Acoustics

Definition

• Acoustics is the interdisciplinary science that deals with the study of all
mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids
including vibration,sound, ultrasound and infrasound. A scientist who
works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician while someone working in
the field of acoustics technology may be called an acoustical or audio
engineer. The application of acoustics can be seen in almost all aspects of
modern society with the most obvious being the audio and noise control
industries.

Artificial Omni-directional sound source in an anechoic

acoustic chamber
 Wave Motion in Time and Space:

A wave is a disturbance that travels from one location to another, and is

described by a wave function that is a function of both space and time.
 Refraction of Sound Waves
The speed of a wave depends on the elastic and inertia properties of the
medium through which it travels. When a wave encounters different
medium where the wave speed is different, the wave will change
directions.  Most often refraction is encountered in a study of optics, with
a ray of light incident upon a boundary between two media (air and glass,
or air and water, or glass and water). Snell's law relates the directions of
the wave before and after it crosses the boundary between the two
media.

Notice that as the wavefronts cross the

boundary the wavelength changes, but the
frequency remains constant
 Architectural Acoustics
Architectural acoustics is the science of noise control within buildings.

• Building skin envelope

• Inter-space noise control
• Interior space acoustics
•Mechanical equipment noise
Building skin envelope:
• This science analyzes noise transmission from building exterior envelope to interior and
vice versa. The main noise paths are roofs, eaves, walls, windows, door and penetrations.
Sufficient control ensures space functionality and is often required based on building use
and local municipal codes. An example would be providing a suitable design for a home
which is to be constructed close to a high volume roadway, or under the flight path of a
major airport, or of the airport itself.
 
Inter-space noise control:
• The science of limiting and/or controlling noise transmission from one building space to
another to ensure space functionality and speech privacy. The typical sound paths are
room partitions, acoustic ceiling panels (such as wood dropped
ceiling panels), doors, windows, flanking, ducting and other penetrations. An example
would be providing suitable party wall design in an apartment complex to minimize the
mutual disturbance due to noise by residents in adjacent apartments.
 Interior space acoustics
• This is the science of controlling a room's surfaces based on sound absorbing and reflecting properties.
Excessive reverberation time, which can be calculated, can lead to poor speech intelligibility.
There are three ways to improve workplace acoustics and solve workplace sound problems – the ABCs.
A = Absorb {via drapes, carpets, ceiling tiles, etc.)
B = Block (via panels, walls, floors, ceilings and layout)
C = Cover-up (via sound masking)

Frequency
Some Absorption (Hz)
Coefficients

Material 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000

Concrete/brick 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.03

Glass 0.19 0.08 0.06 0.04 0.03 0.02
Plasterboard 0.20 0.15 0.10 0.08 0.04 0.02
Plywood 0.45 0.25 0.13 0.11 0.10 0.09
Carpet
  0.10 0.20 0.30 0.35 0.50 0.60
Curtains
  0.05 0.12 0.25 0.35 0.40 0.45
Acoustical
  board 0.25 0.45 0.80 0.90 0.90 0.90
Mechanical equipment noise
• Building services noise control is the science of controlling noise produced by:
.Air conditioning and mechanical ventilation systems in buildings
.Elevators
.Electrical generators positioned within or attached to a building
Any other building service infrastructure component that emits sound.
 
 Noise control
Noise:
unwanted sound. Whether or
not a certain sound is referred to as
"noise" depends on the viewpoint of
the listener. A jazz or rock composition
might be regarded as noise by some
listeners, but as pleasing sound by
others. It is generally agreed, however,
that the sounds created by such things
as jet aircraft, automobiles and trucks,
and heavy machinery constitute noise.
 Types of noise control
There are four basic principles of noise control:

Sound insulation: prevent the transmission of noise by the introduction of a mass

barrier. Common materials have high-density properties such as brick, concrete,
metal etc.
Sound absorption: a porous material which acts as a ‘noise sponge’ by converting the
sound energy into heat within the material. Common sound absorption materials
include open cell foams and fiberglass
Vibration damping: applicable for large vibrating surfaces. The damping mechanism
works by extracting the vibration energy from the thin sheet and dissipating it as
heat. A common material is sound deadened steel.
Vibration isolation: prevents transmission of vibration energy from a source to a
receiver by introducing a flexible element or a physical break. Common vibration
isolators are springs, rubber mounts, cork etc.
 
Acoustic Barrier Walls:

Acoustic barrier walls are commonly used to separate noise sources from
the receivers. Punch presses in the shop, electrical transformers and air
cooled chiller units in the community, and highway barriers along the
Interstate are common applications. Installation of acoustic barrier walls
can dramatically reduce environmental and equipment noise.