4.3.3.

1 – Radiated noise computation

A radiated noise estimation can be obtained from somewhat approximate formulas, like the (1.7) or the
(4.6), which, in presence of cavitating propeller and for frequencies above 1000 Hz, establishes a link
between frequency and noise level.
SL = 10 log3,13 + 60 logV + 10 log D − 20 log f
a ton
(4.6)

Where: Va speed of advance, in knots

F frequency in kHz
Dton displacement
In the 90’s Chaplain highlighted some models allow calculate both the individual contributions of the
principal noise generators and the effect resulting from the combination of all contributions.
For the calculation of the spectral levels the formula (4.7), which is valid in the 10÷10,000 Hz band, is
given.
1,15
k
SL = 87 + 66 ⋅   − Φ( f ) (4.7)
4
The (4.7) symbols indicate:
- f frequency, in Hz
- k is an indicator of noise categories, and is obtained from the following table.
k Sign Description
0 SUB 0 Very silent submarine
1 SUB 1 Silent submarine
2 SUB 2 Noisy Submarine
SUW 0 Silent warship
3 SUW 1 Warship
MER 0 Average displacement merchant ship
4 SUW 2 Noisy warship
MER 1 Big displacement merchant ship
- Φ(f) is a term which connects the frequency with the unit type and is obtained by applying the
formula:
 k   
0, 3
  k  
0 ,3

2

Φ( f ) = 2,5 − 8,5   ⋅ log

f f
+ 16 − 15   ⋅ log +
  4    60 + 60 ⋅ k    4   
 60 + 60 ⋅ k 

k
4
f (4.8)
22 ⋅   ⋅
 k 
0, 3
  f 
3
 4  300 − 60 ⋅ k
+ 2,5 − 4,5   ⋅ log  +
  4    60 + 60 ⋅ k   f 
4

1 + 1,5 − 1
 300 − 60 ⋅ k 
through the formula (4.7) the graphs of Figure 4.11 are plotted.

Figure 4.11
For the calculation of the tonal noises, they are given three formulas, depending on the type of line
generator:
Blade – blades lines –
 f 
SL = 105 + 60 ⋅ k − 20 log1 +  (4.9a)
 10 
Firing – diesel lines –
 200 − 47,5 ⋅ k  2  k  f 
SL = 120 + 15 ⋅ k − 20 log1 +  + exp  2 −  ⋅  log 
200 − 47,5 ⋅ k 
(4.9b)
 f  3  4 
Plant/Aux – auxiliary machinery lines – nuclear reactor
1
= 110 + 15 − 80log 1 + 2−
4 4 200 (4.9c)
Also for the (4.9) the signs meaning is as follows:
f is in Hz in the 10-2,000 Hz band
k is a parameter obtained from the following table:
k Blade Firing Plant Aux
0 Very slow, saber- Fast, silenced diesel Electric engine, or Natural circulation
shaped propeller very silent turbo- reactor
generator
1 Slow, Silent turbine and Silent auxiliaries
saber-shaped reduction gear
propeller
2 Fast diesel
3
4 Big propeller, very Slow and noisy Noisy turbine and/or Noisy auxiliaries
much loaded diesel reduction gear

4.4.3.3 - The noise spectrum of machinery

From what has been said in the before we can deduce that the noise spectrum of the machinery is mainly
"lined". More precisely we can observe three types of noise:
- Lines related to rotation speed. - The dynamic unbalances of rotating machineries produce lines
(fundamental and harmonics tones) related to the rotation speed of the machineries.
(4.11)
N f1 =
60
Where N represents the number of revolutions per minute (RPM).
The (4.11) sets the principle of the spectral content for all rotating and oscillating mechanisms.
In case of bearings, noise is characterized by a periodic pulse function whose frequency depends on
the number of rolling elements and the speed of rotation (N). You will still have:
f1 = N
60
In case of gears and fans, the fundamental frequency will be the one linked to their rotation speed,
referred to in (4.11), multiplied by the number of gear teeth or fan blades (n):
f = N 60 ⋅ n
1 ( ) (4.12)
The (4.12) also applies to electrical machineries, if you indicate with n the number of poles.
In the case of alternative machinery, if the bumps repeat with a regular rhythm, a harmonic series
whose fundamental is given by the repetition rate of the impacts is generated.
In the case of electric motors, their "magnetic" noise has a fundamental frequency given by:
 N ⋅ ncaverot. 
fm =   ± 2 f rete
 60 
The hollow noise instead manifests itself with a fundamental frequency:
 N ⋅ ncaverot. 
fc =  
 60 
- Lines not dependent on machinery speed - The sounds that show lines not depending on the
machinery speed have frequencies related to the free vibration frequency of certain parts of the
machinery or of its base plate. The line does not follow the speed variations, but can appear at
certain speeds and not appear at others. The vibration is caused by friction and impacts on vibrating
1
parts such as camshaft valves . Sometimes the free vibration frequencies are so many and so close
that it is not possible to separate one from each other. In this case, the noise seems to be a
continuous noise.

1 - The transformers’ noise is a particular case: it is very rich in harmonics and the fundamental line is twice the electric power’s frequency.
- Continuous spectrum noise - The third type of noise can be a broadband noise, in which no line is
distinguishable. In relation to the time duration, noise can be persistent (hull vibrations, bearings,
cavitation) or transient (noise flow of fluids in pipes).

Overview – To get an overall idea of the contribution to the noise spectrum provided by the single
components, we can use the example of classic diesel propulsion, limited to the essentials, that is,
without the contribution of auxiliary machineries. With reference to Figure 4.35 the rotation of the shaft
with connecting rod, produces a harmonic family of lines, which we call CSR (Crank Shaft Rate) whose
fundamental frequency is:
N biella
CSR 1 = [remark: biella = crank]
60
Where Ncrank represents the number of revolutions per minute (RPM) of the connecting rod shaft.

CFR EFR

BSR
Reduction Engine shaft
gear
CSR n1 PSR
Crank shaft n

Figure 4.35
The blast produces a line that will call CFR (Cylinder firing rate) whose fundamental is:
CFR1 = CSR1/2 (four-stroke engine) CFR1 = CSR1 (two-stroke engine)
The set of the engine bursts produces a family of lines that are called EFR (engine firing rate) whose
fundamental is:
EFR1 = CFR1 ⋅ n
Where n is the number of cylinders.
The shaft rotation produces lines, which we will call PSR (propeller shaft rate), whose fundamental is
given by the shaft’s revolutions/second, but is also linked to the connecting rod shaft revolutions:
N asse n2
PSR 1 = = CSR 1 (no reduction gear) PSR1 = CSR1 with reduction gear.
60 n1
Where:
Nshaft is the engine shaft RPM
n2/n1 is the reduction ratio. We call motor gear the one connected to the shaft connecting rod and
driven gear the one connected to the propeller.
n1 is the number of the teeth of the motor gear
n2 is the number of teeth of the driven gear
The propeller rotation produces lines that we call BSR (blade shaft rate), whose fundamental is:
BSR1 = n p ⋅ PSR1
where np is the propeller’s number of blades.
Figure 4:36 shows frequency ranges where each type of noise is found. In principle, it can be said that
the line spectrum is present in the 0÷1000Hz band, with the main machinery that prevail below 100 Hz
and diesel generators, pumps and gear units prevail above 100 Hz. The noise spectrum it is continuously
distributed in the entire band, but it becomes sharply evident above 400÷500 Hz.
lines lines
main machinery pumps, reduction
gear, etc

WIDE SPECTRUM NOISE

10 100 1000 10000 Hz

Figure 4.36