Howden Power Ltd

Customers Manual

Product Information
Fan Acoustics

01/07/00

Howden Power Ltd

Old Govan Road
Renfrew, UK
PA4 8XJ

Tel: +44 141 885 7300

Fax: +44 141 885 2887
Web: www.howden.com

Fan Acoustics.doc - 5/7/2000

Customers Manual
Product Information - Fan Acoustics

Calculation of Sound Level

Sound as perceived by the human ear can be Octave band

caused either by vibrations in a solid body or Centre frequency (Hz) Limit frequencies (Hz)
by air movements around a stationary solid 63 45 90
body. In either case oscillations in the air will 125 90 180
result. 250 180 355
500 355 710
On its way from the source to the human ear
1000 710 1400
the sound passes either direct through the air
or through partitions, i.e. through mechanical 2000 1400 2800
oscillations to new oscillations in the air. 4000 2800 5600
8000 5600 11200
Young people with normal hearing perceive Table 1
sound within the frequency range from 20 to
20,000 Hz. A good description of sound is obtained by
stating the sound level within each octave
band.
Designations and Definitions
If the sound at a given measuring point is to
Designation Symbol Unit Formula
be described by a single value, as an
expression what the human ear perceives, it
Sound power P watts
can be done through the use of the
Reference value Po 10-12 watts
internationally defined dB(A) value.
Sound power level Lw dB 10log (P/ Po)
Sound pressure p Pa
The dB(A) values are measured by means
Reference value po 2E10-5 Pa
of a sound measuring instrument in which
Sound pressure lvl Lp dB 10log (p/po)2
built-in filters correct the measured values in
Frequency f Hz
conformity with the sensitivity of the human
Fan speed N rpm
ear.
No. of blades z
Blade frequency fs Hz (N.z)/60
A calculation of the dB(A) values can take
Volume flow ql m3/s
place when the quantities measured within
Fan total pressure PtF Pa
the individual octave bands are corrected by
For sound pwr lvl K dB
the values listed in table 2. Finally, the
Dist. from source R m
corresponding sound levels are added up.
Directivity factor r
Room constant A m2 Sabine
Room volume V m3
Correction values
Reverberation time t s Centre frequency (Hz) DB(A)
63 -26
Division into Frequency Ranges 125 -16
250 -9
It is impossible to treat all frequencies in the 500 -3
same manner, and in consequence, the 1000 0
spectrum, i.e. the audible frequency range, is 2000 +1
divided into sections referred to as octave 4000 +1
bands. An octave is the interval between any 8000 +1
two frequencies having the ration 2:1. An Table 2
octave band comprises the frequencies within
an octave. It will be more practical to state the sound
criterion graphically instead of stating
An octave band is generally designated by individual values. The use of the ISO N-
geometric centre frequency. Table 1 specifies curves is recommended.
centre and limit frequencies.

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Product Information - Fan Acoustics

Fig. 2

If the calculated sound power level is to be

divided into octave bands, a reduction of Lw
by the values listed in table 3 will be
required, depending on type and blade
passing frequency of the specific fan.

The tolerance of each octave values is

+/- 5-6 dB.

Sound power level dB

Centre frequency 125 Hz 250 Hz 500 Hz
(Hz) band band band
Fig. 1 63 Lw-17 Lw-25 Lw-26
125 Lw-2 Lw-17 Lw-25
Sources of Sound 250 Lw-6 Lw-2 Lw-17
500 Lw-9 Lw-7 Lw-2
Sound emitted from the duct openings is dealt 1000 Lw-11 Lw-9 Lw-6
with in the technical literature, which contains 2000 Lw-18 Lw-15 Lw-11
examples and diagrams, on the basis of 4000 Lw-28 Lw-25 Lw-22
which total sound power level and distribution 8000 Lw-37 Lw-35 Lw-32
over the different octave bands can be Table 3
computed.
Fig. 3 shows an example of the division of
A number of sound measurements have been the sound power level of a VARIAX fan into
made in VARIAX installations, resulting in the octave bands.
below empirical formula applicable to the
sound power transmitted into the duct system
from the fan inlet and outlet.

Sound power level

-12
Lw=K+10log ql+20log PlF (dB) ref. 10 watts

The tolerance of the total sound power level is

+/- 4dB.

Factor K will be put at the values listed in

fig.2,depending on the location of the
operating point of the fan on the performance
curve.

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Product Information - Fan Acoustics

 Ã + 4
L p = Lw + 10log   ( dB) (ref . 2 E10 −5 Pa)

 4πR A 
2

Directivity Factor Ã
The directivity factor depends on the
distribution of the sound. Fig. 4 shows the
different locations of sound source in a room
and the corresponding directivity factors.

Fig. 3 Octave analysis

Fan VARIAX type ANN

Volume flow (ql)m3/s 50
Pressure (PlF) Pa 4000
Factor (K) dB 40
Blade frequency (fB) Hz 500
Sound power level dB 129
Fig. 4
It should be understood that sound power
level Lw is not the sound perceived but an à = 1 corresponds to a uniform distribution
expression of the sound energy emitted from of the sound on the surface of a sphere
the sound source per unit of time.
à = 2 corresponds to a uniform distribution
However, sound pressure level Lp is the of the sound on the surface of a hemisphere
measured value at a given point. This value,
of course, depends on the location of the à = 4 corresponds to a uniform distribution
measuring point in relation to the sound of the sound on the surface of 1/4 sphere
source and the obsacles between the sound
source and the instrument (the ear). Ã = 8 corresponds to a uniform distribution
of the sound on the surface of 1/8 sphere
Sound Pressure Level
Room Constant A
The sound pressure level produced by a
given sound source in a room will depend on: The room constant is an expression of the
ability of the room to absorb the sound, and
a) The sound power level of the sound should be stated by the client or estimated
source on the basis of the α -value of the different
b) The location of the sound source in the materials in the room, as
room
c) The ability of the room to absorb the A = α. S ( m2 Sabine )
sound
d) The distance from the sound source to where α = absorption coefficient
2
S = surface (m )
the measuring point

The dependence of the sound pressure level

on these factors is given in the equation:

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Product Information - Fan Acoustics
Therefore, the A-values of all the different
materials, surfaces and obstacles should be
added for the whole room so that:
A = (α1 . S1 + α2 . S 2 etc.) ( m2 Sabine )
2
i.e. A = A1 + A2 etc. (m Sabine)
The approximate room constant A may also
be found from fig. 5.
Fig. 5
a = dead room
b = medium dead room
c = normal room
d = hard room
e = very hard room
Room constant A can also be determined on
the basis of the reverberation time.
The reverberation time is defined as the time
it takes to reduce a sound impulse by 60 dB.
The reverberation time is measured by means
of a sound level meter connected to a graphic
instrument or a tape recorder. The impulse is
produced by means of a pistol shot
loudspeaker.
The room constant can then be calculated
from the equation:
2 (7 m) increases the attenuation by approx.
A = 0.16.V (m Sabine)
t
Distance R
Besides the room constant and the directivity
factor of the sound source, distance R from
the measuring point to the sound source will
also influence the measured sound level.
Fig. 6
The diagram, fig. 6, shows the attenuation
that can be obtained at different distances
corresponding to the formula previously
given:
The use of this diagram is best illustrated by
an example. We have chosen the following
values:
Distance R = 3.5 m
Directivity factor à =2 2
Room constant A = 100 m Sabine
 Ã + 4
10log   ( dB)
 4πR 2 A 

Thus, the value to be deducted from the
sound source to the measuring point
amounts to 12.8 dB.
The upper part of the diagram also gives the
free field curve from which it appears that
each doubling of the distance represents an
additional attenuation of 6 dB.
However, in actual practice a free field will
seldom occur, and the diagram clearly
shows that a doubling of distance will then
give far less reduction. For instance, in the
example given a doubling of the distance
0.9 dB only.
In the event of fans being installed in an
engine room an insulation of this space will
not only result in an improvement within the
room itself, but also in an improvement in
the adjoining spaces because transmission
of sound to the structural parts is reduced.
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