Noise between 25-500 Hz is a common problem in Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Handbook lists values of end reflection loss (ERL), a frequency dependent parameter describing energy reflected back up a duct at a termination impedance, to help engineers design and account for noise. The ASHRAE Handbook does not account for common termination variations and only lists ERL values using octave bands down to 63 Hz. This thesis experimentally determined the ERL of a variety of rectangular duct configurations and termination conditions between 25-500 Hz. This research also compared experimental ERL results with analytic predictions and ASHRAE Handbook values. Seven duct sizes were tested, from 6X6 to 18X54 inches. Duct termination baffle hardness was varied between acoustically hard (plywood) and soft (ceiling tiles) for the 6X6, 6X10, and 6X18 ducts. Five duct termination distances above the termination baffle were tested, between flush and 1D for the 6X10 and 6X18 ducts and between flush and 5D for the 6X6 duct, where D equals the duct s effective diameter. Diffusers and flex duct configurations were installed at the end of the rigid duct to test their effect on ERL on the 6X6, 6X10, and 6X18 ducts. ERL was determined using an adaptation of the ASTM E1050 Standard, an application of the two-microphone impedance tube method. Experimental results closely conformed to analytic predictions and are an improvement over ASHRAE Handbook ERL values. The results indicate that baffle hardness has a negligible impact on ERL, which contradicts the ASHRAE assumption that diffusers that terminate in a suspended lay-in acoustic ceiling can be treated as terminating in free space. Termination distance above the baffle has a negligible impact on ERL at distances less than six inches for the 6X6 duct. Termination distances above the baffle greater than six inches exhibit limited free space ERL behavior for the 6X6 duct. The use of flex duct greatly reduces low frequency ERL and this is not accounted for by the ASHRAE Handbook. The impact from flex duct usage also negates any influence from downstream termination variations.

The propagation of acoustic waves through water-saturated granular sediments has been widely studied, yet existing propagation models can not adequately predict the speed and attenuation of sound across the range of frequencies of interest in underwater acoustics, especially in loosely packed sediments that have been recently disturbed by storms or wave action. Advances in modeling are currently dependent on experimental validation of various components of existing models. To begin to address these deficiencies, three well-controlled laboratory experiments were performed in gravity-settled glass beads and reconstituted sand sediments. Sound speed and attenuation measurements in the 0.5 kHz to 10 kHz range are scarce in the literature, so a resonator method was used to investigate a reconstituted sand sediment in this range. The literature contains laboratory and in situ measurements of sound speed and attenuation at higher frequencies, but existing models can not predict both the speed of sound and attenuation simultaneously in some sediments. A time-of-flight technique was used to determine the speed of sound and attenuation in monodisperse water-saturated glass beads, binary glass bead mixtures, and reconstituted sediment samples in the frequency range 200 kHz to 900 kHz to investigate the effect of sediment inhomogeneity. The effect of porosity, independent of changes in other sediment physical properties, has not been demonstrated in the experimental literature. Therefore, a fluidized bed technique was used to independently vary the porosity of monodisperse glass bead samples from 0.37 to 0.43 and a Fourier phase technique was used to determine the speed and attenuation of sound. Collecting these results together, measured sound speeds showed positive dispersion below 50 kHz while negative dispersion was observed above 200 kHz for some samples. Attenuation measurements showed an approximately f⁰̇⁵ dependence in the low frequency regime and an approximately f³̇⁵ dependence for large-grained samples in the high frequency regime. The laboratory experiments presented in this work demonstrate that both sound speed and attenuation in idealized loosely packed water-saturated sediments can not be simultaneously predicted by existing models within the uncertainties of the model input parameters, but the independent effect of porosity on sound speed can be predicted. / text

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Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, 2006. / Härtill 3 uppsatser.

The primary aim of this research was to investigate the fundamental acoustic properties of several cementitious materials, the influence of mix design parameters/constituents, and finally the effect of the physical and mechanical properties of cementitious material concrete/mortar on the acoustic properties of the material. The main objectives were: To understand the mechanism of sound production in musical instruments and the effects of the material(s) employed on the sound generated; To build upon previous research regarding selection of the tested physical/mechanical properties and acoustic properties of cementitious materials; To draw conclusions regarding the effect of different constituents, mix designs and material properties upon the acoustic properties of the material; To build a model of the relationship between the acoustic properties of a cementitious material and its mix design via its physical/mechanical properties. In order to meet the aim, this research was conducted by employing the semi-experimental (half analytical) method: two experimental programmes were performed (I and II); a mathematical optimization technique (least square method) was then implemented in order to construct an optimized mathematical model to match with the experimental data. In Experimental Programme I, six constituents/factors were investigated regarding the effect on the physical/mechanical and acoustic properties: cementitious material additives (fly ash, silica fume, and GGBS), superplasticizer, and basic mix design parameters (w/c ratio, and sand grading). 11 properties (eight physical/mechanical properties: compressive strength, density, hardness, flexural strength, flexural modulus, elastic modulus, dynamic modulus and slump test; and three acoustic properties: resonant frequency, speed of sound and quality factor (internal damping)) were tested for each constituents/factors related mortar type. For each type of mortar, there were three cubes, three prisms and three cylinders produced. In Experimental Programme I, 20 mix designs were investigated, 180 specimens produced, and 660 test results recorded. After analysing the results of Experimental Programme I, fly ash (FA), w/b ratio and b/s ratio were selected as the cementitious material/factors which had the greatest influence on the acoustic properties of the material; these were subsequently investigated in detail in Experimental Programme II. In Experimental Programme II, various combinations of FA replacement level, w/b ratios and b/s ratios (three factors) resulted in 1122 test results. The relationship between these three factors on the selected 11 properties was then determined. Through using regression analysis and optimization technique (least square method), the relationship between the physical/mechanical properties and acoustic properties was then determined. Through both experimental programmes, 54 mix designs were investigated in total, with 486 specimens produced and tested, and 1782 test results recorded. Finally, based upon well-known existing relationships (including, model of compressive strength and elastic modulus, and the model of elastic modulus and dynamic modulus), and new regressioned models of FA-mortar (the relationship of compressive strength and constituents, which is unique for different mixes), the optimized object function of acoustic properties (speed of sound and damping ratio) and mix design (proportions of constituents) were constructed via the physical/mechanical properties.

No description available.

Orientadoes: Joerg Dietrich Wilhelm Schleicher, Lúcio Tunes dos Santos / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Matemática, Estatística e Computação Científica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-21T14:21:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Bloot_Rodrigo_D.pdf: 3456556 bytes, checksum: dfcf4ac1fac953f56ab0b6d7c73c5157 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: No presente trabalho derivamos a equação geral da onda em um meio VTI com anisotropia fraca por meio da linearização do tensor de rigidez em termos do parâmetro de Thomsen ?. A equação da onda resultante é um sistema de três equações diferenciais acopladas em relação ao vetor de posição. Adaptamos a decomposição de Helmholtz e estudamos a propagação da onda em um meio homogêneo VTI. Além disso, usando a teoria do raio de ordem zero, derivamos as equações iconais e de transporte associadas aos modos de onda q-P, q-SV e q-SH. Por fim, reduzimos o problema ao caso pseudo-acústico no qual a velocidade da onda S é nula no eixo de simetria vertical e, com isto, estabelecemos um entendimento mais satisfatório do significado de artefatos que ocorrem nestes meios / Abstract: We derive a general elastic wave equation in weakly anisotropic VTI media by linearizing the expression of the stiffness tensor in terms of the Thomsen parameter ? The resulting wave equation is a system of three coupled differential equations for the three components of the displacement vector. By using the Helmholtz decomposition is possible to study the wave propagation in homogeneous VTI media. In heterogeneous case we use the zero-order ray theory. We derive the associated eikonal and transport equations for q-P, q-SV and q-SH waves. These are finally reduced to the pseudoacoustic case where the vertical S-wave velocity is zero. This allows for a better understanding of the pseudo-S wave artifact in such media / Doutorado / Matematica Aplicada / Doutor em Matemática Aplicada

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Since semiconductor fabrication processes require numerous steps, cost and yield are critical concerns. In-situ monitoring is therefore vital for process control. However, this goal is currently restricted by the shortage of available sensors capable of performing in this manner. The goal of this research therefore, was to investigate the use of acoustic signals for monitoring and control of semiconductor fabrication equipment and processes. Currently, most methods for process monitoring (such as optical emission or interferometric techniques) rely on "looking" at a process to monitor its status. What was investigated here involved "listening" to the process. Using acoustic methods for process monitoring enhances the amount and sensitivity of data collection to facilitate process diagnostics and control. A silicon acoustic sensor was designed, fabricated, and implemented as a process monitor. Silicon acoustic sensors are favorable because of their utilization of integrated circuit and micromachining processing techniques; thus, enabling miniature devices with precise dimensions, batch fabrication of sensors, good reproducibility, and low costs. The fabricated sensor was used for in-situ monitoring of nickel-iron electrochemical deposition processes. During this process, changes occur in its plating bath as the alloy is being deposited. It is known that changes in the process medium affect the acoustic response. Thus, the sensor was implemented in an electroplating set-up and its response was observed during depositions. By mapping the sensor response received to the film thickness measured at certain times, a predictive model of the plated alloy thickness was derived as a function of sensor output and plating time. Such a model can lead to real-time monitoring of nickel-iron thickness.

Clear speech is a type of speaking style that improves speech intelligibility for many individuals. For example, one study showed a 17 percentage point increase in intelligibility over conversational speech for individuals with sensorineural hearing loss (Picheny et al., 1985). The clear speech benefit also extends to children with learning disabilities (Bradlow et al., 2003), non-native listeners (Bradlow and Bent, 2002), and other populations. Although clear speech is typically slower than conversational speech, it can be produced, naturally, at normal rates with training. For young listeners with normal hearing, clear speech at normal rates (clear/normal) is more intelligible than conversational speech (conv/normal) and is almost as beneficial as clear speech at slow rates (clear/slow) (Krause and Braida, 2002). However, a preliminary study by Krause (2001), found that clear/normal speech may benefit some older listeners with hearing loss but not others, suggesting that age may be a factor in the clear speech benefit at normal rates. It is evident, though, that clear speech at slow rates benefits this population (Picheny et al., 1985; Payton et al., 1994; Schum, 1996; Helfer, 1998). Therefore, the purpose of the study was to examine older listeners with normal hearing to determine how speech intelligibility, measured by % correct keyword scores, varies with speaking mode, speaking rate, talker and listener. Results were then compared to previously collected data from younger listeners with normal hearing (Krause and Braida, 2002) in order to isolate the effect of age on the size of clear speech benefit at slow and normal speaking rates.Eight adults (ages 55-68) with normal hearing participated in speech intelligibility tests.