The estimation of power spectral densities is a critical step in many speech enhancement algorithms. The demand for multi-channel speech enhancement systems is high with applications in teleconferencing, cellular phones, and hearing aids. The first objective of the thesis is to develop a general multi-channel framework to solve for the diffuse noise power spectral densities whenever the spatial correlation or coherence matrix is pre-estimated and the number of speakers is less than the number of microphones. The second objective is to develop closed-form analytical solutions. The performance of the developed algorithms is evaluated with pre-existing algorithms using prescribed performance measures.

O ruído ambiental será abordado neste trabalho, com uma visão interdisciplinar, como fonte indutora de incômodos e/ou prejuízos à comunidade, especialmente à saúde das pessoas. Serão apresentadas as principais fontes de ruído ambiental e o nível de pressão sonora de cada fonte, respectivamente. Neste contexto, serão estudadas as repercussões do ruído ambiental para as pessoas em geral e os principais métodos de atenuação deste impacto ambiental. Este trabalho fará um levantamento das principais legislações sobre ruído ocupacional, e suas aplicações específicas. Também busca este trabalho a pacificação dos conceitos de ruído ambiental em suas várias vertentes de aplicação e interpretação científica. Em capítulo especial será discutido o efeito do ruído ocupacional em face da saúde dos trabalhadores expostos a níveis de pressão sonora elevada. Será abordada a PAIR Perda Auditiva Induzida por Ruído; a PAIRO Perda Auditiva Induzida por Ruído Ocupacional; e a PAINPSE Perda Auditiva Induzida por Nível de Pressão Sonora Elevada. Apresentar-se-á uma evolução histórica da legislação laboral e previdenciária. Finalmente será estabelecido como esta fonte física de agressão à saúde do trabalhador se repercute na vida pessoal do obreiro, na empresa em que trabalha e no sistema previdenciário brasileiro, e em especial na indústria metalúrgica. / This study addresses the environmental noise as an important source of nuisance and/or losses to the community - particularly to peoples health - from an interdisciplinary standpoint. The main sources of environmental noise and the level of sound pressure of each source are addressed as well. In this context, this paper investigates the repercussion of environmental noise on individuals and the main methods of mitigating such impact, also including a survey on the main laws on occupational noise and their specific applications. This study also aims at consolidating the environmental noise concepts as to their diversified applications and scientific interpretation. A special chapter is dedicated to the impact of occupational noise on workers exposed to high sound pressure. It addresses the Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (PAIR); Hearing Loss Caused by Occupational Noise (PAIRO), and Hearing Loss Caused by High Sound Pressure (PAINPSE). A historical evolution of labor and retirement laws is also presented. The study will conclusively establish how this physical source of aggression to the laborers health impacts his/her personal life, his company, and the Brazilian retirement system, and especially in the metallurgical industry.

No description available.

Noise pollution threatens marine ecosystems, where animals rely heavily on sound for navigation and communication. The largest source of underwater noise from human activity is shipping, and propeller-induced cavitation is the dominant source of noise from ships. Mitigation strategies require accurate methods for predicting cavitation-induced noise, which remains challenging. The present thesis explores prediction and modelling strategies for cavitation-induced noise from marine propellers, and provides insight into models that can be used both during propeller design and to generate intelligent vessel control strategies. I examined three distinct approaches to predicting cavitation-induced noise, each of which is discussed in one of the three main chapters of this thesis: a high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics scheme, a parametric mapping procedure, and the use of field measurements. Each of these three chapters presents different insight into the acoustic behaviour of cavitating marine propellers, as well both real and potential strategies for mitigating this critical environmental emission. A combined experimental and numerical study of noise from a cavitating propeller, focused on both the fundamental importance of experimental findings and the effectiveness of the numerical modelling strategy used, is detailed in the first main chapter of this thesis. The experimental results highlighted that loud cavitation noise is not necessarily associated with high-power or high-speed propeller operation, affirming the need for intelligent vessel operation strategies to mitigate underwater noise pollution. Comparison of the experimental measurements and simulations revealed that the simulation strategy resulted in an over-prediction of sound levels from cavitation. Analysis of the numerical results and experiments strongly suggested that the cavitation model implemented in the simulations, a model commonly used for marine propeller simulations, was responsible for the over-prediction of sound levels. Ships are powered primarily by combustion engines, for which it is possible to generate "maps" relating the emission of pollutants to the engine’s speed and torque; the second main chapter of this thesis presents the methodology I developed for generating similar "maps" relating the level of cavitation-induced noise to the speed and torque of a ship's propeller. A proof-of-concept of the method that used the model propeller from the first main chapter is presented. To generate the maps, I used a low-order simulation technique to predict the cavitation induced by the propeller at a range of different speed and torque combinations. A pair of semi-empirical models found in the literature were combined to provide the framework for predicting noise based on cavitation patterns. The proof-of-concept map shows a clear optimal operating regime for the propeller. The final main chapter of this thesis presents an analysis of field noise measurements of coastal ferries in commercial operation, the data for which were provided by an industrial partner. The key finding was the identification of cavitation regime changes with variation in vessel speed by their acoustic signatures. The results provide a basis for remotely determining which vessels produce less noise pollution when subject to speed limits, which have been implement in critical marine habitats, and which vessels produce less noise at a specific optimum speed. / Graduate

No description available.

This study assessed the role of otoacoustic emission screening for the early identification of noise-induced hearing loss in South African mineworkers. Transient otoacoustic emissions and distortion product otoacoustic emissions were recorded in 106 noise exposed mineworkers (212 ears) aged between 20 and 55 years, and in 17 non-exposed novice workers (34 ears) aged between 18 and 29 years. All subjects had normal hearing acuity, otoscopic examinations and immittance measurements. Four otoacoustic emission (OAE) measurements were taken per ear and repeated by a second audiologist for the evaluation of inter-test reliability. Age and number of years of noise exposure was additionally evaluated as well as the specificity and sensitivity of the tests for this population group. In general the OAEs were diminished at four KHz for both the exposed and non-exposed groups. Age was found to be the primary predictor of diminished OAE tracings. Poor inter-test reliability was obtained. These results indicate that further research is required within this population group before OAE testing can be implemented for screening for noise-induced hearing loss. / Dissertation (M (Communication Pathology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / Unrestricted

Wireless communication systems are based on frequency synthesizers that generate carrier signals, which are used to transmit information. Frequency synthesizers use voltage controlled oscillators (VCO) to produce the required frequencies within a specified period of time. In the process of generating frequency, the VCO and other electronic components such as amplifiers produce some unwanted short-term frequency variations, which cause frequency instability within the frequency of interest known as phase noise (PN). PN has a negative impact on the performance of the overall wireless communication system. A literature study conducted on this research reveals that the existing PN cancellation techniques have some limitations and drawbacks that require further attention. A new PN correction technique based on the combination of least mean square (LMS) adaptive filtering and single-loop single-bit Sigma Delta (SD) modulator is proposed. The new design is also based on the Cascaded Resonator Feedback (CRFB) architecture. The noise transfer function (NTF) of the architecture was formulated in way that made it possible to stabilize the frequency fluctuations within the in-band (frequency of interest) by locating its poles and zeros within the unit circle. The new design was simulated and tested on a commercially available software tool called Agilent Advanced Design System (ADS). Simulation results show that the new technique achieves better results when compared with existing techniques as it achieves a 104 dB signal-to-noise (SNR), which is an improvement of 9 dB when compared with the existing technique accessed from the latest publications. The new design also achieves a clean signal with minimal spurious tones within the inband with a phase noise level of -141 dBc/Hz (lower phase noise level by 28 dBc/Hz) when compared with the existing techniques. / Thesis (MEng)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering / MEng / Unrestricted

Les travaux réalisés pendant cette thèse se focalisent sur l'étude de transistors double grille UTBOX complètement délpétés fabriqués pour le nœud technologique 16 nm. Les performances de ces composants en courant continu et en fonction de la température ont été évaluées. Les pièges localisés dans le film de silicium ont été identifiés à l’aide de la spectroscopie de bruit basse fréquence, donnant ainsi la possibilité d'évaluer les étapes de fabrications afin de les optimiser. Un pic inhabituel de transconductance a été observé dans les caractéristiques de transfert obtenues à faibles températures (77 K et 10 K). Ce phénomène est plus probablement lié à un effet tunnel à travers des dopants diffusés à partir des extensions de source et drain dans le canal. Le mécanisme de transport quantique relié à la dégénérescence de niveaux d'énergie dans la bande de conduction a été mis en évidence à température cryogéniques et à très faibles polarisations. Une nouvelle approche théorique valide en inversion modérée a été développée pour les modèles de fluctuations de mobilité et de fluctuations de mobilité corrélés aux fluctuations du nombre de porteurs. Les résultats indiquent que le changement du mécanisme de transport des porteurs est accompagné par un changement du mécanisme du bruit en 1/f . / The work done during this thesis focuses on the study of fully depleted double gate UTBOX transistors manufactured for the 16 nm technology node. The performances of these components in DC and as a function of temperature were evaluated. The traps located in the silicon film have been identified using low frequency noise spectroscopy, giving the possibility of evaluating the manufacturing steps in order to optimize them. An unusual peak of transconductance was observed in the transfer characteristics obtained at low temperatures (77 K and 10 K). This phenomenon is most likely related to a tunneling effect through dopants scattered from the source and drain extensions in the channel. The quantum transport mechanism related to the degeneracy of energy levels in the conduction band has been demonstrated at cryogenic temperatures and at very low polarizations. A new theoretical approach valid in moderate inversion has been developed for models of mobility fluctuations and mobility fluctuations correlated with the number of carriers fluctuations. The results indicate that the change in carrier transport mechanism is accompanied by a change in the 1 / f noise mechanism.

The prediction of the noise generated by en-route aircraft is gradually gaining in importance as the number of aircraft increases over the last few decades. While the studies of outdoor sound propagation have been focused on near ground propagation, the case when the sound source is high above the ground has not attracted much attention. At the same time there has been a lack of high-quality aircraft acoustic validation data sets that contain detailed acoustic, meteorology, and source-receiver position data. The DISCOVER-AQ data set, which was collected by Volpe in support of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), has greatly helped with studying the directivity and the Doppler effect in the comparison between simulation results and measurements. <div><br>To provide a more accurate prediction of en-route aircraft noise, we derived the analytic asymptotic solution of the sound field above a non-locally reacting ground due to a moving point source and a line source using the methods of the steepest descent and a Lorentz transform. The model predicts a much more accurate result for sound field above "soft" grounds, such as a snow-covered ground and sand-covered ground. At the same time, we derived a fast numerical algorithm based on Levin’s collocation for the prediction of the sound field in the presence of a temperature gradient, which can be applied to a wide range of acoustic problems involving integration. The achievements recorded in this thesis can be used to predict the sound field generated by aircraft, trains, and vehicles with a subsonic moving speed. In addition,<br>the model can be used for detection and design of moving sound source. <br></div>

Noise is a circumstance of ordinary life and mainly originated by continually growing dynamic and the rapid development of society. In the industrial environment there are noise-intensive parts that influence the condition of present operators negatively. Thus, measures of noise abatement have been investigated intensely by industrial companies as well as federal agencies. As a subdomain of fluid power pneumatics is especially known for characteristic noise emission by the use of air as power transmission. The transient decompression of air from pressure levels up to 8 bar and partly high flow rates nearby sonic speed cause the emergence of direct airborne noise at vent ports of pneumatic components. The following paper outlines the mechanisms that induce the emission of high sound pressure levels. In order to achieve reproducible results a test bench for varying pneumatic standard components is introduced. Based on a selection of those components results are compared to standardized measurement procedures whether fulfilling the standardizations’ requirements. In conclusion, two benefits are achieved. Firstly, standardization is derived enabling neutral comparison of standard pneumatic components’ noise emission. Secondly, the measures can be evaluated to determine the most promising way to redesign pneumatic components of lower noise emissions.