how the gradient metasurface tailors the incident beams, and the all-angle negative reflection occurs when the first negative order Floquet-Bloch mode dominates inside the metasurface slab. The coiling-up space structures are utilized to build desired acoustic gradient metasurface, and the all-angle negative reflections have been perfectly verified by experimental measurements. Our work offers the Floquet-Bloch modes perspective for qualitatively understanding the reflection behaviors of the acoustic gradient metasurface, and the all-angle negative reflection characteristic possessed by acoustic gradient metasurface could enable a new degree of the acoustic wave manipulating and be applied in the functional diffractive acoustic elements, such as the all-angle acoustic back reflector.

Probing near-normally propagating bulk acoustic waves using pseudo-reflection geometry Brillouin spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parsons, L. C.; Andrews, G. T.

2012-09-01

Pseudo-reflection geometry Brillouin spectroscopy can be used to probe acoustic wave dispersion approximately along the surface normal of a material system while avoiding the difficulties associated with specularly reflected light encountered in an ideal reflection configuration. As an example of its application, we show analytically that it can be used to determine both the refractive index and bulk acoustic mode velocities of optically-isotropic non-metallic materials and confirm the utility of the approach via a series of experiments on fused quartz, gallium phosphide, water, and porous silicon films.

Combination of acoustical radiosity and the image source method.

PubMed

Koutsouris, Georgios I; Brunskog, Jonas; Jeong, Cheol-Ho; Jacobsen, Finn

2013-06-01

A combined model for room acoustic predictions is developed, aiming to treat both diffuse and specular reflections in a unified way. Two established methods are incorporated: acoustical radiosity, accounting for the diffuse part, and the image source method, accounting for the specular part. The model is based on conservation of acoustical energy. Losses are taken into account by the energy absorption coefficient, and the diffuse reflections are controlled via the scattering coefficient, which defines the portion of energy that has been diffusely reflected. The way the model is formulated allows for a dynamic control of the image source production, so that no fixed maximum reflection order is required. The model is optimized for energy impulse response predictions in arbitrary polyhedral rooms. The predictions are validated by comparison with published measured data for a real music studio hall. The proposed model turns out to be promising for acoustic predictions providing a high level of detail and accuracy.

Modelling and Order of Acoustic Transfer Functions Due to Reflections from Augmented Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuster, Martin; de Vries, Diemer

2006-12-01

It is commonly accepted that the sound reflections from real physical objects are much more complicated than what usually is and can be modelled by room acoustics modelling software. The main reason for this limitation is the level of detail inherent in the physical object in terms of its geometrical and acoustic properties. In the present paper, the complexity of the sound reflections from a corridor wall is investigated by modelling the corresponding acoustic transfer functions at several receiver positions in front of the wall. The complexity for different wall configurations has been examined and the changes have been achieved by altering its acoustic image. The results show that for a homogenous flat wall, the complexity is significant and for a wall including various smaller objects, the complexity is highly dependent on the position of the receiver with respect to the objects.

Helix structure for low frequency acoustic energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Ming; Cao, Ziping; Luo, Jun; Pang, Zongqiang

2018-05-01

In this study, a novel helix acoustic resonator is proposed to realize acoustic energy harvesting (AEH). Compared with the traditional acoustic resonators, the proposed structure occupies a small volume and is suitable for the low frequency range. At a specific incident frequency, the mechanical component of the AEH device can be intensely excited and the bonded piezoelectric patch is utilized to convert the strain energy into electrical energy. Analytical studies are carried out to disclose the acoustic resonant system properties. Meanwhile, the pure acoustic and coupled vibro-acoustic properties of the proposed device are analyzed via the finite element method. The major part of the AEH device is fabricated via 3D printing for experimental study, which is favored for rapid prototyping. At acoustic resonance frequency 175 Hz, 100 dB sound pressure level excitation working condition, the measured experimental data show that the harvested power can be up to 7.3 μW.

Helix structure for low frequency acoustic energy harvesting.

PubMed

Yuan, Ming; Cao, Ziping; Luo, Jun; Pang, Zongqiang

2018-05-01

In this study, a novel helix acoustic resonator is proposed to realize acoustic energy harvesting (AEH). Compared with the traditional acoustic resonators, the proposed structure occupies a small volume and is suitable for the low frequency range. At a specific incident frequency, the mechanical component of the AEH device can be intensely excited and the bonded piezoelectric patch is utilized to convert the strain energy into electrical energy. Analytical studies are carried out to disclose the acoustic resonant system properties. Meanwhile, the pure acoustic and coupled vibro-acoustic properties of the proposed device are analyzed via the finite element method. The major part of the AEH device is fabricated via 3D printing for experimental study, which is favored for rapid prototyping. At acoustic resonance frequency 175 Hz, 100 dB sound pressure level excitation working condition, the measured experimental data show that the harvested power can be up to 7.3 μW.

High frequency acoustic on-chip integration for particle characterization and manipulation in microfluidics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Sizhe; Carlier, Julien; Toubal, Malika; Liu, Huiqin; Campistron, Pierre; Callens, Dorothée; Nassar, Georges; Nongaillard, Bertrand; Guo, Shishang

2017-10-01

This letter presents a microfluidic device that integrates high frequency (650 MHz) bulk acoustic waves for the realization of particle handling on-chip. The core structure of the microfluidic chip is made up of a confocal lens, a vertical reflection wall, and a ZnO film transducer coupled with a silicon substrate for exciting acoustic beams. The excited acoustic waves propagate in bulk silicon and are then guided by a 45° silicon mirror into the suspensions in the microchannel; afterwards, the acoustic energy is focused on particles by the confocal lens and reflected by a reflection wall. Parts of the reflected acoustic energy backtrack into the transducer, and acoustic attenuation measurements are characterized for particle detection. Meanwhile, a strong acoustic streaming phenomenon can be seen around the reflection wall, which is used to implement particle manipulation. This platform opens a frontier for on-chip integration of high sensitivity acoustic characterization and localized acoustic manipulation in microfluidics.

Reconstructing surface wave profiles from reflected acoustic pulses using multiple receivers.

PubMed

Walstead, Sean P; Deane, Grant B

2014-08-01

Surface wave shapes are determined by analyzing underwater reflected acoustic signals collected at multiple receivers. The transmitted signals are of nominal frequency 300 kHz and are reflected off surface gravity waves that are paddle-generated in a wave tank. An inverse processing algorithm reconstructs 50 surface wave shapes over a length span of 2.10 m. The inverse scheme uses a broadband forward scattering model based on Kirchhoff's diffraction formula to determine wave shapes. The surface reconstruction algorithm is self-starting in that source and receiver geometry and initial estimates of wave shape are determined from the same acoustic signals used in the inverse processing. A high speed camera provides ground-truth measurements of the surface wave field for comparison with the acoustically derived surface waves. Within Fresnel zone regions the statistical confidence of the inversely optimized surface profile exceeds that of the camera profile. Reconstructed surfaces are accurate to a resolution of about a quarter-wavelength of the acoustic pulse only within Fresnel zones associated with each source and receiver pair. Multiple isolated Fresnel zones from multiple receivers extend the spatial extent of accurate surface reconstruction while overlapping Fresnel zones increase confidence in the optimized profiles there.

Influence of Acoustic Reflection on the Inertial Cavitation Dose in a Franz Diffusion Cell.

PubMed

Robertson, Jeremy; Becker, Sid

2018-05-01

The exposure of the skin to low-frequency (20-100 kHz) ultrasound is a well-established method for increasing its permeability to drugs. The mechanism underlying this permeability increase has been found to be inertial cavitation within the coupling fluid. This study investigated the influence of acoustic reflections on the inertial cavitation dose during low-frequency (20 kHz) exposure in an in vitro skin sonoporation setup. This investigation was conducted using a passive cavitation detector that monitored the broadband noise emission within a modified Franz diffusion cell. Two versions of this diffusion cell were employed. One version had acoustic conditions that were similar to those of a standard Franz diffusion cell surrounded by air, whereas the second was designed to greatly reduce the acoustic reflection by submerging the diffusion cell in a water bath. The temperature of the coupling fluid in both setups was controlled using a novel thermoelectric cooling system. At an ultrasound intensity of 13.6 W/cm 2 , the median inertial cavitation dose when the acoustic reflections were suppressed, was found to be only about 15% lower than when reflections were not suppressed. Copyright © 2018 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multi reflection of Lamb wave emission in an acoustic waveguide sensor.

PubMed

Schmitt, Martin; Olfert, Sergei; Rautenberg, Jens; Lindner, Gerhard; Henning, Bernd; Reindl, Leonhard Michael

2013-02-27

Recently, an acoustic waveguide sensor based on multiple mode conversion of surface acoustic waves at the solid-liquid interfaces has been introduced for the concentration measurement of binary and ternary mixtures, liquid level sensing, investigation of spatial inhomogenities or bubble detection. In this contribution the sound wave propagation within this acoustic waveguide sensor is visualized by Schlieren imaging for continuous and burst operation the first time. In the acoustic waveguide the antisymmetrical zero order Lamb wave mode is excited by a single phase transducer of 1 MHz on thin glass plates of 1 mm thickness. By contact to the investigated liquid Lamb waves propagating on the first plate emit pressure waves into the adjacent liquid, which excites Lamb waves on the second plate, what again causes pressure waves traveling inside the liquid back to the first plate and so on. The Schlieren images prove this multi reflection within the acoustic waveguide, which confirms former considerations and calculations based on the receiver signal. With this knowledge the sensor concepts with the acoustic waveguide sensor can be interpreted in a better manner.

Multi Reflection of Lamb Wave Emission in an Acoustic Waveguide Sensor

PubMed Central

Schmitt, Martin; Olfert, Sergei; Rautenberg, Jens; Lindner, Gerhard; Henning, Bernd; Reindl, Leonhard Michael

2013-01-01

Recently, an acoustic waveguide sensor based on multiple mode conversion of surface acoustic waves at the solid—liquid interfaces has been introduced for the concentration measurement of binary and ternary mixtures, liquid level sensing, investigation of spatial inhomogenities or bubble detection. In this contribution the sound wave propagation within this acoustic waveguide sensor is visualized by Schlieren imaging for continuous and burst operation the first time. In the acoustic waveguide the antisymmetrical zero order Lamb wave mode is excited by a single phase transducer of 1 MHz on thin glass plates of 1 mm thickness. By contact to the investigated liquid Lamb waves propagating on the first plate emit pressure waves into the adjacent liquid, which excites Lamb waves on the second plate, what again causes pressure waves traveling inside the liquid back to the first plate and so on. The Schlieren images prove this multi reflection within the acoustic waveguide, which confirms former considerations and calculations based on the receiver signal. With this knowledge the sensor concepts with the acoustic waveguide sensor can be interpreted in a better manner. PMID:23447010

Characterizing the ear canal acoustic reflectance and impedance by pole-zero fitting

PubMed Central

Robinson, Sarah R.; Nguyen, Cac T.; Allen, Jont B.

2013-01-01

This study characterizes middle ear complex acoustic reflectance (CAR) and impedance by fitting poles and zeros to real-ear measurements. The goal of this work is to establish a quantitative connection between pole-zero locations and the underlying physical properties of CAR data. Most previous studies have analyzed CAR magnitude; while the magnitude accounts for reflected power, it does not encode latency information. Thus, an analysis that studies the real and imaginary parts of the data together could be more powerful. Pole-zero fitting of CAR data is examined using data compiled from various studies, dating back to Voss and Allen (1994). Recent CAR measurements were taken using a middle ear acoustic power analyzer (MEPA) system (HearID, Mimosa Acoustics), which makes complex acoustic impedance and reflectance measurements in the ear canal over the 0.2 to 6.0 kHz frequency range. Pole-zero fits to measurements over this range are achieved with an average RMS relative error of less than 3% using 12 poles. Factoring the reflectance fit into its all-pass and minimum-phase components approximates the effect of the ear canal, allowing for comparison across measurements. It was found that individual CAR magnitude variations for normal middle ears in the 1 to 4 kHz range often give rise to closely-placed pole-zero pairs, and that the locations of the poles and zeros in the s-plane may differ between normal and pathological middle ears. This study establishes a methodology for examining the physical and mathematical properties of CAR using a concise parametric model. Pole-zero modeling shows promise for precise parameterization of CAR data and for identification of middle ear pathologies. PMID:23524141

A comprehensive analysis of surface acoustic wave reflections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, H.; Hahn, Y.; Gau, J. N.

1989-06-01

A thorough study of the perturbative and variational approaches is carried out for the surface acoustic wave reflection problem. We have shown that the perturbation treatment by Datta and Hunsinger and potentially powerful variational formulation by Chen and Haus [IEEE Trans. Sonics Ultrason. SU-32, 395 (1985)] are mutually consistent. In their common region of validity, these two approaches yield nearly identical results for the reflection coefficients and velocity shifts due to metal finger and groove overlays. Term-by-term comparison of the mass- and stress-loading effects, and also the electric shorting effect, is carried out to provide a coherent picture of the reflection phenomena. The on- and off-resonance behavior of the reflection coefficient can be described correctly using either one of these theories, with proper inclusion of the overlay shape dependence. A new term for electric shorting is derived for groove overlays.

Design and Analysis of Underwater Acoustic Networks with Reflected Links

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emokpae, Lloyd

Underwater acoustic networks (UWANs) have applications in environmental state monitoring, oceanic profile measurements, leak detection in oil fields, distributed surveillance, and navigation. For these applications, sets of nodes are employed to collaboratively monitor an area of interest and track certain events or phenomena. In addition, it is common to find autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) acting as mobile sensor nodes that perform search-and-rescue missions, reconnaissance in combat zones, and coastal patrol. These AUVs are to work cooperatively to achieve a desired goal and thus need to be able to, in an ad-hoc manner, establish and sustain communication links in order to ensure some desired level of quality of service. Therefore, each node is required to adapt to environmental changes and be able to overcome broken communication links caused by external noise affecting the communication channel due to node mobility. In addition, since radio waves are quickly absorbed in the water medium, it is common for most underwater applications to rely on acoustic (or sound) rather than radio channels for mid-to-long range communications. However, acoustic channels pose multiple challenging issues, most notably the high transmission delay due to slow signal propagation and the limited channel bandwidth due to high frequency attenuation. Moreover, the inhomogeneous property of the water medium affects the sound speed profile while the signal surface and bottom reflections leads to multipath effects. In this dissertation, we address these networking challenges by developing protocols that take into consideration the underwater physical layer dynamics. We begin by introducing a novel surface-based reflection scheme (SBR), which takes advantage of the multipath effects of the acoustic channel. SBR works by using reflections from the water surface, and bottom, to establish non-line-of-sight (NLOS) communication links. SBR makes it possible to incorporate both line

Acoustic energy harvesting using an electromechanical Helmholtz resonator.

PubMed

Liu, Fei; Phipps, Alex; Horowitz, Stephen; Ngo, Khai; Cattafesta, Louis; Nishida, Toshikazu; Sheplak, Mark

2008-04-01

This paper presents the development of an acoustic energy harvester using an electromechanical Helmholtz resonator (EMHR). The EMHR consists of an orifice, cavity, and a piezoelectric diaphragm. Acoustic energy is converted to mechanical energy when sound incident on the orifice generates an oscillatory pressure in the cavity, which in turns causes the vibration of the diaphragm. The conversion of acoustic energy to electrical energy is achieved via piezoelectric transduction in the diaphragm of the EMHR. Moreover, the diaphragm is coupled with energy reclamation circuitry to increase the efficiency of the energy conversion. Lumped element modeling of the EMHR is used to provide physical insight into the coupled energy domain dynamics governing the energy reclamation process. The feasibility of acoustic energy reclamation using an EMHR is demonstrated in a plane wave tube for two power converter topologies. The first is comprised of only a rectifier, and the second uses a rectifier connected to a flyback converter to improve load matching. Experimental results indicate that approximately 30 mW of output power is harvested for an incident sound pressure level of 160 dB with a flyback converter. Such power level is sufficient to power a variety of low power electronic devices.

Relaxation of sound fields in rooms of diffusely reflecting boundaries and its application in acoustical radiosity simulation.

PubMed

Zhang, Honghu

2006-04-01

The acoustical radiosity method is a computationally expensive acoustical simulation algorithm that assumes an enclosure with ideal diffuse reflecting boundaries. Miles observed that for such an enclosure, the sound energy decay of every point on the boundaries will gradually converge to exponential manner with a uniform decay rate. Therefore, the ratio of radiosity between every pair of points on the boundaries will converge to a constant, and the radiosity across the boundaries will approach a fixed distribution during the sound decay process, where radiosity is defined as the acoustic power per unit area leaving (or being received by) a point on a boundary. We call this phenomenon the "relaxation" of the sound field. In this paper, we study the relaxation in rooms of different shapes with different boundary absorptions. Criteria based on the relaxation of the sound field are proposed to terminate the costly and unnecessary radiosity computation in the later phase, which can then be replaced by a fast regression step to speed up the acoustical radiosity simulation.

Tunable sub-wavelength acoustic energy harvesting with a metamaterial plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oudich, Mourad; Li, Yong

2017-08-01

We report theoretically on sub-wavelength acoustic energy harvesting (AEH) using a thin acoustic metamaterial (AM) made of spring-mass resonators attached to the surface of a homogeneous elastic thin plate. Considering an incident acoustic wave hitting the AM plate, tunable and highly efficient AEH is achieved by introducing a sub-wavelength defect inside the AM structure to confine the elastic energy into a spot which is then electromechanically converted into electrical power using a ceramic PZT patch. Several types of sub-wavelength cavities capable of confining acoustic energy at the sonic regime are extensively investigated for the optimization of AEH. Three analytical approaches—band structure, sound transmission loss and electrical-to-mechanical energy conversion—are proposed to fully describe the system interaction with the acoustic wave and quantify the AEH performance. The computed results show that an average power of 18 μW can be harvested using a specific cavity design of only 3 × 3 cm2 size from an incident acoustic wave with a sound pressure level of 100 dB at 520 Hz. Such a system can open up a way through the design of effective tunable sub-wavelength acoustic energy harvesters based on AM applied to scavenge energy from sound.

Converting acoustic energy into useful other energy forms

DOEpatents

Putterman, Seth J.; Barber, Bradley Paul; Hiller, Robert Anthony; Lofstedt, Ritva Maire Johanna

1997-01-01

Sonoluminescence is an off-equilibrium phenomenon in which the energy of a resonant sound wave in a liquid is highly concentrated so as to generate flashes of light. The conversion of sound to light represents an energy amplification of eleven orders of magnitude. The flashes which occur once per cycle of the audible or ultrasonic sound fields can be comprised of over one million photons and last for less 100 picoseconds. The emission displays a clocklike synchronicity; the jitter in time between consecutive flashes is less than fifty picoseconds. The emission is blue to the eye and has a broadband spectrum increasing from 700 nanometers to 200 nanometers. The peak power is about 100 milliWatts. The initial stage of the energy focusing is effected by the nonlinear oscillations of a gas bubble trapped in the liquid. For sufficiently high drive pressures an imploding shock wave is launched into the gas by the collapsing bubble. The reflection of the shock from its focal point results in high temperatures and pressures. The sonoluminescence light emission can be sustained by sensing a characteristic of the emission and feeding back changes into the driving mechanism. The liquid is in a sealed container and the seeding of the gas bubble is effected by locally heating the liquid after sealing the container. Different energy forms than light can be obtained from the converted acoustic energy. When the gas contains deuterium and tritium there is the feasibility of the other energy form being fusion, namely including the generation of neutrons.

Determination of acoustic properties of thin polymer films utilizing the frequency dependence of the reflection coefficient of ultrasound.

PubMed

Tohmyoh, Hironori; Sakamoto, Yuhei

2015-11-01

This paper reports on a technique to measure the acoustic properties of a thin polymer film utilizing the frequency dependence of the reflection coefficient of ultrasound reflected back from a system comprising a reflection plate, the film, and a material that covers the film. The frequency components of the echo reflected from the back of the plate, where the film is attached, take their minimum values at the resonant frequency, and from these frequency characteristics, the acoustic impedance, sound velocity, and the density of the film can be determined. We applied this technique to characterize an ion exchange membrane, which has high water absorbability, and successfully determined the acoustic properties of the membrane without getting it wet.

3.5 GHz longitudinal leaky surface acoustic wave resonator using a multilayered waveguide structure for high acoustic energy confinement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kimura, Tetsuya; Kishimoto, Yutaka; Omura, Masashi; Hashimoto, Ken-ya

2018-07-01

In this paper, the use of a structure comprising a thin LiNbO3 plate and a multilayered acoustic mirror composed of SiO2 and Pt for high-performance longitudinal leaky surface acoustic wave (LLSAW) device is proposed. The mirror is expected to offer a much higher reflectivity than that composed of SiO2 and AlN, which the authors proposed previously. The field distribution of these structures is calculated by using a finite element method. It is shown that the acoustic wave energy of the proposed structure is well confined in the vicinity of the top surface, and that leakage to the substrate is reduced. A one-port resonator is fabricated on the structure and its performance characteristics are evaluated. Owing to a high phase velocity of 6,035 m/s, which is about 1.5 times higher than that of conventional SAWs, a large impedance ratio of 71 dB was achieved at 3.5 GHz in addition to a large fractional bandwidth of 9.5%.

Upper Atmosphere Heating From Ocean-Generated Acoustic Wave Energy

DOE PAGES

Bowman, D. C.; Lees, J. M.

2018-04-27

We present that colliding sea surface waves generate the ocean microbarom, an acoustic signal that may transmit significant energy to the upper atmosphere. Previous estimates of acoustic energy flux from the ocean microbarom and mountain-wind interactions are on the order of 0.01 to 1 mW/m 2, heating the thermosphere by tens of Kelvins per day. We captured upgoing ocean microbarom waves with a balloon-borne infrasound microphone; the maximum acoustic energy flux was approximately 0.05 mW/m 2. This is about half the average value reported in previous ground-based microbarom observations spanning 8 years. The acoustic flux from the microbarom episode describedmore » here may have heated the thermosphere by several Kelvins per day while the source persisted. Lastly, we suggest that ocean wave models could be used to parameterize acoustically generated heating of the upper atmosphere based on sea state.« less

Upper Atmosphere Heating From Ocean-Generated Acoustic Wave Energy

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

Bowman, D. C.; Lees, J. M.

We present that colliding sea surface waves generate the ocean microbarom, an acoustic signal that may transmit significant energy to the upper atmosphere. Previous estimates of acoustic energy flux from the ocean microbarom and mountain-wind interactions are on the order of 0.01 to 1 mW/m 2, heating the thermosphere by tens of Kelvins per day. We captured upgoing ocean microbarom waves with a balloon-borne infrasound microphone; the maximum acoustic energy flux was approximately 0.05 mW/m 2. This is about half the average value reported in previous ground-based microbarom observations spanning 8 years. The acoustic flux from the microbarom episode describedmore » here may have heated the thermosphere by several Kelvins per day while the source persisted. Lastly, we suggest that ocean wave models could be used to parameterize acoustically generated heating of the upper atmosphere based on sea state.« less

Origami acoustics: using principles of folding structural acoustics for simple and large focusing of sound energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harne, Ryan L.; Lynd, Danielle T.

2016-08-01

Fixed in spatial distribution, arrays of planar, electromechanical acoustic transducers cannot adapt their wave energy focusing abilities unless each transducer is externally controlled, creating challenges for the implementation and portability of such beamforming systems. Recently, planar, origami-based structural tessellations are found to facilitate great versatility in system function and properties through kinematic folding. In this research we bridge the physics of acoustics and origami-based design to discover that the simple topological reconfigurations of a Miura-ori-based acoustic array yield many orders of magnitude worth of reversible change in wave energy focusing: a potential for acoustic field morphing easily obtained through deployable, tessellated architectures. Our experimental and theoretical studies directly translate the roles of folding the tessellated array to the adaptations in spectral and spatial wave propagation sensitivities for far field energy transmission. It is shown that kinematic folding rules and flat-foldable tessellated arrays collectively provide novel solutions to the long-standing challenges of conventional, electronically-steered acoustic beamformers. While our examples consider sound radiation from the foldable array in air, linear acoustic reciprocity dictates that the findings may inspire new innovations for acoustic receivers, e.g. adaptive sound absorbers and microphone arrays, as well as concepts that include water-borne waves.

State of the art in acoustic energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ullah Khan, Farid; Izhar

2015-02-01

For portable and embedded smart, wireless electronic systems, energy harvesting from the ambient energy sources has gained immense interest in recent years. Several ambient energies exist in the environment of wireless sensor nodes (WSNs) that include thermal, solar, vibration and acoustic energy. This paper presents the recent development in the field of acoustic energy harvesters (AEHs). AEHs convert the acoustic energy into useful electrical energy for the operation of autonomous wireless sensors. Mainly, two types of AEHs (electromagnetic and piezoelectric based) have been developed and reported in literature. The power produced by the reported piezoelectric AEHs ranges from 0.68 pW to 30 mW however, the power generation of the developed electromagnetic AEHs is in the range of 1.5-1.96 mW. The overall size of most of the developed piezoelectric and electromagnetic AEHs are quite comparable and in millimeter scale. The resonant frequencies of electromagnetic AEHs are on the lower side (143-470 Hz), than that of piezoelectric AEHs (146 Hz-16.7 kHz).

Ultrathin reflective acoustic metasurface based on the synergetic coupling of resonant cavity and labyrinthine beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, S. K.; Zhang, W.; Ma, G. J.; Wu, C. W.; Chen, Z.

2018-05-01

We propose a reflective acoustic metasurface by taking advantage of the synergetic coupling of two kinds of widely used elements, the resonant cavity and the labyrinthine beam. A full 2π phase shift range can be obtained by varying the neck width. The structure manipulates the reflective waves on a very deep subwavelength scale with the thickness being only 1/50 of the wavelength, which eliminates the enormous obstacle in low frequency applications. The synergetic coupling of the resonant cavity and the inner labyrinthine beams provide a useful guide for the design of acoustic metasurfaces.

Transmission and scattering of acoustic energy in turbulent flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaitonde, Datta; Unnikrishnan, S.

2017-11-01

Sound scattering and transmission in turbulent jets are explored through a control volume analysis of a Large-Eddy Simulation. The fluctuating momentum flux across any control surface is first split into its rotational turbulent ((ρu)'H) and the irrotational-isentropic acoustic ((ρu)'A) components using momentum potential theory (MPT). The former has low spatio-temporal coherence, while the latter exhibits a persistent wavepacket form. The energy variable, specifically, total fluctuating enthalpy, is also split into its turbulent and acoustic modes, HH' and HA' respectively. Scattering of acoustic energy is then (ρu)'HHA' , and transmission is (ρu)'AHA' . This facilitates a quantitative comparison of scattering versus transmission in the presence of acoustic energy sources, also obtained from MPT, in any turbulent scenario. The wavepacket converts stochastic sound sources into coherent sound radiation. Turbulent eddies are not only sources of sound, but also play a strong role in scattering, particularly near the lipline. The net acoustic flux from the jet is the transport of HA' by the wavepacket, whose axisymmetric and higher azimuthal modes contribute to downstream and sideline radiation respectively.

Sound insulation and energy harvesting based on acoustic metamaterial plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Assouar, Badreddine; Oudich, Mourad; Zhou, Xiaoming

2015-03-01

The emergence of artificially designed sub-wavelength acoustic materials, denoted acoustic metamaterials (AMM), has significantly broadened the range of materials responses found in nature. These engineered materials can indeed manipulate sound/vibration in surprising ways, which include vibration/sound insulation, focusing, cloaking, acoustic energy harvesting …. In this work, we report both on the analysis of the airborne sound transmission loss (STL) through a thin metamaterial plate and on the possibility of acoustic energy harvesting. We first provide a theoretical study of the airborne STL and confronted them to the structure-borne dispersion of a metamaterial plate. Second, we propose to investigate the acoustic energy harvesting capability of the plate-type AMM. We have developed semi-analytical and numerical methods to investigate the STL performances of a plate-type AMM with an airborne sound excitation having different incident angles. The AMM is made of silicone rubber stubs squarely arranged in a thin aluminum plate, and the STL is calculated at low-frequency range [100Hz to 3kHz] for an incoming incident sound pressure wave. The obtained analytical and numerical STL present a very good agreement confirming the reliability of developed approaches. A comparison between computed STL and the band structure of the considered AMM shows an excellent agreement and gives a physical understanding of the observed behavior. On another hand, the acoustic energy confinement in AMM with created defects with suitable geometry was investigated. The first results give a general view for assessing the acoustic energy harvesting performances making use of AMM.

Properties of seismic absorption induced reflections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Haixia; Gao, Jinghuai; Peng, Jigen

2018-05-01

Seismic reflections at an interface are often regarded as the variation of the acoustic impedance (product of seismic velocity and density) in a medium. In fact, they can also be generated due to the difference in absorption of the seismic energy. In this paper, we investigate the properties of such reflections. Based on the diffusive-viscous wave equation and elastic diffusive-viscous wave equation, we investigate the dependency of the reflection coefficients on frequency, and their variations with incident angles. Numerical results at a boundary due to absorption contrasts are compared with those resulted from acoustic impedance variation. It is found that, the reflection coefficients resulted from absorption depend significantly on the frequency especially at lower frequencies, but vary very slowly at small incident angles. At the higher frequencies, the reflection coefficients of diffusive-viscous wave and elastic diffusive-viscous wave are close to those of acoustic and elastic cases, respectively. On the other hand, the reflections caused by acoustic impedance variation are independent of frequency but vary distinctly with incident angles before the critical angle. We also investigate the difference between the seismograms generated in the two different media. The numerical results show that the amplitudes of these reflected waves are attenuated and their phases are shifted. However, the reflections obtained by acoustic impedance contrast, show no significant amplitude attenuation and phase shift.

A Study of Acoustic Reflections in Full-Scale Rotor Low Frequency Noise Measurements Acquired in Wind Tunnels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barbely, Natasha L.; Sim, Ben W.; Kitaplioglu, Cahit; Goulding, Pat, II

2010-01-01

Difficulties in obtaining full-scale rotor low frequency noise measurements in wind tunnels are addressed via residual sound reflections due to non-ideal anechoic wall treatments. Examples illustrated with the Boeing-SMART rotor test in the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex (NFAC) 40- by 80-Foot Wind Tunnel facility demonstrated that these reflections introduced distortions in the measured acoustic time histories that are not representative of free-field rotor noise radiation. A simplified reflection analysis, based on the method of images, is used to examine the sound measurement quality in such "less-than-anechoic" environment. Predictions of reflection-adjusted acoustic time histories are qualitatively shown to account for some of the spurious fluctuations observed in wind tunnel noise measurements

Acoustics Reflections of Full-Scale Rotor Noise Measurements in NFAC 40- by 80-Foot Wind Tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barbely, Natasha Lydia; Kitaplioglu, Cahit; Sim, Ben W.

2012-01-01

The objective of current research is to identify the extent of acoustic time history distortions due to wind tunnel wall reflections. Acoustic measurements from the recent full-scale Boeing-SMART rotor test (Fig. 2) will be used to illustrate the quality of noise measurement in the NFAC 40- by 80-Foot Wind Tunnel test section. Results will be compared to PSU-WOPWOP predictions obtained with and without adjustments due to sound reflections off wind tunnel walls. Present research assumes a rectangular enclosure as shown in Fig. 3a. The Method of Mirror Images7 is used to account for reflection sources and their acoustic paths by introducing mirror images of the rotor (i.e. acoustic source), at each and every wall surface, to enforce a no-flow boundary condition at the position of the physical walls (Fig. 3b). While conventional approach evaluates the "combined" noise from both the source and image rotor at a single microphone position, an alternative approach is used to simplify implementation of PSU-WOPWOP for this reflection analysis. Here, an "equivalent" microphone position is defined with respect to the source rotor for each mirror image that effectively renders the reflection analysis to be a one rotor, multiple microphones problem. This alternative approach has the advantage of allowing each individual "equivalent" microphone, representing the reflection pulse from the associated wall surface, to be adjusted by the panel absorption coefficient illustrated in Fig. 1a. Note that the presence of parallel wall surfaces requires an infinite number of mirror images (Fig. 3c) to satisfy the no-flow boundary conditions. In the present analysis, up to four mirror images (per wall surface) are accounted to achieve convergence in the predicted time histories

Deep seafloor arrivals in long range ocean acoustic propagation.

PubMed

Stephen, Ralph A; Bolmer, S Thompson; Udovydchenkov, Ilya A; Worcester, Peter F; Dzieciuch, Matthew A; Andrew, Rex K; Mercer, James A; Colosi, John A; Howe, Bruce M

2013-10-01

Ocean bottom seismometer observations at 5000 m depth during the long-range ocean acoustic propagation experiment in the North Pacific in 2004 show robust, coherent, late arrivals that are not readily explained by ocean acoustic propagation models. These "deep seafloor" arrivals are the largest amplitude arrivals on the vertical particle velocity channel for ranges from 500 to 3200 km. The travel times for six (of 16 observed) deep seafloor arrivals correspond to the sea surface reflection of an out-of-plane diffraction from a seamount that protrudes to about 4100 m depth and is about 18 km from the receivers. This out-of-plane bottom-diffracted surface-reflected energy is observed on the deep vertical line array about 35 dB below the peak amplitude arrivals and was previously misinterpreted as in-plane bottom-reflected surface-reflected energy. The structure of these arrivals from 500 to 3200 km range is remarkably robust. The bottom-diffracted surface-reflected mechanism provides a means for acoustic signals and noise from distant sources to appear with significant strength on the deep seafloor.

Ray splitting in the reflection and refraction of surface acoustic waves in anisotropic solids.

PubMed

Every, A G; Maznev, A A

2010-05-01

This paper examines the conditions for, and provides examples of, ray splitting in the reflection and refraction of surface acoustic waves (SAW) in elastically anisotropic solids at straight obstacles such as edges, surface breaking cracks, and interfaces between different solids. The concern here is not with the partial scattering of an incident SAW's energy into bulk waves, but with the occurrence of more than one SAW ray in the reflected and/or transmitted wave fields, by analogy with birefringence in optics and mode conversion of bulk elastic waves at interfaces. SAW ray splitting is dependent on the SAW slowness curve possessing concave regions, which within the constraint of wave vector conservation parallel to the obstacle allows multiple outgoing SAW modes for certain directions of incidence and orientation of obstacle. The existence of pseudo-SAW for a given surface provides a further channel for ray splitting. This paper discusses some typical material configurations for which SAW ray splitting occurs. An example is provided of mode conversion entailing backward reflection or negative refraction. Experimental demonstration of ray splitting in the reflection of a laser generated SAW in GaAs(111) is provided. The calculation of SAW mode conversion amplitudes lies outside the scope of this paper.

Baryon acoustic oscillation intensity mapping of dark energy.

PubMed

Chang, Tzu-Ching; Pen, Ue-Li; Peterson, Jeffrey B; McDonald, Patrick

2008-03-07

The expansion of the Universe appears to be accelerating, and the mysterious antigravity agent of this acceleration has been called "dark energy." To measure the dynamics of dark energy, baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) can be used. Previous discussions of the BAO dark energy test have focused on direct measurements of redshifts of as many as 10(9) individual galaxies, by observing the 21 cm line or by detecting optical emission. Here we show how the study of acoustic oscillation in the 21 cm brightness can be accomplished by economical three-dimensional intensity mapping. If our estimates gain acceptance they may be the starting point for a new class of dark energy experiments dedicated to large angular scale mapping of the radio sky, shedding light on dark energy.

Acoustic energy propagation around railways

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cizkova, Petra

2017-09-01

The article deals with the issues of acoustic energy propagation around railways. The research subject was noise emission spreading into the surroundings during the passage of trains over a directly travelled steel bridge construction. Noise emissions were measured using direct measurements in the field. The measurements were performed in two measurement profiles. The noise exposures A LAE measured near the steel bridge construction were compared against the noise exposures A LAE captured on an open track. From the difference of these data, the noise level of the steel bridge structure was determined. Part of the research was to evaluate the effect of the reconstruction of the railway track superstructure on the acoustic situation in the given section of the railway track. The article describes the methodology of measurements, including the processing and evaluation of measured data. The article points out the noise levels of the steel bridge construction and assesses changes in the acoustic situation after the reconstruction.

Acoustic wave-driven oxidized liquid metal-based energy harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeon, Jinpyo; Chung, Sang Kug; Lee, Jeong-Bong; Doo, Seok Joo; Kim, Daeyoung

2018-06-01

We report an oxidized liquid metal droplet-based energy harvester that converts acoustic energy into electrical energy by modulating an electrical double layer that originates from the deformation of the oxidized liquid metal droplet. Gallium-based liquid metal alloy has been developed for various applications owing to the outstanding material properties, such as its high electrical conductivity (metallic property) and unlimited deformability (liquid property). In this study, we demonstrated energy harvesting using an electrical double layer between the acoustic wave-modulated liquid metal droplet and two electrodes. The proposed energy harvester consisted of top and bottom electrodes covered with the dielectric layer and a Gallium-based liquid metal droplet placed between the electrodes. When we applied an external bias voltage and acoustic wave to the proposed device, the contact area between the liquid metal droplet and the electrodes changed, leading to the variation of the capacitance in the electrical double layer and the generation of electrical output current. Using the proposed energy harvester, the maximum output current of 41.2 nA was generated with an applied acoustic wave of 30 Hz. In addition, we studied the relationships between the maximum output current and a variety of factors, such as the size of the liquid metal droplet, the thickness of the hydrophobic layer, and the distance between the top and bottom electrode plates.

Microwave bulk-acoustic-wave reflection-grating resonators.

PubMed

Oates, D E; Pan, J Y

1988-01-01

A technique for fabrication of bulk-acoustic-wave (BAW) resonators operating at fundamental frequencies between 1 and 10 GHz is presented. The resonators utilize a reflection grating made by optical holographic methods in iron-doped lithium niobate. Q factors of 30000 at 1 GHz have been demonstrated. Extension to Q of 10000 at 10 GHz appears feasible. Projected limitations to performance are discussed. The high Q at the high fundamental frequency directly results in low-phase noise. Phase-noise measurements of BAW resonator-stabilized oscillators operating at 1.14 GHz are presented. The single-sideband noise floor of <-140 dBc/Hz is shown to be in agreement with an analytical model. Projected improvements in the devices and circuits promise performance of <-160 dBc/Hz.

Ultrasound acoustic wave energy transfer and harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahab, Shima; Leadenham, Stephen; Guillot, François; Sabra, Karim; Erturk, Alper

2014-04-01

This paper investigates low-power electricity generation from ultrasound acoustic wave energy transfer combined with piezoelectric energy harvesting for wireless applications ranging from medical implants to naval sensor systems. The focus is placed on an underwater system that consists of a pulsating source for spherical wave generation and a harvester connected to an external resistive load for quantifying the electrical power output. An analytical electro-acoustic model is developed to relate the source strength to the electrical power output of the harvester located at a specific distance from the source. The model couples the energy harvester dynamics (piezoelectric device and electrical load) with the source strength through the acoustic-structure interaction at the harvester-fluid interface. Case studies are given for a detailed understanding of the coupled system dynamics under various conditions. Specifically the relationship between the electrical power output and system parameters, such as the distance of the harvester from the source, dimensions of the harvester, level of source strength, and electrical load resistance are explored. Sensitivity of the electrical power output to the excitation frequency in the neighborhood of the harvester's underwater resonance frequency is also reported.

Hybrid acoustic energy harvesting using combined electromagnetic and piezoelectric conversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Farid Ullah; Izhar

2016-02-01

This paper reports a novel hybrid acoustic energy harvester. The harvester utilizes both the electromagnetic and piezoelectric conversion mechanisms simultaneously to convert the ambient acoustical noise into electrical power for self-powered wireless sensor nodes. The proposed harvester is comprised of a Helmholtz resonator, two magnets mounted on a piezoelectric plate, and a wound coil located under the magnets. The harvester is characterized both under harmonic and real random acoustical excitations. In-lab, under harmonic acoustical excitation at a sound pressure level of 130 dB and frequency of 2.1 kHz, an optimum power of 2.86 μW (at 114 Ω optimum load) is obtained from electromagnetic conversion and 50 μW (at 1000 Ω optimum load) is generated by the piezoelectric harvester's part. Moreover, in real acoustical environment of a domestic electric generator the peak voltages of 40 and 123 mV are produced by the electromagnetic and piezoelectric portions of the acoustic energy harvester.

Hybrid acoustic energy harvesting using combined electromagnetic and piezoelectric conversion.

PubMed

Khan, Farid Ullah; Izhar

2016-02-01

This paper reports a novel hybrid acoustic energy harvester. The harvester utilizes both the electromagnetic and piezoelectric conversion mechanisms simultaneously to convert the ambient acoustical noise into electrical power for self-powered wireless sensor nodes. The proposed harvester is comprised of a Helmholtz resonator, two magnets mounted on a piezoelectric plate, and a wound coil located under the magnets. The harvester is characterized both under harmonic and real random acoustical excitations. In-lab, under harmonic acoustical excitation at a sound pressure level of 130 dB and frequency of 2.1 kHz, an optimum power of 2.86 μW (at 114 Ω optimum load) is obtained from electromagnetic conversion and 50 μW (at 1000 Ω optimum load) is generated by the piezoelectric harvester's part. Moreover, in real acoustical environment of a domestic electric generator the peak voltages of 40 and 123 mV are produced by the electromagnetic and piezoelectric portions of the acoustic energy harvester.

Acoustical consulting-Reflections on a challenging career

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braslau, David

2004-05-01

The acoustical consulting profession can be entered in a number of ways. The most direct approach is to obtain a degree in acoustics and join a large consulting firm immediately after graduation. Acoustical consulting can also be entered indirectly from various fields of engineering or physics which can provide a somewhat broader background. These disciplines might include, for example, structural engineering and structural dynamics, mechanics of materials, dynamic behavior of solids or geophysics. Acoustical consulting specialization can be very broad or very narrow as seen from the National Council of Acoustical Consultants capability listing. As an acoustical consultant, one must address a wide range of problems which provides both the challenges and joys of this profession. Technical capabilities and professional judgment are constantly developed from exposure to these problems and through interaction with other members of the profession. Selected case studies including sound isolation in buildings, noise and vibration from blasting, control of noise from environmental sources, acoustical design of classrooms and performing spaces, and product design demonstrate the variety of challenges faced by an acoustical consultant.

Effect of Reflective Practice on Student Recall of Acoustics for Speech Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walden, Patrick R.; Bell-Berti, Fredericka

2013-01-01

Researchers have developed models of learning through experience; however, these models are rarely named as a conceptual frame for educational research in the sciences. This study examined the effect of reflective learning responses on student recall of speech acoustics concepts. Two groups of undergraduate students enrolled in a speech science…

Baryon Acoustic Oscillation Intensity Mapping of Dark Energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Tzu-Ching; Pen, Ue-Li; Peterson, Jeffrey B.; McDonald, Patrick

2008-03-01

The expansion of the Universe appears to be accelerating, and the mysterious antigravity agent of this acceleration has been called “dark energy.” To measure the dynamics of dark energy, baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) can be used. Previous discussions of the BAO dark energy test have focused on direct measurements of redshifts of as many as 109 individual galaxies, by observing the 21 cm line or by detecting optical emission. Here we show how the study of acoustic oscillation in the 21 cm brightness can be accomplished by economical three-dimensional intensity mapping. If our estimates gain acceptance they may be the starting point for a new class of dark energy experiments dedicated to large angular scale mapping of the radio sky, shedding light on dark energy.

Density, ultrasound velocity, acoustic impedance, reflection and absorption coefficient determination of liquids via multiple reflection method.

PubMed

Hoche, S; Hussein, M A; Becker, T

2015-03-01

The accuracy of density, reflection coefficient, and acoustic impedance determination via multiple reflection method was validated experimentally. The ternary system water-maltose-ethanol was used to execute a systematic, temperature dependent study over a wide range of densities and viscosities aiming an application as inline sensor in beverage industries. The validation results of the presented method and setup show root mean square errors of: 1.201E-3 g cm(-3) (±0.12%) density, 0.515E-3 (0.15%) reflection coefficient and 1.851E+3 kg s(-1) m(-2) (0.12%) specific acoustic impedance. The results of the diffraction corrected absorption showed an average standard deviation of only 0.12%. It was found that the absorption change shows a good correlation to concentration variations and may be useful for laboratory analysis of sufficiently pure liquids. The main part of the observed errors can be explained by the observed noise, temperature variation and the low signal resolution of 50 MHz. In particular, the poor signal-to-noise ratio of the second reflector echo was found to be a main accuracy limitation. Concerning the investigation of liquids the unstable properties of the reference material PMMA, due to hygroscopicity, were identified to be an additional, unpredictable source of uncertainty. While dimensional changes can be considered by adequate methodology, the impact of the time and temperature dependent water absorption on relevant reference properties like the buffer's sound velocity and density could not be considered and may explain part of the observed deviations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Passive metamaterial-based acoustic holograms in ultrasound energy transfer systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakhtiari-Nejad, Marjan; Elnahhas, Ahmed; Hajj, Muhammad R.; Shahab, Shima

2018-03-01

Contactless energy transfer (CET) is a technology that is particularly relevant in applications where wired electrical contact is dangerous or impractical. Furthermore, it would enhance the development, use, and reliability of low-power sensors in applications where changing batteries is not practical or may not be a viable option. One CET method that has recently attracted interest is the ultrasonic acoustic energy transfer, which is based on the reception of acoustic waves at ultrasonic frequencies by a piezoelectric receiver. Patterning and focusing the transmitted acoustic energy in space is one of the challenges for enhancing the power transmission and locally charging sensors or devices. We use a mathematically designed passive metamaterial-based acoustic hologram to selectively power an array of piezoelectric receivers using an unfocused transmitter. The acoustic hologram is employed to create a multifocal pressure pattern in the target plane where the receivers are located inside focal regions. We conduct multiphysics simulations in which a single transmitter is used to power multiple receivers with an arbitrary two-dimensional spatial pattern via wave controlling and manipulation, using the hologram. We show that the multi-focal pressure pattern created by the passive acoustic hologram will enhance the power transmission for most receivers.

Laser and acoustic lens for lithotripsy

DOEpatents

Visuri, Steven R.; Makarewicz, Anthony J.; London, Richard A.; Benett, William J.; Krulevitch, Peter; Da Silva, Luiz B.

2002-01-01

An acoustic focusing device whose acoustic waves are generated by laser radiation through an optical fiber. The acoustic energy is capable of efficient destruction of renal and biliary calculi and deliverable to the site of the calculi via an endoscopic procedure. The device includes a transducer tip attached to the distal end of an optical fiber through which laser energy is directed. The transducer tip encapsulates an exogenous absorbing dye. Under proper irradiation conditions (high absorbed energy density, short pulse duration) a stress wave is produced via thermoelastic expansion of the absorber for the destruction of the calculi. The transducer tip can be configured into an acoustic lens such that the transmitted acoustic wave is shaped or focused. Also, compressive stress waves can be reflected off a high density/low density interface to invert the compressive wave into a tensile stress wave, and tensile stresses may be more effective in some instances in disrupting material as most materials are weaker in tension than compression. Estimations indicate that stress amplitudes provided by this device can be magnified more than 100 times, greatly improving the efficiency of optical energy for targeted material destruction.

Evaluation of several non-reflecting computational boundary conditions for duct acoustics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Willie R.; Zorumski, William E.; Hodge, Steve L.

1994-01-01

Several non-reflecting computational boundary conditions that meet certain criteria and have potential applications to duct acoustics are evaluated for their effectiveness. The same interior solution scheme, grid, and order of approximation are used to evaluate each condition. Sparse matrix solution techniques are applied to solve the matrix equation resulting from the discretization. Modal series solutions for the sound attenuation in an infinite duct are used to evaluate the accuracy of each non-reflecting boundary conditions. The evaluations are performed for sound propagation in a softwall duct, for several sources, sound frequencies, and duct lengths. It is shown that a recently developed nonlocal boundary condition leads to sound attenuation predictions considerably more accurate for short ducts. This leads to a substantial reduction in the number of grid points when compared to other non-reflecting conditions.

Design of Fresnel Lens-Type Multi-Trapping Acoustic Tweezers

PubMed Central

Tu, You-Lin; Chen, Shih-Jui; Hwang, Yean-Ren

2016-01-01

In this paper, acoustic tweezers which use beam forming performed by a Fresnel zone plate are proposed. The performance has been demonstrated by finite element analysis, including the acoustic intensity, acoustic pressure, acoustic potential energy, gradient force, and particle distribution. The acoustic tweezers use an ultrasound beam produced by a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) transducer operating at 2.4 MHz and 100 Vpeak-to-peak in a water medium. The design of the Fresnel lens (zone plate) is based on air reflection, acoustic impedance matching, and the Fresnel half-wave band (FHWB) theory. This acoustic Fresnel lens can produce gradient force and acoustic potential wells that allow the capture and manipulation of single particles or clusters of particles. Simulation results strongly indicate a good trapping ability, for particles under 150 µm in diameter, in the minimum energy location. This can be useful for cell or microorganism manipulation. PMID:27886050

Ion-acoustic shocks with reflected ions: modelling and particle-in-cell simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liseykina, T. V.; Dudnikova, G. I.; Vshivkov, V. A.; Malkov, M. A.

2015-10-01

> Non-relativistic collisionless shock waves are widespread in space and astrophysical plasmas and are known as efficient particle accelerators. However, our understanding of collisionless shocks, including their structure and the mechanisms whereby they accelerate particles, remains incomplete. We present here the results of numerical modelling of an ion-acoustic collisionless shock based on the one-dimensional kinetic approximation for both electrons and ions with a real mass ratio. Special emphasis is paid to the shock-reflected ions as the main driver of shock dissipation. The reflection efficiency, the velocity distribution of reflected particles and the shock electrostatic structure are studied in terms of the shock parameters. Applications to particle acceleration in geophysical and astrophysical shocks are discussed.

An Energy Harvesting Underwater Acoustic Transmitter for Aquatic Animals

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

Li, Huidong; Tian, Chuan; Lu, Jun

This paper presents a self-powered underwater acoustic transmitter using a piezoelectric beam to harvest the mechanical energy from fish swimming. This transmitter does not require a battery and is demonstrated in live fish. It transmits an acoustic waveform as the implanted fish swims. It enables long-term monitoring of aquatic animals.

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.

A comparison of partially specular radiosity and ray tracing for room acoustics modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beamer, C. Walter; Muehleisen, Ralph T.

2005-04-01

Partially specular (PS) radiosity is an extended form of the general radiosity method. Acoustic radiosity is a form of bulk transfer of radiant acoustic energy. This bulk transfer is accomplished through a system of energy balance equations that relate the bulk energy transfer of each surface in the system to all other surfaces in the system. Until now acoustic radiosity has been limited to modeling only diffuse surface reflection. The new PS acoustic radiosity method can model all real surface types, diffuse, specular and everything in between. PS acoustic radiosity also models all real source types and distributions, not just point sources. The results of the PS acoustic radiosity method are compared to those of well known ray tracing programs. [Work supported by NSF.

Personal sound zone reproduction with room reflections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olik, Marek

Loudspeaker-based sound systems, capable of a convincing reproduction of different audio streams to listeners in the same acoustic enclosure, are a convenient alternative to headphones. Such systems aim to generate "sound zones" in which target sound programmes are to be reproduced with minimum interference from any alternative programmes. This can be achieved with appropriate filtering of the source (loudspeaker) signals, so that the target sound's energy is directed to the chosen zone while being attenuated elsewhere. The existing methods are unable to produce the required sound energy ratio (acoustic contrast) between the zones with a small number of sources when strong room reflections are present. Optimization of parameters is therefore required for systems with practical limitations to improve their performance in reflective acoustic environments. One important parameter is positioning of sources with respect to the zones and room boundaries. The first contribution of this thesis is a comparison of the key sound zoning methods implemented on compact and distributed geometrical source arrangements. The study presents previously unpublished detailed evaluation and ranking of such arrangements for systems with a limited number of sources in a reflective acoustic environment similar to a domestic room. Motivated by the requirement to investigate the relationship between source positioning and performance in detail, the central contribution of this thesis is a study on optimizing source arrangements when strong individual room reflections occur. Small sound zone systems are studied analytically and numerically to reveal relationships between the geometry of source arrays and performance in terms of acoustic contrast and array effort (related to system efficiency). Three novel source position optimization techniques are proposed to increase the contrast, and geometrical means of reducing the effort are determined. Contrary to previously published case studies, this

Adaptive acoustic energy delivery to near and far fields using foldable, tessellated star transducers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Chengzhe; Harne, Ryan L.

2017-05-01

Methods of guiding acoustic energy arbitrarily through space have long relied on digital controls to meet performance needs. Yet, more recent attention to adaptive structures with unique spatial configurations has motivated mechanical signal processing (MSP) concepts that may not be subjected to the same functional and performance limitations as digital acoustic beamforming counterparts. The periodicity of repeatable structural reconfiguration enabled by origami-inspired tessellated architectures turns attention to foldable platforms as frameworks for MSP development. This research harnesses principles of MSP to study a tessellated, star-shaped acoustic transducer constituent that provides on-demand control of acoustic energy guiding via folding-induced shape reconfiguration. An analytical framework is established to probe the roles of mechanical and acoustic geometry on the far field directivity and near field focusing of sound energy. Following validation by experiments and verification by simulations, parametric studies are undertaken to uncover relations between constituent topology and acoustic energy delivery to arbitrary points in the free field. The adaptations enabled by folding of the star-shaped transducer reveal capability for restricting sound energy to angular regions in the far field while also introducing means to modulate sound energy by three orders-of-magnitude to locations near to the transducer surface. In addition, the modeling philosophy devised here provides a valuable approach to solve general sound radiation problems for foldable, tessellated acoustic transducer constituents of arbitrary geometry.

Measurements of Wind Velocity and Direction Using Acoustic Reflection against Wall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, Ikumi; Wakatsuki, Naoto; Mizutani, Koichi; Ishii, Masahisa; Okushima, Limi; Sase, Sadanori

2008-05-01

The measurements of wind velocity and direction using an acoustic reflection against a wall are described. We aim to measure the spatial mean wind velocity and direction to be used for an air-conditioning system. The proposed anemometer consists of a single wall and two pairs of loudspeakers (SP) and microphones (MIC) that form a triangular shape. Two sound paths of direct and reflected waves are available. One is that of the direct wave and the other is that of the wave reflected on the wall. The times of flights (TOFs) of the direct and reflected waves can be measured using a single MIC because there is a difference in the TOF between direct and reflected waves. By using these TOFs, wind velocity and direction can be calculated. In the experiments, the wind velocities and directions were measured in a wind tunnel by changing the wind velocity. The wind direction was examined by changing the setup of the transducers. The measured values using the proposed and conventional anemometers agreed with each other. By using the wave reflected against a wall, wind velocities and directions can be measured using only two pairs of transducers, while four pairs are required in the case of conventional anemometers.

Development of an impulsive noise source to study the acoustic reflection characteristics of hard-walled wind tunnels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salikuddin, M.; Burrin, R. H.; Ahuja, K. K.; Bartel, H. W.

1986-01-01

Two impulsive sound sources, one using multiple acoustic drivers and the other using a spark discharge were developed to study the acoustic reflection characteristics of hard-walled wind tunnels, and the results of laboratory tests are presented. The analysis indicates that though the intensity of the pulse generated by the spark source was higher than that obtained from the acoustic source, the number of averages needed for a particular test may require an unacceptibly long tunnel-run time due to the low spark generation repeat rate because of capacitor charging time. The additional hardware problems associated with the longevity of electrodes and electrode holders in sustaining the impact of repetitive spark discharges, show the multidriver acoustic source to be more suitable for this application.

Energy Harvesting Hybrid Acoustic-Optical Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks Localization.

PubMed

Saeed, Nasir; Celik, Abdulkadir; Al-Naffouri, Tareq Y; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2017-12-26

Underwater wireless technologies demand to transmit at higher data rate for ocean exploration. Currently, large coverage is achieved by acoustic sensor networks with low data rate, high cost, high latency, high power consumption, and negative impact on marine mammals. Meanwhile, optical communication for underwater networks has the advantage of the higher data rate albeit for limited communication distances. Moreover, energy consumption is another major problem for underwater sensor networks, due to limited battery power and difficulty in replacing or recharging the battery of a sensor node. The ultimate solution to this problem is to add energy harvesting capability to the acoustic-optical sensor nodes. Localization of underwater sensor networks is of utmost importance because the data collected from underwater sensor nodes is useful only if the location of the nodes is known. Therefore, a novel localization technique for energy harvesting hybrid acoustic-optical underwater wireless sensor networks (AO-UWSNs) is proposed. AO-UWSN employs optical communication for higher data rate at a short transmission distance and employs acoustic communication for low data rate and long transmission distance. A hybrid received signal strength (RSS) based localization technique is proposed to localize the nodes in AO-UWSNs. The proposed technique combines the noisy RSS based measurements from acoustic communication and optical communication and estimates the final locations of acoustic-optical sensor nodes. A weighted multiple observations paradigm is proposed for hybrid estimated distances to suppress the noisy observations and give more importance to the accurate observations. Furthermore, the closed form solution for Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) is derived for localization accuracy of the proposed technique.

Energy Harvesting Hybrid Acoustic-Optical Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks Localization

PubMed Central

Saeed, Nasir; Celik, Abdulkadir; Al-Naffouri, Tareq Y.; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2017-01-01

Underwater wireless technologies demand to transmit at higher data rate for ocean exploration. Currently, large coverage is achieved by acoustic sensor networks with low data rate, high cost, high latency, high power consumption, and negative impact on marine mammals. Meanwhile, optical communication for underwater networks has the advantage of the higher data rate albeit for limited communication distances. Moreover, energy consumption is another major problem for underwater sensor networks, due to limited battery power and difficulty in replacing or recharging the battery of a sensor node. The ultimate solution to this problem is to add energy harvesting capability to the acoustic-optical sensor nodes. Localization of underwater sensor networks is of utmost importance because the data collected from underwater sensor nodes is useful only if the location of the nodes is known. Therefore, a novel localization technique for energy harvesting hybrid acoustic-optical underwater wireless sensor networks (AO-UWSNs) is proposed. AO-UWSN employs optical communication for higher data rate at a short transmission distance and employs acoustic communication for low data rate and long transmission distance. A hybrid received signal strength (RSS) based localization technique is proposed to localize the nodes in AO-UWSNs. The proposed technique combines the noisy RSS based measurements from acoustic communication and optical communication and estimates the final locations of acoustic-optical sensor nodes. A weighted multiple observations paradigm is proposed for hybrid estimated distances to suppress the noisy observations and give more importance to the accurate observations. Furthermore, the closed form solution for Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) is derived for localization accuracy of the proposed technique. PMID:29278405

False Paradoxes of Superposition in Electric and Acoustic Waves.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levine, Richard C.

1980-01-01

Corrected are several misconceptions concerning the apparently "missing" energy that results when acoustic or electromagnetic waves cancel by destructive interference and the wave impedance reflected to the sources of the wave energy changes so that the input power is reduced. (Author/CS)

The impact of floods and storms on the acoustic reflectivity of the inner continental shelf: A modeling assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pratson, Lincoln F.; Hutton, E.W.H.; Kettner, A.J.; Syvitski, J.P.M.; Hill, P.S.; George, D.A.; Milligan, T.G.

2007-01-01

Flood deposition and storm reworking of sediments on the inner shelf can change the mixture of grain sizes on the seabed and thus its porosity, bulk density, bulk compressional velocity and reflectivity. Whether these changes are significant enough to be detectable by repeat sub-bottom sonar surveys, however, is uncertain. Here the question is addressed through numerical modeling. Episodic flooding of a large versus small river over the course of a century are modeled with HYDROTREND using the drainage basin characteristics of the Po and Pescara Rivers (respectively). A similarly long stochastic record of storms offshore of both rivers is simulated from the statistics of a long-term mooring recording of waves in the western Adriatic Sea. These time series are then input to the stratigraphic model SEDFLUX2D, which simulates flood deposition and storm reworking on the inner shelf beyond the river mouths. Finally, annual changes in seabed reflectivity across these shelf regions are computed from bulk densities output by SEDFLUX2D and compressional sound speeds computed from mean seafloor grain size using the analytical model of Buckingham [1997. Theory of acoustic attenuation, dispersion, and pulse propagation in unconsolidated granular materials including marine sediments. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 102, 2579-2596; 1998. Theory of compressional and shear waves in fluidlike marine sediments. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 103, 288-299; 2000. Wave propagation, stress relaxation, and grain-tograin shearing in saturated, unconsolidated marine sediments. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 108, 2796-2815]. The modeling predicts reflectivities that change from 9 dB for muds farther offshore, values that agree with reflectivity measurements for these sediment types. On local scales of ???100 m, however, maximum changes in reflectivity are <0.5 dB. So are most annual changes in reflectivity over all water depths modeled (i.e., 0-35 m

Finite Element Study on Acoustic Energy Harvesting Using Lead-Free Piezoelectric Ceramics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Anuruddh; Sharma, Anshul; Kumar, Rajeev; Vaish, Rahul

2018-02-01

In this article, a numerical investigation is performed for ambient acoustic energy harvesting at a low-frequency acoustic signal. A model of a quarter-wavelength resonator with a rectangular cross section is constructed, and piezoelectric-laminated bimorph plates are placed inside the system. Finite element modeling is implemented to numerically formulate the piezoelectric energy harvester. With the application of acoustic pressure at the open end of the resonator, amplified acoustic pressure inside the tube vibrates the piezolaminated bimorphs inside the tube, thus generating electric potential on the piezoelectric layers. To generate higher voltage and power in the acoustic harvester, multiple piezolaminated plates are positioned inside the resonator. The lead-free piezoelectric material K0.475Na0.475Li0.05 (Nb0.92Ta0.05Sb0.03)O3 (KNLNTS) is laminated on the host structure as a layer of piezoelectric material for the acoustic energy harvester. With the application of an acoustic sound pressure of 1 dB at the opening of the tube, a maximum output voltage of 16.3 V is measured at the first natural frequency, while the maximum power calculated is 0.033 mW. Maximum voltage is obtained when five piezoelectric bimorphs are place inside the resonator. At the second natural frequency, the maximum voltage measured is 8.40 V, obtained when eight piezoelectric bimorphs are placed inside the resonator, and the maximum power calculated is 0.020 mW.

Theoretical Estimation of the Acoustic Energy Generation and Absorption Caused by Jet Oscillation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takahashi, Kin'ya; Iwagami, Sho; Kobayashi, Taizo; Takami, Toshiya

2016-04-01

We investigate the energy transfer between the fluid field and acoustic field caused by a jet driven by an acoustic particle velocity field across it, which is the key to understanding the aerodynamic sound generation of flue instruments, such as the recorder, flute, and organ pipe. Howe's energy corollary allows us to estimate the energy transfer between these two fields. For simplicity, we consider the situation such that a free jet is driven by a uniform acoustic particle velocity field across it. We improve the semi-empirical model of the oscillating jet, i.e., exponentially growing jet model, which has been studied in the field of musical acoustics, and introduce a polynomially growing jet model so as to apply Howe's formula to it. It is found that the relative phase between the acoustic oscillation and jet oscillation, which changes with the distance from the flue exit, determines the quantity of the energy transfer between the two fields. The acoustic energy is mainly generated in the downstream area, but it is consumed in the upstream area near the flue exit in driving the jet. This theoretical examination well explains the numerical calculation of Howe's formula for the two-dimensional flue instrument model in our previous work [http://doi.org/10.1088/0169-5983/46/6/061411, Fluid Dyn. Res. 46, 061411 (2014)] as well as the experimental result of Yoshikawa et al. [http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsv.2012.01.026, J. Sound Vib. 331, 2558 (2012)].

Passive Mode Carbon Nanotube Underwater Acoustic Transducer

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-20

Acoustical transducer arrays can reflect a sound signal in reverse to the sender which can be used for echo location devices. [0008] In Jiang...of this layer of the medium determines the amplitude of the resulting sound waves. [0005] Recently, there has been development of underwater...structures. The energy is partially reflected from interfaces between the geologic structure and is detected with geophone or hydrophone sensors

Ultra-broadband and planar sound diffuser with high uniformity of reflected intensity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Xu-Dong; Zhu, Yi-Fan; Liang, Bin; Yang, Jing; Yang, Jun; Cheng, Jian-Chun

2017-09-01

Schroeder diffusers, as a classical design of acoustic diffusers proposed over 40 years ago, play key roles in many practical scenarios ranging from architectural acoustics to noise control to particle manipulation. Despite the great success of conventional acoustic diffusers, it is still worth pursuing ideal acoustic diffusers that are essentially expected to produce perfect sound diffuse reflection within the unlimited bandwidth. Here, we propose a different mechanism for designing acoustic diffusers to overcome the basic limits in intensity uniformity and working bandwidth in the previous designs and demonstrate a practical implementation by acoustic metamaterials with dispersionless phase-steering capability. In stark contrast to the existing production of diffuse fields relying on random scattering of sound energy by using a specific mathematical number sequence of periodically distributed unit cells, we directly mold the reflected wavefront into the desired shape by precisely manipulating the local phases of individual subwavelength metastructures. We also benchmark our design via numerical simulation with a commercially available Schroeder diffuser, and the results verify that our proposed diffuser scatters incident acoustic energy into all directions more uniformly within an ultra-broad band regardless of the incident angle. Furthermore, our design enables further improvement of the working bandwidth just by simply downscaling each individual element. With ultra-broadband functionality and high uniformity of reflected intensity, our metamaterial-based production of the diffusive field opens a route to the design and application of acoustic diffusers and may have a significant impact on various fields such as architectural acoustics and medical ultrasound imaging/treatment.

Reflection of acoustic wave from the elastic seabed with an overlying gassy poroelastic layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Weiyun; Wang, Zhihua; Zhao, Kai; Chen, Guoxing; Li, Xiaojun

2015-10-01

Based on the multiphase poroelasticity theory, the reflection characteristics of an obliquely incident acoustic wave upon a plane interface between overlying water and a gassy marine sediment layer with underlying elastic solid seabed are investigated. The sandwiched gassy layer is modelled as a porous material with finite thickness, which is saturated by two compressible and viscous fluids (liquid and gas). The closed-form expression for the amplitude ratio of the reflected wave, called reflection coefficient, is derived theoretically according to the boundary conditions at the upper and lower interfaces in our proposed model. Using numerical calculation, the influences of layer thickness, incident angle, wave frequency and liquid saturation of sandwiched porous layer on the reflection coefficient are analysed, respectively. It is revealed that the reflection coefficient is closely associated with incident angle and sandwiched layer thickness. Moreover, in different frequency ranges, the dependence of the wave reflection characteristics on moisture (or gas) variations in the intermediate marine sediment layer is distinguishing.

Location of acoustic radiators and inversion for energy density using radio-frequency sources and thunder recordings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, J.; Johnson, J. B.; Arechiga, R. O.; Edens, H. E.; Thomas, R. J.

2011-12-01

We use radio frequency (VHF) pulse locations mapped with the New Mexico Tech Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) to study the distribution of thunder sources in lightning channels. A least squares inversion is used to fit channel acoustic energy radiation with broadband (0.01 to 500 Hz) acoustic recordings using microphones deployed local (< 10 km) to the lightning. We model the thunder (acoustic) source as a superposition of line segments connecting the LMA VHF pulses. An optimum branching algorithm is used to reconstruct conductive channels delineated by VHF sources, which we discretize as a superposition of finely-spaced (0.25 m) acoustic point sources. We consider total radiated thunder as a weighted superposition of acoustic waves from individual channels, each with a constant current along its length that is presumed to be proportional to acoustic energy density radiated per unit length. Merged channels are considered as a linear sum of current-carrying branches and radiate proportionally greater acoustic energy. Synthetic energy time series for a given microphone location are calculated for each independent channel. We then use a non-negative least squares inversion to solve for channel energy densities to match the energy time series determined from broadband acoustic recordings across a 4-station microphone network. Events analyzed by this method have so far included 300-1000 VHF sources, and correlations as high as 0.5 between synthetic and recorded thunder energy were obtained, despite the presence of wind noise and 10-30 m uncertainty in VHF source locations.

Glimpses of Kolmogorov's spectral energy dynamics in nonlinear acoustic waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Prateek; Scalo, Carlo

2017-11-01

Gupta, Lodato, and Scalo (AIAA 2017) have demonstrated the existence of an equilibrium spectral energy cascade in shock waves formed as a result of continued modal thermoacoustic amplification consistent with Kolmogorov's theory for high-Reynolds-number hydrodynamic turbulence. In this talk we discuss the derivation of a perturbation energy density norm that guarantees energy conservation during the nonlinear wave steepening process, analogous to inertial subrange turbulent energy cascade dynamics. The energy cascade is investigated via a bi-spectral analysis limited to wave-numbers and frequencies lower than the ones associated with the shock, analogous to the viscous dissipation length scale in turbulence. The proposed norm is derived by recombining second-order nonlinear acoustic equations and is positive definite; moreover, it decays to zero in the presence of viscous dissipation and is hence classifiable as a Lyapunov function of acoustic perturbation variables. The cumulative energy spectrum wavenumber distribution demonstrates a -3/2 decay law in the inertial range. The governing equation for the thus-derived energy norm highlights terms responsible for energy cascade towards higher harmonics, analogous to vortex stretching terms in hydrodynamic turbulence.

Nonlinear optimization of acoustic energy harvesting using piezoelectric devices.

PubMed

Lallart, Mickaeël; Guyomar, Daniel; Richard, Claude; Petit, Lionel

2010-11-01

In the first part of the paper, a single degree-of-freedom model of a vibrating membrane with piezoelectric inserts is introduced and is initially applied to the case when a plane wave is incident with frequency close to one of the resonance frequencies. The model is a prototype of a device which converts ambient acoustical energy to electrical energy with the use of piezoelectric devices. The paper then proposes an enhancement of the energy harvesting process using a nonlinear processing of the output voltage of piezoelectric actuators, and suggests that this improves the energy conversion and reduces the sensitivity to frequency drifts. A theoretical discussion is given for the electrical power that can be expected making use of various models. This and supporting experimental results suggest that a nonlinear optimization approach allows a gain of up to 10 in harvested energy and a doubling of the bandwidth. A model is introduced in the latter part of the paper for predicting the behavior of the energy-harvesting device with changes in acoustic frequency, this model taking into account the damping effect and the frequency changes introduced by the nonlinear processes in the device.

Active Control of Fan Noise: Feasibility Study. Volume 5; Numerical Computation of Acoustic Mode Reflection Coefficients for an Unflanged Cylindrical Duct

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kraft, R. E.

1996-01-01

A computational method to predict modal reflection coefficients in cylindrical ducts has been developed based on the work of Homicz, Lordi, and Rehm, which uses the Wiener-Hopf method to account for the boundary conditions at the termination of a thin cylindrical pipe. The purpose of this study is to develop a computational routine to predict the reflection coefficients of higher order acoustic modes impinging on the unflanged termination of a cylindrical duct. This effort was conducted wider Task Order 5 of the NASA Lewis LET Program, Active Noise Control of aircraft Engines: Feasibility Study, and will be used as part of the development of an integrated source noise, acoustic propagation, ANC actuator coupling, and control system algorithm simulation. The reflection coefficient prediction will be incorporated into an existing cylindrical duct modal analysis to account for the reflection of modes from the duct termination. This will provide a more accurate, rapid computation design tool for evaluating the effect of reflected waves on active noise control systems mounted in the duct, as well as providing a tool for the design of acoustic treatment in inlet ducts. As an active noise control system design tool, the method can be used preliminary to more accurate but more numerically intensive acoustic propagation models such as finite element methods. The resulting computer program has been shown to give reasonable results, some examples of which are presented. Reliable data to use for comparison is scarce, so complete checkout is difficult, and further checkout is needed over a wider range of system parameters. In future efforts the method will be adapted as a subroutine to the GEAE segmented cylindrical duct modal analysis program.

Acoustic auditing as a real-time, non-invasive quality control process for both source and assay plates.

PubMed

Olechno, Joseph; Ellson, Richard; Browning, Brent; Stearns, Richard; Mutz, Mitchell; Travis, Michael; Qureshi, Shehrzad; Shieh, Jean

2005-08-01

Acoustic auditing is a non-destructive, non-invasive technique to monitor the composition and volume of fluids in open or sealed microplates and storage tubes. When acoustic energy encounters an interface between two materials, some of the energy passes through the interface, while the remainder is reflected. Acoustic energy applied to the bottom of a multi-well plate or a storage tube is reflected by the fluid contents of the microplate or tube. The amplitude of these reflections or echoes correlates directly with properties of the fluid, including the speed of sound and the concentration of water in the fluid. Once the speed of sound in the solution is known from the analysis of these echoes, it is easy to determine the depth of liquid and, thereby, the volume by monitoring how long it takes for sound energy to reflect off the fluid meniscus. This technique is rapid (>100,000 samples per day), precise (<1% coefficient of variation for hydration measurements, <4% coefficient of variation for volume measurements), and robust. It does not require uncapping tubes or unsealing or unlidding microplates. The sound energy is extremely gentle and has no deleterious impact upon the fluid or compounds dissolved in it.

Method and apparatus to characterize ultrasonically reflective contrast agents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pretlow, Robert A., III (Inventor)

1993-01-01

A method and apparatus for characterizing the time and frequency response of an ultrasonically reflective contrast agent is disclosed. An ultrasonically reflective contrast agent is injected, under constant pressure, into a fluid flowing through a pump flow circuit. The fluid and the ultrasonically reflective contrast agent are uniformly mixed in a mixing chamber, and the uniform mixture is passed through a contrast agent chamber. The contrast agent chamber is acoustically and axially interposed between an ultrasonic transducer chamber and an acoustic isolation chamber. A pulse of ultrasonic energy is transmitted into the contrast agent chamber from the ultrasonic transducer chamber. An echo waveform is received from the ultrasonically reflective contrast agent, and it is analyzed to determine the time and frequency response of the ultrasonically reflective contrast agent.

Reverberant acoustic energy in auditoria that comprise systems of coupled rooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Summers, Jason Erik

A frequency-dependent model for levels and decay rates of reverberant energy in systems of coupled rooms is developed and compared with measurements conducted in a 1:10 scale model and in Bass Hall, Fort Worth, TX. Schroeder frequencies of subrooms, fSch, characteristic size of coupling apertures, a, relative to wavelength lambda, and characteristic size of room surfaces, l, relative to lambda define the frequency regions. At high frequencies [HF (f >> f Sch, a >> lambda, l >> lambda)], this work improves upon prior statistical-acoustics (SA) coupled-ODE models by incorporating geometrical-acoustics (GA) corrections for the model of decay within subrooms and the model of energy transfer between subrooms. Previous researchers developed prediction algorithms based on computational GA. Comparisons of predictions derived from beam-axis tracing with scale-model measurements indicate that systematic errors for coupled rooms result from earlier tail-correction procedures that assume constant quadratic growth of reflection density. A new algorithm is developed that uses ray tracing rather than tail correction in the late part and is shown to correct this error. At midfrequencies [MF (f >> f Sch, a ˜ lambda)], HF models are modified to account for wave effects at coupling apertures by including analytically or heuristically derived power transmission coefficients tau. This work improves upon prior SA models of this type by developing more accurate estimates of random-incidence tau. While the accuracy of the MF models is difficult to verify, scale-model measurements evidence the expected behavior. The Biot-Tolstoy-Medwin-Svensson (BTMS) time-domain edge-diffraction model is newly adapted to study transmission through apertures. Multiple-order BTMS scattering is theoretically and experimentally shown to be inaccurate due to the neglect of slope diffraction. At low frequencies (f ˜ f Sch), scale-model measurements have been qualitatively explained by application of

Effect of reflected and refracted signals on coherent underwater acoustic communication: results from the Kauai experiment (KauaiEx 2003).

PubMed

Rouseff, Daniel; Badiey, Mohsen; Song, Aijun

2009-11-01

The performance of a communications equalizer is quantified in terms of the number of acoustic paths that are treated as usable signal. The analysis uses acoustical and oceanographic data collected off the Hawaiian Island of Kauai. Communication signals were measured on an eight-element vertical array at two different ranges, 1 and 2 km, and processed using an equalizer based on passive time-reversal signal processing. By estimating the Rayleigh parameter, it is shown that all paths reflected by the sea surface at both ranges undergo incoherent scattering. It is demonstrated that some of these incoherently scattered paths are still useful for coherent communications. At range of 1 km, optimal communications performance is achieved when six acoustic paths are retained and all paths with more than one reflection off the sea surface are rejected. Consistent with a model that ignores loss from near-surface bubbles, the performance improves by approximately 1.8 dB when increasing the number of retained paths from four to six. The four-path results though are more stable and require less frequent channel estimation. At range of 2 km, ray refraction is observed and communications performance is optimal when some paths with two sea-surface reflections are retained.

Identification of neonatal hearing impairment: ear-canal measurements of acoustic admittance and reflectance in neonates.

PubMed

Keefe, D H; Folsom, R C; Gorga, M P; Vohr, B R; Bulen, J C; Norton, S J

2000-10-01

1) To describe broad bandwidth measurements of acoustic admittance (Y) and energy reflectance (R) in the ear canals of neonates. 2) To describe a means for evaluating when a YR response is valid. 3) To describe the relations between these YR measurements and age, gender, left/right ear, and selected risk factors. YR responses were obtained at four test sites in well babies without risk indicators, well babies with at least one risk indicator, and graduates of neonatal intensive care units. YR responses were measured using a chirp stimulus at moderate levels over a frequency range from 250 to 8000 Hz. The system was calibrated based on measurements in a set of cylindrical tubes. The probe assembly was inserted in the ear canal of the neonate, and customized software was used for data acquisition. YR responses were measured in over 4000 ears, and half of the responses were used in exploratory data analyses. The particular YR variables chosen for analysis were energy reflectance, equivalent volume and acoustic conductance. Based on the view that unduly large negative equivalent volumes at low frequencies were physically impossible, it was concluded that approximately 13% of the YR responses showed evidence of improper probe seal in the ear canal. To test how these outliers influenced the overall pattern of YR responses, analyses were conducted both on the full data set (N = 2081) and the data set excluding outliers (N = 1825). The YR responses averaged over frequency varied with conceptional age (conception to date of test), gender, left/right ear, and selected risk factors; in all cases, significant effects were observed more frequently in the data set excluding outliers. After excluding outliers and controlling for conceptional age effects, the dichotomous risk factors accounting for the greatest variance in the YR responses were, in rank order, cleft lip and palate, aminoglycoside therapy, low birth weight, history of ventilation, and low APGAR scores. In separate

Acoustic method for levitation of small living animals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, W. J.; Cao, C. D.; Lü, Y. J.; Hong, Z. Y.; Wei, B.

2006-11-01

Ultrasonic levitation of some small living animals such as ant, ladybug, and young fish has been achieved with a single-axis acoustic levitator. The vitality of ant and ladybug is not evidently influenced during the acoustic levitation, whereas that of the young fish is reduced because of the inadequacy of water supply. Numerical analysis shows that the sound pressures on the ladybug's surface almost reach the incident pressure amplitude p0 due to sound scattering. It is estimated that 99.98% of the acoustic energy is reflected away from the ladybug. The acoustic radiation pressure pa on the ladybug's surface is only 1%-3% of p0, which plays a compression role on the central region and a suction role on the peripheral region.

Acoustic radiosity for computation of sound fields in diffuse environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muehleisen, Ralph T.; Beamer, C. Walter

2002-05-01

The use of image and ray tracing methods (and variations thereof) for the computation of sound fields in rooms is relatively well developed. In their regime of validity, both methods work well for prediction in rooms with small amounts of diffraction and mostly specular reflection at the walls. While extensions to the method to include diffuse reflections and diffraction have been made, they are limited at best. In the fields of illumination and computer graphics the ray tracing and image methods are joined by another method called luminous radiative transfer or radiosity. In radiosity, an energy balance between surfaces is computed assuming diffuse reflection at the reflective surfaces. Because the interaction between surfaces is constant, much of the computation required for sound field prediction with multiple or moving source and receiver positions can be reduced. In acoustics the radiosity method has had little attention because of the problems of diffraction and specular reflection. The utility of radiosity in acoustics and an approach to a useful development of the method for acoustics will be presented. The method looks especially useful for sound level prediction in industrial and office environments. [Work supported by NSF.

Developments in Acoustic Metamaterials for Acoustic Ground Cloaks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerrian, Peter Adam

inclusions. Non-destructive acoustic excitation techniques were used to extract the material parameters of different grades of foam to identify the ideal grade for use in a multi-inclusion unit cell. Single inclusion and multi-inclusion bulk metamaterial samples were constructed and tested to characterize the effective material properties to determine if they exhibited the desired homogeneous anisotropic behavior. The single steel inclusion metamaterial behaved as expected, demonstrating anisotropic mass density and isotropic bulk modulus. Almost no sound energy was transmitted through the multi-inclusion metamaterial, contrary to expectation, because of the presence of air bubbles, both on the surface of the foam as well as potentially in between the inclusions. Finally, an underwater acoustic ground cloak was constructed from perforated steel plates and experimentally tested to conceal an object on a pressure release surface. The perforated plate acoustic ground cloak successfully cloaked the scattered object over a broad frequency range of 7 [kHz] to 12 [kHz]. There was excellent agreement between the phase of the surface reflection and the cloak reflection with a small amplitude difference attributed to the difference between a water - air and a water - mylar - air boundary. Above 15 [kHz], the cloaking performance decreased as the effective material parameters of the perforated plate metamaterial deviated from the required material parameters.

Stochastic Gabor reflectivity and acoustic impedance inversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hariri Naghadeh, Diako; Morley, Christopher Keith; Ferguson, Angus John

2018-02-01

To delineate subsurface lithology to estimate petrophysical properties of a reservoir, it is possible to use acoustic impedance (AI) which is the result of seismic inversion. To change amplitude to AI, removal of wavelet effects from the seismic signal in order to get a reflection series, and subsequently transforming those reflections to AI, is vital. To carry out seismic inversion correctly it is important to not assume that the seismic signal is stationary. However, all stationary deconvolution methods are designed following that assumption. To increase temporal resolution and interpretation ability, amplitude compensation and phase correction are inevitable. Those are pitfalls of stationary reflectivity inversion. Although stationary reflectivity inversion methods are trying to estimate reflectivity series, because of incorrect assumptions their estimations will not be correct, but may be useful. Trying to convert those reflection series to AI, also merging with the low frequency initial model, can help us. The aim of this study was to apply non-stationary deconvolution to eliminate time variant wavelet effects from the signal and to convert the estimated reflection series to the absolute AI by getting bias from well logs. To carry out this aim, stochastic Gabor inversion in the time domain was used. The Gabor transform derived the signal’s time-frequency analysis and estimated wavelet properties from different windows. Dealing with different time windows gave an ability to create a time-variant kernel matrix, which was used to remove matrix effects from seismic data. The result was a reflection series that does not follow the stationary assumption. The subsequent step was to convert those reflections to AI using well information. Synthetic and real data sets were used to show the ability of the introduced method. The results highlight that the time cost to get seismic inversion is negligible related to general Gabor inversion in the frequency domain. Also

Simplified Rotation In Acoustic Levitation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barmatz, M. B.; Gaspar, M. S.; Trinh, E. H.

1989-01-01

New technique based on old discovery used to control orientation of object levitated acoustically in axisymmetric chamber. Method does not require expensive equipment like additional acoustic drivers of precisely adjustable amplitude, phase, and frequency. Reflecting object acts as second source of sound. If reflecting object large enough, close enough to levitated object, or focuses reflected sound sufficiently, Rayleigh torque exerted on levitated object by reflected sound controls orientation of object.

Energy scavenging system by acoustic wave and integrated wireless communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Albert

The purpose of the project was developing an energy-scavenging device for other bio implantable devices. Researchers and scientist have studied energy scavenging method because of the limitation of traditional power source, especially for bio-implantable devices. In this research, piezoelectric power generator that activates by acoustic wave, or music was developed. Follow by power generator, a wireless communication also integrated with the device for monitoring the power generation. The Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) bimorph cantilever with a proof mass at the free end tip was studied to convert acoustic wave to power. The music or acoustic wave played through a speaker to vibrate piezoelectric power generator. The LC circuit integrated with the piezoelectric material for purpose of wireless monitoring power generation. However, wireless monitoring can be used as wireless power transmission, which means the signal received via wireless communication also can be used for power for other devices. Size of 74 by 7 by 7cm device could generate and transmit 100mVp from 70 mm distance away with electrical resonant frequency at 420.2 kHz..

High Frequency Acoustic Reflection and Transmission in Ocean Sediments

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-09-30

06-1-0766 http://www.arlut.utexas.edu LONG-TERM GOALS Development of a physical model of high-frequency acoustic interaction with the...shallow water. OBJECTIVES 1) A comparative study of acoustic sediment interaction models including visco-elastic, Biot, BICSQS, and grain...experimental measurements of the bistatic return, for the purpose of defining the best physical model of high-frequency acoustic interaction with the ocean

Directional radiation pattern in structural-acoustic coupled system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seo, Hee-Seon; Kim, Yang-Hann

2005-07-01

In this paper we demonstrate the possibility of designing a radiator using structural-acoustic interaction by predicting the pressure distribution and radiation pattern of a structural-acoustic coupling system that is composed by a wall and two spaces. If a wall separates spaces, then the wall's role in transporting the acoustic characteristics of the spaces is important. The spaces can be categorized as bounded finite space and unbounded infinite space. The wall considered in this study 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. This rather hypothetical circumstance is selected to study the general coupling problem between the finite and infinite acoustic domains. We developed an equation that predicts the energy distribution and energy flow in the two spaces separated by a wall, and its computational examples are presented. Three typical radiation patterns that include steered, focused, and omnidirected are presented. A designed radiation pattern is also presented by using the optimal design algorithm.

Simultaneous backward data transmission and power harvesting in an ultrasonic transcutaneous energy transfer link employing acoustically dependent electric impedance modulation.

PubMed

Ozeri, Shaul; Shmilovitz, Doron

2014-09-01

The advancement and miniaturization of body implanted medical devices pose several challenges to Ultrasonic Transcutaneous Energy Transfer (UTET), such as the need to reduce the size of the piezoelectric resonator, and the need to maximize the UTET link power-transfer efficiency. Accordingly, the same piezoelectric resonator that is used for energy harvesting at the body implant, may also be used for ultrasonic backward data transfer, for instance, through impedance modulation. This paper presents physical considerations and design guidelines of the body implanted transducer of a UTET link with impedance modulation for a backward data transfer. The acoustic matching design procedure was based on the 2×2 transfer matrix chain analysis, in addition to the Krimholtz Leedom and Matthaei KLM transmission line model. The UTET power transfer was carried out at a frequency of 765 kHz, continuous wave (CW) mode. The backward data transfer was attained by inserting a 9% load resistance variation around its matched value (550 Ohm), resulting in a 12% increase in the acoustic reflection coefficient. A backward data transmission rate of 1200 bits/s was experimentally demonstrated using amplitude shift keying, simultaneously with an acoustic power transfer of 20 mW to the implant. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Geo-Acoustic Doppler Spectroscopy: A Novel Acoustic Technique For Surveying The Seabed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buckingham, Michael J.

2010-09-01

An acoustic inversion technique, known as Geo-Acoustic Doppler Spectroscopy, has recently been developed for estimating the geo-acoustic parameters of the seabed in shallow water. The technique is unusual in that it utilizes a low-flying, propeller-driven light aircraft as an acoustic source. Both the engine and propeller produce sound and, since they are rotating sources, the acoustic signature of each takes the form of a sequence of narrow-band harmonics. Although the coupling of the harmonics across the air-sea interface is inefficient, due to the large impedance mismatch between air and water, sufficient energy penetrates the sea surface to provide a useable underwater signal at sensors either in the water column or buried in the sediment. The received signals, which are significantly Doppler shifted due to the motion of the aircraft, will have experienced a number of reflections from the seabed and thus they contain information about the sediment. A geo-acoustic inversion of the Doppler-shifted modes associated with each harmonic yields an estimate of the sound speed in the sediment; and, once the sound speed has been determined, the known correlations between it and the remaining geo-acoustic parameters allow all of the latter to be computed. This inversion technique has been applied to aircraft data collected in the shallow water north of Scripps pier, returning values of the sound speed, shear speed, porosity, density and grain size that are consistent with the known properties of the sandy sediment in the channel.

Treated cabin acoustic prediction using statistical energy analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yoerkie, Charles A.; Ingraham, Steven T.; Moore, James A.

1987-01-01

The application of statistical energy analysis (SEA) to the modeling and design of helicopter cabin interior noise control treatment is demonstrated. The information presented here is obtained from work sponsored at NASA Langley for the development of analytic modeling techniques and the basic understanding of cabin noise. Utility and executive interior models are developed directly from existing S-76 aircraft designs. The relative importance of panel transmission loss (TL), acoustic leakage, and absorption to the control of cabin noise is shown using the SEA modeling parameters. It is shown that the major cabin noise improvement below 1000 Hz comes from increased panel TL, while above 1000 Hz it comes from reduced acoustic leakage and increased absorption in the cabin and overhead cavities.

High energy, low frequency, ultrasonic transducer

DOEpatents

Brown, Albert E.

2000-01-01

A wide bandwidth, ultrasonic transducer to generate nondispersive, extensional, pulsed acoustic pressure waves into concrete reinforced rods and tendons. The wave propagation distance is limited to double the length of the rod. The transducer acoustic impedance is matched to the rod impedance for maximum transfer of acoustic energy. The efficiency of the transducer is approximately 60 percent, depending upon the type of active elements used in the transducer. The transducer input energy is, for example, approximately 1 mJ. Ultrasonic reflections will occur at points along the rod where there are changes of one percent of a wavelength in the rod diameter. A reduction in the rod diameter will reflect a phase reversed echo, as compared with the reflection from an incremental increase in diameter. Echo signal processing of the stored waveform permits a reconstruction of those echoes into an image of the rod. The ultrasonic transducer has use in the acoustic inspection of long (40+foot) architectural reinforcements and structural supporting members, such as in bridges and dams.

Listening Effort: How the Cognitive Consequences of Acoustic Challenge Are Reflected in Brain and Behavior

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Everyday conversation frequently includes challenges to the clarity of the acoustic speech signal, including hearing impairment, background noise, and foreign accents. Although an obvious problem is the increased risk of making word identification errors, extracting meaning from a degraded acoustic signal is also cognitively demanding, which contributes to increased listening effort. The concepts of cognitive demand and listening effort are critical in understanding the challenges listeners face in comprehension, which are not fully predicted by audiometric measures. In this article, the authors review converging behavioral, pupillometric, and neuroimaging evidence that understanding acoustically degraded speech requires additional cognitive support and that this cognitive load can interfere with other operations such as language processing and memory for what has been heard. Behaviorally, acoustic challenge is associated with increased errors in speech understanding, poorer performance on concurrent secondary tasks, more difficulty processing linguistically complex sentences, and reduced memory for verbal material. Measures of pupil dilation support the challenge associated with processing a degraded acoustic signal, indirectly reflecting an increase in neural activity. Finally, functional brain imaging reveals that the neural resources required to understand degraded speech extend beyond traditional perisylvian language networks, most commonly including regions of prefrontal cortex, premotor cortex, and the cingulo-opercular network. Far from being exclusively an auditory problem, acoustic degradation presents listeners with a systems-level challenge that requires the allocation of executive cognitive resources. An important point is that a number of dissociable processes can be engaged to understand degraded speech, including verbal working memory and attention-based performance monitoring. The specific resources required likely differ as a function of the

Listening Effort: How the Cognitive Consequences of Acoustic Challenge Are Reflected in Brain and Behavior.

PubMed

Peelle, Jonathan E

Everyday conversation frequently includes challenges to the clarity of the acoustic speech signal, including hearing impairment, background noise, and foreign accents. Although an obvious problem is the increased risk of making word identification errors, extracting meaning from a degraded acoustic signal is also cognitively demanding, which contributes to increased listening effort. The concepts of cognitive demand and listening effort are critical in understanding the challenges listeners face in comprehension, which are not fully predicted by audiometric measures. In this article, the authors review converging behavioral, pupillometric, and neuroimaging evidence that understanding acoustically degraded speech requires additional cognitive support and that this cognitive load can interfere with other operations such as language processing and memory for what has been heard. Behaviorally, acoustic challenge is associated with increased errors in speech understanding, poorer performance on concurrent secondary tasks, more difficulty processing linguistically complex sentences, and reduced memory for verbal material. Measures of pupil dilation support the challenge associated with processing a degraded acoustic signal, indirectly reflecting an increase in neural activity. Finally, functional brain imaging reveals that the neural resources required to understand degraded speech extend beyond traditional perisylvian language networks, most commonly including regions of prefrontal cortex, premotor cortex, and the cingulo-opercular network. Far from being exclusively an auditory problem, acoustic degradation presents listeners with a systems-level challenge that requires the allocation of executive cognitive resources. An important point is that a number of dissociable processes can be engaged to understand degraded speech, including verbal working memory and attention-based performance monitoring. The specific resources required likely differ as a function of the

Effect of static pressure on acoustic energy radiated by cavitation bubbles in viscous liquids under ultrasound.

PubMed

Yasui, Kyuichi; Towata, Atsuya; Tuziuti, Toru; Kozuka, Teruyuki; Kato, Kazumi

2011-11-01

The effect of static pressure on acoustic emissions including shock-wave emissions from cavitation bubbles in viscous liquids under ultrasound has been studied by numerical simulations in order to investigate the effect of static pressure on dispersion of nano-particles in liquids by ultrasound. The results of the numerical simulations for bubbles of 5 μm in equilibrium radius at 20 kHz have indicated that the optimal static pressure which maximizes the energy of acoustic waves radiated by a bubble per acoustic cycle increases as the acoustic pressure amplitude increases or the viscosity of the solution decreases. It qualitatively agrees with the experimental results by Sauter et al. [Ultrason. Sonochem. 15, 517 (2008)]. In liquids with relatively high viscosity (∼200 mPa s), a bubble collapses more violently than in pure water when the acoustic pressure amplitude is relatively large (∼20 bar). In a mixture of bubbles of different equilibrium radius (3 and 5 μm), the acoustic energy radiated by a 5 μm bubble is much larger than that by a 3 μm bubble due to the interaction with bubbles of different equilibrium radius. The acoustic energy radiated by a 5 μm bubble is substantially increased by the interaction with 3 μm bubbles.

Analytical coupled modeling of a magneto-based acoustic metamaterial harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, H.; Zhu, R.; Chen, J. K.; Tracy, S. L.; Huang, G. L.

2018-05-01

Membrane-type acoustic metamaterials (MAMs) have demonstrated unusual capacity in controlling low-frequency sound transmission, reflection, and absorption. In this paper, an analytical vibro-acoustic-electromagnetic coupling model is developed to study MAM harvester sound absorption, energy conversion, and energy harvesting behavior under a normal sound incidence. The MAM harvester is composed of a prestressed membrane with an attached rigid mass, a magnet coil, and a permanent magnet coin. To accurately capture finite-dimension rigid mass effects on the membrane deformation under the variable magnet force, a theoretical model based on the deviating acoustic surface Green’s function approach is developed by considering the acoustic near field and distributed effective shear force along the interfacial boundary between the mass and the membrane. The accuracy and capability of the theoretical model is verified through comparison with the finite element method. In particular, sound absorption, acoustic-electric energy conversion, and harvesting coefficient are quantitatively investigated by varying the weight and size of the attached mass, prestress and thickness of the membrane. It is found that the highest achievable conversion and harvesting coefficients can reach up to 48%, and 36%, respectively. The developed model can serve as an efficient tool for designing MAM harvesters.

Study of acoustic correlates associate with emotional speech

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yildirim, Serdar; Lee, Sungbok; Lee, Chul Min; Bulut, Murtaza; Busso, Carlos; Kazemzadeh, Ebrahim; Narayanan, Shrikanth

2004-10-01

This study investigates the acoustic characteristics of four different emotions expressed in speech. The aim is to obtain detailed acoustic knowledge on how a speech signal is modulated by changes from neutral to a certain emotional state. Such knowledge is necessary for automatic emotion recognition and classification and emotional speech synthesis. Speech data obtained from two semi-professional actresses are analyzed and compared. Each subject produces 211 sentences with four different emotions; neutral, sad, angry, happy. We analyze changes in temporal and acoustic parameters such as magnitude and variability of segmental duration, fundamental frequency and the first three formant frequencies as a function of emotion. Acoustic differences among the emotions are also explored with mutual information computation, multidimensional scaling and acoustic likelihood comparison with normal speech. Results indicate that speech associated with anger and happiness is characterized by longer duration, shorter interword silence, higher pitch and rms energy with wider ranges. Sadness is distinguished from other emotions by lower rms energy and longer interword silence. Interestingly, the difference in formant pattern between [happiness/anger] and [neutral/sadness] are better reflected in back vowels such as /a/(/father/) than in front vowels. Detailed results on intra- and interspeaker variability will be reported.

Transmission of wave energy in curved ducts. [acoustic propagation within rigid walls

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rostafinski, W.

1974-01-01

Investigation of the ability of circular bends to transmit acoustic energy flux. A formulation of wave-energy flow is developed for motion in curved ducts. A parametric study over a range of frequencies shows the ability of circular bends to transmit energy in the case of perfectly rigid walls.

Scattering of Acoustic Energy from Rough Deep Ocean Seafloor: a Numerical Modeling Approach.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robertsson, Johan Olof Anders

1995-01-01

The highly heterogeneous and anelastic nature of deep ocean seafloor results in complex reverberation as acoustic energy incident from the overlaying water column interacts and scatters from it. To gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms causing the reverberation in sonar and seafloor scattering experiments, we have developed numerical simulation techniques that are capable of modeling the principal physical properties of complex seafloor structures. A new viscoelastic finite-difference technique for modeling anelastic wave propagation in 2-D and 3-D heterogeneous media, as well as a computationally optimally efficient method for quantifying the anelastic properties in terms of viscoelastic mechanics are presented. A method for reducing numerical dispersion using a Galerkin-wavelet formulation that enables large computational savings is also presented. The widely different regimes of wave propagation occurring in ocean acoustic problems motivate the use of hybrid simulation techniques. HARVEST (Hybrid Adaptive Regime Visco-Elastic Simulation Technique) combines solutions from Gaussian beams, viscoelastic finite-differences, and Kirchhoff extrapolation, to simulate large offset scattering problems. Several scattering hypotheses based on finite -difference simulations of short-range acoustic scattering from realistic seafloor models are presented. Anelastic sediments on the seafloor are found to have a significant impact on the backscattered field from low grazing angle scattering experiments. In addition, small perturbations in the sediment compressional velocity can also dramatically alter the backscattered field due to transitions between pre- and post-critical reflection regimes. The hybrid techniques are employed to simulate deep ocean acoustic reverberation data collected in the vicinity of the northern mid-Atlantic ridge. In general, the simulated data compare well to the real data. Noise partly due to side-lobes in the beam-pattern of the receiver

Contributed Review: Recent developments in acoustic energy harvesting for autonomous wireless sensor nodes applications.

PubMed

Khan, Farid Ullah; Khattak, Muhammad Umair

2016-02-01

Rapid developments in micro electronics, micro fabrication, ultra-large scale of integration, ultra-low power sensors, and wireless technology have greatly reduced the power consumption requirements of wireless sensor nodes (WSNs) and make it possible to operate these devices with energy harvesters. Likewise, other energy harvesters, acoustic energy harvesters (AEHs), have been developed and are gaining swift interest in last few years. This paper presents a review of AEHs reported in the literature for the applications of WSNs. Based on transduction mechanism, there are two types of AEHs: piezoelectric acoustic energy harvesters (PEAEHs) and electromagnetic acoustic energy harvesters (EMAEHs). The reported AEHs are mostly characterized under the sound pressure level (SPL) that ranges from 45 to 161 dB. The range for resonant frequency of the produced AEHs is from 146 Hz to 24 kHz and these produced 0.68 × 10(-6) μW to 30 mW power. The maximum power (30 mW) is produced by a PEAEH, when the harvester is subjected to a SPL of 161 dB and 2.64 kHz frequency. However, for EMAEHs, the maximum power reported is about 1.96 mW (at 125 dB and 143 Hz). Under the comparable SPLs, the power production by the reported EMAEHs is relatively better than that of PEAEHs, moreover, due to lower resonant frequency, the EMAEHs are more feasible for the low frequency band acoustical environment.

Contributed Review: Recent developments in acoustic energy harvesting for autonomous wireless sensor nodes applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Farid Ullah; Khattak, Muhammad Umair

2016-02-01

Rapid developments in micro electronics, micro fabrication, ultra-large scale of integration, ultra-low power sensors, and wireless technology have greatly reduced the power consumption requirements of wireless sensor nodes (WSNs) and make it possible to operate these devices with energy harvesters. Likewise, other energy harvesters, acoustic energy harvesters (AEHs), have been developed and are gaining swift interest in last few years. This paper presents a review of AEHs reported in the literature for the applications of WSNs. Based on transduction mechanism, there are two types of AEHs: piezoelectric acoustic energy harvesters (PEAEHs) and electromagnetic acoustic energy harvesters (EMAEHs). The reported AEHs are mostly characterized under the sound pressure level (SPL) that ranges from 45 to 161 dB. The range for resonant frequency of the produced AEHs is from 146 Hz to 24 kHz and these produced 0.68 × 10-6 μW to 30 mW power. The maximum power (30 mW) is produced by a PEAEH, when the harvester is subjected to a SPL of 161 dB and 2.64 kHz frequency. However, for EMAEHs, the maximum power reported is about 1.96 mW (at 125 dB and 143 Hz). Under the comparable SPLs, the power production by the reported EMAEHs is relatively better than that of PEAEHs, moreover, due to lower resonant frequency, the EMAEHs are more feasible for the low frequency band acoustical environment.

Method and apparatus for acoustic imaging of objects in water

DOEpatents

Deason, Vance A.; Telschow, Kenneth L.

2005-01-25

A method, system and underwater camera for acoustic imaging of objects in water or other liquids includes an acoustic source for generating an acoustic wavefront for reflecting from a target object as a reflected wavefront. The reflected acoustic wavefront deforms a screen on an acoustic side and correspondingly deforms the opposing optical side of the screen. An optical processing system is optically coupled to the optical side of the screen and converts the deformations on the optical side of the screen into an optical intensity image of the target object.

Experimental determination of the viscous flow permeability of porous materials by measuring reflected low frequency acoustic waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berbiche, A.; Sadouki, M.; Fellah, Z. E. A.; Ogam, E.; Fellah, M.; Mitri, F. G.; Depollier, C.

2016-01-01

An acoustic reflectivity method is proposed for measuring the permeability or flow resistivity of air-saturated porous materials. In this method, a simplified expression of the reflection coefficient is derived in the Darcy's regime (low frequency range), which does not depend on frequency and porosity. Numerical simulations show that the reflection coefficient of a porous material can be approximated by its simplified expression obtained from its Taylor development to the first order. This approximation is good especially for resistive materials (of low permeability) and for the lower frequencies. The permeability is reconstructed by solving the inverse problem using waves reflected by plastic foam samples, at different frequency bandwidths in the Darcy regime. The proposed method has the advantage of being simple compared to the conventional methods that use experimental reflected data, and is complementary to the transmissivity method, which is more adapted to low resistive materials (high permeability).

PEDOT as a Flexible Organic Electrode for a Thin Film Acoustic Energy Harvester.

PubMed

Kim, Younghoon; Na, Jongbeom; Park, Chihyun; Shin, Haijin; Kim, Eunkyoung

2015-08-05

An efficient thin film acoustic energy harvester was explored using flexible poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) (PEDOT) films as electrodes in an all-organic triboelectric generator (AO-TEG). A thin film AO-TEG structured as PEDOT/Kapton//PET/PEDOT was prepared by the solution casting polymerization(SCP) on the dielectric polymer films. As-prepared AO-TEG showed high flexibility and durability due to the strong adhesion between the electrodes and the dielectric polymer. The short-circuit current density (Jsc), open-circuit voltage (Voc), and maximum power density (Pw) reached 50 mA/m(2), 700 V, and 12.9 W/m(2) respectively. The output current density decreased with the increase in the electrode resistance (Re), but the energy loss in the organic electrodes was negligible. The AO-TEG could light up 180 LEDs instantaneously upon touching of the AO-TEG with a palm (∼120 N). With the flexible structure, the AO-TEG was worn as clothes and generated electricity to light LEDs upon regular human movement. Furthermore, the AO-TEG was applicable as a thin film acoustic energy harvester, which used music to generate electricity enough for powering of 5 LEDs. An AO-TEG with a PEDOT electrode (Re = 200 Ω) showed instantaneous peak-to-peak voltage generation of 11 V under a sound pressure level (SPL) of 90-100 dB. The harvested acoustic energy through the AO-TEG was 350 μJ from the 4 min playing of the same single song. This is the first demonstration of a flexible triboelectric generator (TEG) using an organic electrode for harvesting acoustic energy from ambient environment.

Detecting Structural Failures Via Acoustic Impulse Responses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bayard, David S.; Joshi, Sanjay S.

1995-01-01

Advanced method of acoustic pulse reflectivity testing developed for use in determining sizes and locations of failures within structures. Used to detect breaks in electrical transmission lines, detect faults in optical fibers, and determine mechanical properties of materials. In method, structure vibrationally excited with acoustic pulse (a "ping") at one location and acoustic response measured at same or different location. Measured acoustic response digitized, then processed by finite-impulse-response (FIR) filtering algorithm unique to method and based on acoustic-wave-propagation and -reflection properties of structure. Offers several advantages: does not require training, does not require prior knowledge of mathematical model of acoustic response of structure, enables detection and localization of multiple failures, and yields data on extent of damage at each location.

Distributed feedback acoustic surface wave oscillator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elachi, C. (Inventor)

1977-01-01

An acoustic surface wave oscillator is constructed from a semiconductor piezoelectric acoustic surface wave amplifier by providing appropriate perturbations at the piezoelectric boundary. The perturbations cause Bragg order reflections that maintain acoustic wave oscillation under certain conditions of gain and feedback.

Energy monitoring and analysis during deformation of bedded-sandstone: use of acoustic emission.

PubMed

Wasantha, P L P; Ranjith, P G; Shao, S S

2014-01-01

This paper investigates the mechanical behaviour and energy releasing characteristics of bedded-sandstone with bedding layers in different orientations, under uniaxial compression. Cylindrical sandstone specimens (54 mm diameter and 108 mm height) with bedding layers inclined at angles of 10°, 20°, 35°, 55°, and 83° to the minor principal stress direction, were produced to perform a series of Uniaxial Compressive Strength (UCS) tests. One of the two identical sample sets was fully-saturated with water before testing and the other set was tested under dry conditions. An acoustic emission system was employed in all the testing to monitor the acoustic energy release during the whole deformation process of specimens. From the test results, the critical joint orientation was observed as 55° for both dry and saturated samples and the peak-strength losses due to water were 15.56%, 20.06%, 13.5%, 13.2%, and 13.52% for the bedding orientations 10°, 20°, 35°, 55°, and 83°, respectively. The failure mechanisms for the specimens with bedding layers in 10°, 20° orientations showed splitting type failure, while the specimens with bedding layers in 55°, 83° orientations were failed by sliding along a weaker bedding layer. The failure mechanism for the specimens with bedding layers in 35° orientation showed a mixed failure mode of both splitting and sliding types. Analysis of the acoustic energy, captured from the acoustic emission detection system, revealed that the acoustic energy release is considerably higher in dry specimens than that of the saturated specimens at any bedding orientation. In addition, higher energy release was observed for specimens with bedding layers oriented in shallow angles (which were undergoing splitting type failures), whereas specimens with steeply oriented bedding layers (which were undergoing sliding type failures) showed a comparatively less energy release under both dry and saturated conditions. Moreover, a considerable amount of

Energy Efficient Engine acoustic supporting technology report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lavin, S. P.; Ho, P. Y.

1985-01-01

The acoustic development of the Energy Efficient Engine combined testing and analysis using scale model rigs and an integrated Core/Low Spool demonstration engine. The scale model tests show that a cut-on blade/vane ratio fan with a large spacing (S/C = 2.3) is as quiet as a cut-off blade/vane ratio with a tighter spacing (S/C = 1.27). Scale model mixer tests show that separate flow nozzles are the noisiest, conic nozzles the quietest, with forced mixers in between. Based on projections of ICLS data the Energy Efficient Engine (E3) has FAR 36 margins of 3.7 EPNdB at approach, 4.5 EPNdB at full power takeoff, and 7.2 EPNdB at sideline conditions.

Constraints on Dark Energy from Baryon Acoustic Peak and Galaxy Cluster Gas Mass Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samushia, Lado; Ratra, Bharat

2009-10-01

We use baryon acoustic peak measurements by Eisenstein et al. and Percival et al., together with the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) measurement of the apparent acoustic horizon angle, and galaxy cluster gas mass fraction measurements of Allen et al., to constrain a slowly rolling scalar field dark energy model, phiCDM, in which dark energy's energy density changes in time. We also compare our phiCDM results with those derived for two more common dark energy models: the time-independent cosmological constant model, ΛCDM, and the XCDM parameterization of dark energy's equation of state. For time-independent dark energy, the Percival et al. measurements effectively constrain spatial curvature and favor a close to the spatially flat model, mostly due to the WMAP cosmic microwave background prior used in the analysis. In a spatially flat model the Percival et al. data less effectively constrain time-varying dark energy. The joint baryon acoustic peak and galaxy cluster gas mass constraints on the phiCDM model are consistent with but tighter than those derived from other data. A time-independent cosmological constant in a spatially flat model provides a good fit to the joint data, while the α parameter in the inverse power-law potential phiCDM model is constrained to be less than about 4 at 3σ confidence level.

Decoding Group Vocalizations: The Acoustic Energy Distribution of Chorus Howls Is Useful to Determine Wolf Reproduction

PubMed Central

López-Bao, José Vicente; Llaneza, Luis; Fernández, Carlos; Font, Enrique

2016-01-01

Population monitoring is crucial for wildlife management and conservation. In the last few decades, wildlife researchers have increasingly applied bioacoustics tools to obtain information on several essential ecological parameters, such as distribution and abundance. One such application involves wolves (Canis lupus). These canids respond to simulated howls by emitting group vocalizations known as chorus howls. These responses to simulated howls reveal the presence of wolf litters during the breeding period and are therefore often used to determine the status of wolf populations. However, the acoustic structure of chorus howls is complex and discriminating the presence of pups in a chorus is sometimes difficult, even for experienced observers. In this study, we evaluate the usefulness of analyses of the acoustic energy distribution in chorus howls to identify the presence of pups in a chorus. We analysed 110 Iberian wolf chorus howls with known pack composition and found that the acoustic energy distribution is concentrated at higher frequencies when there are pups vocalizing. We built predictive models using acoustic energy distribution features to determine the presence of pups in a chorus, concluding that the acoustic energy distribution in chorus howls can be used to determine the presence of wolf pups in a pack. The method we outline here is objective, accurate, easily implemented, and independent of the observer's experience. These advantages are especially relevant in the case of broad scale surveys or when many observers are involved. Furthermore, the analysis of the acoustic energy distribution can be implemented for monitoring other social canids that emit chorus howls such as jackals or coyotes, provides an easy way to obtain information on ecological parameters such as reproductive success, and could be useful to study other group vocalizations. PMID:27144887

Efficient Convex Optimization for Energy-Based Acoustic Sensor Self-Localization and Source Localization in Sensor Networks.

PubMed

Yan, Yongsheng; Wang, Haiyan; Shen, Xiaohong; Leng, Bing; Li, Shuangquan

2018-05-21

The energy reading has been an efficient and attractive measure for collaborative acoustic source localization in practical application due to its cost saving in both energy and computation capability. The maximum likelihood problems by fusing received acoustic energy readings transmitted from local sensors are derived. Aiming to efficiently solve the nonconvex objective of the optimization problem, we present an approximate estimator of the original problem. Then, a direct norm relaxation and semidefinite relaxation, respectively, are utilized to derive the second-order cone programming, semidefinite programming or mixture of them for both cases of sensor self-location and source localization. Furthermore, by taking the colored energy reading noise into account, several minimax optimization problems are formulated, which are also relaxed via the direct norm relaxation and semidefinite relaxation respectively into convex optimization problems. Performance comparison with the existing acoustic energy-based source localization methods is given, where the results show the validity of our proposed methods.

Efficient Convex Optimization for Energy-Based Acoustic Sensor Self-Localization and Source Localization in Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Yan, Yongsheng; Wang, Haiyan; Shen, Xiaohong; Leng, Bing; Li, Shuangquan

2018-01-01

The energy reading has been an efficient and attractive measure for collaborative acoustic source localization in practical application due to its cost saving in both energy and computation capability. The maximum likelihood problems by fusing received acoustic energy readings transmitted from local sensors are derived. Aiming to efficiently solve the nonconvex objective of the optimization problem, we present an approximate estimator of the original problem. Then, a direct norm relaxation and semidefinite relaxation, respectively, are utilized to derive the second-order cone programming, semidefinite programming or mixture of them for both cases of sensor self-location and source localization. Furthermore, by taking the colored energy reading noise into account, several minimax optimization problems are formulated, which are also relaxed via the direct norm relaxation and semidefinite relaxation respectively into convex optimization problems. Performance comparison with the existing acoustic energy-based source localization methods is given, where the results show the validity of our proposed methods. PMID:29883410

Acoustic Suppression Systems and Related Methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kolaini, Ali R. (Inventor); Kern, Dennis L. (Inventor)

2013-01-01

An acoustic suppression system for absorbing and/or scattering acoustic energy comprising a plurality of acoustic targets in a containment is described, the acoustic targets configured to have resonance frequencies allowing the targets to be excited by incoming acoustic waves, the resonance frequencies being adjustable to suppress acoustic energy in a set frequency range. Methods for fabricating and implementing the acoustic suppression system are also provided.

Device and method for generating a beam of acoustic energy from a borehole, and applications thereof

DOEpatents

Vu, Cung Khac; Sinha, Dipen N; Pantea, Cristian; Nihei, Kurt T; Schmitt, Denis P; Skelt, Christopher

2013-10-01

In some aspects of the invention, a method of generating a beam of acoustic energy in a borehole is disclosed. The method includes generating a first acoustic wave at a first frequency; generating a second acoustic wave at a second frequency different than the first frequency, wherein the first acoustic wave and second acoustic wave are generated by at least one transducer carried by a tool located within the borehole; transmitting the first and the second acoustic waves into an acoustically non-linear medium, wherein the composition of the non-linear medium produces a collimated beam by a non-linear mixing of the first and second acoustic waves, wherein the collimated beam has a frequency based upon a difference between the first frequency and the second frequency; and transmitting the collimated beam through a diverging acoustic lens to compensate for a refractive effect caused by the curvature of the borehole.

On the relationship between acoustic energy density flux near the jet axis and far field acoustic intensity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maestrello, L.

1973-01-01

By measurement and analysis, the relationship between the distribution of the outflow of acoustic energy over the jet boundary and the far-field intensity is considered. The physical quantity used is the gradient of the pressure evaluated on a geometrical plane at the smallest possible radial distance from the jet axis, but outside the vortical region, in the area where the homogeneous wave equation is reasonably well satisfied. The numerical and experimental procedures involved have been checked out by using a known source. Results indicate that the acoustic power output per unit length of the jet, in the region from which the sound emanates, peaks at approximately 9 diameters downstream. The acoustic emission for a jet Strouhal number of about 0.3 exceeds the emission for all other Strouhal numbers nearly everywhere along the measurement plane. However, the far-field peak intensity distribution obtained from the contribution of each station was found to depend on the spatial extent of the region where sound emanates from the jet, which, in turn, depends more on the far-field angle than on the Strouhal number.

A simple formula for insertion loss prediction of large acoustical enclosures using statistical energy analysis method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hyun-Sil; Kim, Jae-Seung; Lee, Seong-Hyun; Seo, Yun-Ho

2014-12-01

Insertion loss prediction of large acoustical enclosures using Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) method is presented. The SEA model consists of three elements: sound field inside the enclosure, vibration energy of the enclosure panel, and sound field outside the enclosure. It is assumed that the space surrounding the enclosure is sufficiently large so that there is no energy flow from the outside to the wall panel or to air cavity inside the enclosure. The comparison of the predicted insertion loss to the measured data for typical large acoustical enclosures shows good agreements. It is found that if the critical frequency of the wall panel falls above the frequency region of interest, insertion loss is dominated by the sound transmission loss of the wall panel and averaged sound absorption coefficient inside the enclosure. However, if the critical frequency of the wall panel falls into the frequency region of interest, acoustic power from the sound radiation by the wall panel must be added to the acoustic power from transmission through the panel.

Ion-Acoustic Wave-Particle Energy Flow Rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berumen, Jorge; Chu, Feng; Hood, Ryan; Mattingly, Sean; Skiff, Fred

2017-10-01

We present an experimental characterization of the energy flow rates for ion acoustic waves. The experiment is performed in a cylindrical, magnetized, singly-ionized Argon, inductively-coupled gas discharge plasma that is weakly collisional with typical conditions: n 109cm-3 Te 9 eV and B 660 kG. A 4 ring antenna with diameter similar to the plasma diameter is used for launching the waves. A survey of the zeroth and first order ion velocity distribution functions (IVDF) is done using Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF) as the main diagnostics method. Using these IVDFs along with Vlasov's equation the different energy rates are measured for different values of ion velocity and separation from the antenna. We would like to acknowledge DOE DE-FG02-99ER54543 for their financial support throughout this research.

Numerical analysis of acoustic impedance microscope utilizing acoustic lens transducer to examine cultured cells.

PubMed

Gunawan, Agus Indra; Hozumi, Naohiro; Takahashi, Kenta; Yoshida, Sachiko; Saijo, Yoshifumi; Kobayashi, Kazuto; Yamamoto, Seiji

2015-12-01

A new technique is proposed for non-contact quantitative cell observation using focused ultrasonic waves. This technique interprets acoustic reflection intensity into the characteristic acoustic impedance of the biological cell. The cells are cultured on a plastic film substrate. A focused acoustic beam is transmitted through the substrate to its interface with the cell. A two-dimensional (2-D) reflection intensity profile is obtained by scanning the focal point along the interface. A reference substance is observed under the same conditions. These two reflections are compared and interpreted into the characteristic acoustic impedance of the cell based on a calibration curve that was created prior to the observation. To create the calibration curve, a numerical analysis of the sound field is performed using Fourier Transforms and is verified using several saline solutions. Because the cells are suspended by two plastic films, no contamination is introduced during the observation. In a practical observation, a sapphire lens transducer with a center frequency of 300 MHz was employed using ZnO thin film. The objects studied were co-cultured rat-derived glial (astrocyte) cells and glioma cells. The result was the clear observation of the internal structure of the cells. The acoustic impedance of the cells was spreading between 1.62 and 1.72 MNs/m(3). Cytoskeleton was indicated by high acoustic impedance. The introduction of cytochalasin-B led to a significant reduction in the acoustic impedance of the glioma cells; its effect on the glial cells was less significant. It is believed that this non-contact observation method will be useful for continuous cell inspections. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

On the energy flux in acoustic waves in the solar atmosphere .

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bello González, N.; Flores Soriano, M.; Kneer, F.; Okunev, O.

The energy supply for the radiative losses of the quiet solar chromosphere is studied. Time sequences from quiet Sun disc centre were obtained with the ``Göttingen'' Fabry-Pérot spectrometer at the Vacuum Tower Telescope, Observatorio del Teide/Tenerife, in the non-magnetic Fe I 5576 Å line. The data were reconstructed with speckle methods. The velocities as measured at the line minimum were subjected to Fourier and wavelet analysis. The energy fluxes were corrected for the transmission of the solar atmosphere. We find an energy flux of ˜ 3 000 W m-2 at a height of h=250 km. Approximately 2/3 of it is carried by waves in the 5-10 mHz range, and 1/3 in the 10-20 mHz band. The waves occur predominantly above inter-granular areas. We speculate that the acoustic flux in waves with periods shorter than the acoustic cutoff period (U≈190 s) can contribute to the basal heating of the solar chromosphere, in addition to atmospheric gravity waves.

Device and method for generating a beam of acoustic energy from a borehole, and applications thereof

DOEpatents

Vu, Cung Khac; Sinha, Dipen N.; Pantea, Cristian; Nihei, Kurt T.; Schmitt, Denis P.; Skelt, Chirstopher

2013-10-15

In some aspects of the invention, a method of generating a beam of acoustic energy in a borehole is disclosed. The method includes generating a first acoustic wave at a first frequency; generating a second acoustic wave at a second frequency different than the first frequency, wherein the first acoustic wave and second acoustic wave are generated by at least one transducer carried by a tool located within the borehole; transmitting the first and the second acoustic waves into an acoustically non-linear medium, wherein the composition of the non-linear medium produces a collimated beam by a non-linear mixing of the first and second acoustic waves, wherein the collimated beam has a frequency based upon a difference between the first frequency range and the second frequency, and wherein the non-linear medium has a velocity of sound between 100 m/s and 800 m/s.

Ultrasound acoustic energy for microbubble manipulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakhtiari-Nejad, Marjan; Elnahhas, Ahmed; Jung, Sunghwan; Shahab, Shima

2017-04-01

Many bio-medical applications entail the problems of spatially manipulating of bubbles by means of acoustic radiation. The examples are ultrasonic noninvasive-targeted drug delivery and therapeutic applications. This paper investigates the nonlinear coupling between radial pulsations, axisymmetric modes of shape oscillations and translational motion of a single spherical gas bubble in a host liquid, when it is subjected to an acoustic pressure wave field. A mathematical model is developed to account for both small and large amplitudes of bubble oscillations. The coupled system dynamics under various conditions is studied. Specifically, oscillating behaviors of a bubble (e.g. the amplitudes and instability of oscillations) undergoing resonance and off-resonance excitation in low- and high- intensity acoustic fields are studied. Instability of the shape modes of a bubble, which is contributing to form the translational instability, known as dancing motion, is analyzed. Dynamic responses of the bubble exposed to low- and high-intensity acoustic excitation are compared in terms of translational motion and surface shape of the bubble. Acoustic streaming effects caused by radial pulsations of the bubble in the surrounding liquid domain are also reported.

The paradoxical zero reflection at zero energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, Zafar; Sharma, Vibhu; Sharma, Mayank; Singhal, Ankush; Kaiwart, Rahul; Priyadarshini, Pallavi

2017-03-01

Usually, the reflection probability R(E) of a particle of zero energy incident on a potential which converges to zero asymptotically is found to be 1: R(0)=1. But earlier, a paradoxical phenomenon of zero reflection at zero energy (R(0)=0) has been revealed as a threshold anomaly. Extending the concept of half-bound state (HBS) of 3D, here we show that in 1D when a symmetric (asymmetric) attractive potential well possesses a zero-energy HBS, R(0)=0 (R(0)\\ll 1). This can happen only at some critical values q c of an effective parameter q of the potential well in the limit E\\to {0}+. We demonstrate this critical phenomenon in two simple analytically solvable models: square and exponential wells. However, in numerical calculations, even for these two models R(0)=0 is observed only as extrapolation to zero energy from low energies, close to a precise critical value q c. By numerical investigation of a variety of potential wells, we conclude that for a given potential well (symmetric or asymmetric), we can adjust the effective parameter q to have a low reflection at a low energy.

One-way acoustic mirror based on anisotropic zero-index media

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

Gu, Zhong-ming; Liang, Bin, E-mail: liangbin@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: jccheng@nju.edu.cn; Yang, Jing

2015-11-23

We have designed a one-way acoustic mirror comprising anisotropic zero-index media. For acoustic beam incident at a particular angle, the designed structure behaves like a high-efficient mirror that redirects almost all the incident energy into another direction predicted by the Snell's law, while becoming virtually transparent to beams propagating reversely along this output path. Furthermore, the mirror can be tailored to work at arbitrary incident angle by simply adjusting its geometry. Our design, with undirectional reflection functionality and flexible working angle, may offer possibilities in space isolations and have deep implication in various scenarios like ultrasound imaging or noise control.

Energy- and wave-based beam-tracing prediction of room-acoustical parameters using different boundary conditions.

PubMed

Yousefzadeh, Behrooz; Hodgson, Murray

2012-09-01

A beam-tracing model was used to study the acoustical responses of three empty, rectangular rooms with different boundary conditions. The model is wave-based (accounting for sound phase) and can be applied to rooms with extended-reaction surfaces that are made of multiple layers of solid, fluid, or poroelastic materials-the acoustical properties of these surfaces are calculated using Biot theory. Three room-acoustical parameters were studied in various room configurations: sound strength, reverberation time, and RApid Speech Transmission Index. The main objective was to investigate the effects of modeling surfaces as either local or extended reaction on predicted values of these three parameters. Moreover, the significance of modeling interference effects was investigated, including the study of sound phase-change on surface reflection. Modeling surfaces as of local or extended reaction was found to be significant for surfaces consisting of multiple layers, specifically when one of the layers is air. For multilayers of solid materials with an air-cavity, this was most significant around their mass-air-mass resonance frequencies. Accounting for interference effects made significant changes in the predicted values of all parameters. Modeling phase change on reflection, on the other hand, was found to be relatively much less significant.

Acoustic energy relations in Mudejar-Gothic churches.

PubMed

Zamarreño, Teófilo; Girón, Sara; Galindo, Miguel

2007-01-01

Extensive objective energy-based parameters have been measured in 12 Mudejar-Gothic churches in the south of Spain. Measurements took place in unoccupied churches according to the ISO-3382 standard. Monoaural objective measures in the 125-4000 Hz frequency range and in their spatial distributions were obtained. Acoustic parameters: clarity C80, definition D50, sound strength G and center time Ts have been deduced using impulse response analysis through a maximum length sequence measurement system in each church. These parameters spectrally averaged according to the most extended criteria in auditoria in order to consider acoustic quality were studied as a function of source-receiver distance. The experimental results were compared with predictions given by classical and other existing theoretical models proposed for concert halls and churches. An analytical semi-empirical model based on the measured values of the C80 parameter is proposed in this work for these spaces. The good agreement between predicted values and experimental data for definition, sound strength, and center time in the churches analyzed shows that the model can be used for design predictions and other purposes with reasonable accuracy.

Acoustic metamaterials capable of both sound insulation and energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Junfei; Zhou, Xiaoming; Huang, Guoliang; Hu, Gengkai

2016-04-01

Membrane-type acoustic metamaterials are well known for low-frequency sound insulation. In this work, by introducing a flexible piezoelectric patch, we propose sound-insulation metamaterials with the ability of energy harvesting from sound waves. The dual functionality of the metamaterial device has been verified by experimental results, which show an over 20 dB sound transmission loss and a maximum energy conversion efficiency up to 15.3% simultaneously. This novel property makes the metamaterial device more suitable for noise control applications.

Levitation of objects using acoustic energy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whymark, R. R.

1975-01-01

Activated sound source establishes standing-wave pattern in gap between source and acoustic reflector. Solid or liquid material introduced in region will move to one of the low pressure areas produced at antinodes and remain suspended as long as acoustic signal is present.

Reflections in computer modeling of rooms: Current approaches and possible extensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Svensson, U. Peter

2005-09-01

Computer modeling of rooms is most commonly done by some calculation technique that is based on decomposing the sound field into separate reflection components. In a first step, a list of possible reflection paths is found and in a second step, an impulse response is constructed from the list of reflections. Alternatively, the list of reflections is used for generating a simpler echogram, the energy decay as function of time. A number of geometrical acoustics-based methods can handle specular reflections, diffuse reflections, edge diffraction, curved surfaces, and locally/non-locally reacting surfaces to various degrees. This presentation gives an overview of how reflections are handled in the image source method and variants of the ray-tracing methods, which are dominating today in commercial software, as well as in the radiosity method and edge diffraction methods. The use of the recently standardized scattering and diffusion coefficients of surfaces is discussed. Possibilities for combining edge diffraction, surface scattering, and impedance boundaries are demonstrated for an example surface. Finally, the number of reflection paths becomes prohibitively high when all such combinations are included as demonstrated for a simple concert hall model. [Work supported by the Acoustic Research Centre through NFR, Norway.

Determining Equilibrium Position For Acoustical Levitation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barmatz, M. B.; Aveni, G.; Putterman, S.; Rudnick, J.

1989-01-01

Equilibrium position and orientation of acoustically-levitated weightless object determined by calibration technique on Earth. From calibration data, possible to calculate equilibrium position and orientation in presence of Earth gravitation. Sample not levitated acoustically during calibration. Technique relies on Boltzmann-Ehrenfest adiabatic-invariance principle. One converts resonant-frequency-shift data into data on normalized acoustical potential energy. Minimum of energy occurs at equilibrium point. From gradients of acoustical potential energy, one calculates acoustical restoring force or torque on objects as function of deviation from equilibrium position or orientation.

Method and system for generating a beam of acoustic energy from a borehole, and applications thereof

DOEpatents

Johnson, Paul A [Santa Fe, NM; Ten Cate, James A [Los Alamos, NM; Guyer, Robert [Reno, NV; Le Bas, Pierre-Yves [Los Alamos, NM; Vu, Cung [Houston, TX; Nihei, Kurt [Oakland, CA; Schmitt, Denis P [Katy, TX; Skelt, Christopher [Houston, TX

2012-02-14

A compact array of transducers is employed as a downhole instrument for acoustic investigation of the surrounding rock formation. The array is operable to generate simultaneously a first acoustic beam signal at a first frequency and a second acoustic beam signal at a second frequency different than the first frequency. These two signals can be oriented through an azimuthal rotation of the array and an inclination rotation using control of the relative phases of the signals from the transmitter elements or electromechanical linkage. Due to the non-linearity of the formation, the first and the second acoustic beam signal mix into the rock formation where they combine into a collimated third signal that propagates in the formation along the same direction than the first and second signals and has a frequency equal to the difference of the first and the second acoustic signals. The third signal is received either within the same borehole, after reflection, or another borehole, after transmission, and analyzed to determine information about rock formation. Recording of the third signal generated along several azimuthal and inclination directions also provides 3D images of the formation, information about 3D distribution of rock formation and fluid properties and an indication of the dynamic acoustic non-linearity of the formation.

Search for acoustic signals from high energy cascades

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bell, R.; Bowen, T.

1985-01-01

High energy cosmic ray secondaries can be detected by means of the cascades they produce when they pass through matter. When the charged particles of these cascades ionize the matter they are traveling through, the heat produced and resulting thermal expansion causes a thermoacoustic wave. These sound waves travel at about one hundred-thousandth the speed of light, and should allow an array of acoustic transducers to resolve structure in the cascade to about 1 cm without high speed electronics or segmentation of the detector.

Acoustic well cleaner

DOEpatents

Maki, Jr., Voldi E.; Sharma, Mukul M.

1997-01-21

A method and apparatus are disclosed for cleaning the wellbore and the near wellbore region. A sonde is provided which is adapted to be lowered into a borehole and which includes a plurality of acoustic transducers arranged around the sonde. Electrical power provided by a cable is converted to acoustic energy. The high intensity acoustic energy directed to the borehole wall and into the near wellbore region, redissolves or resuspends the material which is reducing the permeability of the formation and/or restricting flow in the wellbore.

Characterizing Turbulent Events at a Tidal Energy Site from Acoustic Doppler Velocity Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCaffrey, Katherine; Fox-Kemper, Baylor; Hamlington, Peter

2013-11-01

As interest in marine renewable energy increases, observations are crucial to understanding the environments encountered by energy conversion devices. Data obtained from an acoustic Doppler current profiler and an acoustic Doppler velocimeter at two locations in the Puget Sound, WA are used to perform a detailed analysis of the turbulent environment that is expected to be present at a turbine placed in a tidal strait. Metrics such as turbulence intensity, structure functions, probability density functions, intermittency, coherent turbulence kinetic energy, anisotropy invariants, and linear combinations of eigenvalues are used to characterize the turbulence. The results indicate that coherent turbulence kinetic energy and turbulence intensity can be used to identify and parameterize different turbulent events in the flow. An analysis of the anisotropy characteristics leads to a physical description of turbulent events (defined using both turbulence intensity and coherent turbulent kinetic energy) as being dominated by one component of the Reynolds stresses. During non-turbulent events, the flow is dominated by two Reynolds stress components. The importance of these results for the development of realistic models of energy conversion devices is outlined. Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences.

Device and method for generating a beam of acoustic energy from a borehole, and applications thereof

DOEpatents

Vu, Cung Khac; Sinha, Dipen N; Pantea, Cristian; Nihei, Kurt T; Schmitt, Denis P; Skelt, Christopher

2013-10-01

In some aspects of the invention, a method of generating a beam of acoustic energy in a borehole is disclosed. The method includes generating a first broad-band acoustic pulse at a first broad-band frequency range having a first central frequency and a first bandwidth spread; generating a second broad-band acoustic pulse at a second broad-band frequency range different than the first frequency range having a second central frequency and a second bandwidth spread, wherein the first acoustic pulse and second acoustic pulse are generated by at least one transducer arranged on a tool located within the borehole; and transmitting the first and the second broad-band acoustic pulses into an acoustically non-linear medium, wherein the composition of the non-linear medium produces a collimated pulse by a non-linear mixing of the first and second acoustic pulses, wherein the collimated pulse has a frequency equal to the difference in frequencies between the first central frequency and the second central frequency and a bandwidth spread equal to the sum of the first bandwidth spread and the second bandwidth spread.

Acoustic Reflection from Surfaces and Shapes

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-06-01

group velocity for the nib normal mode c,(ka) - the phase velocity of the th R-type circumferential wave cf(ka) - the group velocity of the aIh R-type...resonant frequencies of the spheroidal modes of the free vibrating sphere results from setting the denominator in Eq. (A2) set equal to zero, DE ...S. de Benedetti, Nuclear Interactions (Wiley, New York, 1964). 8. H. Uberall, R.D. Doolittle, and J.V. McNicholas, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 39, 564 (1966

Transition section for acoustic waveguides

DOEpatents

Karplus, H.H.B.

1975-10-28

A means of facilitating the transmission of acoustic waves with minimal reflection between two regions having different specific acoustic impedances is described comprising a region exhibiting a constant product of cross-sectional area and specific acoustic impedance at each cross-sectional plane along the axis of the transition region. A variety of structures that exhibit this feature is disclosed, the preferred embodiment comprising a nested structure of doubly reentrant cones. This structure is useful for monitoring the operation of nuclear reactors in which random acoustic signals are generated in the course of operation.

Toward wideband steerable acoustic metasurfaces with arrays of active electroacoustic resonators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lissek, Hervé; Rivet, Etienne; Laurence, Thomas; Fleury, Romain

2018-03-01

We introduce an active concept for achieving acoustic metasurfaces with steerable reflection properties, effective over a wide frequency band. The proposed active acoustic metasurface consists of a surface array of subwavelength loudspeaker diaphragms, each with programmable individual active acoustic impedances allowing for local control over the different reflection phases over the metasurface. The active control framework used for controlling the reflection phase over the metasurface is derived from the Active Electroacoustic Resonator concept. Each unit-cell simply consists of a current-driven electrodynamic loudspeaker in a closed box, whose acoustic impedance at the diaphragm is judiciously adjusted by connecting an active electrical control circuit. The control is known to achieve a wide variety of acoustic impedances on a single loudspeaker diaphragm used as an acoustic resonator, with the possibility to shift its resonance frequency by more than one octave. This paper presents a methodology for designing such active metasurface elements. An experimental validation of the achieved individual reflection coefficients is presented, and full wave simulations present a few examples of achievable reflection properties, with a focus on the bandwidth of operation of the proposed control concept.

A hydrophone prototype for ultra high energy neutrino acoustic detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cotrufo, A.; Plotnikov, A.; Yershova, O.; Anghinolfi, M.; Piombo, D.

2009-06-01

The design of an air-backed fiber-optic hydrophone is presented. With respect to the previous models this prototype is optimized to provide a bandwidth sufficiently large to detect acoustic signals produced by high energy hadronic showers in water. In addiction to the geometrical configuration and to the choice of the materials, the preliminary results of the measured performances in air are presented.

Railroad retarder noise reduction : study of acoustical barrier configurations

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1979-05-01

Field measurements of noise were made near a railroad retarder system without barriers and with acoustical barriers of various configurations. The configurations tested included acoustically reflective and acoustically absorptive barriers with height...

Anisotropic light diffraction in crystals with a large acoustic-energy walk-off

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balakshy, V. I.; Voloshin, A. S.; Molchanov, V. Ya.

2014-11-01

The influence of energy walk-off in an acoustic beam on the characteristic of anisotropic Bragg diffraction of light has been investigated by the example of paratellurite crystal. The angular and frequency characteristics of acousto-optic diffraction have been calculated in wide ranges of ultrasound frequencies and Bragg angles using the modified Raman-Nath equations. It is shown that the walk-off of an acoustic beam may change (either widen or narrow) significantly the frequency and angular ranges. The calculation results have been experimentally checked on an acousto-optic cell made of 10.5°-cut paratellurite crystal.

Using DAS for reflection seismology - lessons learned from three field studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freifeld, B. M.; Dou, S.; Ajo Franklin, J. B.; Robertson, M.; Wood, T.; Daley, T. M.; White, D. J.; Worth, K.; Pevzner, R.; Yavuz, S.; dos Santos Maia Correa, J.; McDonald, S.

2017-12-01

Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) has rapidly gained recognition for its potential for seismic imaging. For surface reflection seismology, the wide spatial aperture afforded by DAS is a primary motivation for its application, however the lower SNR of DAS has proven to be a significant impediment to acquiring data that can replace conventional receiver arrays. A further limitation of DAS cables is that the strain-dependent response is insensitive to acoustic energy which arrives orthogonal to the cable axis, reducing its effectiveness at seeing energy reflected from the deep subsurface. To enhance the sensitivity of DAS cables for reflection seismology, we have trialed at three field sites DAS cables with helical construction in which there is a significant component of optical fiber that is coincident with arriving broadside energy. We have installed helically wound DAS cables at the PTRC Aquistore Project in Saskatchewan, Canada and the CO2CRC Otway Project in Nirranda South, Victoria, Australia in shallow trenches. For the ADM Intelligent Monitoring Systems Project in Decatur, Illinois, USA we used a horizontal directional drilling method to install DAS cables at a depth that is greater than can be achieved using trenched installation. At the Otway and ADM sites we operated surface orbital vibrators (SOVs) at fixed locations to enhance sensitivity by stacking large numbers of sweeps. We present survey results from the three sites. Analysis of both vibroseis survey and SOV results show that the helical cable design achieves its primary objective of improving sensitivity to reflected energy, with further gains needed to achieve the sensitivity of conventional geophones.

Thermoacoustic effects in supercritical fluids near the critical point: Resonance, piston effect, and acoustic emission and reflection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Onuki, Akira

2007-12-01

We present a general theory of thermoacoustic phenomena in one phase states of one-component fluids. Singular behavior is predicted in supercritical fluids near the critical point. In a one-dimensional geometry we start with linearized hydrodynamic equations taking into account the effects of heat conduction in the boundary walls and the bulk viscosity. We introduce a coefficient Z(ω) characterizing reflection of sound with frequency ω at the boundary in a rigid cell. As applications, we examine acoustic eigenmodes, response to time-dependent perturbations, and sound emission and reflection. Resonance and rapid adiabatic changes are noteworthy. In these processes, the role of the thermal diffusion layers is enhanced near the critical point because of the strong critical divergence of the thermal expansion.

Concert halls with strong lateral reflections enhance musical dynamics.

PubMed

Pätynen, Jukka; Tervo, Sakari; Robinson, Philip W; Lokki, Tapio

2014-03-25

One of the most thrilling cultural experiences is to hear live symphony-orchestra music build up from a whispering passage to a monumental fortissimo. The impact of such a crescendo has been thought to depend only on the musicians' skill, but here we show that interactions between the concert-hall acoustics and listeners' hearing also play a major role in musical dynamics. These interactions contribute to the shoebox-type concert hall's established success, but little prior research has been devoted to dynamic expression in this three-part transmission chain as a complete system. More forceful orchestral playing disproportionately excites high frequency harmonics more than those near the note's fundamental. This effect results in not only more sound energy, but also a different tone color. The concert hall transmits this sound, and the room geometry defines from which directions acoustic reflections arrive at the listener. Binaural directional hearing emphasizes high frequencies more when sound arrives from the sides of the head rather than from the median plane. Simultaneously, these same frequencies are emphasized by higher orchestral-playing dynamics. When the room geometry provides reflections from these directions, the perceived dynamic range is enhanced. Current room-acoustic evaluation methods assume linear behavior and thus neglect this effect. The hypothesis presented here is that the auditory excitation by reflections is emphasized with an orchestra forte most in concert halls with strong lateral reflections. The enhanced dynamic range provides an explanation for the success of rectangularly shaped concert-hall geometry.

Procedures for ambient-pressure and tympanometric tests of aural acoustic reflectance and admittance in human infants and adults

PubMed Central

Keefe, Douglas H.; Hunter, Lisa L.; Feeney, M. Patrick; Fitzpatrick, Denis F.

2015-01-01

Procedures are described to measure acoustic reflectance and admittance in human adult and infant ears at frequencies from 0.2 to 8 kHz. Transfer functions were measured at ambient pressure in the ear canal, and as down- or up-swept tympanograms. Acoustically estimated ear-canal area was used to calculate ear reflectance, which was parameterized by absorbance and group delay over all frequencies (and pressures), with substantial data reduction for tympanograms. Admittance measured at the probe tip in adults was transformed into an equivalent admittance at the eardrum using a transmission-line model for an ear canal with specified area and ear-canal length. Ear-canal length was estimated from group delay around the frequency above 2 kHz of minimum absorbance. Illustrative measurements in ears with normal function are described for an adult, and two infants at 1 month of age with normal hearing and a conductive hearing loss. The sensitivity of this equivalent eardrum admittance was calculated for varying estimates of area and length. Infant-ear patterns of absorbance peaks aligned in frequency with dips in group delay were explained by a model of resonant canal-wall mobility. Procedures will be applied in a large study of wideband clinical diagnosis and monitoring of middle-ear and cochlear function. PMID:26723319

Active acoustical impedance using distributed electrodynamical transducers.

PubMed

Collet, M; David, P; Berthillier, M

2009-02-01

New miniaturization and integration capabilities available from emerging microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology will allow silicon-based artificial skins involving thousands of elementary actuators to be developed in the near future. SMART structures combining large arrays of elementary motion pixels coated with macroscopic components are thus being studied so that fundamental properties such as shape, stiffness, and even reflectivity of light and sound could be dynamically adjusted. This paper investigates the acoustic impedance capabilities of a set of distributed transducers connected with a suitable controlling strategy. Research in this domain aims at designing integrated active interfaces with a desired acoustical impedance for reaching an appropriate global acoustical behavior. This generic problem is intrinsically connected with the control of multiphysical systems based on partial differential equations (PDEs) and with the notion of multiscaled physics when a dense array of electromechanical systems (or MEMS) is considered. By using specific techniques based on PDE control theory, a simple boundary control equation capable of annihilating the wave reflections has been built. The obtained strategy is also discretized as a low order time-space operator for experimental implementation by using a dense network of interlaced microphones and loudspeakers. The resulting quasicollocated architecture guarantees robustness and stability margins. This paper aims at showing how a well controlled semidistributed active skin can substantially modify the sound transmissibility or reflectivity of the corresponding homogeneous passive interface. In Sec. IV, numerical and experimental results demonstrate the capabilities of such a method for controlling sound propagation in ducts. Finally, in Sec. V, an energy-based comparison with a classical open-loop strategy underlines the system's efficiency.

Vibro-Acoustic Analysis of an Aircraft Maintenance Dock

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-08-01

evaluated. This evaluation resulted in a table of allowable number of cycles of operation to produce the same impact on the facility as the original...for 18 Gage Galvanized Steel Walls of HV Ducts 209 H13 Summary of Calculated Vibration Response Parameters at Base of HV 217 H 14 Engine Power Level...The reverberant sound field due to the acoustic energy remaining within the AMD after the first reflection of the direct sound. The direct sound field

Acoustic controlled rotation and orientation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barmatz, Martin B. (Inventor); Allen, James L. (Inventor)

1989-01-01

Acoustic energy is applied to a pair of locations spaced about a chamber, to control rotation of an object levitated in the chamber. Two acoustic transducers applying energy of a single acoustic mode, one at each location, can (one or both) serve to levitate the object in three dimensions as well as control its rotation. Slow rotation is achieved by initially establishing a large phase difference and/or pressure ratio of the acoustic waves, which is sufficient to turn the object by more than 45 deg, which is immediately followed by reducing the phase difference and/or pressure ratio to maintain slow rotation. A small phase difference and/or pressure ratio enables control of the angular orientation of the object without rotating it. The sphericity of an object can be measured by its response to the acoustic energy.

Acoustic communication in plant-animal interactions.

PubMed

Schöner, Michael G; Simon, Ralph; Schöner, Caroline R

2016-08-01

Acoustic communication is widespread and well-studied in animals but has been neglected in other organisms such as plants. However, there is growing evidence for acoustic communication in plant-animal interactions. While knowledge about active acoustic signalling in plants (i.e. active sound production) is still in its infancy, research on passive acoustic signalling (i.e. reflection of animal sounds) revealed that bat-dependent plants have adapted to the bats' echolocation systems by providing acoustic reflectors to attract their animal partners. Understanding the proximate mechanisms and ultimate causes of acoustic communication will shed light on an underestimated dimension of information transfer between plants and animals. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Acoustic characterization of Thiel liver for magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound treatment.

PubMed

Karakitsios, Ioannis; Joy, Joyce; Mihcin, Senay; Melzer, Andreas

2017-04-01

The purpose of this work was to measure the essential acoustic parameters, i.e., acoustic impedance, reflection coefficient, attenuation coefficient, of Thiel embalmed human and animal liver. The Thiel embalmed tissue can be a promising, pre-clinical model to study liver treatment with Magnetic Resonance-guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS). Using a single-element transducer and the contact pulse-echo method, the acoustic parameters, i.e., acoustic impedance, reflection coefficient and attenuation coefficient of Thiel embalmed human and animal liver were measured. The Thiel embalmed livers had higher impedance, similar reflection and lower attenuation compared to the fresh tissue. Embalming liver with Thiel fluid affects its acoustic properties. During MRgFUS sonication of a Thiel organ, more focused ultrasound (FUS) will be backscattered by the organ, and higher acoustic powers are required to reach coagulation levels (temperatures >56 °C).

Interaction of electromagnetic and acoustic waves in a stochastic atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bhatnagar, N.; Peterson, A. M.

1979-01-01

In the Stanford radio acoustic sounding system (RASS) an electromagnetic signal is made to scatter from a moving acoustic pulse train. Under a Bragg-scatter condition maximum electromagnetic scattering occurs. The scattered radio signal contains temperature and wind information as a function of the acoustic-pulse position. In this investigation RASS performance is assessed in an atmosphere characterized by the presence of turbulence and mean atmospheric parameters. The only assumption made is that the electromagnetic wave is not affected by stochastic perturbations in the atmosphere. It is concluded that the received radio signal depends strongly on the intensity of turbulence for altitudes of the acoustic pulse greater than the coherence length of propagation. The effect of mean vertical wind and mean temperature on the strength of the received signal is also demonstrated to be insignificant. Mean horizontal winds, however, shift the focus of the reflected electromagnetic energy from its origin, resulting in a decrease in received signal level when a monostatic radio-frequency (RF) system is used. For a bistatic radar configuration with space diversified receiving antennas, the shifting of the acoustic pulse makes possible the remote measurement of the horizontal wind component.

Acoustic energy transmission in cast iron pipelines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiziroglou, Michail E.; Boyle, David E.; Wright, Steven W.; Yeatman, Eric M.

2015-12-01

In this paper we propose acoustic power transfer as a method for the remote powering of pipeline sensor nodes. A theoretical framework of acoustic power propagation in the ceramic transducers and the metal structures is drawn, based on the Mason equivalent circuit. The effect of mounting on the electrical response of piezoelectric transducers is studied experimentally. Using two identical transducer structures, power transmission of 0.33 mW through a 1 m long, 118 mm diameter cast iron pipe, with 8 mm wall thickness is demonstrated, at 1 V received voltage amplitude. A near-linear relationship between input and output voltage is observed. These results show that it is possible to deliver significant power to sensor nodes through acoustic waves in solid structures. The proposed method may enable the implementation of acoustic - powered wireless sensor nodes for structural and operation monitoring of pipeline infrastructure.

Acoustic agglomeration methods and apparatus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barmatz, M. B. (Inventor)

1984-01-01

Methods are described for using acoustic energy to agglomerate fine particles on the order of one micron diameter that are suspended in gas, to provide agglomerates large enough for efficient removal by other techniques. The gas with suspended particles, is passed through the length of a chamber while acoustic energy at a resonant chamber mode is applied to set up one or more acoustic standing wave patterns that vibrate the suspended particles to bring them together so they agglomerate. Several widely different frequencies can be applied to efficiently vibrate particles of widely differing sizes. The standing wave pattern can be applied along directions transversed to the flow of the gas. The particles can be made to move in circles by applying acoustic energy in perpendicular directions with the energy in both directions being of the same wavelength but 90 deg out of phase.

Numerical study of the collar wave characteristics and the effects of grooves in acoustic logging while drilling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yufeng; Guan, Wei; Hu, Hengshan; Xu, Minqiang

2017-05-01

Large-amplitude collar wave covering formation signals is still a tough problem in acoustic logging-while-drilling (LWD) measurements. In this study, we investigate the propagation and energy radiation characteristics of the monopole collar wave and the effects of grooves on reducing the interference to formation waves by finite-difference calculations. We found that the collar wave radiates significant energy into the formation by comparing the waveforms between a collar within an infinite fluid, and the acoustic LWD in different formations with either an intact or a truncated collar. The collar wave recorded on the outer surface of the collar consists of the outward-radiated energy direct from the collar (direct collar wave) and that reflected back from the borehole wall (reflected collar wave). All these indicate that the significant effects of the borehole-formation structure on collar wave were underestimated in previous studies. From the simulations of acoustic LWD with a grooved collar, we found that grooves broaden the frequency region of low collar-wave excitation and attenuate most of the energy of the interference waves by multireflections. However, grooves extend the duration of the collar wave and convert part of the collar-wave energy originally kept in the collar into long-duration Stoneley wave. Interior grooves are preferable to exterior ones because both the low-frequency and the high-frequency parts of the collar wave can be reduced and the converted inner Stoneley wave is relatively difficult to be recorded on the outer surface of the collar. Deeper grooves weaken the collar wave more greatly, but they result in larger converted Stoneley wave especially for the exterior ones. The interference waves, not only the direct collar wave but also the reflected collar wave and the converted Stoneley waves, should be overall considered for tool design.

Interaction of surface plasmon polaritons and acoustic waves inside an acoustic cavity.

PubMed

Khokhlov, Nikolai; Knyazev, Grigoriy; Glavin, Boris; Shtykov, Yakov; Romanov, Oleg; Belotelov, Vladimir

2017-09-15

In this Letter, we introduce an approach for manipulation of active plasmon polaritons via acoustic waves at sub-terahertz frequency range. The acoustic structures considered are designed as phononic Fabry-Perot microresonators where mirrors are presented with an acoustic superlattice and the structure's surface, and a plasmonic grating is placed on top of the acoustic cavity so formed. It provides phonon localization in the vicinity of the plasmonic grating at frequencies within the phononic stop band enhancing phonon-light interaction. We consider phonon excitation by shining a femtosecond laser pulse on the plasmonic grating. Appropriate theoretical model was used to describe the acoustic process caused by the pump laser pulse in the GaAs/AlAs-based acoustic cavity with a gold grating on top. Strongest modulation is achieved upon excitation of propagating surface plasmon polaritons and hybridization of propagating and localized plasmons. The relative changes in the optical reflectivity of the structure are more than an order of magnitude higher than for the structure without the plasmonic film.

Turbofan Acoustic Propagation and Radiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eversman, Walter

2000-01-01

This document describes progress in the development of finite element codes for the prediction of near and far field acoustic radiation from the inlet and aft fan ducts of turbofan engines. The report consists of nine papers which have appeared in archival journals and conference proceedings, or are presently in review for publication. Topics included are: 1. Aft Fan Duct Acoustic Radiation; 2. Mapped Infinite Wave Envelope Elements for Acoustic Radiation in a Uniformly Moving Medium; 3. A Reflection Free Boundary Condition for Propagation in Uniform Flow Using Mapped Infinite Wave Envelope Elements; 4. A Numerical Comparison Between Multiple-Scales and FEM Solution for Sound Propagation in Lined Flow Ducts; 5. Acoustic Propagation at High Frequencies in Ducts; 6. The Boundary Condition at an Impedance Wall in a Nonuniform Duct with Potential Flow; 7. A Reverse Flow Theorem and Acoustic Reciprocity in Compressible Potential Flows; 8. Reciprocity and Acoustics Power in One Dimensional Compressible Potential Flows; and 9. Numerical Experiments on Acoustic Reciprocity in Compressible Potential Flows.

Acoustic emission linear pulse holography

DOEpatents

Collins, H.D.; Busse, L.J.; Lemon, D.K.

1983-10-25

This device relates to the concept of and means for performing Acoustic Emission Linear Pulse Holography, which combines the advantages of linear holographic imaging and Acoustic Emission into a single non-destructive inspection system. This unique system produces a chronological, linear holographic image of a flaw by utilizing the acoustic energy emitted during crack growth. The innovation is the concept of utilizing the crack-generated acoustic emission energy to generate a chronological series of images of a growing crack by applying linear, pulse holographic processing to the acoustic emission data. The process is implemented by placing on a structure an array of piezoelectric sensors (typically 16 or 32 of them) near the defect location. A reference sensor is placed between the defect and the array.

Acoustic Imaging of Snowpack Physical Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kinar, N. J.; Pomeroy, J. W.

2011-12-01

Measurements of snowpack depth, density, structure and temperature have often been conducted by the use of snowpits and invasive measurement devices. Previous research has shown that acoustic waves passing through snow are capable of measuring these properties. An experimental observation device (SAS2, System for the Acoustic Sounding of Snow) was used to autonomously send audible sound waves into the top of the snowpack and to receive and process the waves reflected from the interior and bottom of the snowpack. A loudspeaker and microphone array separated by an offset distance was suspended in the air above the surface of the snowpack. Sound waves produced from a loudspeaker as frequency-swept sequences and maximum length sequences were used as source signals. Up to 24 microphones measured the audible signal from the snowpack. The signal-to-noise ratio was compared between sequences in the presence of environmental noise contributed by wind and reflections from vegetation. Beamforming algorithms were used to reject spurious reflections and to compensate for movement of the sensor assembly during the time of data collection. A custom-designed circuit with digital signal processing hardware implemented an inversion algorithm to relate the reflected sound wave data to snowpack physical properties and to create a two-dimensional image of snowpack stratigraphy. The low power consumption circuit was powered by batteries and through WiFi and Bluetooth interfaces enabled the display of processed data on a mobile device. Acoustic observations were logged to an SD card after each measurement. The SAS2 system was deployed at remote field locations in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada. Acoustic snow properties data was compared with data collected from gravimetric sampling, thermocouple arrays, radiometers and snowpit observations of density, stratigraphy and crystal structure. Aspects for further research and limitations of the acoustic sensing system are also discussed.

Acoustic Reflection and Transmission of 2-Dimensional Rotors and Stators, Including Mode and Frequency Scattering Effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanson, Donald B.

1999-01-01

A reduced order modeling scheme has been developed for the unsteady acoustic and vortical coupling between blade rows of a turbomachine. The essential behavior of the system is governed by modal scattering coefficients (i.e., reflection and transmission coefficients) of the rotor, stator, inlet and nozzle, which are calculated as if they were connected to non-reflecting ducts. The objective of this report is to identify fundamental behavior of these scattering coefficients for a better understanding of the role of blade row reflection and transmission in noise generation. A 2D flat plate unsteady cascade model is used for the analysis with the expectation that the general behavior presented herein will carry over to models that include more realistic flow and geometry. It is shown that stators scatter input waves into many modes at the same frequency whereas rotors scatter on frequency, or harmonic order. Important cases are shown here the rotor reflection coefficient is greater than unity; a mode at blade passing frequency (BPF) traveling from the stator with unit sound power is reflected by the rotor with more than unit power at 2xBPF and 3xBPE Analysis is presented to explain this unexpected phenomenon. Scattering curves are presented in a format chosen for design use and for physical interpretation. To aid in interpretation of the curves, formulas are derived for special condition where waveforms are parallel to perpendicular to the rotor.

Acoustically active lipospheres containing paclitaxel: a new therapeutic ultrasound contrast agent.

PubMed

Unger, E C; McCreery, T P; Sweitzer, R H; Caldwell, V E; Wu, Y

1998-12-01

Paclitaxel-carrying lipospheres (MRX-552) were developed and evaluated as a new ultrasound contrast agent for chemotherapeutic drug delivery. Paclitaxel was suspended in soybean oil and added to an aqueous suspension of phospholipids in vials. The headspace of the vials was replaced with perfluorobutane gas; the vials were sealed, and they were agitated at 4200 rpm on a shaking device. The resulting lipospheres containing paclitaxel were studied for concentration, size, acute toxicity in mice, and acoustic activity and drug release with ultrasound. Lipospheres containing sudan black dye were produced to demonstrate the acoustically active liposphere (AAL)-ultrasound release concept. Acoustically active lipospheres containing paclitaxel had a mean particle count of approximately 1 x 10(9) particles per mL and a mean size of 2.9 microns. Acute toxicity studies in mice showed a 10-fold reduction in toxicity for paclitaxel in AALs compared with free paclitaxel. The AALs reflected ultrasound as a contrast agent. Increasing amounts of ultrasound energy selectively ruptured the AALs and released the paclitaxel. Acoustically active lipospheres represent a new class of acoustically active drug delivery vehicles. Future studies will assess efficacy of AALs for ultrasound-mediated drug delivery.

Numerical emulation of Thru-Reflection-Line calibration for the de-embedding of Surface Acoustic Wave devices.

PubMed

Mencarelli, D; Djafari-Rouhani, B; Pennec, Y; Pitanti, A; Zanotto, S; Stocchi, M; Pierantoni, L

2018-06-18

In this contribution, a rigorous numerical calibration is proposed to characterize the excitation of propagating mechanical waves by interdigitated transducers (IDTs). The transition from IDT terminals to phonon waveguides is modeled by means of a general circuit representation that makes use of Scattering Matrix (SM) formalism. In particular, the three-step calibration approach called the Thru-Reflection-Line (TRL), that is a well-established technique in microwave engineering, has been successfully applied to emulate typical experimental conditions. The proposed procedure is suitable for the synthesis/optimization of surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) based devices: the TRL calibration allows to extract/de-embed the acoustic component, namely resonator or filter, from the outer IDT structure, regardless of complexity and size of the letter. We report, as a result, the hybrid scattering parameters of the IDT transition to a mechanical waveguide formed by a phononic crystal patterned on a piezoelectric AlN membrane, where the effect of a discontinuity from periodic to uniform mechanical waveguide is also characterized. In addition, to ensure the correctness of our numerical calculations, the proposed method has been validated by independent calculations.

Ocean acoustic reverberation tomography.

PubMed

Dunn, Robert A

2015-12-01

Seismic wide-angle imaging using ship-towed acoustic sources and networks of ocean bottom seismographs is a common technique for exploring earth structure beneath the oceans. In these studies, the recorded data are dominated by acoustic waves propagating as reverberations in the water column. For surveys with a small receiver spacing (e.g., <10 km), the acoustic wave field densely samples properties of the water column over the width of the receiver array. A method, referred to as ocean acoustic reverberation tomography, is developed that uses the travel times of direct and reflected waves to image ocean acoustic structure. Reverberation tomography offers an alternative approach for determining the structure of the oceans and advancing the understanding of ocean heat content and mixing processes. The technique has the potential for revealing small-scale ocean thermal structure over the entire vertical height of the water column and along long survey profiles or across three-dimensional volumes of the ocean. For realistic experimental geometries and data noise levels, the method can produce images of ocean sound speed on a smaller scale than traditional acoustic tomography.

Acoustic characterization of a nonlinear vibroacoustic absorber at low frequencies and high sound levels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chauvin, A.; Monteil, M.; Bellizzi, S.; Côte, R.; Herzog, Ph.; Pachebat, M.

2018-03-01

A nonlinear vibroacoustic absorber (Nonlinear Energy Sink: NES), involving a clamped thin membrane made in Latex, is assessed in the acoustic domain. This NES is here considered as an one-port acoustic system, analyzed at low frequencies and for increasing excitation levels. This dynamic and frequency range requires a suitable experimental technique, which is presented first. It involves a specific impedance tube able to deal with samples of sufficient size, and reaching high sound levels with a guaranteed linear response thank's to a specific acoustic source. The identification method presented here requires a single pressure measurement, and is calibrated from a set of known acoustic loads. The NES reflection coefficient is then estimated at increasing source levels, showing its strong level dependency. This is presented as a mean to understand energy dissipation. The results of the experimental tests are first compared to a nonlinear viscoelastic model of the membrane absorber. In a second step, a family of one degree of freedom models, treated as equivalent Helmholtz resonators is identified from the measurements, allowing a parametric description of the NES behavior over a wide range of levels.

Optical and Acoustic Device Applications of Ferroelastic Crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meeks, Steven Wayne

This dissertation presents the discovery of a means of creating uniformly periodic domain gratings in a ferroelastic crystal of neodymium pentaphosphate (NPP). The uniform and non-uniform domain structures which can be created in NPP have the potential applications as tunable active gratings for lasers, tunable diffraction gratings, tunable Bragg reflection gratings, tunable acoustic filters, optical modulators, and optical domain wall memories. The interaction of optical and acoustic waves with ferroelastic domain walls in NPP is presented in detail. Acoustic amplitude reflection coefficients from a single domain wall in NPP are much larger than other ferroelastic-ferroelectrics such as gadolinium molybdate (GMO). Domain walls of NPP are used to make two demonstration acoustic devices: a tunable comb filter and a tunable delay line. The tuning process is accomplished by moving the position of the reflecting surface (the domain wall). A theory of the reflection of optical waves from NPP domain walls is discussed. The optical reflection is due to a change in the polarization of the wave, and not a change in the index, as the wave crosses the domain wall. Theoretical optical power reflection coefficients show good agreement with the experimentally measured values. The largest optical reflection coefficient of a single domain wall is at a critical angle and is 2.2% per domain wall. Techniques of injecting periodic and aperiodic domain walls into NPP are presented. The nucleation process of the uniformly periodic domain gratings in NPP is described in terms of a newly-discovered domain structure, namely the ferroelastic bubble. A ferroelastic bubble is the elastic analogue to the well-known magnetic bubble. The period of the uniformly periodic domain grating is tunable from 100 to 0.5 microns and the grating period may be tuned relatively rapidly. The Bragg efficiency of these tunable gratings is 77% for an uncoated crystal. Several demonstration devices which use

Magneto-acoustic wave energy in sunspots: observations and numerical simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Felipe, T.; Khomenko, E.; Collados, M.; Beck, C.

2011-11-01

We have reproduced some sunspot wave signatures obtained from spectropolarimetric observations through 3D MHD numericalsimulations. The results of the simulations arecompared with the oscillations observed simultaneously at different heights from the SiI lambda10827Å line, HeI lambda10830Å line, the CaII H core and the FeI blends at the wings of the CaII H line. The simulations show a remarkable agreement with the observations, and we have used them to quantify the energy contribution of the magneto-acoustic waves to the chromospheric heating in sunspots. Our findings indicate that the energy supplied by these waves is 5-10 times lower than the amount needed to balance the chromospheric radiative losses.

Robust analysis method for acoustic properties of biological specimens measured by acoustic microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arakawa, Mototaka; Mori, Shohei; Kanai, Hiroshi; Nagaoka, Ryo; Horie, Miki; Kobayashi, Kazuto; Saijo, Yoshifumi

2018-07-01

We proposed a robust analysis method for the acoustic properties of biological specimens measured by acoustic microscopy. Reflected pulse signals from the substrate and specimen were converted into frequency domains to obtain sound speed and thickness. To obtain the average acoustic properties of the specimen, parabolic approximation was performed to determine the frequency at which the amplitude of the normalized spectrum became maximum or minimum, considering the sound speed and thickness of the specimens and the operating frequency of the ultrasonic device used. The proposed method was demonstrated for a specimen of malignant melanoma of the skin by using acoustic microscopy attaching a concave transducer with a center frequency of 80 MHz. The variations in sound speed and thickness analyzed by the proposed method were markedly smaller than those analyzed by the method based on an autoregressive model. The proposed method is useful for the analysis of the acoustic properties of bilogical tissues or cells.

Review of Combustion-acoustic Instabilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oyediran, Ayo; Darling, Douglas; Radhakrishnan, Krishnan

1995-01-01

Combustion-acoustic instabilities occur when the acoustic energy increase due to the unsteady heat release of the flame is greater than the losses of acoustic energy from the system. The problem of combustion-acoustic instability is a concern in many devices for various reasons, as each device may have a unique mechanism causing unsteady heat release rates and many have unique boundary conditions. To accurately predict and quantify combustion-acoustic stabilities, the unsteady heat release rate and boundary conditions need to be accurately determined. The present review brings together work performed on a variety of practical combustion devices. Many theoretical and experimental investigations of the unsteady heat release rate have been performed, some based on perturbations in the fuel delivery system particularly for rocket instabilities, while others are based on hydrodynamic processes as in ramjet dump combustors. The boundary conditions for rocket engines have been analyzed and measured extensively. However, less work has been done to measure acoustic boundary conditions in many other combustion systems.

EDOVE: Energy and Depth Variance-Based Opportunistic Void Avoidance Scheme for Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks.

PubMed

Bouk, Safdar Hussain; Ahmed, Syed Hassan; Park, Kyung-Joon; Eun, Yongsoon

2017-09-26

Underwater Acoustic Sensor Network (UASN) comes with intrinsic constraints because it is deployed in the aquatic environment and uses the acoustic signals to communicate. The examples of those constraints are long propagation delay, very limited bandwidth, high energy cost for transmission, very high signal attenuation, costly deployment and battery replacement, and so forth. Therefore, the routing schemes for UASN must take into account those characteristics to achieve energy fairness, avoid energy holes, and improve the network lifetime. The depth based forwarding schemes in literature use node's depth information to forward data towards the sink. They minimize the data packet duplication by employing the holding time strategy. However, to avoid void holes in the network, they use two hop node proximity information. In this paper, we propose the Energy and Depth variance-based Opportunistic Void avoidance (EDOVE) scheme to gain energy balancing and void avoidance in the network. EDOVE considers not only the depth parameter, but also the normalized residual energy of the one-hop nodes and the normalized depth variance of the second hop neighbors. Hence, it avoids the void regions as well as balances the network energy and increases the network lifetime. The simulation results show that the EDOVE gains more than 15 % packet delivery ratio, propagates 50 % less copies of data packet, consumes less energy, and has more lifetime than the state of the art forwarding schemes.

Acoustic parameters inversion and sediment properties in the Yellow River reservoir

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chang-Zheng; Yang, Yong; Wang, Rui; Yan, Xiao-Fei

2018-03-01

The physical properties of silt in river reservoirs are important to river dynamics. Unfortunately, traditional techniques yield insufficient data. Based on porous media acoustic theory, we invert the acoustic parameters for the top river-bottom sediments. An explicit form of the acoustic reflection coefficient at the water-sediment interface is derived based on Biot's theory. The choice of parameters in the Biot model is discussed and the relation between acoustic and geological parameters is studied, including that between the reflection coefficient and porosity and the attenuation coefficient and permeability. The attenuation coefficient of the sound wave in the sediments is obtained by analyzing the shift of the signal frequency. The acoustic reflection coefficient at the water-sediment interface is extracted from the sonar signal. Thus, an inversion method of the physical parameters of the riverbottom surface sediments is proposed. The results of an experiment at the Sanmenxia reservoir suggest that the estimated grain size is close to the actual data. This demonstrates the ability of the proposed method to determine the physical parameters of sediments and estimate the grain size.

A Stratified Acoustic Model Accounting for Phase Shifts for Underwater Acoustic Networks

PubMed Central

Wang, Ping; Zhang, Lin; Li, Victor O. K.

2013-01-01

Accurate acoustic channel models are critical for the study of underwater acoustic networks. Existing models include physics-based models and empirical approximation models. The former enjoy good accuracy, but incur heavy computational load, rendering them impractical in large networks. On the other hand, the latter are computationally inexpensive but inaccurate since they do not account for the complex effects of boundary reflection losses, the multi-path phenomenon and ray bending in the stratified ocean medium. In this paper, we propose a Stratified Acoustic Model (SAM) based on frequency-independent geometrical ray tracing, accounting for each ray's phase shift during the propagation. It is a feasible channel model for large scale underwater acoustic network simulation, allowing us to predict the transmission loss with much lower computational complexity than the traditional physics-based models. The accuracy of the model is validated via comparisons with the experimental measurements in two different oceans. Satisfactory agreements with the measurements and with other computationally intensive classical physics-based models are demonstrated. PMID:23669708

A stratified acoustic model accounting for phase shifts for underwater acoustic networks.

PubMed

Wang, Ping; Zhang, Lin; Li, Victor O K

2013-05-13

Accurate acoustic channel models are critical for the study of underwater acoustic networks. Existing models include physics-based models and empirical approximation models. The former enjoy good accuracy, but incur heavy computational load, rendering them impractical in large networks. On the other hand, the latter are computationally inexpensive but inaccurate since they do not account for the complex effects of boundary reflection losses, the multi-path phenomenon and ray bending in the stratified ocean medium. In this paper, we propose a Stratified Acoustic Model (SAM) based on frequency-independent geometrical ray tracing, accounting for each ray's phase shift during the propagation. It is a feasible channel model for large scale underwater acoustic network simulation, allowing us to predict the transmission loss with much lower computational complexity than the traditional physics-based models. The accuracy of the model is validated via comparisons with the experimental measurements in two different oceans. Satisfactory agreements with the measurements and with other computationally intensive classical physics-based models are demonstrated.

Coherent reflection from surface gravity water waves during reciprocal acoustic transmissions.

PubMed

Badiey, Mohsen; Song, Aijun; Smith, Kevin B

2012-10-01

During a recent experiment in Kauai, Hawaii, reciprocal transmissions were conducted between two acoustic transceivers mounted on the seafloor at a depth of 100 m. The passage of moving surface wave crests was shown to generate focused and intense coherent acoustic returns, which had increasing or decreasing delay depending on the direction of propagation relative to the direction of surface wave crests. It is shown that a rough surface two-dimensional parabolic equation model with an evolving sea surface can produce qualitative agreement with data for the dynamic surface returns.

Generation of thermo-acoustic waves from pulsed solar/IR radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahman, Aowabin

Acoustic waves could potentially be used in a wide range of engineering applications; however, the high energy consumption in generating acoustic waves from electrical energy and the cost associated with the process limit the use of acoustic waves in industrial processes. Acoustic waves converted from solar radiation provide a feasible way of obtaining acoustic energy, without relying on conventional nonrenewable energy sources. One of the goals of this thesis project was to experimentally study the conversion of thermal to acoustic energy using pulsed radiation. The experiments were categorized into "indoor" and "outdoor" experiments, each with a separate experimental setup. The indoor experiments used an IR heater to power the thermo-acoustic lasers and were primarily aimed at studying the effect of various experimental parameters on the amplitude of sound waves in the low frequency range (below 130 Hz). The IR radiation was modulated externally using a chopper wheel and then impinged on a porous solid, which was housed inside a thermo-acoustic (TA) converter. A microphone located at a certain distance from the porous solid inside the TA converter detected the acoustic signals. The "outdoor" experiments, which were targeted at TA conversion at comparatively higher frequencies (in 200 Hz-3 kHz range) used solar energy to power the thermo-acoustic laser. The amplitudes (in RMS) of thermo-acoustic signals obtained in experiments using IR heater as radiation source were in the 80-100 dB range. The frequency of acoustic waves corresponded to the frequency of interceptions of the radiation beam by the chopper. The amplitudes of acoustic waves were influenced by several factors, including the chopping frequency, magnitude of radiation flux, type of porous material, length of porous material, external heating of the TA converter housing, location of microphone within the air column, and design of the TA converter. The time-dependent profile of the thermo-acoustic signals

Acoustics and psychosocial environment in intensive coronary care

PubMed Central

Blomkvist, V; Eriksen, C; Theorell, T; Ulrich, R; Rasmanis, G

2005-01-01

Aims: To examine the influence of different acoustic conditions on the work environment and the staff in a coronary critical care unit (CCU). Method: Psychosocial work environment data from start and end of each individual shift were obtained from three shifts (morning, afternoon, and night) for a one-week baseline period and for two four-week periods during which either sound reflecting or sound absorbing tiles were installed. Results: Reverberation times and speech intelligibility improved during the study period when the ceiling tiles were changed from sound reflecting tiles to sound absorbing ones of identical appearance. Improved acoustics positively affected the work environment; the afternoon shift staff experienced significantly lower work demands and reported less pressure and strain. Conclusions: Important gains in the psychosocial work environment of healthcare can be achieved by improving room acoustics. The study points to the importance of further research on possible effects of acoustics in healthcare on staff turnover, quality of patient care, and medical errors. PMID:15723873

Acoustics flow analysis in circular duct using sound intensity and dynamic mode decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weyna, S.

2014-08-01

Sound intensity generation in hard-walled duct with acoustic flow (no mean-flow) is treated experimentally and shown graphically. In paper, numerous methods of visualization illustrating the vortex flow (2D, 3D) can graphically explain diffraction and scattering phenomena occurring inside the duct and around open end area. Sound intensity investigation in annular duct gives a physical picture of sound waves in any duct mode. In the paper, modal energy analysis are discussed with particular reference to acoustics acoustic orthogonal decomposition (AOD). The image of sound intensity fields before and above "cut-off" frequency region are found to compare acoustic modes which might resonate in duct. The experimental results show also the effects of axial and swirling flow. However acoustic field is extremely complicated, because pressures in non-propagating (cut-off) modes cooperate with the particle velocities in propagating modes, and vice versa. Measurement in cylindrical duct demonstrates also the cut-off phenomenon and the effect of reflection from open end. The aim of experimental study was to obtain information on low Mach number flows in ducts in order to improve physical understanding and validate theoretical CFD and CAA models that still may be improved.

Effects of upper ocean sound-speed structure on deep acoustic shadow-zone arrivals at 500- and 1000-km range.

PubMed

Van Uffelen, Lora J; Worcester, Peter F; Dzieciuch, Matthew A; Rudnick, Daniel L; Colosi, John A

2010-04-01

Deep acoustic shadow-zone arrivals observed in the late 1990s in the North Pacific Ocean reveal significant acoustic energy penetrating the geometric shadow. Comparisons of acoustic data obtained from vertical line arrays deployed in conjunction with 250-Hz acoustic sources at ranges of 500 and 1000 km from June to November 2004 in the North Pacific, with simulations incorporating scattering consistent with the Garrett-Munk internal-wave spectrum, are able to describe both the energy contained in and vertical extent of deep shadow-zone arrivals. Incoherent monthly averages of acoustic timefronts indicate that lower cusps associated with acoustic rays with shallow upper turning points (UTPs), where sound-speed structure is most variable and seasonally dependent, deepen from June to October as the summer thermocline develops. Surface-reflected rays, or those with near-surface UTPs, exhibit less scattering due to internal waves than in later months when the UTP deepens. Data collected in November exhibit dramatically more vertical extension than previous months. The depth to which timefronts extend is a complex combination of deterministic changes in the depths of the lower cusps as the range-average profiles evolve with seasonal change and of the amount of scattering, which depends on the mean vertical gradients at the depths of the UTPs.

Singer Responses to Sound Fields with a Simulated Reflection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

NOSON, D.; SATO, S.; SAKAI, H.; ANDO, Y.

2000-04-01

While numerous recent studies have reported results concerning improvements to stage acoustics for orchestral performers, the preferred acoustical conditions on performing stages for singers has received limited attention in the past 20 years. A series of acoustical modifications have been proposed for a Seattle church to improve the acoustics for both the listeners and the performing choir. An on-site preliminary study was made to determine what acoustical changes might be important to singers. During solo fast-tempo singing and duet singing, singer preference increased with simulated short-delay reflections. The results suggest a potential for new reflectors to produce noticeable improvement in the choir acoustics. Subsequently, a solo singer study was conducted to establish preferred range of time delays for a single-simulated reflection. When singing faster-tempo music, the consensus of preference is statistically significant and the preferred delay averages 20 ms, while with a slow-tempo piece, the singers were not consistent in their judgment of preference and a strong individual variability predominated in the pair-comparison tests. The results point the way for an examination of a wider range of time delays and music motifs to acquire a clearer picture of consensus and individual preference for time-delayed reflections.

Deep Water Ocean Acoustics

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-22

in both the energy received and the travel time , both exhibiting strong 3D propagation. A paper was published on using noise correlations to estimate...3-5 Hz. 3.2. Passive Acoustic Thermometry From theoretical considerations it follows that the acoustic travel time between two sensors can be...obtained from the ambient noise field. In underwater acoustics, this travel time strongly depends on the depth and temperature and to a lesser extent

A new acoustic lens material for large area detectors in photoacoustic breast tomography☆

PubMed Central

Xia, Wenfeng; Piras, Daniele; van Hespen, Johan C.G.; Steenbergen, Wiendelt; Manohar, Srirang

2013-01-01

Objectives We introduce a new acoustic lens material for photoacoustic tomography (PAT) to improve lateral resolution while possessing excellent acoustic acoustic impedance matching with tissue to minimize lens induced image artifacts. Background A large surface area detector due to its high sensitivity is preferable to detect weak signals in photoacoustic mammography. The lateral resolution is then limited by the narrow acceptance angle of such detectors. Acoustic lenses made of acrylic plastic (PMMA) have been used to enlarge the acceptance angle of such detectors and improve lateral resolution. However, such PMMA lenses introduce image artifacts due to internal reflections of ultrasound within the lenses, the result of acoustic impedance mismatch with the coupling medium or tissue. Methods A new lens is proposed based on the 2-component resin Stycast 1090SI. We characterized the acoustic properties of the proposed lens material in comparison with commonly used PMMA, inspecting the speed of sound, acoustic attenuation and density. We fabricated acoustic lenses based on the new material and PMMA, and studied the effect of the acoustic lenses on detector performance comparing finite element (FEM) simulations and measurements of directional sensitivity, pulse-echo response and frequency response. We further investigated the effect of using the acoustic lenses on the image quality of a photoacoustic breast tomography system using k-Wave simulations and experiments. Results Our acoustic characterization shows that Stycast 1090SI has tissue-like acoustic impedance, high speed of sound and low acoustic attenuation. These acoustic properties ensure an excellent acoustic lens material to minimize the acoustic insertion loss. Both acoustic lenses show significant enlargement of detector acceptance angle and lateral resolution improvement from modeling and experiments. However, the image artifacts induced by the presence of an acoustic lens are reduced using the proposed

Transmission acoustic microscopy investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maev, Roman; Kolosov, Oleg; Levin, Vadim; Lobkis, Oleg

The nature of acoustic contrast, i.e. the connection of the amplitude and phase of the output signal of the acoustic microscope with the local values of the acoustic parameters of the sample (density, elasticity, viscosity) is a central problem of acoustic microscopy. A considerable number of studies have been devoted to the formation of the output signal of the reflection scanning acoustic microscope. For the transmission acoustic microscope (TAM) this problem has remained almost unstudied. Experimental investigation of the confocal system of the TAM was carried out on an independently manufactured laboratory mockup of the TAM with the working frequency of the 420 MHz. Acoustic lenses with the radius of curvature of about 500 microns and aperture angle of 45 deg were polished out in the end faces of two cylindrical sound conductors made from Al2O3 single crystals with an axis parallel to the axis C of the crystal (the length of the sound conductor is 20 mm; diameter, 6 mm). At the end faces of the sound conductor, opposite to the lenses, CdS transducers with a diameter of 2 mm were disposed. The electric channel of the TAM provided a possibility for registering the amplitude of the microscope output signal in the case of the dynamic range of the 50 dB.

Acoustic theory of axisymmetric multisectioned ducts. [reduction of turbofan engine noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zorumski, W. E.

1974-01-01

Equations are developed for the acoustic field in a duct system which is made up of a number of connected circular and annular ducts. These equations are suitable for finding the acoustic field inside of and radiated from an aircraft turbofan engine. Acoustic modes are used as generalized coordinates in order to develop a set of matrix equations for the acoustic field. Equations for these modes are given for circular and annular ducts with uniform flow. Modal source equations are derived for point acoustic sources. General equations for mode transmission and reflection are developed and detailed equations are derived for ducts with multiple sections of acoustic treatment and for ducts with circumferential splitter rings. The general theory is applied to the special case of a uniform area circular duct with multisection liners and it is shown that the mode reflection effects are proportional to differences of the acoustic admittances of adjacent liners. A numerical example is given which shows that multisection liners may provide greater noise suppression than uniform liners.

Chromospheric heating by acoustic shock waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jordan, Stuart D.

1993-01-01

Work by Anderson & Athay (1989) suggests that the mechanical energy required to heat the quiet solar chromosphere might be due to the dissipation of weak acoustic shocks. The calculations reported here demonstrate that a simple picture of chromospheric shock heating by acoustic waves propagating upward through a model solar atmosphere, free of both magnetic fields and local inhomogeneities, cannot reproduce their chromospheric model. The primary reason is the tendency for vertically propagating acoustic waves in the range of allowed periods to dissipate too low in the atmosphere, providing insufficient residual energy for the middle chromosphere. The effect of diverging magnetic fields and the corresponding expanding acoustic wavefronts on the mechanical dissipation length is then discussed as a means of preserving a quasi-acoustic heating hypothesis. It is argued that this effect, in a canopy that overlies the low chromosphere, might preserve the acoustic shock hypothesis consistent with the chromospheric radiation losses computed by Anderson & Athay.

A novel shock and heat tolerant gyrosensor utilizing a one-port surface acoustic wave reflective delay line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Haekwan; Fu, Chen; Yang, Sang Sik; Wang, Wen; Lee, Keekeun

2012-04-01

A surface acoustic wave (SAW)-based gyroscope with an 80 MHz central frequency was fabricated on a 128° YX LiNbO3 piezoelectric substrate. The fabricated gyroscope is composed of a SAW resonator, metallic dots and a SAW reflective delay line. The SAW resonator, which is activated by a voltage-controlled oscillator, generates a stable standing wave with a large amplitude at an 80 MHz resonant frequency, and the metallic dots induce a Coriolis force and generate a secondary SAW in the direction orthogonal to the propagating standing wave. The SAW reflective delay line is employed to measure the Coriolis effect by analyzing the deviations in the resonant frequency of the SAW reflective delay line. A combined finite element method/boundary element method was utilized to extract the optimal device parameters prior to fabrication. The device was fabricated according to the modeling results and then measured on a rate table. When the device was subjected to an angular rotation, a secondary SAW from the vibrating metallic dots was generated owing to the Coriolis force, resulting in a perturbation of the propagating SAW in the SAW reflective delay line. Depending on the angular velocity, the reflection peak of SAW reflective delay line was changed linearly, and this change was measured by the network analyzer. The measured results matched the modeling results well. The obtained sensitivity was approximately 1.23 deg/(deg/s) in an angular rate range of 0-2000 deg s-1. Good thermal and shock stabilities were observed during the evaluation process proving the shock and heat robustness of the fabricated SAW gyroscope.

The direct and inverse problems of an air-saturated porous cylinder submitted to acoustic radiation.

PubMed

Ogam, Erick; Depollier, Claude; Fellah, Z E A

2010-09-01

Gas-saturated porous skeleton materials such as geomaterials, polymeric and metallic foams, or biomaterials are fundamental in a diverse range of applications, from structural materials to energy technologies. Most polymeric foams are used for noise control applications and knowledge of the manner in which the energy of sound waves is dissipated with respect to the intrinsic acoustic properties is important for the design of sound packages. Foams are often employed in the audible, low frequency range where modeling and measurement techniques for the recovery of physical parameters responsible for energy loss are still few. Accurate acoustic methods of characterization of porous media are based on the measurement of the transmitted and/or reflected acoustic waves by platelike specimens at ultrasonic frequencies. In this study we develop an acoustic method for the recovery of the material parameters of a rigid-frame, air-saturated polymeric foam cylinder. A dispersion relation for sound wave propagation in the porous medium is derived from the propagation equations and a model solution is sought based on plane-wave decomposition using orthogonal cylindrical functions. The explicit analytical solution equation of the scattered field shows that it is also dependent on the intrinsic acoustic parameters of the porous cylinder, namely, porosity, tortuosity, and flow resistivity (permeability). The inverse problem of the recovery of the flow resistivity and porosity is solved by seeking the minima of the objective functions consisting of the sum of squared residuals of the differences between the experimental and theoretical scattered field data.

Nonlinear optical observation of coherent acoustic Dirac plasmons in thin-film topological insulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glinka, Yuri D.; Babakiray, Sercan; Johnson, Trent A.; Holcomb, Mikel B.; Lederman, David

2016-09-01

Low-energy collective electronic excitations exhibiting sound-like linear dispersion have been intensively studied both experimentally and theoretically for a long time. However, coherent acoustic plasmon modes appearing in time-domain measurements are rarely observed due to Landau damping by the single-particle continua. Here we report on the observation of coherent acoustic Dirac plasmon (CADP) modes excited in indirectly (electrostatically) opposite-surface coupled films of the topological insulator Bi2Se3. Using transient second-harmonic generation, a technique capable of independently monitoring the in-plane and out-of-plane electron dynamics in the films, the GHz-range oscillations were observed without corresponding oscillations in the transient reflectivity. These oscillations were assigned to the transverse magnetic and transverse electric guided CADP modes induced by the evanescent guided Lamb acoustic waves and remained Landau undamped due to fermion tunnelling between the opposite-surface Dirac states.

EDOVE: Energy and Depth Variance-Based Opportunistic Void Avoidance Scheme for Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Eun, Yongsoon

2017-01-01

Underwater Acoustic Sensor Network (UASN) comes with intrinsic constraints because it is deployed in the aquatic environment and uses the acoustic signals to communicate. The examples of those constraints are long propagation delay, very limited bandwidth, high energy cost for transmission, very high signal attenuation, costly deployment and battery replacement, and so forth. Therefore, the routing schemes for UASN must take into account those characteristics to achieve energy fairness, avoid energy holes, and improve the network lifetime. The depth based forwarding schemes in literature use node’s depth information to forward data towards the sink. They minimize the data packet duplication by employing the holding time strategy. However, to avoid void holes in the network, they use two hop node proximity information. In this paper, we propose the Energy and Depth variance-based Opportunistic Void avoidance (EDOVE) scheme to gain energy balancing and void avoidance in the network. EDOVE considers not only the depth parameter, but also the normalized residual energy of the one-hop nodes and the normalized depth variance of the second hop neighbors. Hence, it avoids the void regions as well as balances the network energy and increases the network lifetime. The simulation results show that the EDOVE gains more than 15% packet delivery ratio, propagates 50% less copies of data packet, consumes less energy, and has more lifetime than the state of the art forwarding schemes. PMID:28954395

Major depressive disorder discrimination using vocal acoustic features.

PubMed

Taguchi, Takaya; Tachikawa, Hirokazu; Nemoto, Kiyotaka; Suzuki, Masayuki; Nagano, Toru; Tachibana, Ryuki; Nishimura, Masafumi; Arai, Tetsuaki

2018-01-01

The voice carries various information produced by vibrations of the vocal cords and the vocal tract. Though many studies have reported a relationship between vocal acoustic features and depression, including mel-frequency cepstrum coefficients (MFCCs) which applied to speech recognition, there have been few studies in which acoustic features allowed discrimination of patients with depressive disorder. Vocal acoustic features as biomarker of depression could make differential diagnosis of patients with depressive state. In order to achieve differential diagnosis of depression, in this preliminary study, we examined whether vocal acoustic features could allow discrimination between depressive patients and healthy controls. Subjects were 36 patients who met the criteria for major depressive disorder and 36 healthy controls with no current or past psychiatric disorders. Voices of reading out digits before and after verbal fluency task were recorded. Voices were analyzed using OpenSMILE. The extracted acoustic features, including MFCCs, were used for group comparison and discriminant analysis between patients and controls. The second dimension of MFCC (MFCC 2) was significantly different between groups and allowed the discrimination between patients and controls with a sensitivity of 77.8% and a specificity of 86.1%. The difference in MFCC 2 between the two groups reflected an energy difference of frequency around 2000-3000Hz. The MFCC 2 was significantly different between depressive patients and controls. This feature could be a useful biomarker to detect major depressive disorder. Sample size was relatively small. Psychotropics could have a confounding effect on voice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Propagation of acoustic shock waves between parallel rigid boundaries and into shadow zones

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

Desjouy, C., E-mail: cyril.desjouy@gmail.com; Ollivier, S.; Dragna, D.

2015-10-28

The study of acoustic shock propagation in complex environments is of great interest for urban acoustics, but also for source localization, an underlying problematic in military applications. To give a better understanding of the phenomenon taking place during the propagation of acoustic shocks, laboratory-scale experiments and numerical simulations were performed to study the propagation of weak shock waves between parallel rigid boundaries, and into shadow zones created by corners. In particular, this work focuses on the study of the local interactions taking place between incident, reflected, and diffracted waves according to the geometry in both regular or irregular – alsomore » called Von Neumann – regimes of reflection. In this latter case, an irregular reflection can lead to the formation of a Mach stem that can modify the spatial distribution of the acoustic pressure. Short duration acoustic shock waves were produced by a 20 kilovolts electric spark source and a schlieren optical method was used to visualize the incident shockfront and the reflection/diffraction patterns. Experimental results are compared to numerical simulations based on the high-order finite difference solution of the two dimensional Navier-Stokes equations.« less

Development and validation of a combined phased acoustical radiosity and image source model for predicting sound fields in rooms.

PubMed

Marbjerg, Gerd; Brunskog, Jonas; Jeong, Cheol-Ho; Nilsson, Erling

2015-09-01

A model, combining acoustical radiosity and the image source method, including phase shifts on reflection, has been developed. The model is denoted Phased Acoustical Radiosity and Image Source Method (PARISM), and it has been developed in order to be able to model both specular and diffuse reflections with complex-valued and angle-dependent boundary conditions. This paper mainly describes the combination of the two models and the implementation of the angle-dependent boundary conditions. It furthermore describes how a pressure impulse response is obtained from the energy-based acoustical radiosity by regarding the model as being stochastic. Three methods of implementation are proposed and investigated, and finally, recommendations are made for their use. Validation of the image source method is done by comparison with finite element simulations of a rectangular room with a porous absorber ceiling. Results from the full model are compared with results from other simulation tools and with measurements. The comparisons of the full model are done for real-valued and angle-independent surface properties. The proposed model agrees well with both the measured results and the alternative theories, and furthermore shows a more realistic spatial variation than energy-based methods due to the fact that interference is considered.

Acoustic Analysis of Speech of Cochlear Implantees and Its Implications

PubMed Central

Patadia, Rajesh; Govale, Prajakta; Rangasayee, R.; Kirtane, Milind

2012-01-01

Objectives Cochlear implantees have improved speech production skills compared with those using hearing aids, as reflected in their acoustic measures. When compared to normal hearing controls, implanted children had fronted vowel space and their /s/ and /∫/ noise frequencies overlapped. Acoustic analysis of speech provides an objective index of perceived differences in speech production which can be precursory in planning therapy. The objective of this study was to compare acoustic characteristics of speech in cochlear implantees with those of normal hearing age matched peers to understand implications. Methods Group 1 consisted of 15 children with prelingual bilateral severe-profound hearing loss (age, 5-11 years; implanted between 4-10 years). Prior to an implant behind the ear, hearing aids were used; prior & post implantation subjects received at least 1 year of aural intervention. Group 2 consisted of 15 normal hearing age matched peers. Sustained productions of vowels and words with selected consonants were recorded. Using Praat software for acoustic analysis, digitized speech tokens were measured for F1, F2, and F3 of vowels; centre frequency (Hz) and energy concentration (dB) in burst; voice onset time (VOT in ms) for stops; centre frequency (Hz) of noise in /s/; rise time (ms) for affricates. A t-test was used to find significant differences between groups. Results Significant differences were found in VOT for /b/, F1 and F2 of /e/, and F3 of /u/. No significant differences were found for centre frequency of burst, energy concentration for stops, centre frequency of noise in /s/, or rise time for affricates. These findings suggest that auditory feedback provided by cochlear implants enable subjects to monitor production of speech sounds. Conclusion Acoustic analysis of speech is an essential method for discerning characteristics which have or have not been improved by cochlear implantation and thus for planning intervention. PMID:22701768

Quantifying Errors in Jet Noise Research Due to Microphone Support Reflection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nallasamy, Nambi; Bridges, James

2002-01-01

The reflection coefficient of a microphone support structure used insist noise testing is documented through tests performed in the anechoic AeroAcoustic Propulsion Laboratory. The tests involve the acquisition of acoustic data from a microphone mounted in the support structure while noise is generated from a known broadband source. The ratio of reflected signal amplitude to the original signal amplitude is determined by performing an auto-correlation function on the data. The documentation of the reflection coefficients is one component of the validation of jet noise data acquired using the given microphone support structure. Finally. two forms of acoustic material were applied to the microphone support structure to determine their effectiveness in reducing reflections which give rise to bias errors in the microphone measurements.

Acoustic particle separation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barmatz, M. B.; Stoneburner, J. D.; Jacobi, N.; Wang, T. (Inventor)

1985-01-01

A method is described which uses acoustic energy to separate particles of different sizes, densities, or the like. The method includes applying acoustic energy resonant to a chamber containing a liquid of gaseous medium to set up a standing wave pattern that includes a force potential well wherein particles within the well are urged towards the center, or position of minimum force potential. A group of particles to be separated is placed in the chamber, while a non-acoustic force such as gravity is applied, so that the particles separate with the larger or denser particles moving away from the center of the well to a position near its edge and progressively smaller lighter particles moving progressively closer to the center of the well. Particles are removed from different positions within the well, so that particles are separated according to the positions they occupy in the well.

Based on optical fiber Michelson interferometer for acoustic emission detection experimental research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Yijun; Qu, Dandan; Deng, Hu

2013-08-01

A type of Michelson interferometer with two optical fiber loop reflectors acoustic emission sensor is proposed in the article to detect the vibrations produced by ultrasonic waves propagating in a solid body. Two optical fiber loop reflectors are equivalent to the sensing arm and the reference arm instead of traditional Michelson interferometer end reflecter Theoretical analyses indicate that the sensitivity of the system has been remarkably increased because of the decrease of the losses of light energy. The best operating point of optical fiber sensor is fixed by theoretical derivation and simulation of computer, and the signal frequency which is detected by the sensor is the frequency of input signal. PZT (Piezoelectric Ceramic) is powered by signal generator as known ultrasonic source, The Polarization controller is used to make the reflected light interference，The fiber length is changed by adjusting the DC voltage on the PZT with the fiber loop to make the sensor system response that ΔΦ is closed to π/2. the signal basis frequency detected by the sensor is the frequency of the input signal. Then impacts the surface of the marble slab with home-made mechanical acoustic emission source. And detect it. and then the frequency characteristic of acoustic emission signal is obtained by Fourier technique. The experimental results indicate that the system can identify the frequency characteristic of acoustic emission signal, and it can be also used to detect the surface feeble vibration which is generated by ultrasonic waves propagating in material structure.

A Fusion Model of Seismic and Hydro-Acoustic Propagation for Treaty Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arora, Nimar; Prior, Mark

2014-05-01

We present an extension to NET-VISA (Network Processing Vertically Integrated Seismic Analysis), which is a probabilistic generative model of the propagation of seismic waves and their detection on a global scale, to incorporate hydro-acoustic data from the IMS (International Monitoring System) network. The new model includes the coupling of seismic waves into the ocean's SOFAR channel, as well as the propagation of hydro-acoustic waves from underwater explosions. The generative model is described in terms of multiple possible hypotheses -- seismic-to-hydro-acoustic, under-water explosion, other noise sources such as whales singing or icebergs breaking up -- that could lead to signal detections. We decompose each hypothesis into conditional probability distributions that are carefully analyzed and calibrated. These distributions include ones for detection probabilities, blockage in the SOFAR channel (including diffraction, refraction, and reflection around obstacles), energy attenuation, and other features of the resulting waveforms. We present a study of the various features that are extracted from the hydro-acoustic waveforms, and their correlations with each other as well the source of the energy. Additionally, an inference algorithm is presented that concurrently infers the seismic and under-water events, and associates all arrivals (aka triggers), both from seismic and hydro-acoustic stations, to the appropriate event, and labels the path taken by the wave. Finally, our results demonstrate that this fusion of seismic and hydro-acoustic data leads to very good performance. A majority of the under-water events that IDC (International Data Center) analysts built in 2010 are correctly located, and the arrivals that correspond to seismic-to-hydroacoustic coupling, the T phases, are mostly correctly identified. There is no loss in the accuracy of seismic events, in fact, there is a slight overall improvement.

Wideband energy reflectance findings in presence of normal tympanogram in children with Down's syndrome.

PubMed

Kaf, Wafaa A

2011-02-01

The prevalence of middle ear disorders in children with Down syndrome is higher than normal children due to the associated craniofacial abnormalities. The goal of this study is to evaluate middle ear function using wideband energy reflectance at ambient pressure in 14 young children with Down syndrome and matched control group (2½-5 years old; N=19 ears per group) who each have a normal 226Hz tympanogram. All children underwent otoscopic examination, hearing screening using play audiometry (500-4000Hz), and middle ear testing using 226Hz tympanometry and wideband energy reflectance. The chirp signals for the wideband energy reflectance were presented to the child's ear at 65dB SPL stimulus level and the recording was done over 220-8000Hz range. The measured energy reflectance represents the ratio of the sound energy reflected from the tympanic membrane to the incident sound energy transmitted to the middle ear at a specific frequency. Paired Samples t-test was computed for the mean, 95th, 75th, 25th, and 5th percentile data of each frequency of the two groups. Despite the presence of normal tympanometric findings in both groups, results revealed abnormal wideband energy reflectance findings in 63% of the children with Down syndrome compared to the normal wideband energy reflectance findings in the control group. The mean energy reflectance ratio of the Down syndrome group was abnormally lower than that of the control at 5700-8000Hz (p<0.0005). The 5th and 95th percentile ratios of the Down syndrome group fell outside the 5th and 95th percentile of the control group (p<0.0005). Abnormally low energy reflectance ratios above 4000Hz in the presence of normal tympanograms in the Down syndrome group may suggest associated congenital middle ear anomalies in children with DS. The present findings suggest that wideband energy reflectance has the potential to be of more practical value in children with DS than tympanometry. Further research with a larger number of Down

Acoustic scaling: A re-evaluation of the acoustic model of Manchester Studio 7

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, R.

1984-12-01

The reasons for the reconstruction and re-evaluation of the acoustic scale mode of a large music studio are discussed. The design and construction of the model using mechanical and structural considerations rather than purely acoustic absorption criteria is described and the results obtained are given. The results confirm that structural elements within the studio gave rise to unexpected and unwanted low-frequency acoustic absorption. The results also show that at least for the relatively well understood mechanisms of sound energy absorption physical modelling of the structural and internal components gives an acoustically accurate scale model, within the usual tolerances of acoustic design. The poor reliability of measurements of acoustic absorption coefficients, is well illustrated. The conclusion is reached that such acoustic scale modelling is a valid and, for large scale projects, financially justifiable technique for predicting fundamental acoustic effects. It is not appropriate for the prediction of fine details because such small details are unlikely to be reproduced exactly at a different size without extensive measurements of the material's performance at both scales.

System and method for sonic wave measurements using an acoustic beam source

DOEpatents

Vu, Cung Khac; Sinha, Dipen N.; Pantea, Cristian

2015-08-11

A method and system for investigating structure near a borehole are described herein. The method includes generating an acoustic beam by an acoustic source; directing at one or more azimuthal angles the acoustic beam towards a selected location in a vicinity of a borehole; receiving at one or more receivers an acoustic signal, the acoustic signal originating from a reflection or a refraction of the acoustic wave by a material at the selected location; and analyzing the received acoustic signal to characterize features of the material around the borehole.

Acoustic power balance in lined ducts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eversman, W.

1979-01-01

It is shown that the two common definitions of acoustic energy density and intensity in uniform unlined ducts carrying uniform flow are compatible to the extent that both energy densities can be used in an appropriate variational principle to derive the convected wave equation. When the duct walls are lined both energy densities must be modified to account for the wall energy density. This results in a new energy conservation equation which utilizes a modified definition of axial power and accounts for wall dissipation. Computations in specific cases demonstrate the validity of the modified acoustic energy relation.

Acoustic Quality of the 40- by 80- Foot Wind Tunnel Test Section After Installation of a Deep Acoustic Lining

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soderman, Paul T.; Jaeger, Stephen M.; Hayes, Julie A.; Allen, Christopher S.

2002-01-01

A recessed, 42-inch deep acoustic lining has been designed and installed in the 40- by 80- Foot Wind Tunnel (40x80) test section to greatly improve the acoustic quality of the facility. This report describes the test section acoustic performance as determined by a detailed static calibration-all data were acquired without wind. Global measurements of sound decay from steady noise sources showed that the facility is suitable for acoustic studies of jet noise or similar randomly generated sound. The wall sound absorption, size of the facility, and averaging effects of wide band random noise all tend to minimize interference effects from wall reflections. The decay of white noise with distance was close to free field above 250 Hz. However, tonal sound data from propellers and fans, for example, will have an error band to be described that is caused by the sensitivity of tones to even weak interference. That error band could be minimized by use of directional instruments such as phased microphone arrays. Above 10 kHz, air absorption began to dominate the sound field in the large test section, reflections became weaker, and the test section tended toward an anechoic environment as frequency increased.

Resource Evaluation and Energy Production Estimate for a Tidal Energy Conversion Installation using Acoustic Flow Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gagnon, Ian; Baldwin, Ken; Wosnik, Martin

2015-11-01

The ``Living Bridge'' project plans to install a tidal turbine at Memorial Bridge in the Piscataqua River at Portsmouth, NH. A spatio-temporal tidal energy resource assessment was performed using long term bottom-deployed Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers ADCP. Two locations were evaluated: at the planned deployment location and mid-channel. The goal was to determine the amount of available kinetic energy that can be converted into usable electrical energy on the bridge. Changes in available kinetic energy with ebb/flood and spring/neap tidal cycles and electrical energy demand were analyzed. A system model is used to calculate the net energy savings using various tidal generator and battery bank configurations. Differences in the tidal characteristics between the two measurement locations are highlighted. Different resource evaluation methodologies were also analyzed, e.g., using a representative ADCP ``bin'' vs. a more refined, turbine-geometry-specific methodology, and using static bin height vs. bin height that move w.r.t. the free surface throughout a tidal cycle (representative of a bottom-fixed or floating turbine deployment, respectively). ADCP operating frequencies and bin sizes affect the standard deviation of measurements, and measurement uncertainties are evaluated. Supported by NSF-IIP grant 1430260.

Topological Acoustic Delay Line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhiwang; Tian, Ye; Cheng, Ying; Wei, Qi; Liu, Xiaojun; Christensen, Johan

2018-03-01

Topological protected wave engineering in artificially structured media is at the frontier of ongoing metamaterials research that is inspired by quantum mechanics. Acoustic analogues of electronic topological insulators have recently led to a wealth of new opportunities in manipulating sound propagation with strikingly unconventional acoustic edge modes immune to backscattering. Earlier fabrications of topological insulators are characterized by an unreconfigurable geometry and a very narrow frequency response, which severely hinders the exploration and design of useful devices. Here we establish topologically protected sound in reconfigurable phononic crystals that can be switched on and off simply by rotating its three-legged "atoms" without altering the lattice structure. In particular, we engineer robust phase delay defects that take advantage of the ultrabroadband reflection-free sound propagation. Such topological delay lines serve as a paradigm in compact acoustic devices, interconnects, and electroacoustic integrated circuits.

Acoustic bubble removal method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trinh, E. H.; Elleman, D. D.; Wang, T. G. (Inventor)

1983-01-01

A method is described for removing bubbles from a liquid bath such as a bath of molten glass to be used for optical elements. Larger bubbles are first removed by applying acoustic energy resonant to a bath dimension to drive the larger bubbles toward a pressure well where the bubbles can coalesce and then be more easily removed. Thereafter, submillimeter bubbles are removed by applying acoustic energy of frequencies resonant to the small bubbles to oscillate them and thereby stir liquid immediately about the bubbles to facilitate their breakup and absorption into the liquid.

High-flux source of low-energy neutral beams using reflection of ions from metals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cuthbertson, John W.; Motley, Robert W.; Langer, William D.

1992-01-01

Reflection of low-energy ions from surfaces can be applied as a method of producing high-flux beams of low-energy neutral particles, and is an important effect in several areas of plasma technology, such as in the edge region of fusion devices. We have developed a beam source based on acceleration and reflection of ions from a magnetically confined coaxial RF plasma source. The beam provides a large enough flux to allow the energy distribution of the reflected neutrals to be measured despite the inefficiency of detection, by means of an electrostatic cylindrical mirror analyzer coupled with a quadrupole mass spectrometer. Energy distributions have been measured for oxygen, nitrogen, and inert gas ions incident with from 15 to 70 eV reflected from amorphous metal surfaces of several compositions. For ions of lighter atomic mass than the reflecting metal, reflected beams have peaked energy distributions; beams with the peak at 4-32 eV have been measured. The energy and mass dependences of the energy distributions as well as measurements of absolute flux, and angular distribution and divergence are reported. Applications of the neutral beams produced are described.

Kinetic modeling of ultrasound-assisted extraction of phenolic compounds from grape marc: influence of acoustic energy density and temperature.

PubMed

Tao, Yang; Zhang, Zhihang; Sun, Da-Wen

2014-07-01

The effects of acoustic energy density (6.8-47.4 W/L) and temperature (20-50 °C) on the extraction yields of total phenolics and tartaric esters during ultrasound-assisted extraction from grape marc were investigated in this study. The ultrasound treatment was performed in a 25-kHz ultrasound bath system and the 50% aqueous ethanol was used as the solvent. The initial extraction rate and final extraction yield increased with the increase of acoustic energy density and temperature. The two site kinetic model was used to simulate the kinetics of extraction process and the diffusion model based on the Fick's second law was employed to determine the effective diffusion coefficient of phenolics in grape marc. Both models gave satisfactory quality of data fit. The diffusion process was divided into one fast stage and one slow stage and the diffusion coefficients in both stages were calculated. Within the current experimental range, the diffusion coefficients of total phenolics and tartaric esters for both diffusion stages increased with acoustic energy density. Meanwhile, the rise of temperature also resulted in the increase of diffusion coefficients of phenolics except the diffusion coefficient of total phenolics in the fast stage, the value of which being the highest at 40 °C. Moreover, an empirical equation was suggested to correlate the effective diffusion coefficient of phenolics in grape marc with acoustic energy density and temperature. In addition, the performance comparison of ultrasound-assisted extraction and convention methods demonstrates that ultrasound is an effective and promising technology to extract bioactive substances from grape marc. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Laser-induced acoustic imaging of underground objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Wen; DiMarzio, Charles A.; McKnight, Stephen W.; Sauermann, Gerhard O.; Miller, Eric L.

1999-02-01

This paper introduces a new demining technique based on the photo-acoustic interaction, together with results from photo- acoustic experiments. We have buried different types of targets (metal, rubber and plastic) in different media (sand, soil and water) and imaged them by measuring reflection of acoustic waves generated by irradiation with a CO2 laser. Research has been focused on the signal acquisition and signal processing. A deconvolution method using Wiener filters is utilized in data processing. Using a uniform spatial distribution of laser pulses at the ground's surface, we obtained 3D images of buried objects. The images give us a clear representation of the shapes of the underground objects. The quality of the images depends on the mismatch of acoustic impedance of the buried objects, the bandwidth and center frequency of the acoustic sensors and the selection of filter functions.

Acoustic characteristics of the medium with gradient change of impedance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Bo; Yang, Desen; Sun, Yu; Shi, Jie; Shi, Shengguo; Zhang, Haoyang

2015-10-01

The medium with gradient change of acoustic impedance is a new acoustic structure which developed from multiple layer structures. In this paper, the inclusion is introduced and a new set of equations is developed. It can obtain better acoustic properties based on the medium with gradient change of acoustic impedance. Theoretical formulation has been systematically addressed which demonstrates how the idea of utilizing this method. The sound reflection and absorption coefficients were obtained. At last, the validity and the correctness of this method are assessed by simulations. The results show that appropriate design of parameters of the medium can improve underwater acoustic properties.

Acoustic field modulation in regenerators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, J. Y.; Wang, W.; Luo, E. C.; Chen, Y. Y.

2016-12-01

The regenerator is a key component that transfers energy between heat and work. The conversion efficiency is significantly influenced by the acoustic field in the regenerator. Much effort has been spent to quantitatively determine this influence, but few comprehensive experimental verifications have been performed because of difficulties in modulating and measuring the acoustic field. In this paper, a method requiring two compressors is introduced and theoretically investigated that achieves acoustic field modulation in the regenerator. One compressor outputs the acoustic power for the regenerator; the other acts as a phase shifter. A RC load dissipates the acoustic power out of both the regenerator and the latter compressor. The acoustic field can be modulated by adjusting the current in the two compressors and opening the RC load. The acoustic field is measured with pressure sensors instead of flow-field imaging equipment, thereby greatly simplifying the experiment.

Wideband reflectance in Down syndrome.

PubMed

Soares, Jordana Costa; Urosas, Juliana Granja; Calarga, Karenina Santos; Pichelli, Tathiany Silva; Limongi, Suelly Cecília Olivan; Shahnaz, Navid; Carvallo, Renata Mota Mamede

2016-08-01

Children with Down syndrome (DS) have a high incidence of middle ear disorders and congenital abnormalities of the external, middle and inner ear. Energy reflectance (ER), a wideband acoustic immittance (WAI) measurement parameter, can measure the sound energy reflected or absorbed in the ear canal over a wider range of frequencies more efficiently and faster than conventional single-tone 226 Hz tympanometry. The aim of the present study was to compare the WAI measurements of children with DS with those of typically developing, normal-hearing children according to their tympanometric findings. Four groups of children with Down syndrome (age range: 2 years and 4 months to 16 years and 3 months; mean age: 8.5 yr) with normal tympanograms (19 ears), flat tympanograms (13 ears), mild negative pressure tympanograms (6 ears between -100 and -199 daPa at the admittance peak) and severe negative pressure tympanograms (4 ears at -200 daPa or lower at the admittance peak) were assessed. All findings were compared with data obtained from 21 ears of a healthy control group (age range: 3 years and 1 month to 13 years and 11 months; mean age: 7.9 yr). The subjects underwent tympanometry with a 226-Hz probe tone frequency and ER measurements along the 200-6,000 Hz range with a chirp stimulus using the Middle-Ear Power Analyzer (MEPA3 - HearID) by Mimosa Acoustics (Champaign, IL), software, version 3.3 [38]. Statistically significant differences were observed in the ER curves for some comparisons between the studied groups. There was also a negative correlation between the static acoustic admittance at the tympanic membrane level and ER measured with a chirp stimulus at 500 and 1,000 Hz. The discriminant analysis technique, which used a chirp stimulus at 1,000 and 1,600 Hz to classify the participants' data based on ER values, achieved a correct classification rate of 59.52% for participants with DS. While groups with abnormal middle ear status, as indicated by

Analytic model for ultrasound energy receivers and their optimal electric loads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorostiaga, M.; Wapler, M. C.; Wallrabe, U.

2017-08-01

In this paper, we present an analytic model for thickness resonating plate ultrasound energy receivers, which we have derived from the piezoelectric and the wave equations and, in which we have included dielectric, viscosity and acoustic attenuation losses. Afterwards, we explore the optimal electric load predictions by the zero reflection and power maximization approaches present in the literature with different acoustic boundary conditions, and discuss their limitations. To validate our model, we compared our expressions with the KLM model solved numerically with very good agreement. Finally, we discuss the differences between the zero reflection and power maximization optimal electric loads, which start to differ as losses in the receiver increase.

Reciprocity principle in duct acoustics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cho, Y.-C.

1979-01-01

Various reciprocity relations in duct acoustics have been derived on the basis of the spatial reciprocity principle implied in Green's functions for linear waves. The derivation includes the reciprocity relations between mode conversion coefficients for reflection and transmission in nonuniform ducts, and the relation between the radiation of a mode from an arbitrarily terminated duct and the absorption of an externally incident plane wave by the duct. Such relations are well defined as long as the systems remain linear, regardless of acoustic properties of duct nonuniformities which cause the mode conversions.

Acoustic Test Results of Melamine Foam with Application to Payload Fairing Acoustic Attenuation Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes, William O.; McNelis, Anne M.

2014-01-01

A spacecraft at launch is subjected to a harsh acoustic and vibration environment resulting from the passage of acoustic energy, created during the liftoff of a launch vehicle, through the vehicle's payload fairing. In order to ensure the mission success of the spacecraft it is often necessary to reduce the resulting internal acoustic sound pressure levels through the usage of acoustic attenuation systems. Melamine foam, lining the interior walls of the payload fairing, is often utilized as the main component of such a system. In order to better understand the acoustic properties of melamine foam, with the goal of developing improved acoustic attenuation systems, NASA has recently performed panel level testing on numerous configurations of melamine foam acoustic treatments at the Riverbank Acoustical Laboratory. Parameters assessed included the foam's thickness and density, as well as the effects of a top outer cover sheet material and mass barriers embedded within the foam. This testing followed the ASTM C423 standard for absorption and the ASTM E90 standard for transmission loss. The acoustic test data obtained and subsequent conclusions are the subjects of this paper.

Reconfigurable origami-inspired acoustic waveguides

PubMed Central

Babaee, Sahab; Overvelde, Johannes T. B.; Chen, Elizabeth R.; Tournat, Vincent; Bertoldi, Katia

2016-01-01

We combine numerical simulations and experiments to design a new class of reconfigurable waveguides based on three-dimensional origami-inspired metamaterials. Our strategy builds on the fact that the rigid plates and hinges forming these structures define networks of tubes that can be easily reconfigured. As such, they provide an ideal platform to actively control and redirect the propagation of sound. We design reconfigurable systems that, depending on the externally applied deformation, can act as networks of waveguides oriented along one, two, or three preferential directions. Moreover, we demonstrate that the capability of the structure to guide and radiate acoustic energy along predefined directions can be easily switched on and off, as the networks of tubes are reversibly formed and disrupted. The proposed designs expand the ability of existing acoustic metamaterials and exploit complex waveguiding to enhance control over propagation and radiation of acoustic energy, opening avenues for the design of a new class of tunable acoustic functional systems. PMID:28138527

Acoustic guide for noise-transmission testing of aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vaicaitis, Rimas (Inventor)

1987-01-01

Selective testing of aircraft or other vehicular components without requiring disassembly of the vehicle or components was accomplished by using a portable guide apparatus. The device consists of a broadband noise source, a guide to direct the acoustic energy, soft sealing insulation to seal the guide to the noise source and to the vehicle component, and noise measurement microphones, both outside the vehicle at the acoustic guide output and inside the vehicle to receive attenuated sound. By directing acoustic energy only to selected components of a vehicle via the acoustic guide, it is possible to test a specific component, such as a door or window, without picking up extraneous noise which may be transmitted to the vehicle interior through other components or structure. This effect is achieved because no acoustic energy strikes the vehicle exterior except at the selected component. Also, since the test component remains attached to the vehicle, component dynamics with vehicle frame are not altered.

Shear-horizontal surface acoustic wave phononic device with high density filling material for ultra-low power sensing applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richardson, M.; Sankaranarayanan, S. K. R. S.; Bhethanabotla, V. R.

2014-06-01

Finite element simulations of a phononic shear-horizontal surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor based on ST 90°-X Quartz reveal a dramatic reduction in power consumption. The phononic sensor is realized by artificially structuring the delay path to form an acoustic meta-material comprised of a periodic microcavity array incorporating high-density materials such as tantalum or tungsten. Constructive interference of the scattered and secondary reflected waves at every microcavity interface leads to acoustic energy confinement in the high-density regions translating into reduced power loss. Tantalum filled cavities show the best performance while tungsten inclusions create a phononic bandgap. Based on our simulation results, SAW devices with tantalum filled microcavities were fabricated and shown to significantly decrease insertion loss. Our findings offer encouraging prospects for designing low power, highly sensitive portable biosensors.

Estimating surface acoustic impedance with the inverse method.

PubMed

Piechowicz, Janusz

2011-01-01

Sound field parameters are predicted with numerical methods in sound control systems, in acoustic designs of building and in sound field simulations. Those methods define the acoustic properties of surfaces, such as sound absorption coefficients or acoustic impedance, to determine boundary conditions. Several in situ measurement techniques were developed; one of them uses 2 microphones to measure direct and reflected sound over a planar test surface. Another approach is used in the inverse boundary elements method, in which estimating acoustic impedance of a surface is expressed as an inverse boundary problem. The boundary values can be found from multipoint sound pressure measurements in the interior of a room. This method can be applied to arbitrarily-shaped surfaces. This investigation is part of a research programme on using inverse methods in industrial room acoustics.

Acoustic Rectification in Dispersive Media

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cantrell, John H.

2008-01-01

It is shown that the shapes of acoustic radiation-induced static strain and displacement pulses (rectified acoustic pulses) are defined locally by the energy density of the generating waveform. Dispersive properties are introduced analytically by assuming that the rectified pulses are functionally dependent on a phase factor that includes both dispersive and nonlinear terms. The dispersion causes an evolutionary change in the shape of the energy density profile that leads to the generation of solitons experimentally observed in fused silica.

Spider web-structured labyrinthine acoustic metamaterials for low-frequency sound control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krushynska, A. O.; Bosia, F.; Miniaci, M.; Pugno, N. M.

2017-10-01

Attenuating low-frequency sound remains a challenge, despite many advances in this field. Recently-developed acoustic metamaterials are characterized by unusual wave manipulation abilities that make them ideal candidates for efficient subwavelength sound control. In particular, labyrinthine acoustic metamaterials exhibit extremely high wave reflectivity, conical dispersion, and multiple artificial resonant modes originating from the specifically-designed topological architectures. These features enable broadband sound attenuation, negative refraction, acoustic cloaking and other peculiar effects. However, hybrid and/or tunable metamaterial performance implying enhanced wave reflection and simultaneous presence of conical dispersion at desired frequencies has not been reported so far. In this paper, we propose a new type of labyrinthine acoustic metamaterials (LAMMs) with hybrid dispersion characteristics by exploiting spider web-structured configurations. The developed design approach consists in adding a square surrounding frame to sectorial circular-shaped labyrinthine channels described in previous publications (e.g. (11)). Despite its simplicity, this approach provides tunability in the metamaterial functionality, such as the activation/elimination of subwavelength band gaps and negative group-velocity modes by increasing/decreasing the edge cavity dimensions. Since these cavities can be treated as extensions of variable-width internal channels, it becomes possible to exploit geometrical features, such as channel width, to shift the band gap position and size to desired frequencies. Time transient simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed metastructures for wave manipulation in terms of transmission or reflection coefficients, amplitude attenuation and time delay at subwavelength frequencies. The obtained results can be important for practical applications of LAMMs such as lightweight acoustic barriers with enhanced broadband wave-reflecting

Effects of the Sea-Bed on Acoustic Propagation.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-11-15

from the plane-wave reflection curves presented in Fig. 7, which have been computed from a numerical model developed by Hastrup [8]. Since good...La Spezia, Italy, SACLANT ASW Research Centre, 1983. 8. HASTRUP , O.F. Digital analysis of acoustic reflectivity in the Tyrrhenian abyssal plain. J

Numerical and experimental analysis of high frequency acoustic microscopy and infrared reflectance system for early detection of melanoma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karagiannis, Georgios; Apostolidis, Georgios; Georgoulias, Panagiotis

2016-03-01

Melanoma is a very malicious type of cancer as it metastasizes early and hence its late diagnosis leads to death. Consequently, early diagnosis of melanoma and its removal is considered the most effective way of treatment. We present a design of a high frequency acoustic microscopy and infrared reflectance system for the early detection of melanoma. Specifically, the identification of morphological changes related to carcinogenesis is required. In this work, we simulate of the propagation of the ultrasonic waves of the order of 100 MHz as well as of electromagnetic waves of the order of 100 THz in melanoma structures targeting to the estimation and optimization of the basic characteristics of the systems. The simulation results of the acoustic microscopy subsystem aim to provide information such as the geometry of the transducer, the center frequency of operation, the focal length where the power transmittance is optimum and the spot size in focal length. As far as the infrared is concerned the optimal frequency range and the spot illumination size of the external probe is provided. This information is next used to assemble a properly designed system which is applied to melanoma phantoms as well as real skin lesions. Finally, the measurement data are visualized to reveal the information of the experimented structures, proving noteworthy accuracy.

Applications of surface acoustic and shallow bulk acoustic wave devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, Colin K.

1989-10-01

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) device coverage includes delay lines and filters operating at selected frequencies in the range from about 10 MHz to 11 GHz; modeling with single-crystal piezoelectrics and layered structures; resonators and low-loss filters; comb filters and multiplexers; antenna duplexers; harmonic devices; chirp filters for pulse compression; coding with fixed and programmable transversal filters; Barker and quadraphase coding; adaptive filters; acoustic and acoustoelectric convolvers and correlators for radar, spread spectrum, and packet radio; acoustooptic processors for Bragg modulation and spectrum analysis; real-time Fourier-transform and cepstrum processors for radar and sonar; compressive receivers; Nyquist filters for microwave digital radio; clock-recovery filters for fiber communications; fixed-, tunable-, and multimode oscillators and frequency synthesizers; acoustic charge transport; and other SAW devices for signal processing on gallium arsenide. Shallow bulk acoustic wave device applications include gigahertz delay lines, surface-transverse-wave resonators employing energy-trapping gratings, and oscillators with enhanced performance and capability.

A Feasibility Study on Generation of Acoustic Waves Utilizing Evanescent Light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuya, I.; Matozaki, K.; Kosugi, A.; Ihara, I.

2014-06-01

A new approach of generating acoustic waves utilizing evanescent light is presented. The evanescent light is a non-propagating electromagnetic wave that exhibits exponential decay with distance from the surface at which the total internal reflection of light is formed. In this research, the evanescent light during total internal reflection at prism surface is utilized for generating acoustic waves in aluminium and the feasibility for ultrasonic measurements is discussed. Pulsed Nd:YAG laser with 0.36 J/cm2 power density is used and the incident angle during the total internal reflection is arranged to be 69.0° for generating the evanescent light. It has been demonstrated that the amplitude of the acoustic waves by means of evanescent light is about 1/14 as large as the one generated by the conventional pulsed laser. This reveals the possibility of using a laser ultrasonic technique with near-field optics.

Influence of acoustic impedance of multilayer acoustic systems on the transfer function of ultrasonic airborne transducers.

PubMed

Gudra, Tadeusz; Opieliński, Krzysztof J

2002-05-01

In different solutions of ultrasonic transducers radiating acoustic energy into the air there occurs the problem of the proper selection of the acoustic impedance of one or more matching layers. The goal of this work was a computer analysis of the influence of acoustic impedance on the transfer function of piezoceramic transducers equipped with matching layers. Cases of resonance and non-resonance matching impedance in relation to the transfer function and the energy transmission coefficient for solid state-air systems were analysed. With stable thickness of matching layers the required shape of the transfer function can be obtained through proper choice of acoustic impedance were built (e.g. maximal flat function). The proper choice of acoustic impedance requires an elaboration of precise methods of synthesis of matching systems. Using the known matching criteria (Chebyshev's, DeSilets', Souquet's), the transfer function characteristics of transducers equipped with one, two, and three matching layers as well as the optimisation methods of the energy transmission coefficient were presented. The influence of the backside load of the transducer on the shape of transfer function was also analysed. The calculation results of this function for different loads of the transducer backside without and with the different matching layers were presented. The proper load selection allows us to obtain the desired shape of the transfer function, which determines the pulse shape generated by the transducer.

Behaviour of a Premixed Flame Subjected to Acoustic Oscillations

PubMed Central

Qureshi, Shafiq R.; Khan, Waqar A.; Prosser, Robert

2013-01-01

In this paper, a one dimensional premixed laminar methane flame is subjected to acoustic oscillations and studied. The purpose of this analysis is to investigate the effects of acoustic perturbations on the reaction rates of different species, with a view to their respective contribution to thermoacoustic instabilities. Acoustically transparent non reflecting boundary conditions are employed. The flame response has been studied with acoustic waves of different frequencies and amplitudes. The integral values of the reaction rates, the burning velocities and the heat release of the acoustically perturbed flame are compared with the unperturbed case. We found that the flame's sensitivity to acoustic perturbations is greatest when the wavelength is comparable to the flame thickness. Even in this case, the perturbations are stable with time. We conclude that acoustic fields acting on the chemistry do not contribute significantly to the emergence of large amplitude pressure oscillations. PMID:24376501

Reflections on fifteen years of energy policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibbons, John H.

1985-11-01

The events of the 1970's—both the ``energy crises'' and the measures taken to alleviate them—changed our ways of thinking about energy. We now look at energy consumption as a largely substitutable means to various ends, not a goal or a measure of progress in and of itself. Energy demand growth has dropped markedly, even as the economy has grown. But there are many issues yet to be resolved if the United States is to have a comprehensive, rotational energy strategy. This paper tackles four of them: Is there a place for continued government economic and regulatory intervention in the energy marketplace? What should be the federal role in energy research and development? What are our prospects for new discoveries in domestic oil and gas? What is the future of nuclear power in the United States? The author believes that the best way to solve our energy problems is to gauge, and then reflect in our energy policy, the true costs and benefits of energy production and consumption. He concludes that conservation investments have proven to be so rewarding that energy efficiency should be receiving a major amount of attention from energy policy makers for reasons of economic efficiency and in order to minimize the impact of future crises.

Preliminary characterization of a one-axis acoustic system. [acoustic levitation for space processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oran, W. A.; Reiss, D. A.; Berge, L. H.; Parker, H. W.

1979-01-01

The acoustic fields and levitation forces produced along the axis of a single-axis resonance system were measured. The system consisted of a St. Clair generator and a planar reflector. The levitation force was measured for bodies of various sizes and geometries (i.e., spheres, cylinders, and discs). The force was found to be roughly proportional to the volume of the body until the characteristic body radius reaches approximately 2/k (k = wave number). The acoustic pressures along the axis were modeled using Huygens principle and a method of imaging to approximate multiple reflections. The modeled pressures were found to be in reasonable agreement with those measured with a calibrated microphone.

Reflectance of metallic indium for solar energy applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bouquet, F. L.; Hasegawa, T.

1984-01-01

An investigation has been conducted in order to compile quantitative data on the reflective properties of metallic indium. The fabricated samples were of sufficiently high quality that differences from similar second-surface silvered mirrors were not apparent to the human eye. Three second-surface mirror samples were prepared by means of vacuum deposition techniques, yielding indium thicknesses of approximately 1000 A. Both hemispherical and specular measurements were made. It is concluded that metallic indium possesses a sufficiently high specular reflectance to be potentially useful in many solar energy applications.

Acoustical standards in engineering acoustics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burkhard, Mahlon D.

2004-05-01

The Engineering Acoustics Technical Committee is concerned with the evolution and improvement of acoustical techniques and apparatus, and with the promotion of new applications of acoustics. As cited in the Membership Directory and Handbook (2002), the interest areas include transducers and arrays; underwater acoustic systems; acoustical instrumentation and monitoring; applied sonics, promotion of useful effects, information gathering and transmission; audio engineering; acoustic holography and acoustic imaging; acoustic signal processing (equipment and techniques); and ultrasound and infrasound. Evident connections between engineering and standards are needs for calibration, consistent terminology, uniform presentation of data, reference levels, or design targets for product development. Thus for the acoustical engineer standards are both a tool for practices, for communication, and for comparison of his efforts with those of others. Development of many standards depends on knowledge of the way products are put together for the market place and acoustical engineers provide important input to the development of standards. Acoustical engineers and members of the Engineering Acoustics arm of the Society both benefit from and contribute to the Acoustical Standards of the Acoustical Society.

Lightweight filter architecture for energy efficient mobile vehicle localization based on a distributed acoustic sensor network.

PubMed

Kim, Keonwook

2013-08-23

The generic properties of an acoustic signal provide numerous benefits for localization by applying energy-based methods over a deployed wireless sensor network (WSN). However, the signal generated by a stationary target utilizes a significant amount of bandwidth and power in the system without providing further position information. For vehicle localization, this paper proposes a novel proximity velocity vector estimator (PVVE) node architecture in order to capture the energy from a moving vehicle and reject the signal from motionless automobiles around the WSN node. A cascade structure between analog envelope detector and digital exponential smoothing filter presents the velocity vector-sensitive output with low analog circuit and digital computation complexity. The optimal parameters in the exponential smoothing filter are obtained by analytical and mathematical methods for maximum variation over the vehicle speed. For stationary targets, the derived simulation based on the acoustic field parameters demonstrates that the system significantly reduces the communication requirements with low complexity and can be expected to extend the operation time considerably.

Acoustic velocity measurements in materials using a regenerative method

DOEpatents

Laine, Edwin F.

1986-01-01

Acoustic energy is propagated through earth material between an electro-acoustic generator and a receiver which converts the received acoustic energy into electrical signals. A closed loop is formed by a variable gain amplifier system connected between the receiver and the generator. The gain of the amplifier system is increased until sustained oscillations are produced in the closed loop. The frequency of the oscillations is measured as an indication of the acoustic propagation velocity through the earth material. The amplifier gain is measured as an indication of the acoustic attenuation through the earth materials. The method is also applicable to the non-destructive testing of structural materials, such as steel, aluminum and concrete.

Acoustic-velocity measurements in materials using a regenerative method

DOEpatents

Laine, E.F.

1982-09-30

Acoustic energy is propatated through earth material between an electro-acoustic generator and a receiver which converts the received acoustic energy into electrical signals. A closed loop is formed by a variable gain amplifier system connected between the receiver and the generator. The gain of the amplifier system is increased until sustained oscillations are produced in the closed loop. The frequency of the oscillations is measured as an indication of the acoustic propagation velocity through the earth material. The amplifier gain is measured as an indication of the acoustic attenuation through the earth materials. The method is also applicable to the non-destructive testing of structural materials, such as steel, aluminum and concrete.

Range-dependence of acoustic channel with traveling sinusoidal surface wave.

PubMed

Choo, Youngmin; Seong, Woojae; Lee, Keunhwa

2014-04-01

Range-dependence of time-varying acoustic channels caused by a traveling surface wave is investigated through water tank experiments and acoustic propagation analysis schemes. As the surface wave travels, surface reflected signals fluctuate and the fluctuation varies with source-receiver horizontal range. Amplitude fluctuations of surface reflected signals increase with increasing horizontal range whereas the opposite occurs in delay fluctuations. The scattered pressure field at a fixed time shows strong dependence on the receiver position because of caustics and shadow zones formed by the surface. The Doppler shifts of surface reflected signals also depend on the horizontal range. Comparison between measurement data and model results indicates the Doppler shift relies on the delay fluctuation under current experimental conditions.

Method and apparatus for sizing and separating warp yarns using acoustical energy

DOEpatents

Sheen, Shuh-Haw; Chien, Hual-Te; Raptis, Apostolos C.; Kupperman, David S.

1998-01-01

A slashing process for preparing warp yarns for weaving operations including the steps of sizing and/or desizing the yarns in an acoustic resonance box and separating the yarns with a leasing apparatus comprised of a set of acoustically agitated lease rods. The sizing step includes immersing the yarns in a size solution contained in an acoustic resonance box. Acoustic transducers are positioned against the exterior of the box for generating an acoustic pressure field within the size solution. Ultrasonic waves that result from the acoustic pressure field continuously agitate the size solution to effect greater mixing and more uniform application and penetration of the size onto the yarns. The sized yarns are then separated by passing the warp yarns over and under lease rods. Electroacoustic transducers generate acoustic waves along the longitudinal axis of the lease rods, creating a shearing motion on the surface of the rods for splitting the yarns.

Method and apparatus for sizing and separating warp yarns using acoustical energy

DOEpatents

Sheen, S.H.; Chien, H.T.; Raptis, A.C.; Kupperman, D.S.

1998-05-19

A slashing process is disclosed for preparing warp yarns for weaving operations including the steps of sizing and/or desizing the yarns in an acoustic resonance box and separating the yarns with a leasing apparatus comprised of a set of acoustically agitated lease rods. The sizing step includes immersing the yarns in a size solution contained in an acoustic resonance box. Acoustic transducers are positioned against the exterior of the box for generating an acoustic pressure field within the size solution. Ultrasonic waves that result from the acoustic pressure field continuously agitate the size solution to effect greater mixing and more uniform application and penetration of the size onto the yarns. The sized yarns are then separated by passing the warp yarns over and under lease rods. Electroacoustic transducers generate acoustic waves along the longitudinal axis of the lease rods, creating a shearing motion on the surface of the rods for splitting the yarns. 2 figs.

Acoustic intensity calculations for axisymmetrically modeled fluid regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hambric, Stephen A.; Everstine, Gordon C.

1992-01-01

An algorithm for calculating acoustic intensities from a time harmonic pressure field in an axisymmetric fluid region is presented. Acoustic pressures are computed in a mesh of NASTRAN triangular finite elements of revolution (TRIAAX) using an analogy between the scalar wave equation and elasticity equations. Acoustic intensities are then calculated from pressures and pressure derivatives taken over the mesh of TRIAAX elements. Intensities are displayed as vectors indicating the directions and magnitudes of energy flow at all mesh points in the acoustic field. A prolate spheroidal shell is modeled with axisymmetric shell elements (CONEAX) and submerged in a fluid region of TRIAAX elements. The model is analyzed to illustrate the acoustic intensity method and the usefulness of energy flow paths in the understanding of the response of fluid-structure interaction problems. The structural-acoustic analogy used is summarized for completeness. This study uncovered a NASTRAN limitation involving numerical precision issues in the CONEAX stiffness calculation causing large errors in the system matrices for nearly cylindrical cones.

Pressure dependence of transverse acoustic phonon energy in ferropericlase across the spin transition.

PubMed

Fukui, Hiroshi; Baron, Alfred Q R; Ishikawa, Daisuke; Uchiyama, Hiroshi; Ohishi, Yasuo; Tsuchiya, Taku; Kobayashi, Hisao; Matsuzaki, Takuya; Yoshino, Takashi; Katsura, Tomoo

2017-06-21

We investigated transverse acoustic (TA) phonons in iron-bearing magnesium oxide (ferropericlase) up to 56 GPa using inelastic x-ray scattering (IXS). The results show that the energy of the TA phonon far from the Brillouin zone center suddenly increases with increasing pressure above the spin transition pressure of ferropericlase. Ab initio calculations revealed that the TA phonon energy far from the Brillouin zone center is higher in the low-spin state than in the high spin state; that the TA phonon energy depend weakly on pressure; and that the energy gap between the TA and the lowest-energy-optic phonons is much narrower in the low-spin state than in the high-spin state. This allows us to conclude that the anomalous behavior of the TA mode in the present experiments is the result of gap narrowing due to the spin transition and explains contradictory results in previous experimental studies.

Surface acoustic waves voltage controlled directional coupler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golan, G.; Griffel, G.; Yanilov, E.; Ruschin, S.; Seidman, A.; Croitoru, N.

1988-10-01

An important condition for the development of surface wave integrated-acoustic devices is the ability to guide and control the propagation of the acoustic energy. This can be implemented by deposition of metallic "loading" channels on an anisotropic piezoelectric substrate. Deposition of such two parallel channels causes an effective coupling of acoustic energy from one channel to the other. A basic requirement for this coupling effect is the existence of the two basic modes: a symmetrical and a nonsymmetrical one. A mode map that shows the number of sustained modes as a function of the device parameters (i.e., channel width; distance between channels; material velocity; and acoustical exciting frequency) is presented. This kind of map can help significantly in the design process of such a device. In this paper we devise an advanced acoustical "Y" coupler with the ability to control its effective coupling by an externally applied voltage, thereby causing modulation of the output intensities of the signals.

Broadband acoustic phased array with subwavelength active tube array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiao-Yan; Yang, Zhang-Zhao; Zhu, Yi-Fan; Zou, Xin-Ye; Cheng, Jian-Chun

2018-02-01

Acoustic metasurfaces provide a way to manipulate wavefronts at anomalous reflection or refraction angles through subwavelength structures. Here, based on the generalized Snell's refraction law for acoustic metasurfaces and the classical acoustic phased array (PA) theory, a broadband acoustic PA with a subwavelength active tube array has been proposed to form a special acoustic beam and to determine the directivity characteristics of the acoustic source. Theoretical analysis shows that the dispersionless wavefront manipulation can be realized by the gradient model of the active tube array, and a wide working frequency band can be obtained in practical applications from the simulated and experimental results. The numerical results of forming a special acoustic beam and establishing an acoustic focus model with an arbitrary focal position are consistent with the theoretical predictions. The experimental results agree well with the simulated results in the model of forming the acoustic beam of 45 ° . By combining acoustic metamaterials and conventional acoustic PA, the model of the active tube array paves a way to design a composite acoustic PA with high radiation efficiency and system robustness without the need for any complex circuit control system. This design concept is expected to be used in the design of ultrasonic therapy devices and high-efficiency transducers.

Acoustic velocity meter systems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Laenen, Antonius

1985-01-01

Acoustic velocity meter (AVM) systems operate on the principles that the point-to-point upstream traveltime of an acoustic pulse is longer than the downstream traveltime and that this difference in traveltime can be accurately measured by electronic devices. An AVM system is capable of recording water velocity (and discharge) under a wide range of conditions, but some constraints apply: 1. Accuracy is reduced and performance is degraded if the acoustic path is not a continuous straight line. The path can be bent by reflection if it is too close to a stream boundary or by refraction if it passes through density gradients resulting from variations in either water temperature or salinity. For paths of less than 100 m, a temperature gradient of 0.1' per meter causes signal bending less than 0.6 meter at midchannel, and satisfactory velocity results can be obtained. Reflection from stream boundaries can cause signal cancellation if boundaries are too close to signal path. 2. Signal strength is attenuated by particles or bubbles that absorb, spread, or scatter sound. The concentration of particles or bubbles that can be tolerated is a function of the path length and frequency of the acoustic signal. 3. Changes in streamline orientation can affect system accuracy if the variability is random. 4. Errors relating to signal resolution are much larger for a single threshold detection scheme than for multiple threshold schemes. This report provides methods for computing the effect of various conditions on the accuracy of a record obtained from an AVM. The equipment must be adapted to the site. Field reconnaissance and preinstallation analysis to detect possible problems are critical for proper installation and operation of an AVM system.

Acoustic vibration effects in classical nucleation theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baird, James K.; Su, C.-H.

2018-04-01

Acoustic vibration is often used to improve the yield of crystals and nanoparticles growing from solutions and melts. As there is still a debate on how acoustic vibration actually works, we have examined the possibility that acoustic pressure can affect the rate of nucleation. Our method is based on an expansion of the free energy of the nucleus in powers of the acoustic pressure. With the assumption that the period of the sound wave is short as compared to the time scale for nucleation, we replace the powers of the acoustic pressure by their time averages, retaining the average of the square of the acoustic pressure as the leading term. By assuming a nucleus having spherical shape, we use the Young-Laplace equation to relate the pressure inside the nucleus to the ambient pressure. Without making further approximations not already standard in classical nucleation theory, we find that the proximate effect of acoustic pressure is to reduce both the size of the critical nucleus as well as the work required to form it from monomers. As the work serves as the activation energy, the ultimate effect of acoustic pressure is to increase the rate of nucleation. If we assume that the atomic structure of the nucleus is the same as that of an ordinary solid, however, we find the compressibility is too small for acoustic vibration effects to be noticeable. If on the other hand, we assume that the structure is similar to that of a loosely bound colloidal particle, then the effects of acoustic vibration become potentially observable.

Acoustic emission linear pulse holography

DOEpatents

Collins, H. Dale; Busse, Lawrence J.; Lemon, Douglas K.

1985-01-01

Defects in a structure are imaged as they propagate, using their emitted acoustic energy as a monitored source. Short bursts of acoustic energy propagate through the structure to a discrete element receiver array. A reference timing transducer located between the array and the inspection zone initiates a series of time-of-flight measurements. A resulting series of time-of-flight measurements are then treated as aperture data and are transferred to a computer for reconstruction of a synthetic linear holographic image. The images can be displayed and stored as a record of defect growth.

Rational function representation of flap noise spectra including correction for reflection effects. [acoustic properties of engine exhaust jets deflected for externally blown flaps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miles, J. H.

1974-01-01

A rational function is presented for the acoustic spectra generated by deflection of engine exhaust jets for under-the-wing and over-the-wing versions of externally blown flaps. The functional representation is intended to provide a means for compact storage of data and for data analysis. The expressions are based on Fourier transform functions for the Strouhal normalized pressure spectral density, and on a correction for reflection effects based on the N-independent-source model of P. Thomas extended by use of a reflected ray transfer function. Curve fit comparisons are presented for blown flap data taken from turbofan engine tests and from large scale cold-flow model tests. Application of the rational function to scrubbing noise theory is also indicated.

Acoustic Retrieval of Seafloor Geotechnics.

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-12-01

from the seafloor and subbottom layer interfaces (e.g., Hastrup , 1969; Mackenzie , 1960; Bell and Porter , 1974). It is known that the physical...L. Inderbitzen , New York , Plenum Press, 1974 , pp 1-44. Hastrup , Ole (1969) “Digital analysis of acoustic reflectivity in the Tyrrhenia n A byssal

A method to determine the acoustic reflection and absorption coefficients of porous media by using modal dispersion in a waveguide.

PubMed

Prisutova, Jevgenija; Horoshenkov, Kirill; Groby, Jean-Philippe; Brouard, Bruno

2014-12-01

The measurement of acoustic material characteristics using a standard impedance tube method is generally limited to the plane wave regime below the tube cut-on frequency. This implies that the size of the tube and, consequently, the size of the material specimen must remain smaller than a half of the wavelength. This paper presents a method that enables the extension of the frequency range beyond the plane wave regime by at least a factor of 3, so that the size of the material specimen can be much larger than the wavelength. The proposed method is based on measuring of the sound pressure at different axial locations and applying the spatial Fourier transform. A normal mode decomposition approach is used together with an optimization algorithm to minimize the discrepancy between the measured and predicted sound pressure spectra. This allows the frequency and angle dependent reflection and absorption coefficients of the material specimen to be calculated in an extended frequency range. The method has been tested successfully on samples of melamine foam and wood fiber. The measured data are in close agreement with the predictions by the equivalent fluid model for the acoustical properties of porous media.

Acoustic Guided Wave Testing of Pipes of Small Diameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muravev, V. V.; Muraveva, O. V.; Strizhak, V. A.; Myshkin, Y. V.

2017-10-01

Acoustic path is analyzed and main parameters of guided wave testing are substanti- ated applied to pipes of small diameters. The method is implemented using longitudinal L(0,1) and torsional T(0,1) waves based on electromagnetic-acoustic (EMA) transducers. The method of multiple reflections (MMR) combines echo-through, amplitude-shadow and time-shadow methods. Due to the effect of coherent amplification of echo-pulses from defects the sensitivity to the defects of small sizes at the signal analysis on the far reflections is increased. An oppor- tunity of detection of both local defects (dents, corrosion damages, rolling features, pitting, cracks) and defects extended along the pipe is shown.

Wireless acoustic-electric feed-through for power and signal transmission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doty, Benjamin (Inventor); Badescu, Mircea (Inventor); Sherrit, Stewart (Inventor); Bao, Xiaoqi (Inventor); Bar-Cohen, Yoseph (Inventor); Chang, Zensheu (Inventor)

2011-01-01

An embodiment provides electrical energy from a source on one side of a medium to a load on the other side of the medium, the embodiment including a first piezoelectric to generate acoustic energy in response to electrical energy from the source, and a second piezoelectric to convert the received acoustic energy to electrical energy used by the load. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Note: High-efficiency broadband acoustic energy harvesting using Helmholtz resonator and dual piezoelectric cantilever beams

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

Yang, Aichao; Li, Ping, E-mail: liping@cqu.edu.cn; Wen, Yumei

2014-06-15

A high-efficiency broadband acoustic energy harvester consisting of a compliant-top-plate Helmholtz resonator (HR) and dual piezoelectric cantilever beams is proposed. Due to the high mechanical quality factor of beams and the strong multimode coupling of HR cavity, top plate and beams, the high efficiency in a broad bandwidth is obtained. Experiment exhibits that the proposed harvester at 170–206 Hz has 28–188 times higher efficiency than the conventional harvester using a HR with a piezoelectric composite diaphragm. For input acoustic pressure of 2.0 Pa, the proposed harvester exhibits 0.137–1.43 mW output power corresponding to 0.035–0.36 μW cm{sup −3} volume power density atmore » 170–206 Hz.« less

Background Studies for Acoustic Neutrino Detection at the South Pole

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abbasi, R.; Abdou, Y.; Adams, J.; Aguilar, J. A.; Ahlers, M.; Andeen, K.; Auffenberg, J.; Bai, X.; Baker, M.; Barwick, S. W.;

Background studies for acoustic neutrino detection at the South Pole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbasi, R.; Abdou, Y.; Abu-Zayyad, T.; Adams, J.; Aguilar, J. A.; Ahlers, M.; Andeen, K.; Auffenberg, J.; Bai, X.; Baker, M.; Barwick, S. W.; Bay, R.; Bazo Alba, J. L.; Beattie, K.; Beatty, J. J.; Bechet, S.; Becker, J. K.; Becker, K.-H.; Benabderrahmane, M. L.; Benzvi, S.; Berdermann, J.; Berghaus, P.; Berley, D.; Bernardini, E.; Bertrand, D.; Besson, D. Z.; Bindig, D.; Bissok, M.; Blaufuss, E.; Blumenthal, J.; Boersma, D. J.; Bohm, C.; Bose, D.; Böser, S.; Botner, O.; Braun, J.; Brown, A. M.; Buitink, S.; Carson, M.; Chirkin, D.; Christy, B.; Clem, J.; Clevermann, F.; Cohen, S.; Colnard, C.; Cowen, D. F.; D'Agostino, M. V.; Danninger, M.; Daughhetee, J.; Davis, J. C.; de Clercq, C.; Demirörs, L.; Denger, T.; Depaepe, O.; Descamps, F.; Desiati, P.; de Vries-Uiterweerd, G.; Deyoung, T.; Díaz-Vélez, J. C.; Dierckxsens, M.; Dreyer, J.; Dumm, J. P.; Ehrlich, R.; Eisch, J.; Ellsworth, R. W.; Engdegård, O.; Euler, S.; Evenson, P. A.; Fadiran, O.; Fazely, A. R.; Fedynitch, A.; Feusels, T.; Filimonov, K.; Finley, C.; Fischer-Wasels, T.; Foerster, M. M.; Fox, B. D.; Franckowiak, A.; Franke, R.; Gaisser, T. K.; Gallagher, J.; Geisler, M.; Gerhardt, L.; Gladstone, L.; Glüsenkamp, T.; Goldschmidt, A.; Goodman, J. A.; Grant, D.; Griesel, T.; Groß, A.; Grullon, S.; Gurtner, M.; Ha, C.; Hallgren, A.; Halzen, F.; Han, K.; Hanson, K.; Heinen, D.; Helbing, K.; Herquet, P.; Hickford, S.; Hill, G. C.; Hoffman, K. D.; Homeier, A.; Hoshina, K.; Hubert, D.; Huelsnitz, W.; Hülß, J.-P.; Hulth, P. O.; Hultqvist, K.; Hussain, S.; Ishihara, A.; Jacobsen, J.; Japaridze, G. S.; Johansson, H.; Joseph, J. M.; Kampert, K.-H.; Kappes, A.; Karg, T.; Karle, A.; Kelley, J. L.; Kenny, P.; Kiryluk, J.; Kislat, F.; Klein, S. R.; Köhne, J.-H.; Kohnen, G.; Kolanoski, H.; Köpke, L.; Kopper, S.; Koskinen, D. J.; Kowalski, M.; Kowarik, T.; Krasberg, M.; Krings, T.; Kroll, G.; Kuehn, K.; Kuwabara, T.; Labare, M.; Lafebre, S.; Laihem, K.; Landsman, H.; Larson, M. J.; Lauer, R.; Lünemann, J.; Madsen, J.; Majumdar, P.; Marotta, A.; Maruyama, R.; Mase, K.; Matis, H. S.; Meagher, K.; Merck, M.; Mészáros, P.; Meures, T.; Middell, E.; Milke, N.; Miller, J.; Montaruli, T.; Morse, R.; Movit, S. M.; Nahnhauer, R.; Nam, J. W.; Naumann, U.; Nießen, P.; Nygren, D. R.; Odrowski, S.; Olivas, A.; Olivo, M.; O'Murchadha, A.; Ono, M.; Panknin, S.; Paul, L.; Pérez de Los Heros, C.; Petrovic, J.; Piegsa, A.; Pieloth, D.; Porrata, R.; Posselt, J.; Price, P. B.; Prikockis, M.; Przybylski, G. T.; Rawlins, K.; Redl, P.; Resconi, E.; Rhode, W.; Ribordy, M.; Rizzo, A.; Rodrigues, J. P.; Roth, P.; Rothmaier, F.; Rott, C.; Ruhe, T.; Rutledge, D.; Ruzybayev, B.; Ryckbosch, D.; Sander, H.-G.; Santander, M.; Sarkar, S.; Schatto, K.; Schmidt, T.; Schönwald, A.; Schukraft, A.; Schultes, A.; Schulz, O.; Schunck, M.; Seckel, D.; Semburg, B.; Seo, S. H.; Sestayo, Y.; Seunarine, S.; Silvestri, A.; Slipak, A.; Spiczak, G. M.; Spiering, C.; Stamatikos, M.; Stanev, T.; Stephens, G.; Stezelberger, T.; Stokstad, R. G.; Stössl, A.; Stoyanov, S.; Strahler, E. A.; Straszheim, T.; Stür, M.; Sullivan, G. W.; Swillens, Q.; Taavola, H.; Taboada, I.; Tamburro, A.; Tepe, A.; Ter-Antonyan, S.; Tilav, S.; Toale, P. A.; Toscano, S.; Tosi, D.; Turčan, D.; van Eijndhoven, N.; Vandenbroucke, J.; van Overloop, A.; van Santen, J.; Vehring, M.; Voge, M.; Walck, C.; Waldenmaier, T.; Wallraff, M.; Walter, M.; Weaver, Ch.; Wendt, C.; Westerhoff, S.; Whitehorn, N.; Wiebe, K.; Wiebusch, C. H.; Williams, D. R.; Wischnewski, R.; Wissing, H.; Wolf, M.; Woschnagg, K.; Xu, C.; Xu, X. W.; Yanez, J. P.; Yodh, G.; Yoshida, S.; Zarzhitsk, P.

2012-01-01

The detection of acoustic signals from ultra-high energy neutrino interactions is a promising method to measure the flux of cosmogenic neutrinos expected on Earth. The energy threshold for this process depends strongly on the absolute noise level in the target material. The South Pole Acoustic Test Setup (SPATS), deployed in the upper part of four boreholes of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, has monitored the noise in Antarctic ice at the geographic South Pole for more than two years down to 500 m depth. The noise is very stable and Gaussian distributed. Lacking an in situ calibration up to now, laboratory measurements have been used to estimate the absolute noise level in the 10-50 kHz frequency range to be smaller than 20 mPa. Using a threshold trigger, sensors of the South Pole Acoustic Test Setup registered acoustic events in the IceCube detector volume and its vicinity. Acoustic signals from refreezing IceCube holes and from anthropogenic sources have been used to test the localization of acoustic events. An upper limit on the neutrino flux at energies Eν > 1011 GeV is derived from acoustic data taken over eight months.

Acoustic Effects in Classical Nucleation Theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baird, J. K.; Su, C.-H.

2017-01-01

The effect of sound wave oscillations on the rate of nucleation in a parent phase can be calculated by expanding the free energy of formation of a nucleus of the second phase in powers of the acoustic pressure. Since the period of sound wave oscillation is much shorter than the time scale for nucleation, the acoustic effect can be calculated as a time average of the free energy of formation of the nucleus. The leading non-zero term in the time average of the free energy is proportional to the square of the acoustic pressure. The Young-Laplace equation for the surface tension of the nucleus can be used to link the time average of the square of the pressure in the parent phase to its time average in the nucleus of the second phase. Due to the surface tension, the pressure in the nuclear phase is higher than the pressure in the parent phase. The effect is to lower the free energy of formation of the nucleus and increase the rate of nucleation.

Simulations of acoustic waves in channels and phonation in glottal ducts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Jubiao; Krane, Michael; Zhang, Lucy

2014-11-01

Numerical simulations of acoustic wave propagation were performed by solving compressible Navier-Stokes equations using finite element method. To avoid numerical contamination of acoustic field induced by non-physical reflections at computational boundaries, a Perfectly Matched Layer (PML) scheme was implemented to attenuate the acoustic waves and their reflections near these boundaries. The acoustic simulation was further combined with the simulation of interaction of vocal fold vibration and glottal flow, using our fully-coupled Immersed Finite Element Method (IFEM) approach, to study phonation in the glottal channel. In order to decouple the aeroelastic and aeroacoustic aspects of phonation, the airway duct used has a uniform cross section with PML properly applied. The dynamics of phonation were then studied by computing the terms of the equations of motion for a control volume comprised of the fluid in the vicinity of the vocal folds. It is shown that the principal dynamics is comprised of the near cancellation of the pressure force driving the flow through the glottis, and the aerodynamic drag on the vocal folds. Aeroacoustic source strengths are also presented, estimated from integral quantities computed in the source region, as well as from the radiated acoustic field.

Coherent entropy induced and acoustic noise separation in compact nozzles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, Wenjie; Schuller, Thierry; Huet, Maxime; Richecoeur, Franck

2017-04-01

A method to separate entropy induced noise from an acoustic pressure wave in an harmonically perturbed flow through a nozzle is presented. It is tested on an original experimental setup generating simultaneously acoustic and temperature fluctuations in an air flow that is accelerated by a convergent nozzle. The setup mimics the direct and indirect noise contributions to the acoustic pressure field in a confined combustion chamber by producing synchronized acoustic and temperature fluctuations, without dealing with the complexity of the combustion process. It allows generating temperature fluctuations with amplitude up to 10 K in the frequency range from 10 to 100 Hz. The noise separation technique uses experiments with and without temperature fluctuations to determine the relative level of acoustic and entropy fluctuations in the system and to identify the nozzle response to these forcing waves. It requires multi-point measurements of acoustic pressure and temperature. The separation method is first validated with direct numerical simulations of the nonlinear Euler equations. These simulations are used to investigate the conditions for which the separation technique is valid and yield similar trends as the experiments for the investigated flow operating conditions. The separation method then gives successfully the acoustic reflection coefficient but does not recover the same entropy reflection coefficient as predicted by the compact nozzle theory due to the sensitivity of the method to signal noises in the explored experimental conditions. This methodology provides a framework for experimental investigation of direct and indirect combustion noises originating from synchronized perturbations.

Acoustic emissions verification testing of International Space Station experiment racks at the NASA Glenn Research Center Acoustical Testing Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akers, James C.; Passe, Paul J.; Cooper, Beth A.

2005-09-01

The Acoustical Testing Laboratory (ATL) at the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, OH, provides acoustic emission testing and noise control engineering services for a variety of specialized customers, particularly developers of equipment and science experiments manifested for NASA's manned space missions. The ATL's primary customer has been the Fluids and Combustion Facility (FCF), a multirack microgravity research facility being developed at GRC for the USA Laboratory Module of the International Space Station (ISS). Since opening in September 2000, ATL has conducted acoustic emission testing of components, subassemblies, and partially populated FCF engineering model racks. The culmination of this effort has been the acoustic emission verification tests on the FCF Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) and Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR), employing a procedure that incorporates ISO 11201 (``Acoustics-Noise emitted by machinery and equipment-Measurement of emission sound pressure levels at a work station and at other specified positions-Engineering method in an essentially free field over a reflecting plane''). This paper will provide an overview of the test methodology, software, and hardware developed to perform the acoustic emission verification tests on the CIR and FIR flight racks and lessons learned from these tests.

Numerical Investigation of the Acoustic Damping of Plane Acoustic Waves by Perforated Liners with Bias Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Dan; Zhong, Zhi Yuan

Perforated liners are extensively used in aero-engines and gas turbine combustors to suppress combustion instabilities. These liners, typically subjected to a low Mach number bias flow (a cooling flow through perforated holes), are fitted along the bounding walls of a combustor to convert acoustic energy into flow energy by generating vorticity at the rims of the perforated apertures. To investigate the acoustic damping of such liners with bias flow on plane acoustic waves, a time-domain numerical model is developed to compute acoustic wave propagation in a cylindrical duct with a single-layer liner attached. The damping mechanism of the liner is characterized in real-time by using a 'compliance', developed especially for this work. It is a rational function representation of the frequency-domain homogeneous compliance adapted from the Rayleigh conductivity of a single aperture with mean bias flow in the z-domain. The liner 'compliance' model is then incorporated into partial differential equations of the duct system, which are solved by using the method of lines. The numerical results are then evaluated by comparing with the numerical results of Eldredge and Dowling's frequency-domain model. Good agreement is observed. This confirms that the model and the approach developed are suitable for real-time characterizing the acoustic damping of perforated liners.

Lightweight Filter Architecture for Energy Efficient Mobile Vehicle Localization Based on a Distributed Acoustic Sensor Network

PubMed Central

Kim, Keonwook

2013-01-01

The generic properties of an acoustic signal provide numerous benefits for localization by applying energy-based methods over a deployed wireless sensor network (WSN). However, the signal generated by a stationary target utilizes a significant amount of bandwidth and power in the system without providing further position information. For vehicle localization, this paper proposes a novel proximity velocity vector estimator (PVVE) node architecture in order to capture the energy from a moving vehicle and reject the signal from motionless automobiles around the WSN node. A cascade structure between analog envelope detector and digital exponential smoothing filter presents the velocity vector-sensitive output with low analog circuit and digital computation complexity. The optimal parameters in the exponential smoothing filter are obtained by analytical and mathematical methods for maximum variation over the vehicle speed. For stationary targets, the derived simulation based on the acoustic field parameters demonstrates that the system significantly reduces the communication requirements with low complexity and can be expected to extend the operation time considerably. PMID:23979482

Holograms for acoustics.

PubMed

Melde, Kai; Mark, Andrew G; Qiu, Tian; Fischer, Peer

2016-09-22

Holographic techniques are fundamental to applications such as volumetric displays, high-density data storage and optical tweezers that require spatial control of intricate optical or acoustic fields within a three-dimensional volume. The basis of holography is spatial storage of the phase and/or amplitude profile of the desired wavefront in a manner that allows that wavefront to be reconstructed by interference when the hologram is illuminated with a suitable coherent source. Modern computer-generated holography skips the process of recording a hologram from a physical scene, and instead calculates the required phase profile before rendering it for reconstruction. In ultrasound applications, the phase profile is typically generated by discrete and independently driven ultrasound sources; however, these can only be used in small numbers, which limits the complexity or degrees of freedom that can be attained in the wavefront. Here we introduce monolithic acoustic holograms, which can reconstruct diffraction-limited acoustic pressure fields and thus arbitrary ultrasound beams. We use rapid fabrication to craft the holograms and achieve reconstruction degrees of freedom two orders of magnitude higher than commercial phased array sources. The technique is inexpensive, appropriate for both transmission and reflection elements, and scales well to higher information content, larger aperture size and higher power. The complex three-dimensional pressure and phase distributions produced by these acoustic holograms allow us to demonstrate new approaches to controlled ultrasonic manipulation of solids in water, and of liquids and solids in air. We expect that acoustic holograms will enable new capabilities in beam-steering and the contactless transfer of power, improve medical imaging, and drive new applications of ultrasound.

Triad Resonance in the Gravity-Acoustic Family

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kadri, U.

2015-12-01

Resonance interactions of waves play a prominent role in energy share among the different wave types involved. Such interactions may significantly contribute, among others, to the evolution of the ocean energy spectrum by exchanging energy between surface-gravity waves; surface and internal gravity waves; or even surface and compression-type waves, that can transfer energy from the upper ocean through the whole water column reaching down to the seafloor. A resonant triad occurs among a triplet of waves, usually involving interaction of nonlinear terms of second order perturbed equations. Until recently, it has been believed that in a homogeneous fluid a resonant triad is possible only when tension forces are included, or at the limit of a shallow water, and that when the compressibility of water is considered, no resonant triads can occur within the family of gravity-acoustic waves. However, more recently it has been proved that, under some circumstances, resonant triads comprising two opposing surface-gravity waves of similar periods (though not identical) and a much longer acoustic-gravity wave, of almost double the frequency, exist [Kadri and Stiassnie 2013, J. Fluid Mech.735 R6]. Here, I report on a new resonant triad involving a gravity wave and two acoustic waves of almost double the length. Interestingly, the two acoustic waves propagate in the same direction with similar wavelengths, that are almost double of that of the gravity wave. The evolution of the wave triad amplitudes is periodic and it is derived analytically, in terms of Jacobian elliptic functions and elliptic integrals. The physical importance of this type of triad interactions is the modulation of pertinent acoustic signals, leading to inaccurate signal perceptions. Enclosed figure: presents an example spatio-temporal evolution of the wave triad amplitudes. The gravity wave (top) remains almost unaltered, while the envelope slowly displaces to the left. However, the prescribed acoustic

Reflectance Infrared Spectroscopy on Operating Surface Acoustic Wave Chemical Sensors During Exposure to Gas-Phase Analytes

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

Hierlemann, A.; Hill, M.; Ricco, A.J.

We have developed instrumentation to enable the combination of surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor measurements with direct, in-situ molecular spectroscopic measurements to understand the response of the SAW sensors with respect to the interfacial chemistry of surface-confined sensing films interacting with gas-phase analytes. Specifically, the instrumentation and software was developed to perform in-situ Fourier-transform infrared external-reflectance spectroscopy (FTIR-ERS) on operating SAW devices during dosing of their chemically modified surfaces with analytes. By probing the surface with IR spectroscopy during gas exposure, it is possible to understand in unprecedented detail the interaction processes between the sorptive SAW coatings and the gaseousmore » analyte molecules. In this report, we provide details of this measurement system, and also demonstrate the utility of these combined measurements by characterizing the SAW and FTIR-ERS responses of organic thin-film sensor coatings interacting with gas-phase analytes.« less

A Volumetric Analysis of the Vocal Tract Associated with Laryngectomees Using Acoustic Reflection Technology.

PubMed

Ng, Manwa L; Yan, Nan; Chan, Venus; Chen, Yang; Lam, Paul K Y

2018-06-28

Previous studies of the laryngectomized vocal tract using formant frequencies reported contradictory findings. Imagining studies of the vocal tract in alaryngeal speakers are limited due to the possible radiation effect as well as the cost and time associated with the studies. The present study examined the vocal tract configuration of laryngectomized individuals using acoustic reflection technology. Thirty alaryngeal and 30 laryngeal male speakers of Cantonese participated in the study. A pharyngometer was used to obtain volumetric information of the vocal tract. All speakers were instructed to imitate the production of /a/ when the length and volume information of the oral cavity, pharyngeal cavity, and the entire vocal tract were obtained. The data of alaryngeal and laryngeal speakers were compared. Pharyngometric measurements revealed no significant difference in the vocal tract dimensions between laryngeal and alaryngeal speakers. Despite the removal of the larynx and a possible alteration in the pharyngeal cavity during total laryngectomy, the vocal tract configuration (length and volume) in laryngectomized individuals was not significantly different from laryngeal speakers. It is suggested that other factors might have affected formant measures in previous studies. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Acoustical monitoring of fish behavior in a tank

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conti, Stephan G.; Maurer, Benjamin D.; Roux, Philippe; Fauvel, Christian; Demer, David A.; Waters, Kendall R.

2004-10-01

In recent publications, it has been demonstrated that the total scattering cross section of fish moving in a tank can be estimated from ensembles of reverberation time series. However, the reproducibility of these measurements is influenced by parameters such as the motion or the behavior of the fish. In this work, we propose to observe acoustically the behavior of fish in a tank, and to measure their average speed. The total scattering cross section of live fish (sardines, sea bass and bocaccio) in a tank was measured repeatedly over multiple days. The species used in this study have different behaviors, which are reflected in the acoustical measurements. Depending on the behavior of the fish, such as the average displacement between two acoustic pings or the aggregation type, the total scattering cross section is different. Correlation between the acoustical measurements and the day and night behavior of the fish is demonstrated. Interpretation of such measurements can lead to monitoring acoustically and nonintrusively the behavior of fish in tanks.

Implementation of acoustic demultiplexing with membrane-type metasurface in low frequency range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xing; Liu, Peng; Hou, Zewei; Pei, Yongmao

2017-04-01

Wavelength division multiplexing technology, adopted to increase the information density, plays a significant role in optical communication. However, in acoustics, a similar function can be hardly implemented due to the weak dispersion in natural acoustic materials. Here, an acoustic demultiplexer, based on the concept of metasurfaces, is proposed for splitting acoustic waves and propagating along different trajectories in a low frequency range. An acoustic metasurface, containing multiple resonant units, is designed with various phase profiles for different frequencies. Originating from the highly dispersive properties, the resonant units are independent and merely work in the vicinity of their resonant frequencies. Therefore, by combing multiple resonant units appropriately, the phenomena of anomalous reflection, acoustic focusing, and acoustic wave bending can occur in different frequencies. The proposed acoustic demultiplexer has advantages on the subwavelength scale and the versatility in wave control, providing a strategy for separating acoustic waves with different Fourier components.

Hybrid CFD/CAA Modeling for Liftoff Acoustic Predictions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strutzenberg, Louise L.; Liever, Peter A.

2011-01-01

This paper presents development efforts at the NASA Marshall Space flight Center to establish a hybrid Computational Fluid Dynamics and Computational Aero-Acoustics (CFD/CAA) simulation system for launch vehicle liftoff acoustics environment analysis. Acoustic prediction engineering tools based on empirical jet acoustic strength and directivity models or scaled historical measurements are of limited value in efforts to proactively design and optimize launch vehicles and launch facility configurations for liftoff acoustics. CFD based modeling approaches are now able to capture the important details of vehicle specific plume flow environment, identifY the noise generation sources, and allow assessment of the influence of launch pad geometric details and sound mitigation measures such as water injection. However, CFD methodologies are numerically too dissipative to accurately capture the propagation of the acoustic waves in the large CFD models. The hybrid CFD/CAA approach combines the high-fidelity CFD analysis capable of identifYing the acoustic sources with a fast and efficient Boundary Element Method (BEM) that accurately propagates the acoustic field from the source locations. The BEM approach was chosen for its ability to properly account for reflections and scattering of acoustic waves from launch pad structures. The paper will present an overview of the technology components of the CFD/CAA framework and discuss plans for demonstration and validation against test data.

Acoustic metacages for sound shielding with steady air flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Chen; Xie, Yangbo; Li, Junfei; Cummer, Steven A.; Jing, Yun

2018-03-01

Conventional sound shielding structures typically prevent fluid transport between the exterior and interior. A design of a two-dimensional acoustic metacage with subwavelength thickness which can shield acoustic waves from all directions while allowing steady fluid flow is presented in this paper. The structure is designed based on acoustic gradient-index metasurfaces composed of open channels and shunted Helmholtz resonators. In-plane sound at an arbitrary angle of incidence is reflected due to the strong parallel momentum on the metacage surface, which leads to low sound transmission through the metacage. The performance of the proposed metacage is verified by numerical simulations and measurements on a three-dimensional printed prototype. The acoustic metacage has potential applications in sound insulation where steady fluid flow is necessary or advantageous.

Acoustic detection of pneumothorax

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mansy, Hansen A.; Royston, Thomas J.; Balk, Robert A.; Sandler, Richard H.

2003-04-01

This study aims at investigating the feasibility of using low-frequency (<2000 Hz) acoustic methods for medical diagnosis. Several candidate methods of pneumothorax detection were tested in dogs. In the first approach, broadband acoustic signals were introduced into the trachea during end-expiration and transmitted waves were measured at the chest surface. Pneumothorax was found to consistently decrease pulmonary acoustic transmission in the 200-1200-Hz frequency band, while less change was observed at lower frequencies (p<0.0001). The ratio of acoustic energy between low (<220 Hz) and mid (550-770 Hz) frequency bands was significantly different in the control (healthy) and pneumothorax states (p<0.0001). The second approach measured breath sounds in the absence of an external acoustic input. Pneumothorax was found to be associated with a preferential reduction of sound amplitude in the 200- to 700-Hz range, and a decrease of sound amplitude variation (in the 300 to 600-Hz band) during the respiration cycle (p<0.01 for each). Finally, chest percussion was implemented. Pneumothorax changed the frequency and decay rate of percussive sounds. These results imply that certain medical conditions may be reliably detected using appropriate acoustic measurements and analysis. [Work supported by NIH/NHLBI #R44HL61108.

Methods and apparatus for non-acoustic speech characterization and recognition

DOEpatents

Holzrichter, John F.

1999-01-01

By simultaneously recording EM wave reflections and acoustic speech information, the positions and velocities of the speech organs as speech is articulated can be defined for each acoustic speech unit. Well defined time frames and feature vectors describing the speech, to the degree required, can be formed. Such feature vectors can uniquely characterize the speech unit being articulated each time frame. The onset of speech, rejection of external noise, vocalized pitch periods, articulator conditions, accurate timing, the identification of the speaker, acoustic speech unit recognition, and organ mechanical parameters can be determined.

Methods and apparatus for non-acoustic speech characterization and recognition

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

Holzrichter, J.F.

By simultaneously recording EM wave reflections and acoustic speech information, the positions and velocities of the speech organs as speech is articulated can be defined for each acoustic speech unit. Well defined time frames and feature vectors describing the speech, to the degree required, can be formed. Such feature vectors can uniquely characterize the speech unit being articulated each time frame. The onset of speech, rejection of external noise, vocalized pitch periods, articulator conditions, accurate timing, the identification of the speaker, acoustic speech unit recognition, and organ mechanical parameters can be determined.

Matrix method for acoustic levitation simulation.

PubMed

Andrade, Marco A B; Perez, Nicolas; Buiochi, Flavio; Adamowski, Julio C

2011-08-01

A matrix method is presented for simulating acoustic levitators. A typical acoustic levitator consists of an ultrasonic transducer and a reflector. The matrix method is used to determine the potential for acoustic radiation force that acts on a small sphere in the standing wave field produced by the levitator. The method is based on the Rayleigh integral and it takes into account the multiple reflections that occur between the transducer and the reflector. The potential for acoustic radiation force obtained by the matrix method is validated by comparing the matrix method results with those obtained by the finite element method when using an axisymmetric model of a single-axis acoustic levitator. After validation, the method is applied in the simulation of a noncontact manipulation system consisting of two 37.9-kHz Langevin-type transducers and a plane reflector. The manipulation system allows control of the horizontal position of a small levitated sphere from -6 mm to 6 mm, which is done by changing the phase difference between the two transducers. The horizontal position of the sphere predicted by the matrix method agrees with the horizontal positions measured experimentally with a charge-coupled device camera. The main advantage of the matrix method is that it allows simulation of non-symmetric acoustic levitators without requiring much computational effort.

Combined Acoustic Propagation in Eastpac Region (Exercise CAPER): Initial Acoustic Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-06-01

the possibility of out- of -plane reflections off a second seamount when shadowed by the seamount chosen for crossing . Fieberling Tablemount then became...Hanna, then of the Acoustic Environ- mental Support Detachment (AESD), had a number of reservations and suggestions as to thle exercise plan. The...distance to Track A. The calculations of Fig. 4 were based on the pre- dicted sound-speed profile and on seamount cross sections taken at 1.8-km

Frequency modulation at a moving material interface and a conservation law for wave number. [acoustic wave reflection and transmission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kleinstein, G. G.; Gunzburger, M. D.

1976-01-01

An integral conservation law for wave numbers is considered. In order to test the validity of the proposed conservation law, a complete solution for the reflection and transmission of an acoustic wave impinging normally on a material interface moving at a constant speed is derived. The agreement between the frequency condition thus deduced from the dynamic equations of motion and the frequency condition derived from the jump condition associated with the integral equation supports the proposed law as a true conservation law. Additional comparisons such as amplitude discontinuities and Snells' law in a moving media further confirm the stated proposition. Results are stated concerning frequency and wave number relations across a shock front as predicted by the proposed conservation law.

Broadband unidirectional acoustic cloak based on phase gradient metasurfaces with two flat acoustic lenses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiao-Peng; Wan, Le-Le; Chen, Tian-Ning; Song, Ai-Ling; Wang, Fang

2016-07-01

Narrow bandwidth and bulky configuration are the main obstacles for the realization and application of invisible cloaks. In this paper, we present an effective method to achieve broadband and thin acoustic cloak by using an acoustic metasurface (AMS). In order to realize this cloak, we use slitted unit cells to design the AMS due to the advantage of less energy loss, broad operation bandwidth, and subwavelength thickness. According to the hyperboloidal phase profile along the AMS, the incident plane waves can be focused at a designed focal spot by the flat lens. Furthermore, broadband acoustic cloak is obtained by combining two identical flat lenses. The incident plane waves are focused at the center point in between of the two lenses by passing through one lens, and then recovered by passing through the other one. However, they cannot reach the cloaked regions in between of the two lenses. The simulation results can verify the non-detectability effect of the acoustic cloak. Our study results provide an available and simple approach to experimentally achieve the acoustic cloak, which can be used in acoustic non-detectability for large objects.

Acoustic and vibrational damping in porous solids.

PubMed

Göransson, Peter

2006-01-15

A porous solid may be characterized as an elastic-viscoelastic and acoustic-viscoacoustic medium. For a flexible, open cell porous foam, the transport of energy is carried both through the sound pressure waves propagating through the fluid in the pores, and through the elastic stress waves carried through the solid frame of the material. For a given situation, the balance between energy dissipated through vibration of the solid frame, changes in the acoustic pressure and the coupling between the waves varies with the topological arrangement, choice of material properties, interfacial conditions, etc. Engineering of foams, i.e. designs built on systematic and continuous relationships between polymer chemistry, processing, micro-structure, is still a vision for the future. However, using state-of-the-art simulation techniques, multiple layer arrangements of foams may be tuned to provide acoustic and vibrational damping at a low-weight penalty. In this paper, Biot's modelling of porous foams is briefly reviewed from an acoustics and vibrations perspective with a focus on the energy dissipation mechanisms. Engineered foams will be discussed in terms of results from simulations performed using finite element solutions. A layered vehicle-type structure is used as an example.

Material fabrication using acoustic radiation forces

DOEpatents

Sinha, Naveen N.; Sinha, Dipen N.; Goddard, Gregory Russ

2015-12-01

Apparatus and methods for using acoustic radiation forces to order particles suspended in a host liquid are described. The particles may range in size from nanometers to millimeters, and may have any shape. The suspension is placed in an acoustic resonator cavity, and acoustical energy is supplied thereto using acoustic transducers. The resulting pattern may be fixed by using a solidifiable host liquid, forming thereby a solid material. Patterns may be quickly generated; typical times ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes. In a one-dimensional arrangement, parallel layers of particles are formed. With two and three dimensional transducer arrangements, more complex particle configurations are possible since different standing-wave patterns may be generated in the resonator. Fabrication of periodic structures, such as metamaterials, having periods tunable by varying the frequency of the acoustic waves, on surfaces or in bulk volume using acoustic radiation forces, provides great flexibility in the creation of new materials. Periodicities may range from millimeters to sub-micron distances, covering a large portion of the range for optical and acoustical metamaterials.

Method for distinguishing multiple targets using time-reversal acoustics

DOEpatents

Berryman, James G.

2004-06-29

A method for distinguishing multiple targets using time-reversal acoustics. Time-reversal acoustics uses an iterative process to determine the optimum signal for locating a strongly reflecting target in a cluttered environment. An acoustic array sends a signal into a medium, and then receives the returned/reflected signal. This returned/reflected signal is then time-reversed and sent back into the medium again, and again, until the signal being sent and received is no longer changing. At that point, the array has isolated the largest eigenvalue/eigenvector combination and has effectively determined the location of a single target in the medium (the one that is most strongly reflecting). After the largest eigenvalue/eigenvector combination has been determined, to determine the location of other targets, instead of sending back the same signals, the method sends back these time reversed signals, but half of them will also be reversed in sign. There are various possibilities for choosing which half to do sign reversal. The most obvious choice is to reverse every other one in a linear array, or as in a checkerboard pattern in 2D. Then, a new send/receive, send-time reversed/receive iteration can proceed. Often, the first iteration in this sequence will be close to the desired signal from a second target. In some cases, orthogonalization procedures must be implemented to assure the returned signals are in fact orthogonal to the first eigenvector found.

Shear-horizontal vibration modes of an oblate elliptical cylinder and energy trapping in contoured acoustic wave resonators.

PubMed

He, Huijing; Yang, Jiashi; Kosinski, John A

2012-08-01

We study shear-horizontal free vibrations of an elastic cylinder with an oblate elliptical cross section and a traction-free surface. Exact vibration modes and frequencies are obtained. The results show the existence of thickness-shear and thickness-twist modes. The energy-trapping behavior of these modes is examined. Trapped modes are found wherein the vibration energy is largely confined to the central portion of the cross section and little vibration energy is found at the edges. It is also shown that face-shear modes are not allowed in such a cylinder. The results are useful for the understanding of the energy trapping phenomenon in contoured acoustic wave resonators.

Sensitivity analyses of acoustic impedance inversion with full-waveform inversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Gang; da Silva, Nuno V.; Wu, Di

2018-04-01

Acoustic impedance estimation has a significant importance to seismic exploration. In this paper, we use full-waveform inversion to recover the impedance from seismic data, and analyze the sensitivity of the acoustic impedance with respect to the source-receiver offset of seismic data and to the initial velocity model. We parameterize the acoustic wave equation with velocity and impedance, and demonstrate three key aspects of acoustic impedance inversion. First, short-offset data are most suitable for acoustic impedance inversion. Second, acoustic impedance inversion is more compatible with the data generated by density contrasts than velocity contrasts. Finally, acoustic impedance inversion requires the starting velocity model to be very accurate for achieving a high-quality inversion. Based upon these observations, we propose a workflow for acoustic impedance inversion as: (1) building a background velocity model with travel-time tomography or reflection waveform inversion; (2) recovering the intermediate wavelength components of the velocity model with full-waveform inversion constrained by Gardner’s relation; (3) inverting the high-resolution acoustic impedance model with short-offset data through full-waveform inversion. We verify this workflow by the synthetic tests based on the Marmousi model.

Near-specular acoustic scattering from a buried submarine mud volcano.

PubMed

Gerig, Anthony L; Holland, Charles W

2007-12-01

Submarine mud volcanoes are objects that form on the seafloor due to the emission of gas and fluidized sediment from the Earth's interior. They vary widely in size, can be exposed or buried, and are of interest to the underwater acoustics community as potential sources of active sonar clutter. Coincident seismic reflection data and low frequency bistatic scattering data were gathered from one such buried mud volcano located in the Straits of Sicily. The bistatic data were generated using a pulsed piston source and a 64-element horizontal array, both towed over the top of the volcano. The purpose of this work was to appropriately model low frequency scattering from the volcano using the bistatic returns, seismic bathymetry, and knowledge of the general geoacoustic properties of the area's seabed to guide understanding and model development. Ray theory, with some approximations, was used to model acoustic propagation through overlying layers. Due to the volcano's size, scattering was modeled using geometric acoustics and a simple representation of volcano shape. Modeled bistatic data compared relatively well with experimental data, although some features remain unexplained. Results of an inversion for the volcano's reflection coefficient indicate that it may be acoustically softer than expected.

Acoustic-radiation stress in solids. I - Theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cantrell, J. H., Jr.

1984-01-01

The general case of acoustic-radiation stress associated with quasi-compressional and quasi-shear waves propagating in infinite and semiinfinite lossless solids of arbitrary crystalline symmetry is studied. The Boussinesq radiation stress is defined and found to depend directly on an acoustic nonlinearity parameter which characterizes the radiation-induced static strain, a stress-generalized nonlinearity parameter which characterizes the stress nonlinearity, and the energy density of the propagating wave. Application of the Boltzmann-Ehrenfest principle of adiabatic invariance to a self-constrained system described by the nonlinear equations of motion allows the acoustic-radiation-induced static strain to be identified with a self-constrained variation in the time-averaged product of the internal energy density and displacement gradient. The time-averaged product is scaled by the acoustic nonlinearity parameter and represents the first-order nonlinearity in the virial theorem. Finally, the relationship between the Boussinesq and the Cauchy radiation stress is obtained in a closed three-dimensional form.

Comparision of Bathymetry and Bottom Characteristics From Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Data and Shipborne Acoustic Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McIntyre, M. L.; Naar, D. F.; Carder, K. L.; Howd, P. A.; Lewis, J. M.; Donahue, B. T.; Chen, F. R.

2002-12-01

There is growing interest in applying optical remote sensing techniques to shallow-water geological applications such as bathymetry and bottom characterization. Model inversions of hyperspectral remote-sensing reflectance imagery can provide estimates of bottom albedo and depth. This research was conducted in support of the HyCODE (Hyperspectral Coupled Ocean Dynamics Experiment) project in order to test optical sensor performance and the use of a hyperspectral remote-sensing reflectance algorithm for shallow waters in estimating bottom depths and reflectance. The objective of this project was to compare optically derived products of bottom depths and reflectance to shipborne acoustic measurements of bathymetry and backscatter. A set of three high-resolution, multibeam surveys within an 18 km by 1.5 km shore-perpendicular transect 5 km offshore of Sarasota, Florida were collected at water depths ranging from 8 m to 16 m. These products are compared to bottom depths derived from aircraft remote-sensing data collected with the AVIRIS (Airborne Visible-Infrared Imaging Spectrometer) instrument data by means of a semi-analytical remote sensing reflectance model. The pixel size of the multibeam bathymetry and AVIRIS data are 0.25 m and 10 m, respectively. When viewed at full resolution, the multibeam bathymetry data show small-scale sedimentary bedforms (wavelength ~10m, amplitude ~1m) that are not observed in the lower resolution hyperspectral bathymetry. However, model-derived bottom depths agree well with a smoothed version of the multibeam bathymetry. Depths derived from shipborne hyperspectral measurements were accurate within 13%. In areas where diver observations confirmed biological growth and bioturbation, derived bottom depths were less accurate. Acoustic backscatter corresponds well with the aircraft hyperspectral imagery and in situ measurements of bottom reflectance. Acoustic backscatter was used to define the distribution of different bottom types

Acoustic microscope surface inspection system and method

DOEpatents

Khuri-Yakub, Butrus T.; Parent, Philippe; Reinholdtsen, Paul A.

1991-01-01

An acoustic microscope surface inspection system and method in which pulses of high frequency electrical energy are applied to a transducer which forms and focuses acoustic energy onto a selected location on the surface of an object and receives energy from the location and generates electrical pulses. The phase of the high frequency electrical signal pulses are stepped with respected to the phase of a reference signal at said location. An output signal is generated which is indicative of the surface of said selected location. The object is scanned to provide output signals representative of the surface at a plurality of surface locations.

Motion measurement of acoustically levitated object

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watkins, John L. (Inventor); Barmatz, Martin B. (Inventor)

1993-01-01

A system is described for determining motion of an object that is acoustically positioned in a standing wave field in a chamber. Sonic energy in the chamber is sensed, and variation in the amplitude of the sonic energy is detected, which is caused by linear motion, rotational motion, or drop shape oscillation of the object. Apparatus for detecting object motion can include a microphone coupled to the chamber and a low pass filter connected to the output of the microphone, which passes only frequencies below the frequency of sound produced by a transducer that maintains the acoustic standing wave field. Knowledge about object motion can be useful by itself, can be useful to determine surface tension, viscosity, and other information about the object, and can be useful to determine the pressure and other characteristics of the acoustic field.

Physics of reflective optics for the soft gamma-ray photon energy range

DOE PAGES

Fernandez-Perea, Monica; Descalle, Marie -Anne; Soufli, Regina; ...

2013-07-12

Traditional multilayer reflective optics that have been used in the past for imaging at x-ray photon energies as high as 200 keV are governed by classical wave phenomena. However, their behavior at higher energies is unknown, because of the increasing effect of incoherent scattering and the disagreement between experimental and theoretical optical properties of materials in the hard x-ray and gamma-ray regimes. Here, we demonstrate that multilayer reflective optics can operate efficiently and according to classical wave physics up to photon energies of at least 384 keV. We also use particle transport simulations to quantitatively determine that incoherent scattering takesmore » place in the mirrors but it does not affect the performance at the Bragg angles of operation. Furthermore, our results open up new possibilities of reflective optical designs in a spectral range where only diffractive optics (crystals and lenses) and crystal monochromators have been available until now.« less

The determination of the acoustic parameters of volcanic rocks from compressional velocity measurements

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carroll, R.D.

1969-01-01

A statistical analysis was made of the relationship of various acoustic parameters of volcanic rocks to compressional wave velocities for data obtained in a volcanic region in Nevada. Some additional samples, chiefly granitic rocks, were also included in the study to extend the range of parameters and the variety of siliceous rock types sampled. Laboratory acoustic measurements obtained on 62 dry core samples were grouped with similar measurements obtained from geophysical logging devices at several depth intervals in a hole from which 15 of the core samples had been obtained. The effects of lithostatic and hydrostatic load on changing the rock acoustic parameters measured in the hole were noticeable when compared with the laboratory measurements on the same core. The results of the analyses determined by grouping all of the data, however, indicate that dynamic Young's, shear and bulk modulus, shear velocity, shear and compressional characteristic impedance, as well as amplitude and energy reflection coefficients may be reliably estimated on the basis of the compressional wave velocities of the rocks investigated. Less precise estimates can be made of density based on the rock compressional velocity. The possible extension of these relationships to include many siliceous rocks is suggested. ?? 1969.

Virtual Acoustics: Evaluation of Psychoacoustic Parameters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Begault, Durand R.; Null, Cynthia H. (Technical Monitor)

1997-01-01

Current virtual acoustic displays for teleconferencing and virtual reality are usually limited to very simple or non-existent renderings of reverberation, a fundamental part of the acoustic environmental context that is encountered in day-to-day hearing. Several research efforts have produced results that suggest that environmental cues dramatically improve perceptual performance within virtual acoustic displays, and that is possible to manipulate signal processing parameters to effectively reproduce important aspects of virtual acoustic perception in real-time. However, the computational resources for rendering reverberation remain formidable. Our efforts at NASA Ames have been focused using a several perceptual threshold metrics, to determine how various "trade-offs" might be made in real-time acoustic rendering. This includes both original work and confirmation of existing data that was obtained in real rather than virtual environments. The talk will consider the importance of using individualized versus generalized pinnae cues (the "Head-Related Transfer Function"); the use of head movement cues; threshold data for early reflections and late reverberation; and consideration of the necessary accuracy for measuring and rendering octave-band absorption characteristics of various wall surfaces. In addition, a consideration of the analysis-synthesis of the reverberation within "everyday spaces" (offices, conference rooms) will be contrasted to the commonly used paradigm of concert hall spaces.

Normative wideband reflectance, equivalent admittance at the tympanic membrane, and acoustic stapedius reflex threshold in adults

PubMed Central

Feeney, M. Patrick; Keefe, Douglas H.; Hunter, Lisa L.; Fitzpatrick, Denis F.; Garinis, Angela C.; Putterman, Daniel B.; McMillan, Garnett P.

2016-01-01

Objectives Wideband acoustic immittance (WAI) measures such as pressure reflectance, parameterized by absorbance and group delay, equivalent admittance at the tympanic membrane (TM), and acoustic stapedius reflex threshold (ASRT) describe middle-ear function across a wide frequency range, compared to traditional tests employing a single frequency. The objective of this study was to obtain normative data using these tests for a group of normal hearing adults and investigate test-retest reliability using a longitudinal design. Design A longitudinal prospective design was used to obtain normative test and retest data on clinical and WAI measures. Subjects were 13 males and 20 females (mean age = 25 y). Inclusion criteria included normal audiometry and clinical immittance. Subjects were tested on two separate visits approximately one month apart. Reflectance and equivalent admittance at the TM were measured from 0.25 to 8.0 kHz under three conditions: at ambient pressure in the ear canal and with pressure sweeps from positive to negative pressure (downswept) and negative to positive pressure (upswept). Equivalent admittance at the TM was calculated using admittance measurements at the probe tip which were adjusted using a model of sound transmission in the ear canal and acoustic estimates of ear-canal area and length. Wideband ASRTs were measured at tympanometric peak pressure (TPP) derived from the average TPP of downswept and upswept tympanograms. Descriptive statistics were obtained for all WAI responses, and wideband and clinical ASRTs were compared. Results Mean absorbance at ambient pressure and TPP demonstrated a broad band-pass pattern typical of previous studies. Test-retest differences were lower for absorbance at TPP for the downswept method compared to ambient pressure at frequencies between 1.0 and 1.26 kHz. Mean tympanometric peak-to-tail differences for absorbance were greatest around 1.0 to 2.0 kHz and similar for positive and negative tails. Mean group

Effects of acoustic deterrents on foraging bats

Treesearch

Joshua B. Johnson; W. Mark Ford; Jane L. Rodrigue; John W. Edwards

2012-01-01

Significant bat mortality events associated with wind energy expansion, particularly in the Appalachians, have highlighted the need for development of possible mitigation practices to reduce or prevent strike mortality. Other than increasing turbine cut-in speed, acoustic deterrents probably hold the greatest promise for reducing bat mortality. However, acoustic...

Acoustic propagation in curved ducts with extended reacting wall treatment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baumeister, Kenneth J.

1989-01-01

A finite-element Galerkin formulation was employed to study the attenuation of acoustic waves propagating in two-dimensional S-curved ducts with absorbing walls without a mean flow. The reflection and transmission at the entrance and the exit of a curved duct were determined by coupling the finite-element solutions in the curved duct to the eigenfunctions of an infinite, uniform, hard wall duct. In the frequency range where the duct height and acoustic wave length are nearly equal, the effects of duct length, curvature (duct offset) and absorber thickness were examined. For a given offset in the curved duct, the length of the S-duct was found to significantly affect both the absorptive and reflective characteristics of the duct. A means of reducing the number of elements in the absorber region was also presented. In addition, for a curved duct, power attenuation contours were examined to determine conditions for maximum acoustic power absorption. Again, wall curvature was found to significantly effect the optimization process.

Observation of Metal Nanoparticles for Acoustic Manipulation

PubMed Central

Chen, Mian; Cai, Feiyan; Wang, Chen; Wang, Zhiyong; Meng, Long; Li, Fei; Zhang, Pengfei; Liu, Xin

2017-01-01

Use of acoustic trapping for the manipulation of objects is invaluable to many applications from cellular subdivision to biological assays. Despite remarkable progress in a wide size range, the precise acoustic manipulation of 0D nanoparticles where all the structural dimensions are much smaller than the acoustic wavelength is still present challenges. This study reports on the observation of metal nanoparticles with different nanostructures for acoustic manipulation. Results for the first time exhibit that the hollow nanostructures play more important factor than size in the nanoscale acoustic manipulation. The acoustic levitation and swarm aggregations of the metal nanoparticles can be easily realized at low energy and clinically acceptable acoustic frequency by hollowing their nanostructures. In addition, the behaviors of swarm aggregations can be flexibly regulated by the applied voltage and frequency. This study anticipates that the strategy based on the unique properties of the metal hollow nanostructures and the manipulation method will be highly desirable for many applications. PMID:28546912

Observation of Metal Nanoparticles for Acoustic Manipulation.

PubMed

Chen, Mian; Cai, Feiyan; Wang, Chen; Wang, Zhiyong; Meng, Long; Li, Fei; Zhang, Pengfei; Liu, Xin; Zheng, Hairong

2017-05-01

Use of acoustic trapping for the manipulation of objects is invaluable to many applications from cellular subdivision to biological assays. Despite remarkable progress in a wide size range, the precise acoustic manipulation of 0D nanoparticles where all the structural dimensions are much smaller than the acoustic wavelength is still present challenges. This study reports on the observation of metal nanoparticles with different nanostructures for acoustic manipulation. Results for the first time exhibit that the hollow nanostructures play more important factor than size in the nanoscale acoustic manipulation. The acoustic levitation and swarm aggregations of the metal nanoparticles can be easily realized at low energy and clinically acceptable acoustic frequency by hollowing their nanostructures. In addition, the behaviors of swarm aggregations can be flexibly regulated by the applied voltage and frequency. This study anticipates that the strategy based on the unique properties of the metal hollow nanostructures and the manipulation method will be highly desirable for many applications.

Efficacy of passive acoustic screening: implications for the design of imager and MR-suite.

PubMed

Moelker, Adriaan; Vogel, Mika W; Pattynama, Peter M T

2003-02-01

To investigate the efficacy of passive acoustic screening in the magnetic resonance (MR) environment by reducing direct and indirect MR-related acoustic noise, both from the patient's and health worker's perspective. Direct acoustic noise refers to sound originating from the inner and outer shrouds of the MR imager, and indirect noise to acoustic reflections from the walls of the MR suite. Sound measurements were obtained inside the magnet bore (patient position) and at the entrance of the MR imager (health worker position). Inner and outer shrouds and walls were lined with thick layers of sound insulation to eliminate the direct and indirect acoustic pathways. Sound pressure levels (SPLs) and octave band frequencies were acquired during various MR imaging sequences at 1.5 T. Inside the magnet bore, direct acoustic noise radiating from the inner shroud was most relevant, with substantial reductions of up to 18.8 dB when using passive screening of the magnetic bore. At the magnet bore entrance, blocking acoustic noise from the outer shroud and reflections showed significant reductions of 4.5 and 2.8 dB, respectively, and 9.4 dB when simultaneously applied. Inner shroud coverage contributed minimally to the overall SPL reduction. Maximum noise reduction by passive acoustic screening can be achieved by reducing direct sound conduction through the inner and outer shrouds. Additional measures to optimize the acoustic properties of the MR suite have only little effect. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

A surface impedance-based three-channel acoustic metasurface retroreflector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Chen; Díaz-Rubio, Ana; Li, Junfei; Cummer, Steven A.

2018-04-01

We propose the design and measurement of an acoustic metasurface retroreflector that works at three discrete incident angles. An impedance model is developed such that for acoustic waves impinging at -60°, the reflected wave is defined by the surface impedance of the metasurface, which is realized by a periodic grating. At 0° and 60°, the retroreflection condition can be fulfilled by the diffraction of the surface. The thickness of the metasurface is about half of the operating wavelength and the retroreflector functions without parasitic diffraction associated with conventional gradient-index metasurfaces. Such highly efficient and compact retroreflectors open up possibilities in metamaterial-based acoustic sensing and communications.

Acoustic near-field characteristics of a conical, premixed flame

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Doh-Hyoung; Lieuwen, Tim C.

2003-01-01

The occurrence of self-excited pressure oscillations routinely plagues the development of combustion systems. These oscillations are often driven by interactions between the flame and acoustic perturbations. This study was performed to characterize the structure of the acoustic field in the near field of the flame and the manner in which it is influenced by oscillation frequency, combustor geometry, flame length and temperature ratio. The results of these calculations indicate that the acoustic velocity has primarily one- and two-dimensional features near the flame tip and base, respectively. The magnitude of the radial velocity components increases with temperature ratio across the flame, while their axial extent increases with frequency. However, the acoustic pressure has primarily one-dimensional characteristics. They also show that the acoustic field structure exhibits only moderate dependencies upon area expansion and flame temperature ratio for values typical of practical systems. Finally, they show that the local characteristics of the acoustic field, as well as the overall plane-wave reflection coefficient, exhibit a decreasing dependence upon the flame length as the area expansion ratio increases.

Acoustic near-field characteristics of a conical, premixed flame.

PubMed

Lee, Doh-Hyoung; Lieuwen, Tim C

2003-01-01

The occurrence of self-excited pressure oscillations routinely plagues the development of combustion systems. These oscillations are often driven by interactions between the flame and acoustic perturbations. This study was performed to characterize the structure of the acoustic field in the near field of the flame and the manner in which it is influenced by oscillation frequency, combustor geometry, flame length and temperature ratio. The results of these calculations indicate that the acoustic velocity has primarily one- and two-dimensional features near the flame tip and base, respectively. The magnitude of the radial velocity components increases with temperature ratio across the flame, while their axial extent increases with frequency. However, the acoustic pressure has primarily one-dimensional characteristics. They also show that the acoustic field structure exhibits only moderate dependencies upon area expansion and flame temperature ratio for values typical of practical systems. Finally, they show that the local characteristics of the acoustic field, as well as the overall plane-wave reflection coefficient, exhibit a decreasing dependence upon the flame length as the area expansion ratio increases.

Three-dimensional broadband omnidirectional acoustic ground cloak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zigoneanu, Lucian; Popa, Bogdan-Ioan; Cummer, Steven A.

2014-04-01

The control of sound propagation and reflection has always been the goal of engineers involved in the design of acoustic systems. A recent design approach based on coordinate transformations, which is applicable to many physical systems, together with the development of a new class of engineered materials called metamaterials, has opened the road to the unconstrained control of sound. However, the ideal material parameters prescribed by this methodology are complex and challenging to obtain experimentally, even using metamaterial design approaches. Not surprisingly, experimental demonstration of devices obtained using transformation acoustics is difficult, and has been implemented only in two-dimensional configurations. Here, we demonstrate the design and experimental characterization of an almost perfect three-dimensional, broadband, and, most importantly, omnidirectional acoustic device that renders a region of space three wavelengths in diameter invisible to sound.

Acoustical case studies of three green buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siebein, Gary; Lilkendey, Robert; Skorski, Stephen

2005-04-01

Case studies of 3 green buildings with LEED certifications that required extensive acoustical retrofit work to become satisfactory work environments for their intended user groups will be used to define areas where green building design concepts and acoustical design concepts require reconciliation. Case study 1 is an office and conference center for a city environmental education agency. Large open spaces intended to collect daylight through clerestory windows provided large, reverberant volumes with few acoustic finishes that rendered them unsuitable as open office space and a conference room/auditorium. Case Study 2 describes one of the first gold LEED buildings in the southeast whose primary design concepts were so narrowly focused on thermal and lighting issues that they often worked directly against basic acoustical requirements resulting in sound levels of NC 50-55 in classrooms and faculty offices, crosstalk between classrooms and poor room acoustics. Case study 3 is an environmental education and conference center with open public areas, very high ceilings, and all reflective surfaces made from wood and other environmentally friendly materials that result in excessive loudness when the building is used by the numbers of people which it was intended to serve.

Prediction of interior noise due to random acoustic or turbulent boundary layer excitation using statistical energy analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grosveld, Ferdinand W.

1990-01-01

The feasibility of predicting interior noise due to random acoustic or turbulent boundary layer excitation was investigated in experiments in which a statistical energy analysis model (VAPEPS) was used to analyze measurements of the acceleration response and sound transmission of flat aluminum, lucite, and graphite/epoxy plates exposed to random acoustic or turbulent boundary layer excitation. The noise reduction of the plate, when backed by a shallow cavity and excited by a turbulent boundary layer, was predicted using a simplified theory based on the assumption of adiabatic compression of the fluid in the cavity. The predicted plate acceleration response was used as input in the noise reduction prediction. Reasonable agreement was found between the predictions and the measured noise reduction in the frequency range 315-1000 Hz.

A perfect Fresnel acoustic reflector implemented by a Fano-resonant metascreen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amin, M.; Siddiqui, O.; Farhat, M.; Khelif, A.

2018-04-01

We propose a perfectly reflecting acoustic metasurface which is designed by replacing the curved segments of the traditional Fresnel reflector by flat Fano-resonant sub-wavelength unit cells. To preserve the original Fresnel focusing mechanism, the unit cell phase follows a specific phase profile which is obtained by applying the generalized Snell's law and Fermat's principle. The reflected curved phase fronts are thus created at the air-metasurface boundary by tailoring the metasurface dispersion as dictated by Huygens' principle. Since the unit cells are implemented by sub-wavelength double slit-shaped cavity resonators, the impinging sound waves are perfectly reflected producing acoustic focusing with negligible absorption. We use plane-wave solution and full-wave simulations to demonstrate the focusing effects. The simulation results closely follow the analytical predictions.

Implosion Source Development and Diego Garcia Reflections

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

Harben, P E; Boro, C

2001-06-01

Calibration of hydroacoustic stations for nuclear explosion monitoring is important for increasing monitoring capability and confidence from newly installed stations and from existing stations. Past work at Ascension Island has shown that ship-towed airguns can be effectively used for local calibrations such as sensor location, amplitude and phase response, and T-phase coupling in the case of T-phase stations. At regional and ocean-basin distances from a station, the calibration focus is on acoustic travel time, transmission loss, bathymetric shadowing, diffraction, and reflection as recorded at a particular station. Such station calibrations will lead to an overall network calibration that seeks tomore » maximize detection, location, and discrimination capability of events with acoustic signatures. Active-source calibration of hydroacoustic stations at regional and ocean-basin scales has not been attempted to date, but we have made significant headway addressing how such calibrations could be accomplished. We have developed an imploding sphere source that can be used instead of explosives on research and commercial vessels without restriction. The imploding sphere has been modeled using the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory hydrodynamic code CALE and shown to agree with field data. The need for boosted energy in the monitoring band (2-100 Hz) has led us to develop a 5-sphere implosion device that was tested in the Pacific Ocean earlier this year. Boosting the energy in the monitoring band can be accomplished by a combination of increasing the implosion volume (i.e. the 5-sphere device) and imploding at shallower depths. Although active source calibrations will be necessary at particular locations and for particular objectives, the newly installed Diego Garcia station in the Indian Ocean has shown that earthquakes can be used to help understand regional blockages and the locations responsible for observed hydroacoustic reflections. We have analyzed several

Defect-detection algorithm for noncontact acoustic inspection using spectrum entropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sugimoto, Kazuko; Akamatsu, Ryo; Sugimoto, Tsuneyoshi; Utagawa, Noriyuki; Kuroda, Chitose; Katakura, Kageyoshi

2015-07-01

In recent years, the detachment of concrete from bridges or tunnels and the degradation of concrete structures have become serious social problems. The importance of inspection, repair, and updating is recognized in measures against degradation. We have so far studied the noncontact acoustic inspection method using airborne sound and the laser Doppler vibrometer. In this method, depending on the surface state (reflectance, dirt, etc.), the quantity of the light of the returning laser decreases and optical noise resulting from the leakage of light reception arises. Some influencing factors are the stability of the output of the laser Doppler vibrometer, the low reflective characteristic of the measurement surface, the diffused reflection characteristic, measurement distance, and laser irradiation angle. If defect detection depends only on the vibration energy ratio since the frequency characteristic of the optical noise resembles white noise, the detection of optical noise resulting from the leakage of light reception may indicate a defective part. Therefore, in this work, the combination of the vibrational energy ratio and spectrum entropy is used to judge whether a measured point is healthy or defective or an abnormal measurement point. An algorithm that enables more vivid detection of a defective part is proposed. When our technique was applied in an experiment with real concrete structures, the defective part could be extracted more vividly and the validity of our proposed algorithm was confirmed.

Hydrodynamic Controls on Acoustical and Optical Water Properties in Tropical Reefs

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-30

scattering, absorption, and backscattering , shows more complex variations, with a strong diel signal , but with a tidal influence reflecting asymmetry in...Relative acoustic backscatter (ABS) profiles were derived from individual ADCP beam echo intensity correcting for range and absorption using the sonar...REFERENCES Deines K. L., 1999, Backscatter estimation using Broadband acoustic Doppler current profilers. Proceedings of the IEEE Sixth Working

Acoustic Transmitters for Underwater Neutrino Telescopes

PubMed Central

Ardid, Miguel; Martínez-Mora, Juan A.; Bou-Cabo, Manuel; Larosa, Giuseppina; Adrián-Martínez, Silvia; Llorens, Carlos D.

2012-01-01

In this paper acoustic transmitters that were developed for use in underwater neutrino telescopes are presented. Firstly, an acoustic transceiver has been developed as part of the acoustic positioning system of neutrino telescopes. These infrastructures are not completely rigid and require a positioning system in order to monitor the position of the optical sensors which move due to sea currents. To guarantee a reliable and versatile system, the transceiver has the requirements of reduced cost, low power consumption, high pressure withstanding (up to 500 bars), high intensity for emission, low intrinsic noise, arbitrary signals for emission and the capacity of acquiring and processing received signals. Secondly, a compact acoustic transmitter array has been developed for the calibration of acoustic neutrino detection systems. The array is able to mimic the signature of ultra-high-energy neutrino interaction in emission directivity and signal shape. The technique of parametric acoustic sources has been used to achieve the proposed aim. The developed compact array has practical features such as easy manageability and operation. The prototype designs and the results of different tests are described. The techniques applied for these two acoustic systems are so powerful and versatile that may be of interest in other marine applications using acoustic transmitters. PMID:22666022

Distribution of Acoustic Power Spectra for an Isolated Helicopter Fuselage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kusyumov, A. N.; Mikhailov, S. A.; Garipova, L. I.; Batrakov, A. S.; Barakos, G.

2016-03-01

The broadband aerodynamic noise can be studied, assuming isotropic flow, turbulence and decay. Proudman's approach allows practical calculations of noise based on CFD solutions of RANS or URANS equations at the stage of post processing and analysis of the solution. Another aspect is the broadband acoustic spectrum and the distribution of acoustic power over a range of frequencies. The acoustic energy spectrum distribution in isotropic turbulence is non monotonic and has a maximum at a certain value of Strouhal number. In the present work the value of acoustic power peak frequency is determined using a prescribed form of acoustic energy spectrum distribution presented in papers by S. Sarkar and M. Y. Hussaini and by G. M. Lilley. CFD modelling of the flow around isolated helicopter fuselage model was considered using the HMB CFD code and the RANS equations.

Simulation of the Acoustic Pulse Expected from the Interaction of Ultra-High Energy Neutrinos and Seawater

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-03-01

the diameter. This equation is given by Sulak et. al. [1979] as: Eq 3 2 2 sin 8 o p EK cP C r d x ≅ x ’ Where sinLx π θ λ ⎛ ⎞= ⎜ ⎟ ⎝ ⎠ , L is...and others, "Sensitivity of an Underwater Acoustic Array to Ultra-High Energy Neutrinos", Astroparticle Physics, n.17, 2002. Sulak , L., Armstrong

On the importance of early reflections for speech in rooms.

PubMed

Bradley, J S; Sato, H; Picard, M

2003-06-01

This paper presents the results of new studies based on speech intelligibility tests in simulated sound fields and analyses of impulse response measurements in rooms used for speech communication. The speech intelligibility test results confirm the importance of early reflections for achieving good conditions for speech in rooms. The addition of early reflections increased the effective signal-to-noise ratio and related speech intelligibility scores for both impaired and nonimpaired listeners. The new results also show that for common conditions where the direct sound is reduced, it is only possible to understand speech because of the presence of early reflections. Analyses of measured impulse responses in rooms intended for speech show that early reflections can increase the effective signal-to-noise ratio by up to 9 dB. A room acoustics computer model is used to demonstrate that the relative importance of early reflections can be influenced by the room acoustics design.

High efficiency and broadband acoustic diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Congyi; Wang, Bohan; Zhao, Tianfei; Chen, C. Q.

2018-01-01

Energy transmission efficiency and working bandwidth are the two major factors limiting the application of current acoustic diodes (ADs). This letter presents a design of high efficiency and broadband acoustic diodes composed of a nonlinear frequency converter and a linear wave filter. The converter consists of two masses connected by a bilinear spring with asymmetric tension and compression stiffness. The wave filter is a linear mass-spring lattice (sonic crystal). Both numerical simulation and experiment show that the energy transmission efficiency of the acoustic diode can be improved by as much as two orders of magnitude, reaching about 61%. Moreover, the primary working band width of the AD is about two times of the cut-off frequency of the sonic crystal filter. The cut-off frequency dependent working band of the AD implies that the developed AD can be scaled up or down from macro-scale to micro- and nano-scale.

Evaluation of acoustic testing techniques for spacecraft systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cockburn, J. A.

1971-01-01

External acoustic environments, structural responses, noise reductions, and the internal acoustic environments have been predicted for a typical shroud/spacecraft system during lift-off and various critical stages of flight. Spacecraft responses caused by energy transmission from the shroud via mechanical and acoustic paths have been compared and the importance of the mechanical path has been evaluated. Theoretical predictions have been compared extensively with available laboratory and in-flight measurements. Equivalent laboratory acoustic fields for simulation of shroud response during the various phases of flight have been derived and compared in detail. Techniques for varying the time-space correlations of laboratory acoustic fields have been examined, together with methods for varying the time and spatial distribution of acoustic amplitudes. Possible acoustic testing configurations for shroud/spacecraft systems have been suggested and trade-off considerations have been reviewed. The problem of simulating the acoustic environments versus simulating the structural responses has been considered and techniques for testing without the shroud installed have been discussed.

Experimental study of a hybrid electro-acoustic nonlinear membrane absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryk, P. Y.; Bellizzi, S.; Côte, R.

2018-06-01

A hybrid electro-acoustic nonlinear membrane absorber working as a nonlinear energy sink (here after named EA-NES) is described. The device is composed of a thin circular visco-elastic membrane working as an essentially cubic oscillator. One face of the membrane is coupled to the acoustic field to be reduced and the other face is enclosed. The enclosure includes a loudspeaker for the control of the acoustic pressure felt by the rear face of the membrane through proportional feedback control. An experimental set-up has been developed where the EA-NES is weakly coupled to a linear acoustic system. The linear acoustic system is an open-ended tube, coupled on one side to the EA-NES by a box, and on the other side to a source loudspeaker by another box. Only sinusoidal forcing is considered. It is shown that the EA-NES is able to perform resonance capture with the acoustic field, resulting in noise reduction by targeted energy transfer, and to operate in a large frequency band, tuning itself passively to any linear system. We demonstrate the ability of the feedback gain defining the active loop to modify the resonance frequency of the EA-NES, which is a key factor to tune the triggering threshold of energy pumping. The novelty of this work is to use active control combined to passive nonlinear transfer energy to improve it. In this paper, only experimental results are analyzed.

High-performance Sonitopia (Sonic Utopia): Hyper intelligent Material-based Architectural Systems for Acoustic Energy Harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heidari, F.; Mahdavinejad, M.

2017-08-01

The rate of energy consumption in all over the world, based on reliable statistics of international institutions such as the International Energy Agency (IEA) shows significant increase in energy demand in recent years. Periodical recorded data shows a continuous increasing trend in energy consumption especially in developed countries as well as recently emerged developing economies such as China and India. While air pollution and water contamination as results of high consumption of fossil energy resources might be consider as menace to civic ideals such as livability, conviviality and people-oriented cities. In other hand, automobile dependency, cars oriented design and other noisy activities in urban spaces consider as threats to urban life. Thus contemporary urban design and planning concentrates on rethinking about ecology of sound, reorganizing the soundscape of neighborhoods, redesigning the sonic order of urban space. It seems that contemporary architecture and planning trends through soundscape mapping look for sonitopia (Sonic + Utopia) This paper is to propose some interactive hyper intelligent material-based architectural systems for acoustic energy harvesting. The proposed architectural design system may be result in high-performance architecture and planning strategies for future cities. The ultimate aim of research is to develop a comprehensive system for acoustic energy harvesting which cover the aim of noise reduction as well as being in harmony with architectural design. The research methodology is based on a literature review as well as experimental and quasi-experimental strategies according the paradigm of designedly ways of doing and knowing. While architectural design has solution-focused essence in problem-solving process, the proposed systems had better be hyper intelligent rather than predefined procedures. Therefore, the steps of the inference mechanism of the research include: 1- understanding sonic energy and noise potentials as energy

Acoustical Measurement Of Furnace Temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parthasarathy, Shakkottai; Venkateshan, Shakkottai P.

1989-01-01

Simple probes withstand severe conditions, yet give spatially-resolved temperature readings. Prototype acoustical system developed to measure temperatures from ambient to 1,800 degree F in such structures as large industrial lime kilns and recovery-boiler furnaces. Pulses of sound reflected from obstructions in sensing tube. Speed of sound and temperature in each segment deduced from travel times of pulses.

Acoustic microscope surface inspection system and method

DOEpatents

Khuri-Yakub, B.T.; Parent, P.; Reinholdtsen, P.A.

1991-02-26

An acoustic microscope surface inspection system and method are described in which pulses of high frequency electrical energy are applied to a transducer which forms and focuses acoustic energy onto a selected location on the surface of an object and receives energy from the location and generates electrical pulses. The phase of the high frequency electrical signal pulses are stepped with respect to the phase of a reference signal at said location. An output signal is generated which is indicative of the surface of said selected location. The object is scanned to provide output signals representative of the surface at a plurality of surface locations. 7 figures.

Acoustic tooth cleaner

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heyman, J. S. (Inventor)

1982-01-01

An acoustic oral hygiene unit is described that uses acoustic energy to oscillate mild abrasive particles in a water suspension which is then directed in a low pressure stream onto the teeth. The oscillating abrasives scrub the teeth clean removing food particles, plaque, calculous, and other foreign material from tooth surfaces, interproximal areas, and tooth-gingiva interface more effectively than any previous technique. The relatively low power output and the basic design makes the invention safe and convenient for everyday use in the home without special training. This invention replaces all former means of home dental prophylaxis, and requires no augmentation to fulfill all requirements for daily oral hygienic care.

Characterization of microchannel anechoic corners formed by surface acoustic waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Destgeer, Ghulam; Alam, Ashar; Ahmed, Husnain; Park, Jinsoo; Jung, Jin Ho; Park, Kwangseok; Sung, Hyung Jin

2018-02-01

Surface acoustic waves (SAWs) generated in a piezoelectric substrate couple with a liquid according to Snell's law such that a compressional acoustic wave propagates obliquely at a Rayleigh angle ( θ t) inside the microchannel to form a region devoid of a direct acoustic field, which is termed a microchannel anechoic corner (MAC). In the present study, we used microchannels with various heights and widths to characterize the width of the MAC region formed by a single travelling SAW. The attenuation of high-frequency SAWs produced a strong acoustic streaming flow that moved the particles in and out of the MAC region, whereas reflections of the acoustic waves within the microchannel resulted in standing acoustic waves that trapped particles at acoustic pressure nodes located within or outside of the MAC region. A range of actuation frequencies and particle diameters were used to investigate the effects of the acoustic streaming flow and the direct acoustic radiation forces by the travelling as well as standing waves on the particle motion with respect to the MAC region. The width of the MAC ( w c), measured experimentally by tracing the particles, increased with the height of the microchannel ( h m) according to a simple trigonometric equation w c = h m × tan ( θ t ).

Physics of thermo-acoustic sound generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daschewski, M.; Boehm, R.; Prager, J.; Kreutzbruck, M.; Harrer, A.

2013-09-01

We present a generalized analytical model of thermo-acoustic sound generation based on the analysis of thermally induced energy density fluctuations and their propagation into the adjacent matter. The model provides exact analytical prediction of the sound pressure generated in fluids and solids; consequently, it can be applied to arbitrary thermal power sources such as thermophones, plasma firings, laser beams, and chemical reactions. Unlike existing approaches, our description also includes acoustic near-field effects and sound-field attenuation. Analytical results are compared with measurements of sound pressures generated by thermo-acoustic transducers in air for frequencies up to 1 MHz. The tested transducers consist of titanium and indium tin oxide coatings on quartz glass and polycarbonate substrates. The model reveals that thermo-acoustic efficiency increases linearly with the supplied thermal power and quadratically with thermal excitation frequency. Comparison of the efficiency of our thermo-acoustic transducers with those of piezoelectric-based airborne ultrasound transducers using impulse excitation showed comparable sound pressure values. The present results show that thermo-acoustic transducers can be applied as broadband, non-resonant, high-performance ultrasound sources.

Acoustic imaging of the Mediterranean water outflowing through the Strait of Gibraltar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biescas Gorriz, Berta; Carniel, Sandro; Sallarès, Valentí; Rodriguez Ranero, Cesar

2016-04-01

Acoustic imaging of the Mediterranean water outflowing through the Strait of Gibraltar Berta Biescas (1), Sandro Carniel (2) , Valentí Sallarès (3) and Cesar R. Ranero(3) (1) Istituto di Scienze Marine, CNR, Bologna, Italy (2) Istituto di Scienze Marine, CNR, Venice, Italy (3) Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain Acoustic reflectivity acquired with multichannel seismic reflection (MCS) systems allow to detect and explore the thermohaline structure in the ocean with vertical and lateral resolutions in the order of 10 m, covering hundreds of kilometers in the lateral dimension and the full-depth water column. In this work we present a MCS 2D profile that crosses the Strait of Gibraltar, from the Alboran Sea to the internal Gulf of Cadiz (NE Atlantic Ocean). The MCS data was acquired during the Topomed-Gassis Cruise (European Science Foundation TopoEurope), which was carried out on board of the Spanish R/V Sarmiento de Gamboa in October 2011. The strong thermohaline contrast between the Mediterranean water and the Atlantic water, characterizes this area and allows to visualize, with unprecedented resolution, the acoustic reflectivity associated to the dense flow of the Mediterranean water outflowing through the prominent slope of the Strait of Gibraltar. During the first kilometers, the dense flow drops attached to the continental slope until it reaches the buoyancy depth at 700 m. Then, it detaches from the sea floor and continues flowing towards the Atlantic Ocean, occupying the layer at 700-1500 m deep and developing clear staircase layers. The reflectivity images display near seabed reflections that could well correspond to turbidity layers. The XBT data acquired coincident in time and space with the MCS data will help us in the interpretation and analysis of the acoustic data.

Interactive Acoustic Simulation in Urban and Complex Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-21

and validity of the solution given by the two methods. Transfer functions are used to model two-way couplings to allow multiple orders of acoustic...Function ( BRDF )[79, 137]. The ray models have also been applied to inhomogeneous outdoor media by numerical integration of the differential ray...surface, the interaction can be modeled by specular reflection, Snell’s law refraction, or BRDF -based reflection, depending on the surface properties

Acoustic Monitoring of Beluga Whale Interactions with Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project

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

Worthington, Monty

Cook Inlet, Alaska is home to some of the greatest tidal energy resources in the U.S., as well as an endangered population of beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas). Successfully permitting and operating a tidal power project in Cook Inlet requires a biological assessment of the potential and realized effects of the physical presence and sound footprint of tidal turbines on the distribution, relative abundance, and behavior of Cook Inlet beluga whales. ORPC Alaska, working with the Project Team—LGL Alaska Research Associates, University of Alaska Anchorage, TerraSond, and Greeneridge Science—undertook the following U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) study to characterize beluga whalesmore » in Cook Inlet – Acoustic Monitoring of Beluga Whale Interactions with the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project (Project). ORPC Alaska, LLC, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ocean Renewable Power Company, LLC, (collectively, ORPC). ORPC is a global leader in the development of hydrokinetic power systems and eco-conscious projects that harness the power of ocean and river currents to create clean, predictable renewable energy. ORPC is developing a tidal energy demonstration project in Cook Inlet at East Foreland where ORPC has a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) preliminary permit (P-13821). The Project collected baseline data to characterize pre-deployment patterns of marine mammal distribution, relative abundance, and behavior in ORPC’s proposed deployment area at East Foreland. ORPC also completed work near Fire Island where ORPC held a FERC preliminary permit (P-12679) until March 6, 2013. Passive hydroacoustic devices (previously utilized with bowhead whales in the Beaufort Sea) were adapted for study of beluga whales to determine the relative abundance of beluga whale vocalizations within the proposed deployment areas. Hydroacoustic data collected during the Project were used to characterize the ambient acoustic environment of the project site pre-deployment to

Eliminating Nonlinear Acoustical Effects From Thermoacoustic Refrigeration Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garrett, Steven L.; Smith, Robert W. M.; Poese, Matthew E.

2006-05-01

Nonlinear acoustical effects dissipate energy that degrades thermoacoustic refrigerator performance. The largest of these effects occur in acoustic resonators and include shock formation; turbulence and boundary layer disruption; and entry/exit (minor) losses induced by changes in resonator cross-sectional area. Effects such as these also make the creation of accurate performance models more complicated. Suppression of shock formation by intentional introduction of resonator anharmonicity has been common practice for the past two decades. Recent attempts to increase cooling power density by increasing pressure amplitudes has required reduction of turbulence and minor loss by using an new acousto-mechanical resonator topology. The hybrid resonator still stores potential energy in the compressibility of the gaseous working fluid, but stores kinetic energy in the moving (solid) mass of the motor and piston. This talk will first present nonlinear acoustical loss measurements obtained in a "conventional" double-Helmholtz resonator geometry (TRITON) that dissipated four kilowatts of acoustic power. We will then describe the performance of the new "bellows bounce" resonator configuration and "vibromechanical multiplier" used in the first successful implementation of this approach that created an ice cream freezer produced at Penn State for Ben & Jerry's.

Opto-acoustic thrombolysis

DOEpatents

Celliers, Peter; Da Silva, Luiz; Glinsky, Michael; London, Richard; Maitland, Duncan; Matthews, Dennis; Fitch, Pat

2000-01-01

This invention is a catheter-based device for generating an ultrasound excitation in biological tissue. Pulsed laser light is guided through an optical fiber to provide the energy for producing the acoustic vibrations. The optical energy is deposited in a water-based absorbing fluid, e.g. saline, thrombolytic agent, blood or thrombus, and generates an acoustic impulse in the fluid through thermoelastic and/or thermodynamic mechanisms. By pulsing the laser at a repetition rate (which may vary from 10 Hz to 100 kHz) an ultrasonic radiation field can be established locally in the medium. This method of producing ultrasonic vibrations can be used in vivo for the treatment of stroke-related conditions in humans, particularly for dissolving thrombus or treating vasospasm. The catheter can also incorporate thrombolytic drug treatments as an adjunct therapy and it can be operated in conjunction with ultrasonic detection equipment for imaging and feedback control and with optical sensors for characterization of thrombus type and consistency.

Mean Flow Augmented Acoustics in Rocket Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fischbach, Sean

2014-01-01

Combustion instability in solid rocket motors and liquid engines has long been a subject of concern. Many rockets display violent fluctuations in pressure, velocity, and temperature originating from the complex interactions between the combustion process and gas dynamics. Recent advances in energy based modeling of combustion instabilities require accurate determination of acoustic frequencies and mode shapes. Of particular interest is the acoustic mean flow interactions within the converging section of a rocket nozzle, where gradients of pressure, density, and velocity become large. The expulsion of unsteady energy through the nozzle of a rocket is identified as the predominate source of acoustic damping for most rocket systems. Recently, an approach to address nozzle damping with mean flow effects was implemented by French [1]. This new approach extends the work originated by Sigman and Zinn [2] by solving the acoustic velocity potential equation (AVPE) formulated by perturbing the Euler equations [3]. The present study aims to implement the French model within the COMSOL Multiphysiscs framework and analyzes one of the author's presented test cases.

Advances in edge-diffraction modeling for virtual-acoustic simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calamia, Paul Thomas

In recent years there has been growing interest in modeling sound propagation in complex, three-dimensional (3D) virtual environments. With diverse applications for the military, the gaming industry, psychoacoustics researchers, architectural acousticians, and others, advances in computing power and 3D audio-rendering techniques have driven research and development aimed at closing the gap between the auralization and visualization of virtual spaces. To this end, this thesis focuses on improving the physical and perceptual realism of sound-field simulations in virtual environments through advances in edge-diffraction modeling. To model sound propagation in virtual environments, acoustical simulation tools commonly rely on geometrical-acoustics (GA) techniques that assume asymptotically high frequencies, large flat surfaces, and infinitely thin ray-like propagation paths. Such techniques can be augmented with diffraction modeling to compensate for the effect of surface size on the strength and directivity of a reflection, to allow for propagation around obstacles and into shadow zones, and to maintain soundfield continuity across reflection and shadow boundaries. Using a time-domain, line-integral formulation of the Biot-Tolstoy-Medwin (BTM) diffraction expression, this thesis explores various aspects of diffraction calculations for virtual-acoustic simulations. Specifically, we first analyze the periodic singularity of the BTM integrand and describe the relationship between the singularities and higher-order reflections within wedges with open angle less than 180°. Coupled with analytical approximations for the BTM expression, this analysis allows for accurate numerical computations and a continuous sound field in the vicinity of an arbitrary wedge geometry insonified by a point source. Second, we describe an edge-subdivision strategy that allows for fast diffraction calculations with low error relative to a numerically more accurate solution. Third, to address

High-Efficiency Photovoltaic Energy Conversion using Surface Acoustic Waves in Piezoelectric Semiconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yakovenko, Victor

2010-03-01

We propose a radically new design for photovoltaic energy conversion using surface acoustic waves (SAWs) in piezoelectric semiconductors. The periodically modulated electric field from SAW spatially separates photogenerated electrons and holes to the maxima and minima of SAW, thus preventing their recombination. The segregated electrons and holes are transported by the moving SAW to the collecting electrodes of two types, which produce dc electric output. Recent experiments [1] using SAWs in GaAs have demonstrated the photon to current conversion efficiency of 85%. These experiments were designed for photon counting, but we propose to adapt these techniques for highly efficient photovoltaic energy conversion. The advantages are that the electron-hole segregation takes place in the whole volume where SAW is present, and the electrons and holes are transported in the organized, collective manner at high speed, as opposed to random diffusion in conventional devices.[4pt] [1] S. J. Jiao, P. D. Batista, K. Biermann, R. Hey, and P. V. Santos, J. Appl. Phys. 106, 053708 (2009).

Acoustic design by topology optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dühring, Maria B.; Jensen, Jakob S.; Sigmund, Ole

2008-11-01

To bring down noise levels in human surroundings is an important issue and a method to reduce noise by means of topology optimization is presented here. The acoustic field is modeled by Helmholtz equation and the topology optimization method is based on continuous material interpolation functions in the density and bulk modulus. The objective function is the squared sound pressure amplitude. First, room acoustic problems are considered and it is shown that the sound level can be reduced in a certain part of the room by an optimized distribution of reflecting material in a design domain along the ceiling or by distribution of absorbing and reflecting material along the walls. We obtain well defined optimized designs for a single frequency or a frequency interval for both 2D and 3D problems when considering low frequencies. Second, it is shown that the method can be applied to design outdoor sound barriers in order to reduce the sound level in the shadow zone behind the barrier. A reduction of up to 10 dB for a single barrier and almost 30 dB when using two barriers are achieved compared to utilizing conventional sound barriers.

Methods And Systems For Using Reference Images In Acoustic Image Processing

DOEpatents

Moore, Thomas L.; Barter, Robert Henry

2005-01-04

A method and system of examining tissue are provided in which a field, including at least a portion of the tissue and one or more registration fiducials, is insonified. Scattered acoustic information, including both transmitted and reflected waves, is received from the field. A representation of the field, including both the tissue and the registration fiducials, is then derived from the received acoustic radiation.

CHROMOSPHERIC HEATING BY ACOUSTIC WAVES COMPARED TO RADIATIVE COOLING

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

Sobotka, M.; Heinzel, P.; Švanda, M.

Acoustic and magnetoacoustic waves are among the possible candidate mechanisms that heat the upper layers of the solar atmosphere. A weak chromospheric plage near the large solar pore NOAA 11005 was observed on 2008 October 15, in the Fe i 617.3 nm and Ca ii 853.2 nm lines of the Interferometric Bidimemsional Spectrometer attached to the Dunn Solar Telescope. In analyzing the Ca ii observations (with spatial and temporal resolutions of 0.″4 and 52 s) the energy deposited by acoustic waves is compared to that released by radiative losses. The deposited acoustic flux is estimated from the power spectra ofmore » Doppler oscillations measured in the Ca ii line core. The radiative losses are calculated using a grid of seven one-dimensional hydrostatic semi-empirical model atmospheres. The comparison shows that the spatial correlation of the maps of radiative losses and acoustic flux is 72%. In a quiet chromosphere, the contribution of acoustic energy flux to radiative losses is small, only about 15%. In active areas with a photospheric magnetic-field strength between 300 and 1300 G and an inclination of 20°–60°, the contribution increases from 23% (chromospheric network) to 54% (a plage). However, these values have to be considered as lower limits and it might be possible that the acoustic energy flux is the main contributor to the heating of bright chromospheric network and plages.« less

The Prediction of Jet Noise Ground Effects Using an Acoustic Analogy and a Tailored Green's Function

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Steven A. E.

2013-01-01

An assessment of an acoustic analogy for the mixing noise component of jet noise in the presence of an infinite surface is presented. The reflection of jet noise by the ground changes the distribution of acoustic energy and is characterized by constructive and destructive interference patterns. The equivalent sources are modeled based on the two-point cross- correlation of the turbulent velocity fluctuations and a steady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) solution. Propagation effects, due to reflection by the surface and refaction by the jet shear layer, are taken into account by calculating the vector Green's function of the linearized Euler equations (LEE). The vector Green's function of the LEE is written in relation to Lilley's equation; that is, approximated with matched asymptotic solutions and the Green's function of the convective Helmholtz equation. The Green's function of the convective Helmholtz equation for an infinite flat plane with impedance is the Weyl-van der Pol equation. Predictions are compared with an unheated Mach 0.95 jet produced by a nozzle with an exit diameter of 0.3302 meters. Microphones are placed at various heights and distances from the nozzle exit in the peak jet noise direction above an acoustically hard and an asphalt surface. The predictions are shown to accurately capture jet noise ground effects that are characterized by constructive and destructive interference patterns in the mid- and far-field and capture overall trends in the near-field.

Improving Fidelity of Launch Vehicle Liftoff Acoustic Simulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liever, Peter; West, Jeff

2016-01-01

Launch vehicles experience high acoustic loads during ignition and liftoff affected by the interaction of rocket plume generated acoustic waves with launch pad structures. Application of highly parallelized Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis tools optimized for application on the NAS computer systems such as the Loci/CHEM program now enable simulation of time-accurate, turbulent, multi-species plume formation and interaction with launch pad geometry and capture the generation of acoustic noise at the source regions in the plume shear layers and impingement regions. These CFD solvers are robust in capturing the acoustic fluctuations, but they are too dissipative to accurately resolve the propagation of the acoustic waves throughout the launch environment domain along the vehicle. A hybrid Computational Fluid Dynamics and Computational Aero-Acoustics (CFD/CAA) modeling framework has been developed to improve such liftoff acoustic environment predictions. The framework combines the existing highly-scalable NASA production CFD code, Loci/CHEM, with a high-order accurate discontinuous Galerkin (DG) solver, Loci/THRUST, developed in the same computational framework. Loci/THRUST employs a low dissipation, high-order, unstructured DG method to accurately propagate acoustic waves away from the source regions across large distances. The DG solver is currently capable of solving up to 4th order solutions for non-linear, conservative acoustic field propagation. Higher order boundary conditions are implemented to accurately model the reflection and refraction of acoustic waves on launch pad components. The DG solver accepts generalized unstructured meshes, enabling efficient application of common mesh generation tools for CHEM and THRUST simulations. The DG solution is coupled with the CFD solution at interface boundaries placed near the CFD acoustic source regions. Both simulations are executed simultaneously with coordinated boundary condition data exchange.

A consideration on physical tuning for acoustical coloration in recording studio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimizu, Yasushi

2003-04-01

Coloration due to particular architectural shapes and dimension or less surface absorption has been mentioned as an acoustical defect in recording studio. Generally interference among early reflected sounds arriving within 10 ms in delay after the direct sound produces coloration by comb filter effect over mid- and high-frequency sounds. In addition, less absorbed room resonance modes also have been well known as a major component for coloration in low-frequency sounds. Small size in dimension with recording studio, however, creates difficulty in characterization associated with wave acoustics behavior, that make acoustical optimization more difficult than that of concert hall acoustics. There still remains difficulty in evaluating amount of coloration as well as predicting its acoustical characteristics in acoustical modeling and in other words acoustical tuning technique during construction is regarded as important to optimize acoustics appropriately to the function of recording studio. This paper presents a example of coloration by comb filtering effect and less damped room modes in typical post-processing recording studio. And acoustical design and measurement technique will be presented for adjusting timbre due to coloration based on psycho-acoustical performance with binaural hearing and room resonance control with line array resonator adjusted to the particular room modes considered.

Contactless ultrasonic energy transfer for wireless systems: acoustic-piezoelectric structure interaction modeling and performance enhancement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahab, S.; Erturk, A.

2014-12-01

There are several applications of wireless electronic components with little or no ambient energy available to harvest, yet wireless battery charging for such systems is still of great interest. Example applications range from biomedical implants to sensors located in hazardous environments. Energy transfer based on the propagation of acoustic waves at ultrasonic frequencies is a recently explored alternative that offers increased transmitter-receiver distance, reduced loss and the elimination of electromagnetic fields. As this research area receives growing attention, there is an increased need for fully coupled model development to quantify the energy transfer characteristics, with a focus on the transmitter, receiver, medium, geometric and material parameters. We present multiphysics modeling and case studies of the contactless ultrasonic energy transfer for wireless electronic components submerged in fluid. The source is a pulsating sphere, and the receiver is a piezoelectric bar operating in the 33-mode of piezoelectricity with a fundamental resonance frequency above the audible frequency range. The goal is to quantify the electrical power delivered to the load (connected to the receiver) in terms of the source strength. Both the analytical and finite element models have been developed for the resulting acoustic-piezoelectric structure interaction problem. Resistive and resistive-inductive electrical loading cases are presented, and optimality conditions are discussed. Broadband power transfer is achieved by optimal resistive-reactive load tuning for performance enhancement and frequency-wise robustness. Significant enhancement of the power output is reported due to the use of a hard piezoelectric receiver (PZT-8) instead of a soft counterpart (PZT-5H) as a result of reduced material damping. The analytical multiphysics modeling approach given in this work can be used to predict and optimize the coupled system dynamics with very good accuracy and dramatically

Large Aperture Acoustic Arrays in Support of Reverberation Studies

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-04-01

Acoustic Reverberation Special Research Program (SRP). Approach We propose the development of several acoustic arrays in preparation for a FY92 experiment...hydrophone array to measure the directional spectrum of seafloor scattered wavefields. Approach As part of the ONT-sponsored, 1987 SVLA experiment, we...scattered energy. Approach Two methods will be described by which vertical and horizontal acoustic arrays can be deployed together for making bottom

All-optical in-depth detection of the acoustic wave emitted by a single gold nanorod

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Feng; Guillet, Yannick; Ravaine, Serge; Audoin, Bertrand

2018-04-01

A single gold nanorod dropped on the surface of a silica substrate is used as a transient optoacoustic source of gigahertz hypersounds. We demonstrate the all-optical detection of the as-generated acoustic wave front propagating in the silica substrate. For this purpose, time-resolved femtosecond pump-probe experiments are performed in a reflection configuration. The fundamental breathing mode of the nanorod is detected at 23 GHz by interferometry, and the longitudinal acoustic wave radiated in the silica substrate is detected by time-resolved Brillouin scattering. By tuning the optical probe wavelength from 750 to 900 nm, hypersounds with wavelengths of 260-315 nm are detected in the silica substrate, with corresponding acoustic frequencies in the range of 19-23 GHz. To confirm the origin of these hypersounds, we theoretically analyze the influence of the acoustic excitation spectrum on the temporal envelope of the transient reflectivity. This analysis proves that the acoustic wave detected in the silica substrate results from the excitation of the breathing mode of the nanorod. These results pave the way for performing local in-depth elastic nanoscopy.

Experimental demonstration of three-dimensional broadband underwater acoustic carpet cloak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bi, Yafeng; Jia, Han; Sun, Zhaoyong; Yang, Yuzhen; Zhao, Han; Yang, Jun

2018-05-01

We present the design, architecture, and detailed performance of a three-dimensional (3D) underwater acoustic carpet cloak (UACC). The proposed system of the 3D UACC is an octahedral pyramid, which is composed of periodical steel strips. This underwater acoustic device, placed over the target to hide, is able to manipulate the scattered wavefront to mimic a reflecting plane. The effectiveness of the prototype is experimentally demonstrated in an anechoic tank. The measured acoustic pressure distributions show that the 3D UACC can work in all directions in a wide frequency range. This experimental verification of 3D device paves the way for guidelines on future practical applications.

Effects of acoustic deterrents on foraging bats

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Joshua B.; Ford, W. Mark; Rodrigue, Jane L.; Edwards, John W.

2012-01-01

Significant bat mortality events associated with wind energy expansion, particularly in the Appalachians, have highlighted the need for development of possible mitigation practices to reduce or prevent strike mortality. Other than increasing turbine cut-in speed, acoustic deterrents probably hold the greatest promise for reducing bat mortality. However, acoustic deterrent effectiveness and practicality has not been experimentally examined and is limited to site-specific case studies. Accordingly, we used a crossover experimental design with prior control period to show that bat activity was reduced 17.1 percent by the deployment of ultrasonic deterrents placed around gauged watershed weir ponds on the Fernow Experimental Forest in West Virginia. We caution that while our results should not be extrapolated to the scope of a typical wind energy production facility, the results warrant further research on the use of acoustic deterrents to reduce bat fatalities.

Acoustic Based Tactical Control of Underwater Vehicles

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-06-01

NOTES The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or......heading error corrections from stationary acoustic beacon buoys. On the outbound leg of each cablelaying mission, Theseus used the fiber optic cable

Directional Electrostatic Accretion Process Employing Acoustic Droplet Formation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oeftering, Richard (Inventor)

1998-01-01

The present invention is directed to an apparatus for manufacturing a free standing solid metal part. In the present invention, metal droplets are ejected in a nozzleless fashion from a free surface pool of molten metal by applying focused acoustic radiation pressure. The acoustic radiation pressure is produced by high intensity acoustic tone bursts emitted from an acoustic source positioned at the bottom of the pool which directs the acoustic energy at the pool surface. The metal droplets are electrostatically charged so their trajectory can be controlled by electric fields that guide the droplets to predetermined points on a target. The droplets impinge upon the target and solidify with the target material. The accretion of the electrostatically directed solidified droplets forms the free standing metal part.

Mach stem formation in outdoor measurements of acoustic shocks.

PubMed

Leete, Kevin M; Gee, Kent L; Neilsen, Tracianne B; Truscott, Tadd T

2015-12-01

Mach stem formation during outdoor acoustic shock propagation is investigated using spherical oxyacetylene balloons exploded above pavement. The location of the transition point from regular to irregular reflection and the path of the triple point are experimentally resolved using microphone arrays and a high-speed camera. The transition point falls between recent analytical work for weak irregular reflections and an empirical relationship derived from large explosions.

Ultrafast switching of valence and generation of coherent acoustic phonons in semiconducting rare-earth monosulfides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Punpongjareorn, Napat; He, Xing; Tang, Zhongjia; Guloy, Arnold M.; Yang, Ding-Shyue

2017-08-01

We report on the ultrafast carrier dynamics and generation of coherent acoustic phonons in YbS, a semiconducting rare-earth monochalcogenide, using two-color pump-probe reflectivity. Compared to the carrier relaxation processes and lifetimes of conventional semiconductors, recombination of photoexcited electrons with holes in localized f orbitals is found to take place rapidly with a density-independent time constant of <500 fs in YbS. Such carrier annihilation signifies the unique and ultrafast nature of valence restoration of ytterbium ions after femtosecond photoexcitation switching. Following transfer of the absorbed energy to the lattice, coherent acoustic phonons emerge on the picosecond timescale as a result of the thermal strain in the photoexcited region. By analyzing the electronic and structural dynamics, we obtain the physical properties of YbS including its two-photon absorption and thermooptic coefficients, the period and decay time of the coherent oscillation, and the sound velocity.

Anisotropic surface acoustic waves in tungsten/lithium niobate phononic crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Jia-Hong; Yu, Yuan-Hai

2018-02-01

Phononic crystals (PnC) were known for acoustic band gaps for different acoustic waves. PnCs were already applied in surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices as reflective gratings based on the band gaps. In this paper, another important property of PnCs, the anisotropic propagation, was studied. PnCs made of circular tungsten films on a lithium niobate substrate were analyzed by finite element method. Dispersion curves and equal frequency contours of surface acoustic waves in PnCs of various dimensions were calculated to study the anisotropy. The non-circular equal frequency contours and negative refraction of group velocity were observed. Then PnC was applied as an acoustic lens based on the anisotropic propagation. Trajectory of SAW passing PnC lens was calculated and transmission of SAW was optimized by selecting proper layers of lens and applying tapered PnC. The result showed that PnC lens can suppress diffraction of surface waves effectively and improve the performance of SAW devices.

An analysis of beam parameters on proton-acoustic waves through an analytic approach.

PubMed

Kipergil, Esra Aytac; Erkol, Hakan; Kaya, Serhat; Gulsen, Gultekin; Unlu, Mehmet Burcin

2017-06-21

It has been reported that acoustic waves are generated when a high-energy pulsed proton beam is deposited in a small volume within tissue. One possible application of proton-induced acoustics is to get real-time feedback for intra-treatment adjustments by monitoring such acoustic waves. A high spatial resolution in ultrasound imaging may reduce proton range uncertainty. Thus, it is crucial to understand the dependence of the acoustic waves on the proton beam characteristics. In this manuscript, firstly, an analytic solution for the proton-induced acoustic wave is presented to reveal the dependence of the signal on the beam parameters; then it is combined with an analytic approximation of the Bragg curve. The influence of the beam energy, pulse duration and beam diameter variation on the acoustic waveform are investigated. Further analysis is performed regarding the Fourier decomposition of the proton-acoustic signals. Our results show that the smaller spill time of the proton beam upsurges the amplitude of the acoustic wave for a constant number of protons, which is hence beneficial for dose monitoring. The increase in the energy of each individual proton in the beam leads to the spatial broadening of the Bragg curve, which also yields acoustic waves of greater amplitude. The pulse duration and the beam width of the proton beam do not affect the central frequency of the acoustic wave, but they change the amplitude of the spectral components.

Philosophical and cultural perspectives on acoustics in Vedic Hinduism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasad, M. G.

2004-05-01

Acoustics plays a very important multi-faceted role in Vedic Hinduism. Vedas, that is an infinitely large collection of chants (mantras) in ancient Sanskrit language, form the foundational literature of Vedic Hinduism. The Vedic chants have specific acoustical qualities and intonations. The Vedic literature describes the various aspects of acoustics, namely, philosophical, spiritual, and cultural. The use of sounds from conch-shell, bells, cymbal in addition to the Vedic chants in rituals shows the spiritual aspects. Vedic literature discusses the role of sound in the philosophical understanding of our world. Music, both vocal and instrumental, plays an important role in the cultural aspects of Vedic Hinduism. It can be seen that certain musical instruments such as ``mridangam,'' a percussion drum, reflect scientific principles underlying in their design. This paper presents an overview of the various important and interesting roles of acoustics in Vedic Hinduism.

Early detection of melanoma with the combined use of acoustic microscopy, infrared reflectance and Raman spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karagiannis, Georgios T.; Grivas, Ioannis; Tsingotjidou, Anastasia; Apostolidis, Georgios K.; Grigoriadou, Ifigeneia; Dori, I.; Poulatsidou, Kyriaki-Nefeli; Doumas, Argyrios; Wesarg, Stefan; Georgoulias, Panagiotis

2015-03-01

Malignant melanoma is a form of skin cancer, with increasing incidence worldwide. Early diagnosis is crucial for the prognosis and treatment of the disease. The objective of this study is to develop a novel animal model of melanoma and apply a combination of the non-invasive imaging techniques acoustic microscopy, infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopies, for the detection of developing tumors. Acoustic microscopy provides information about the 3D structure of the tumor, whereas, both spectroscopic modalities give qualitative insight of biochemical changes during melanoma development. In order to efficiently set up the final devices, propagation of ultrasonic and electromagnetic waves in normal skin and melanoma simulated structures was performed. Synthetic and grape-extracted melanin (simulated tumors), endermally injected, were scanned and compared to normal skin. For both cases acoustic microscopy with central operating frequencies of 110MHz and 175MHz were used, resulting to the tomographic imaging of the simulated tumor, while with the spectroscopic modalities IR and Raman differences among spectra of normal and melanin- injected sites were identified in skin depth. Subsequently, growth of actual tumors in an animal melanoma model, with the use of human malignant melanoma cells was achieved. Acoustic microscopy and IR and Raman spectroscopies were also applied. The development of tumors at different time points was displayed using acoustic microscopy. Moreover, the changes of the IR and Raman spectra were studied between the melanoma tumors and adjacent healthy skin. The most significant changes between healthy skin and the melanoma area were observed in the range of 900-1800cm-1 and 350-2000cm-1, respectively.

Coherent Generation of Photo-Thermo-Acoustic Wave from Graphene Sheets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Yichao; Tian, He; Wu, Yanling; Zhu, Leilei; Tao, Luqi; Zhang, Wei; Shu, Yi; Xie, Dan; Yang, Yi; Wei, Zhiyi; Lu, Xinghua; Ren, Tian-Ling; Shih, Chih-Kang; Zhao, Jimin

Many remarkable properties of graphene are derived from its large energy window for Dirac-like electronic states and have been explored for applications in electronics and photonics. In addition, strong electron-phonon interaction in graphene has led to efficient photo-thermo energy conversions, which has been harnessed for energy applications. By combining the wavelength independent absorption property and the efficient photo-thermo energy conversion, here we report a new type of applications in sound wave generation underlined by a photo-thermo-acoustic energy conversion mechanism. Most significantly, by utilizing ultrafast optical pulses, we demonstrate the ability to control the phase of sound waves generated by the photo-thermal-acoustic process. Our finding paves the way for new types of applications for graphene, such as remote non-contact speakers, optical-switching acoustic devices, etc. National Basic Research Program of China MOST (2012CB821402), External Cooperation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (GJHZ1403), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (11274372).

Energy Balanced Strategies for Maximizing the Lifetime of Sparsely Deployed Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Luo, Hanjiang; Guo, Zhongwen; Wu, Kaishun; Hong, Feng; Feng, Yuan

2009-01-01

Underwater acoustic sensor networks (UWA-SNs) are envisioned to perform monitoring tasks over the large portion of the world covered by oceans. Due to economics and the large area of the ocean, UWA-SNs are mainly sparsely deployed networks nowadays. The limited battery resources is a big challenge for the deployment of such long-term sensor networks. Unbalanced battery energy consumption will lead to early energy depletion of nodes, which partitions the whole networks and impairs the integrity of the monitoring datasets or even results in the collapse of the entire networks. On the contrary, balanced energy dissipation of nodes can prolong the lifetime of such networks. In this paper, we focus on the energy balance dissipation problem of two types of sparsely deployed UWA-SNs: underwater moored monitoring systems and sparsely deployed two-dimensional UWA-SNs. We first analyze the reasons of unbalanced energy consumption in such networks, then we propose two energy balanced strategies to maximize the lifetime of networks both in shallow and deep water. Finally, we evaluate our methods by simulations and the results show that the two strategies can achieve balanced energy consumption per node while at the same time prolong the networks lifetime. PMID:22399970

Pattern-formation under acoustic driving forces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valverde, Jose Manuel

2015-07-01

Chemical and metallurgical processes enhanced by high intensity acoustic waves, thermoacoustic engines and refrigerators, fuel rods in nuclear reactors, heat exchanger tubes, offshore and vibrating structures, solar thermal collectors, acoustic levitators, microfluidic devices, cycling, musical acoustics, blood flow through veins/arteries, hearing in the mammalian ear, carbon nanotube loudspeakers, etc. The evolution of a myriad of processes involving the oscillation of viscous fluids in the presence of solid boundaries is up to a certain extent influenced by acoustic streaming. In addition to the sound field, viscous energy dissipation at the fluid-solid boundary causes a time-independent fluid circulation, which can lead to a significant enhancement of heat, mass and momentum transfer at large oscillation amplitudes. A particularly relevant phenomenon that can be notably affected by acoustic streaming is the promotion of sound waves by temperature gradients or viceversa (thermoacoustics), which is at the basis of potentially efficient and environmental friendly engines and refrigerators that have attracted a renewed interest in the last years. In the present manuscript, historical developments and the underlying basic physics behind acoustic streaming and thermoacoustics are reviewed from an unifying perspective.

Measurements of Acoustic Backscatter of the Deep Sea Floor Using a Deeply Towed Vehicle

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-12-01

McKinney and Anderson,1964; Jones, et al.,1964, Clay and Rona,1965; Hastrup ,1970). A second category was more interested in the implications of the... Hastrup , O.L., 1970, Digital analysis of acoustical reflectivity in the Tyrrhenian abys- sal plain, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, vol. 70

Acoustic classification of zooplankton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin Traykovski, Linda V.

1998-11-01

Work on the forward problem in zooplankton bioacoustics has resulted in the identification of three categories of acoustic scatterers: elastic-shelled (e.g. pteropods), fluid-like (e.g. euphausiids), and gas-bearing (e.g. siphonophores). The relationship between backscattered energy and animal biomass has been shown to vary by a factor of ~19,000 across these categories, so that to make accurate estimates of zooplankton biomass from acoustic backscatter measurements of the ocean, the acoustic characteristics of the species of interest must be well-understood. This thesis describes the development of both feature based and model based classification techniques to invert broadband acoustic echoes from individual zooplankton for scatterer type, as well as for particular parameters such as animal orientation. The feature based Empirical Orthogonal Function Classifier (EOFC) discriminates scatterer types by identifying characteristic modes of variability in the echo spectra, exploiting only the inherent characteristic structure of the acoustic signatures. The model based Model Parameterisation Classifier (MPC) classifies based on correlation of observed echo spectra with simplified parameterisations of theoretical scattering models for the three classes. The Covariance Mean Variance Classifiers (CMVC) are a set of advanced model based techniques which exploit the full complexity of the theoretical models by searching the entire physical model parameter space without employing simplifying parameterisations. Three different CMVC algorithms were developed: the Integrated Score Classifier (ISC), the Pairwise Score Classifier (PSC) and the Bayesian Probability Classifier (BPC); these classifiers assign observations to a class based on similarities in covariance, mean, and variance, while accounting for model ambiguity and validity. These feature based and model based inversion techniques were successfully applied to several thousand echoes acquired from broadband (~350 k

Acoustic multipath arrivals in the horizontal plane due to approaching nonlinear internal waves.

PubMed

Badiey, Mohsen; Katsnelson, Boris G; Lin, Ying-Tsong; Lynch, James F

2011-04-01

Simultaneous measurements of acoustic wave transmissions and a nonlinear internal wave packet approaching an along-shelf acoustic path during the Shallow Water 2006 experiment are reported. The incoming internal wave packet acts as a moving frontal layer reflecting (or refracting) sound in the horizontal plane. Received acoustic signals are filtered into acoustic normal mode arrivals. It is shown that a horizontal multipath interference is produced. This has previously been called a horizontal Lloyd's mirror. The interference between the direct path and the refracted path depends on the mode number and frequency of the acoustic signal. A mechanism for the multipath interference is shown. Preliminary modeling results of this dynamic interaction using vertical modes and horizontal parabolic equation models are in good agreement with the observed data.

Acoustic myography as an indicator of force during sustained contractions of a small hand muscle.

PubMed

Goldenberg, M S; Yack, H J; Cerny, F J; Burton, H W

1991-01-01

To test the hypothesis that muscle sound amplitudes would remain constant during sustained submaximal isometric contractions, we recorded acoustic myograms from the abductor digiti minimi muscle in 12 subjects at 15, 25, 50, and 75% of a maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). Muscle sounds were detected with an omni-directional electret microphone encased in closed-cell foam and attached to the skin over the muscle. Acoustic amplitudes from the middle and end of the sustained contractions were compared with the amplitudes from the beginning of contractions to determine whether acoustic amplitudes varied in magnitude as force remained constant. Physiological tremor was eliminated from the acoustic signal by use of a Fourier truncation at 14 Hz. The amplitudes of the acoustic signal at a contraction intensity of 75% MVC remained constant, reflecting force production over time. At 50% MVC, the root-mean-square amplitude decreased from the beginning to the end of the contraction (P less than 0.05). Acoustic amplitudes increased over time at 15 and 25% MVC and were significantly higher at the end of the contractions than at the beginning (P less than 0.05). Alterations in the acoustic amplitude, which reflect changes in the lateral vibrations of the muscle, may be indicative of the different recruitment strategies used to maintain force during sustained isometric contractions.

Acoustic positioning for space processing experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whymark, R. R.

1974-01-01

An acoustic positioning system is described that is adaptable to a range of processing chambers and furnace systems. Operation at temperatures exceeding 1000 C is demonstrated in experiments involving the levitation of liquid and solid glass materials up to several ounces in weight. The system consists of a single source of sound that is beamed at a reflecting surface placed a distance away. Stable levitation is achieved at a succession of discrete energy minima contained throughout the volume between the reflector and the sound source. Several specimens can be handled at one time. Metal discs up to 3 inches in diameter can be levitated, solid spheres of dense material up to 0.75 inches diameter, and liquids can be freely suspended in l-g in the form of near-spherical droplets up to 0.25 inch diameter, or flattened liquid discs up to 0.6 inches diameter. Larger specimens may be handled by increasing the size of the sound source or by reducing the sound frequency.

Linear and Nonlinear Time Reverse Acoustics in Geomaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutin, A.; Johnson, P. A.; Tencate, J.

2004-12-01

Linear and Nonlinear Time Reverse Acoustics in Geomaterials P. A. Johnson, A.Sutin and J. TenCate Time Reversal Acoustics (TRA) is one of the most interesting topics to have emerged in modern acoustics in the last 40 years. Much of the seminal research in this area has been carried out by the group at the Laboratoire Ondes et Acoustique at the University of Paris 7, who have demonstrated the ability and robustness of TRA (using Time Reversal Mirrors) to provide spatial control and focusing of an ultrasonic beam (e.g. Fink, 1999). The ability to obtain highly focused signals with TRA has numerous applications, including lithotripsy, ultrasonic brain surgery, nondestructive evaluation and underwater acoustic communication. Notably, the study of time reversal in solids and in the earth is still relatively new. The problem is fundamentally different from the purely acoustic one due to the excitation and propagation of both compressional (bulk) and shear waves as well as the scattering and potentially high dissipation of the medium. We conducted series of TRA experiments in different solids using direct-coupled transducers on solids in tandem with a large bandwidth laser vibrometer detector. A typical time reversal experiment was carried out using the following steps (Sutin et al. 2004a). Laboratory experiments were conducted in different geomaterials of different shapes and sizes, including Carrera marble, granite and Berea sandstone. We observed that, in spite of potentially huge numbers of wave conversions (e.g., compressional to shear, shear to compressional, compressional/shear to surface waves, etc.) for each reflection at each free surface, time reversal still provides significant spatial and temporal focusing in these different geophysical materials. The typical size of the focal area is approximately equivalent to the shear wavelength and the focal area, but becomes larger with increasing wave attenuation (Sutin et al. 2004a; Delsanto et al., 2003)). The TR

Characterization of malaria infected blood cells by scanning confocal laser and acoustic vector contrast microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed Mohamed, E. T.; Schubert, S.; Gilberger, T. W.; Kamanyi, A., Jr.; Wannemacher, R.; Grill, W.

2006-03-01

Acoustic and optical multiple contrast microscopy has been employed in order to explore characterizable parameters of red blood cells, including cells infected by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, in order to investigate cellular modifications caused by the infection and to identify possible detection schemes for disease monitoring. Imaging schemes were based on fluorescence, optical transmission, optical reflection, and amplitude and phase of ultrasound reflected from the cells. Contrast variations observed in acoustic microscopy, but not in optical microscopy, were tentatively ascribed to changes caused by the infection.

Microfibrous metallic cloth for acoustic isolation of a MEMS gyroscope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dean, Robert; Burch, Nesha; Black, Meagan; Beal, Aubrey; Flowers, George

2011-04-01

The response of a MEMS device that is exposed to a harsh environment may range from an increased noise floor to a completely erroneous output to temporary or even permanent device failure. One such harsh environment is high power acoustic energy possessing high frequency components. This type of environment sometimes occurs in small aerospace vehicles. In this type of operating environment, high frequency acoustic energy can be transferred to a MEMS gyroscope die through the device packaging. If the acoustic noise possesses a sufficiently strong component at the resonant frequency of the gyroscope, it will overexcite the motion of the proof mass, resulting in the deleterious effect of corrupted angular rate measurement. Therefore if the device or system packaging can be improved to sufficiently isolate the gyroscope die from environmental acoustic energy, the sensor may find new applications in this type of harsh environment. This research effort explored the use of microfibrous metallic cloth for isolating the gyroscope die from environmental acoustic excitation. Microfibrous cloth is a composite of fused, intermingled metal fibers and has a variety of typical uses involving chemical processing applications and filtering. Specifically, this research consisted of experimental evaluations of multiple layers of packed microfibrous cloth composed of sintered nickel material. The packed cloth was used to provide acoustic isolation for a test MEMS gyroscope, the Analog Devices ADXRS300. The results of this investigation revealed that the intermingling of the various fibers of the metallic cloth provided a significant contact area between the fiber strands and voids, which enhanced the acoustic damping of the material. As a result, the nickel cloth was discovered to be an effective acoustic isolation material for this particular MEMS gyroscope.

Opportunities for shear energy scaling in bulk acoustic wave resonators.

PubMed

Jose, Sumy; Hueting, Raymond J E

2014-10-01

An important energy loss contribution in bulk acoustic wave resonators is formed by so-called shear waves, which are transversal waves that propagate vertically through the devices with a horizontal motion. In this work, we report for the first time scaling of the shear-confined spots, i.e., spots containing a high concentration of shear wave displacement, controlled by the frame region width at the edge of the resonator. We also demonstrate a novel methodology to arrive at an optimum frame region width for spurious mode suppression and shear wave confinement. This methodology makes use of dispersion curves obtained from finite-element method (FEM) eigenfrequency simulations for arriving at an optimum frame region width. The frame region optimization is demonstrated for solidly mounted resonators employing several shear wave optimized reflector stacks. Finally, the FEM simulation results are compared with measurements for resonators with Ta2O5/ SiO2 stacks showing suppression of the spurious modes.

Optimizing acoustical conditions for speech intelligibility in classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Wonyoung

SNS = 4 dB and increased to 0.8 and 1.2 s with decreased SNS = 0 dB, for both normal and hearing-impaired listeners. Hearing-impaired listeners required more early energy than normal-hearing listeners. Reflective ceiling barriers and ceiling reflectors---in particular, parallel front-back rows of semi-circular reflectors---achieved the goal of decreasing reverberation with the least speech-level reduction.

Photo-acoustic and video-acoustic methods for sensing distant sound sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, Dan; Kozacik, Stephen; Kelmelis, Eric

2017-05-01

Long range telescopic video imagery of distant terrestrial scenes, aircraft, rockets and other aerospace vehicles can be a powerful observational tool. But what about the associated acoustic activity? A new technology, Remote Acoustic Sensing (RAS), may provide a method to remotely listen to the acoustic activity near these distant objects. Local acoustic activity sometimes weakly modulates the ambient illumination in a way that can be remotely sensed. RAS is a new type of microphone that separates an acoustic transducer into two spatially separated components: 1) a naturally formed in situ acousto-optic modulator (AOM) located within the distant scene and 2) a remote sensing readout device that recovers the distant audio. These two elements are passively coupled over long distances at the speed of light by naturally occurring ambient light energy or other electromagnetic fields. Stereophonic, multichannel and acoustic beam forming are all possible using RAS techniques and when combined with high-definition video imagery it can help to provide a more cinema like immersive viewing experience. A practical implementation of a remote acousto-optic readout device can be a challenging engineering problem. The acoustic influence on the optical signal is generally weak and often with a strong bias term. The optical signal is further degraded by atmospheric seeing turbulence. In this paper, we consider two fundamentally different optical readout approaches: 1) a low pixel count photodiode based RAS photoreceiver and 2) audio extraction directly from a video stream. Most of our RAS experiments to date have used the first method for reasons of performance and simplicity. But there are potential advantages to extracting audio directly from a video stream. These advantages include the straight forward ability to work with multiple AOMs (useful for acoustic beam forming), simpler optical configurations, and a potential ability to use certain preexisting video recordings. However

Remote Acoustic Emission Monitoring of Metal Ware and Welded Joints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kapranov, Boris I.; Sutorikhin, Vladimir A.

2017-10-01

An unusual phenomenon was revealed in the metal-ultrasound interaction. Microwave sensor generates surface electric conductivity oscillations from exposure to elastic ultrasonic vibrations on regions of defects embracing micro-defects termed as “crack mouth.” They are known as the region of “acoustic activity,” method of Acoustic Emission (AE) method. It was established that the high phase-modulation coefficient of reflected field generates intentional Doppler radar signal with the following parameters: amplitude-1-5 nm, 6-30 dB adjusted to 70- 180 mm. This phenomenon is termed as “Gorbunov effect,” which is applied as a remote non-destructive testing method replacing ultrasonic flaw detection and acoustic emission methods.

Acoustic analysis in Mudejar-Gothic churches: Experimental results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galindo, Miguel; Zamarreño, Teófilo; Girón, Sara

2005-05-01

This paper describes the preliminary results of research work in acoustics, conducted in a set of 12 Mudejar-Gothic churches in the city of Seville in the south of Spain. Despite common architectural style, the churches feature individual characteristics and have volumes ranging from 3947 to 10 708 m3. Acoustic parameters were measured in unoccupied churches according to the ISO-3382 standard. An extensive experimental study was carried out using impulse response analysis through a maximum length sequence measurement system in each church. It covered aspects such as reverberation (reverberation times, early decay times), distribution of sound levels (sound strength); early to late sound energy parameters derived from the impulse responses (center time, clarity for speech, clarity, definition, lateral energy fraction), and speech intelligibility (rapid speech transmission index), which all take both spectral and spatial distribution into account. Background noise was also measured to obtain the NR indices. The study describes the acoustic field inside each temple and establishes a discussion for each one of the acoustic descriptors mentioned by using the theoretical models available and the principles of architectural acoustics. Analysis of the quality of the spaces for music and speech is carried out according to the most widespread criteria for auditoria. .

Acoustic analysis in Mudejar-Gothic churches: experimental results.

PubMed

Galindo, Miguel; Zamarreño, Teófilo; Girón, Sara

2005-05-01

This paper describes the preliminary results of research work in acoustics, conducted in a set of 12 Mudejar-Gothic churches in the city of Seville in the south of Spain. Despite common architectural style, the churches feature individual characteristics and have volumes ranging from 3947 to 10 708 m3. Acoustic parameters were measured in unoccupied churches according to the ISO-3382 standard. An extensive experimental study was carried out using impulse response analysis through a maximum length sequence measurement system in each church. It covered aspects such as reverberation (reverberation times, early decay times), distribution of sound levels (sound strength); early to late sound energy parameters derived from the impulse responses (center time, clarity for speech, clarity, definition, lateral energy fraction), and speech intelligibility (rapid speech transmission index), which all take both spectral and spatial distribution into account. Background noise was also measured to obtain the NR indices. The study describes the acoustic field inside each temple and establishes a discussion for each one of the acoustic descriptors mentioned by using the theoretical models available and the principles of architectural acoustics. Analysis of the quality of the spaces for music and speech is carried out according to the most widespread criteria for auditoria.

Nonlinear Acoustics at the Air-Water Free Surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pree, Seth; Naranjo, Brian; Putterman, Seth

2016-11-01

According to linear acoustics, airborne sound incident on a water surface transmits only a tenth of a percent of its energy. This difficulty of transmitting energy across the water surface limits the feasibility of standoff ultrasound imaging. We propose to overcome this long standing problem by developing new methods of coupling into the medium at standoff. In particular, we believe that the acoustic nonlinearity of both the air and the medium may yield a range of effects in the vicinity of the surface permitting an efficient transmission of ultrasound from the air into the medium. The recent commercial availability of parametric speakers that deliver modulated 100kHz ultrasound at 135dB to nonlinearly generate music at 95dB provides an interesting platform with which to revisit the transmission of sound across acoustic impedance mismatches. We show results of experimental studies of the behavior of the air-water free surface when subjected to large amplitude acoustic pressures from the air. This work was supported by the ARO STIR program.

Transient reflectance of photoexcited Cd{sub 3}As{sub 2}

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

Weber, C. P., E-mail: cweber@scu.edu; Berggren, Bryan S.; Arushanov, Ernest

2015-06-08

We report ultrafast transient-grating measurements of crystals of the three-dimensional Dirac semimetal cadmium arsenide, Cd{sub 3}As{sub 2}, at both room temperature and 80 K. After photoexcitation with 1.5-eV photons, charge-carriers relax by two processes, one of duration 500 fs and the other of duration 3.1 ps. By measuring the complex phase of the change in reflectance, we determine that the faster signal corresponds to a decrease in absorption, and the slower signal to a decrease in the light's phase velocity, at the probe energy. We attribute these signals to electrons' filling of phase space, first near the photon energy and latermore » at lower energy. We attribute their decay to cooling by rapid emission of optical phonons, then slower emission of acoustic phonons. We also present evidence that both the electrons and the lattice are strongly heated.« less

Generation and control of sound bullets with a nonlinear acoustic lens.

PubMed

Spadoni, Alessandro; Daraio, Chiara

2010-04-20

Acoustic lenses are employed in a variety of applications, from biomedical imaging and surgery to defense systems and damage detection in materials. Focused acoustic signals, for example, enable ultrasonic transducers to image the interior of the human body. Currently however the performance of acoustic devices is limited by their linear operational envelope, which implies relatively inaccurate focusing and low focal power. Here we show a dramatic focusing effect and the generation of compact acoustic pulses (sound bullets) in solid and fluid media, with energies orders of magnitude greater than previously achievable. This focusing is made possible by a tunable, nonlinear acoustic lens, which consists of ordered arrays of granular chains. The amplitude, size, and location of the sound bullets can be controlled by varying the static precompression of the chains. Theory and numerical simulations demonstrate the focusing effect, and photoelasticity experiments corroborate it. Our nonlinear lens permits a qualitatively new way of generating high-energy acoustic pulses, which may improve imaging capabilities through increased accuracy and signal-to-noise ratios and may lead to more effective nonintrusive scalpels, for example, for cancer treatment.

Imaging and detection of mines from acoustic measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Witten, Alan J.; DiMarzio, Charles A.; Li, Wen; McKnight, Stephen W.

1999-08-01

A laboratory-scale acoustic experiment is described where a buried target, a hockey puck cut in half, is shallowly buried in a sand box. To avoid the need for source and receiver coupling to the host sand, an acoustic wave is generated in the subsurface by a pulsed laser suspended above the air-sand interface. Similarly, an airborne microphone is suspended above this interface and moved in unison with the laser. After some pre-processing of the data, reflections for the target, although weak, could clearly be identified. While the existence and location of the target can be determined by inspection of the data, its unique shape can not. Since target discrimination is important in mine detection, a 3D imaging algorithm was applied to the acquired acoustic data. This algorithm yielded a reconstructed image where the shape of the target was resolved.

Broadband enhanced transmission of acoustic waves through serrated metal gratings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Dong-Xiang; Fan, Ren-Hao; Deng, Yu-Qiang; Peng, Ru-Wen; Wang, Mu; Jiangnan University Collaboration

In this talk, we present our studies on broadband properties of acoustic waves through metal gratings. We have demonstrated that serrated metal gratings, which introduce gradient coatings, can give rise to broadband transmission enhancement of acoustic waves. Here, we have experimentally and theoretically studied the acoustic transmission properties of metal gratings with or without serrated boundaries. The average transmission is obviously enhanced for serrated metal gratings within a wide frequency range, while the Fabry-Perot resonance is significantly suppressed. An effective medium hypothesis with varying acoustic impedance is proposed to analyze the mechanism, which was verified through comparison with finite-element simulation. The serrated boundary supplies gradient mass distribution and gradient normal acoustic impedance, which could efficiently reduce the boundary reflection. Further, by increasing the region of the serrated boundary, we present a broadband high-transmission grating for wide range of incident angle. Our results may have potential applications to broadband acoustic imaging, acoustic sensing and new acoustic devices. References: [1] Dong-Xiang Qi, Yu-Qiang Deng, Di-Hu Xu, Ren-Hao Fan, Ru-Wen Peng, Ze-Guo Chen, Ming-Hui Lu, X. R. Huang and Mu Wang, Appl. Phys. Lett. 106, 011906 (2015); [2] Dong-Xiang Qi, Ren-Hao Fan, Ru-Wen Peng, Xian-Rong Huang, Ming-Hui Lu, Xu Ni, Qing Hu, and Mu Wang, Applied Physics Letters 101, 061912 (2012).

Novel types of surface acoustic wave microreflectors - Performance analysis and simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golan, G.; Griffel, G.; Seidman, A.; Croitoru, N.

1990-06-01

Surface acoustic waves for micrograting reflectors have been characterized. Based on the perturbation theory, eight different types of structures on an acoustic waveguide were analyzed. Results of simulations of all eight types of corrugation structures were evaluated in order to find the least leaky waveguide, the most efficient reflector (with minimum necessary perturbations), and the optimal mode shape for improved performances. General design curves are presented in order to illustrate the behavior of the incident and reflected waves under a variety of structural conditions. Analytic expressions for the calculations of the mode amplitude and mode shape, and for general acoustic corrugations are derived and then the simulations results are presented.

Spectroscopy of reflection-asymmetric nuclei with relativistic energy density functionals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, S. Y.; Tao, H.; Lu, Y.; Li, Z. P.; Nikšić, T.; Vretenar, D.

2017-11-01

Quadrupole and octupole deformation energy surfaces, low-energy excitation spectra, and transition rates in 14 isotopic chains: Xe, Ba, Ce, Nd, Sm, Gd, Rn, Ra, Th, U, Pu, Cm, Cf, and Fm, are systematically analyzed using a theoretical framework based on a quadrupole-octupole collective Hamiltonian (QOCH), with parameters determined by constrained reflection-asymmetric and axially symmetric relativistic mean-field calculations. The microscopic QOCH model based on the PC-PK1 energy density functional and δ -interaction pairing is shown to accurately describe the empirical trend of low-energy quadrupole and octupole collective states, and predicted spectroscopic properties are consistent with recent microscopic calculations based on both relativistic and nonrelativistic energy density functionals. Low-energy negative-parity bands, average octupole deformations, and transition rates show evidence for octupole collectivity in both mass regions, for which a microscopic mechanism is discussed in terms of evolution of single-nucleon orbitals with deformation.

Singer's preferred acoustic condition in performance in an opera house and self-perception of the singer's voice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noson, Dennis; Kato, Kosuke; Ando, Yoichi

2004-05-01

Solo singers have been shown to over estimate the relative sound pressure level of a delayed, external reproduction of their own voice, singing single syllables, which, in turn, appears to influence the preferred delay of simulated stage reflections [Noson, Ph.D. thesis, Kobe University, 2003]. Bone conduction is thought to be one factor separating singer versus instrumental performer judgments of stage acoustics. Using a parameter derived from the vocal signal autocorrelation function (ACF envelope), the changes in singer preference for delayed reflections is primarily explained by the ACF parameter, rather than internal bone conduction. An auditory model of a singer's preferred reflection delay is proposed, combining the effects of acoustical environment (reflection amplitude), bone conduction, and performer vocal overestimate, which may be applied to the acoustic design of reflecting elements in both upstage and forestage environments of opera stages. For example, soloists who characteristically underestimate external voice levels (or overestimate their own voice) should be provided shorter distances to reflective panels-irrespective of their singing style. Adjustable elements can be deployed to adapt opera houses intended for bel canto style performances to other styles. Additional examples will also be discussed. a)Now at Kumamoto Univ., Kumamoto, Japan. b)Now at: 1-10-27 Yamano Kami, Kumamoto, Japan.

Experimental implementation of acoustic impedance control by a 2D network of distributed smart cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

David, P.; Collet, M.; Cote, J.-M.

2010-03-01

New miniaturization and integration capabilities available from emerging microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology will allow silicon-based artificial skins involving thousands of elementary actuators to be developed in the near future. Smart structures combining large arrays of elementary motion pixels are thus being studied so that fundamental properties could be dynamically adjusted. This paper investigates the acoustical capabilities of a network of distributed transducers connected with a suitable controlling strategy. The research aims at designing an integrated active interface for sound attenuation by using suitable changes of acoustical impedance. The control strategy is based on partial differential equations (PDE) and the multiscaled physics of electromechanical elements. Specific techniques based on PDE control theory have provided a simple boundary control equation able to annihilate the reflections of acoustic waves. To experimentally implement the method, the control strategy is discretized as a first order time-space operator. The obtained quasi-collocated architecture, composed of a large number of sensors and actuators, provides high robustness and stability. The experimental results demonstrate how a well controlled active skin can substantially modify sound reflectivity of the acoustical interface and reduce the propagation of acoustic waves.

Air Coupled Acoustic Thermography (ACAT) Inspection Technique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zalameda, Joseph; Winfree, William P.; Yost, William T.

2007-01-01

The scope of this effort is to determine the viability of a new heating technique using a noncontact acoustic excitation source. Because of low coupling between air and the structure, a synchronous detection method is employed. Any reduction in the out of plane stiffness improves the acoustic coupling efficiency and as a result, defective areas have an increase in temperature relative to the surrounding area. Hence a new measurement system, based on air-coupled acoustic energy and synchronous detection is presented. An analytical model of a clamped circular plate is given, experimentally tested, and verified. Repeatability confirms the technique with a measurement uncertainty of plus or minus 6.2 percent. The range of frequencies used was 800-2,000 Hertz. Acoustic excitation and consequent thermal detection of flaws in a helicopter blade is examined and results indicate that air coupled acoustic excitation enables the detection of core damage in sandwich honeycomb structures.

Laser-nucleated acoustic cavitation in focused ultrasound.

PubMed

Gerold, Bjoern; Kotopoulis, Spiros; McDougall, Craig; McGloin, David; Postema, Michiel; Prentice, Paul

2011-04-01

Acoustic cavitation can occur in therapeutic applications of high-amplitude focused ultrasound. Studying acoustic cavitation has been challenging, because the onset of nucleation is unpredictable. We hypothesized that acoustic cavitation can be forced to occur at a specific location using a laser to nucleate a microcavity in a pre-established ultrasound field. In this paper we describe a scientific instrument that is dedicated to this outcome, combining a focused ultrasound transducer with a pulsed laser. We present high-speed photographic observations of laser-induced cavitation and laser-nucleated acoustic cavitation, at frame rates of 0.5×10(6) frames per second, from laser pulses of energy above and below the optical breakdown threshold, respectively. Acoustic recordings demonstrated inertial cavitation can be controllably introduced to the ultrasound focus. This technique will contribute to the understanding of cavitation evolution in focused ultrasound including for potential therapeutic applications. © 2011 American Institute of Physics

Aerodynamic and acoustic performance of ejectors for engine-under-the-wing concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vonglahn, U.; Goodykoontz, J. H.; Groesbeck, D.

1974-01-01

Subsonic thrust augmentation, exhaust plume velocity contours and acoustic characteristics of a small-scale, 6-tube mixer nozzle with ejector were obtained with and without a wing. Thrust augmentation up to 30 percent was achieved. Aerodynamic results showed that at a given location, greater downstream velocities are obtained with an ejector than with the baseline nozzle. Ejectors reduce high frequency noise; however, low frequency noise amplification also occurs. Acoustic reflections off the wing increase the noise level to a ground observer. With an ejector, the acoustic benefits of forward velocity may be significantly reduced compared with the baseline nozzle.

Investigation on the reproduction performance versus acoustic contrast control in sound field synthesis.

PubMed

Bai, Mingsian R; Wen, Jheng-Ciang; Hsu, Hoshen; Hua, Yi-Hsin; Hsieh, Yu-Hao

2014-10-01

A sound reconstruction system is proposed for audio reproduction with extended sweet spot and reduced reflections. An equivalent source method (ESM)-based sound field synthesis (SFS) approach, with the aid of dark zone minimization is adopted in the study. Conventional SFS that is based on the free-field assumption suffers from synthesis error due to boundary reflections. To tackle the problem, the proposed system utilizes convex optimization in designing array filters with both reproduction performance and acoustic contrast taken into consideration. Control points are deployed in the dark zone to minimize the reflections from the walls. Two approaches are employed to constrain the pressure and velocity in the dark zone. Pressure matching error (PME) and acoustic contrast (AC) are used as performance measures in simulations and experiments for a rectangular loudspeaker array. Perceptual Evaluation of Audio Quality (PEAQ) is also used to assess the audio reproduction quality. The results show that the pressure-constrained (PC) method yields better acoustic contrast, but poorer reproduction performance than the pressure-velocity constrained (PVC) method. A subjective listening test also indicates that the PVC method is the preferred method in a live room.

Acoustic analysis of normal Saudi adult voices.

PubMed

Malki, Khalid H; Al-Habib, Salman F; Hagr, Abulrahman A; Farahat, Mohamed M

2009-08-01

To determine the acoustic differences between Saudi adult male and female voices, and to compare the acoustic variables of the Multidimensional Voice Program (MDVP) obtained from North American adults to a group of Saudi males and females. A cross-sectional survey of normal adult male and female voices was conducted at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between March 2007 and December 2008. Ninety-five Saudi subjects sustained the vowel /a/ 6 times, and the steady state portion of 3 samples was analyzed and compared with the samples of the KayPentax normative voice database. Significant differences were found between Saudi and North American KayPentax database groups. In the male subjects, 15 of 33 MDVP variables, and 10 of 33 variables in the female subjects were found to be significantly different from the KayPentax database. We conclude that the acoustical differences may reflect laryngeal anatomical or tissue differences between the Saudi and the KayPentax database.

Efficient Structure Resonance Energy Transfer from Microwaves to Confined Acoustic Vibrations in Viruses

PubMed Central

Yang, Szu-Chi; Lin, Huan-Chun; Liu, Tzu-Ming; Lu, Jen-Tang; Hung, Wan-Ting; Huang, Yu-Ru; Tsai, Yi-Chun; Kao, Chuan-Liang; Chen, Shih-Yuan; Sun, Chi-Kuang

2015-01-01

Virus is known to resonate in the confined-acoustic dipolar mode with microwave of the same frequency. However this effect was not considered in previous virus-microwave interaction studies and microwave-based virus epidemic prevention. Here we show that this structure-resonant energy transfer effect from microwaves to virus can be efficient enough so that airborne virus was inactivated with reasonable microwave power density safe for the open public. We demonstrate this effect by measuring the residual viral infectivity of influenza A virus after illuminating microwaves with different frequencies and powers. We also established a theoretical model to estimate the microwaves power threshold for virus inactivation and good agreement with experiments was obtained. Such structure-resonant energy transfer induced inactivation is mainly through physically fracturing the virus structure, which was confirmed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. These results provide a pathway toward establishing a new epidemic prevention strategy in open public for airborne virus. PMID:26647655

Efficient Structure Resonance Energy Transfer from Microwaves to Confined Acoustic Vibrations in Viruses.

PubMed

Yang, Szu-Chi; Lin, Huan-Chun; Liu, Tzu-Ming; Lu, Jen-Tang; Hung, Wan-Ting; Huang, Yu-Ru; Tsai, Yi-Chun; Kao, Chuan-Liang; Chen, Shih-Yuan; Sun, Chi-Kuang

2015-12-09

Virus is known to resonate in the confined-acoustic dipolar mode with microwave of the same frequency. However this effect was not considered in previous virus-microwave interaction studies and microwave-based virus epidemic prevention. Here we show that this structure-resonant energy transfer effect from microwaves to virus can be efficient enough so that airborne virus was inactivated with reasonable microwave power density safe for the open public. We demonstrate this effect by measuring the residual viral infectivity of influenza A virus after illuminating microwaves with different frequencies and powers. We also established a theoretical model to estimate the microwaves power threshold for virus inactivation and good agreement with experiments was obtained. Such structure-resonant energy transfer induced inactivation is mainly through physically fracturing the virus structure, which was confirmed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. These results provide a pathway toward establishing a new epidemic prevention strategy in open public for airborne virus.

Three-dimensional continuous particle focusing in a microfluidic channel via standing surface acoustic waves (SSAW).

PubMed

Shi, Jinjie; Yazdi, Shahrzad; Lin, Sz-Chin Steven; Ding, Xiaoyun; Chiang, I-Kao; Sharp, Kendra; Huang, Tony Jun

2011-07-21

Three-dimensional (3D) continuous microparticle focusing has been achieved in a single-layer polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic channel using a standing surface acoustic wave (SSAW). The SSAW was generated by the interference of two identical surface acoustic waves (SAWs) created by two parallel interdigital transducers (IDTs) on a piezoelectric substrate with a microchannel precisely bonded between them. To understand the working principle of the SSAW-based 3D focusing and investigate the position of the focal point, we computed longitudinal waves, generated by the SAWs and radiated into the fluid media from opposite sides of the microchannel, and the resultant pressure and velocity fields due to the interference and reflection of the longitudinal waves. Simulation results predict the existence of a focusing point which is in good agreement with our experimental observations. Compared with other 3D focusing techniques, this method is non-invasive, robust, energy-efficient, easy to implement, and applicable to nearly all types of microparticles.

Vibro-acoustic modeling and analysis of a coupled acoustic system comprising a partially opened cavity coupled with a flexible plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Shuangxia; Su, Zhu; Jin, Guoyong; Liu, Zhigang

2018-01-01

This paper is concerned with the modeling and solution method of a three-dimensional (3D) coupled acoustic system comprising a partially opened cavity coupled with a flexible plate and an exterior field of semi-infinite size, which is ubiquitously encountered in architectural acoustics and is a reasonable representation of many engineering occasions. A general solution method is presented to predict the dynamic behaviors of the three-dimensional (3D) acoustic coupled system, in which the displacement of the plate and the sound pressure in the cavity are respectively constructed in the form of the two-dimensional and three-dimensional modified Fourier series with several auxiliary functions introduced to ensure the uniform convergence of the solution over the entire solution domain. The effect of the opening is taken into account via the work done by the sound pressure acting at the coupling aperture that is contributed from the vibration of particles on the acoustic coupling interface and on the structural-acoustic coupling interface. Both the acoustic coupling between finite cavity and exterior field and the structural-acoustic coupling between flexible plate and interior acoustic field are considered in the vibro-acoustic modeling of the three-dimensional acoustic coupled acoustic system. The dynamic responses of the coupled structural-acoustic system are obtained using the Rayleigh-Ritz procedure based on the energy expressions for the coupled system. The accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed method are validated through numerical examples and comparison with results obtained by the boundary element analysis. Furthermore, the influence of the opening and the cavity volume on the acoustic behaviors of opened cavity system is studied.

High-sensitivity acoustic sensors from nanofibre webs.

PubMed

Lang, Chenhong; Fang, Jian; Shao, Hao; Ding, Xin; Lin, Tong

2016-03-23

Considerable interest has been devoted to converting mechanical energy into electricity using polymer nanofibres. In particular, piezoelectric nanofibres produced by electrospinning have shown remarkable mechanical energy-to-electricity conversion ability. However, there is little data for the acoustic-to-electric conversion of electrospun nanofibres. Here we show that electrospun piezoelectric nanofibre webs have a strong acoustic-to-electric conversion ability. Using poly(vinylidene fluoride) as a model polymer and a sensor device that transfers sound directly to the nanofibre layer, we show that the sensor devices can detect low-frequency sound with a sensitivity as high as 266 mV Pa(-1). They can precisely distinguish sound waves in low to middle frequency region. These features make them especially suitable for noise detection. Our nanofibre device has more than five times higher sensitivity than a commercial piezoelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride) film device. Electrospun piezoelectric nanofibres may be useful for developing high-performance acoustic sensors.

High-sensitivity acoustic sensors from nanofibre webs

PubMed Central

Lang, Chenhong; Fang, Jian; Shao, Hao; Ding, Xin; Lin, Tong

2016-01-01

Considerable interest has been devoted to converting mechanical energy into electricity using polymer nanofibres. In particular, piezoelectric nanofibres produced by electrospinning have shown remarkable mechanical energy-to-electricity conversion ability. However, there is little data for the acoustic-to-electric conversion of electrospun nanofibres. Here we show that electrospun piezoelectric nanofibre webs have a strong acoustic-to-electric conversion ability. Using poly(vinylidene fluoride) as a model polymer and a sensor device that transfers sound directly to the nanofibre layer, we show that the sensor devices can detect low-frequency sound with a sensitivity as high as 266 mV Pa−1. They can precisely distinguish sound waves in low to middle frequency region. These features make them especially suitable for noise detection. Our nanofibre device has more than five times higher sensitivity than a commercial piezoelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride) film device. Electrospun piezoelectric nanofibres may be useful for developing high-performance acoustic sensors. PMID:27005010

Auralization of concert hall acoustics using finite difference time domain methods and wave field synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hochgraf, Kelsey

Auralization methods have been used for a long time to simulate the acoustics of a concert hall for different seat positions. The goal of this thesis was to apply the concept of auralization to a larger audience area that the listener could walk through to compare differences in acoustics for a wide range of seat positions. For this purpose, the acoustics of Rensselaer's Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) Concert Hall were simulated to create signals for a 136 channel wave field synthesis (WFS) system located at Rensselaer's Collaborative Research Augmented Immersive Virtual Environment (CRAIVE) Laboratory. By allowing multiple people to dynamically experience the concert hall's acoustics at the same time, this research gained perspective on what is important for achieving objective accuracy and subjective plausibility in an auralization. A finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulation on a three-dimensional face-centered cubic grid, combined at a crossover frequency of 800 Hz with a CATT-Acoustic(TM) simulation, was found to have a reverberation time, direct to reverberant sound energy ratio, and early reflection pattern that more closely matched measured data from the hall compared to a CATT-Acoustic(TM) simulation and other hybrid simulations. In the CRAIVE lab, nine experienced listeners found all hybrid auralizations (with varying source location, grid resolution, crossover frequency, and number of loudspeakers) to be more perceptually plausible than the CATT-Acoustic(TM) auralization. The FDTD simulation required two days to compute, while the CATT-Acoustic(TM) simulation required three separate TUCT(TM) computations, each taking four hours, to accommodate the large number of receivers. Given the perceptual advantages realized with WFS for auralization of a large, inhomogeneous sound field, it is recommended that hybrid simulations be used in the future to achieve more accurate and plausible auralizations. Predictions are made for a

The effect of the configuration of a single electrode corona discharge on its acoustic characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Xinlei; Zhang, Liancheng; Huang, Yifan; Wang, Jin; Liu, Zhen; Yan, Keping

2017-07-01

A new sparker system based on pulsed spark discharge with a single electrode has already been utilized for oceanic seismic exploration. However, the electro-acoustic energy efficiency of this system is lower than that of arc discharge based systems. A simple electrode structure was investigated in order to improve the electro-acoustic energy efficiency of the spark discharge. Experiments were carried out on an experimental setup with discharge in water driven by a pulsed power source. The voltage-current waveform, acoustic signal and bubble oscillation were recorded when the relative position of the electrode varied. The electro-acoustic energy efficiency was also calculated. The load voltage had a saltation for the invaginated electrode tip, namely an obvious voltage remnant. The more the electrode tip was invaginated, the larger the pressure peaks and first period became. The results show that electrode recessing into the insulating layer is a simple and effective way to improve the electro-acoustic energy efficiency from 2% to about 4%.

Acoustically trapped colloidal crystals that are reconfigurable in real time

PubMed Central

Caleap, Mihai; Drinkwater, Bruce W.

2014-01-01

Photonic and phononic crystals are metamaterials with repeating unit cells that result in internal resonances leading to a range of wave guiding and filtering properties and are opening up new applications such as hyperlenses and superabsorbers. Here we show the first, to our knowledge, 3D colloidal phononic crystal that is reconfigurable in real time and demonstrate its ability to rapidly alter its frequency filtering characteristics. Our reconfigurable material is assembled from microspheres in aqueous solution, trapped with acoustic radiation forces. The acoustic radiation force is governed by an energy landscape, determined by an applied high-amplitude acoustic standing wave field, in which particles move swiftly to energy minima. This creates a colloidal crystal of several milliliters in volume with spheres arranged in an orthorhombic lattice in which the acoustic wavelength is used to control the lattice spacing. Transmission acoustic spectroscopy shows that the new colloidal crystal behaves as a phononic metamaterial and exhibits clear band-pass and band-stop frequencies which are adjusted in real time. PMID:24706925

Localized sources of propagating acoustic waves in the solar photosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Timothy M.; Bogdan, Thomas J.; Lites, Bruce W.; Thomas, John H.

1992-01-01

A time series of Doppler measurements of the solar photosphere with moderate spatial resolution is described which covers a portion of the solar disk surrounding a small sunspot group. At temporal frequencies above 5.5 mHz, the Doppler field probes the spatial and temporal distribution of regions that emit acoustic energy. In the frequency range between 5.5 and 7.5 mHz, inclusive, a small fraction of the surface area emits a disproportionate amount of acoustic energy. The regions with excess emission are characterized by a patchy structure at spatial scales of a few arcseconds and by association (but not exact co-location) with regions having substantial magnetic field strength. These observations bear on the conjecture that most of the acoustic energy driving solar p-modes is created in localized regions occupying a small fraction of the solar surface area.

Room acoustics analysis using circular arrays: an experimental study based on sound field plane-wave decomposition.