Noise Measurement and Instrumentation

Topics:
• Introduction
• Sound Measurement
• Sound Intensity
• Instrumentation
• Intensity Spectrum Level
• Sound Power
• Sound Power Measurement

1
Introduction
Sound is a sensation of acoustic waves (disturbance/pressure
fluctuations setup in a medium)

Unpleasant, unwanted, disturbing sound is generally treated

as Noise and is a highly subjective feeling 2
Introduction
• Sound is a disturbance that propagates through a medium having properties of
inertia ( mass ) and elasticity. The medium by which the audible waves are
transmitted is air.
Basically sound propagation is simply the molecular transfer of motional
energy. Hence it cannot pass through vacuum.

Guess how much is particle

displacement??
8e-3nm to 0.1mm

Frequency: Number of pressure

cycles / time
3
also called pitch of sound (in Hz)
Introduction

4
Noise Measurement and Instrumentation

Topics:
• Introduction
• Sound Measurement
• Sound Intensity
• Instrumentation
• Intensity Spectrum Level
• Sound Power
• Sound Power Measurement

5
Sound Measurement

• Provides definite quantities that describe and

rate sound
• Permit precise, scientific analysis of annoying
sound (objective means for comparison)
• Help estimate Damage to Hearing
• Powerful diagnostic tool for noise reduction
program: Airports, Factories, Homes,
Recording studios, Highways, etc.

6
Sound Measurement
Quantifying Sound
Acoustic Variables: Pressure and Particle Velocity
Root Mean Square Value (RMS) of Sound Pressure
Mean energy associated with sound waves is its
fundamental feature
energy is proportional to square of amplitude
1
⎡1 T
⎤ 2
p = ⎢ ∫ [ p (t )] dt ⎥
2

⎣T 0 ⎦

p = 0.707a
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Sound Measurement
Range of Pressure
Range of RMS pressure fluctuations that a human ear can
detect extends from
0.00002 N/m2 (threshold of hearing)
to
20 N/m2 (sensation of pain) 1000000 times larger

Atmospheric Pressure is 105N/m2

so the peak pressure associated with loudest sound
is 3500 times smaller than atm.pressure
The large range of associated pressure is one of the reasons we
8
need alternate scale
Sound Measurement

dB SCALE
Human ear responded logarithmically to power difference
Alexander Graham Bell invented a unit Bel to measure the ability of people
to hear
Power Ratio of 2 = dB of 3
Power Ratio of 10 = dB of 10
Power Ratio of 100 = dB of 20
In acoustics, multiplication by a given factor is encountered most
W1=W2*n
So, Log10W1= Log10W2 + Log10n
Thus, if the two powers differ by a factor of 10 (n=10), the difference between9
the Log values of two power quantities is 1Bel
 Sound Measurement

Decibel

10Log10W1= 10Log10W2 + 10Log10n to avoid fractions

Now we have above quantities in deciBel, 10dB=1Bel
deciBels are thus another way of expressing ratios

Electrical V2 Sound P2
W= W=
R r
Power Power
r - acoustic impedance

20Log10V1= 20Log10V2 + 20Log10n(1/2)

10
20Log10P1= 20Log10P2 + 20Log10n(1/2)
 Sound Measurement

Sound Pressure Level

20Log10P1= 20Log10P2 + 20Log10n(1/2)

20Log10(P1/P2) = 20Log10n(1/2) n: Ratio of sound powers

20Log10n(1/2) is still in deciBel, defined as Sound Pressure Level

Sound pressure level is always relative to a reference
In acoustics, the reference pressure P2=2e-5 N/m2 or 20μPa (RMS)
SPL=20Log10(P1/2e-5) P1 is RMS pressure
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Sound Measurement
Sound Pressure Level

Corresponding to audio range of Sound Pressure

2e-5 N/m2 - 0 dB
20 N/m2 - 120 dB
Normal SPL encountered are between 35 dB to 90 dB

For underwater acoustics different reference pressure is used

Pref = 0.1 N/m2
It is customary to specify SPL as 52dB re 20μPa 12
Sound Measurement

13
Sound Measurement
COMBINATIONS OF SOURCES
If intensity levels of each of the N sources is same,
⎡ ⎜ 10 ⎟ ⎤
⎛ L1 ⎞

LT = 10 Log ⎢ N 10⎝ ⎠ ⎥ LT = 10 LogN + L1

⎢⎣ ⎥⎦
Thus for 2 identical sources, total Intensity Level is 10Log2
i.e., 3dB greater than the level of the single source
For 2 sources of different intensities: L1 and L2
L1=60dB, L2=65.5dB
LT=66.5dB
L1=80dB, L2=82dB
LT=84dB

14
Sound Measurement

FREQUENCY & FREQUENCY BANDS

Frequency of sound ---- as important as its level
Sensitivity of ear
Sound insulation of a wall
Attenuation of silencer all vary with freq.

<20Hz 20Hz to 20000Hz > 20000Hz

Infrasonic Audio Range Ultrasonic

15
 Sound Measurement
Frequency Composition of Sound
Pure tone

Musical
Instrument

16
Multiple frequency composition sound, frequency spectrum is obtained through Fourier analysis
Sound Measurement
Complex Noise Pattern
produced by exhaust of Jet Engine, water at base of
Niagara Falls, hiss of air/steam jets, etc
Amplitude (dB)

A1

f1 Frequency (Hz)

No discrete tones, infinite frequencies

Better to group them in frequency bands – total strength in
each band gives measure of sound
Octave Bands commonly used (Octave: Halving / doubling)17
 Sound Measurement
OCTAVE BANDS
1= 1
For convenience Internationally accepted ratio is
1x2=2 1:1000 (IEC Recommendation 225)
2x2=4
Center frequency of one octave band is 1000Hz
4x2=8
8x2=16 Other center frequencies are obtained by continuously
16x2=32 dividing/multiplying by 103/10 starting at 1000Hz
32x2=64 Next lower center frequency = 1000/ 103/10 ≈ 500Hz
64x2=128
Next higher center frequency = 1000*103/10 ≈ 2000Hz
128x2=256
256x2=512
512x2=1024
fc = fU f L
International Electrotechnical Commission 18
10 bands(Octaves)
Sound Measurement

Octave Filters

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Noise Measurement and Instrumentation

Topics:
• Introduction
• Sound Measurement
• Sound Intensity
• Instrumentation
• Intensity Spectrum Level
• Sound Power
• Sound Power Measurement

20
Sound Intensity

Sound Intensity

21
Sound Intensity
A plane progressive sound wave traveling in a medium (say along a tube)
contains energy and
Rate of transfer of energy per unit cross-sectional area is defined as Sound
Intensity
T
1 P2
I = ∫ p u dt I= Hold true also for spherical
T 0 ρ0c waves far away from source

p1 p12 /(ρ0c)
SPL = 20Log10 dB = 10Log10 dB
2e − 5 (2e − 5) /(ρ0c)
2

I 10−12 I 10−12
SPL = 10Log10 −12 dB = 10Log10 +10Log10
10 (2e − 5) /(ρ0c)
2
Iref (2e − 5)2 /(ρ0c)
I
IL = 10Log10
Iref
22
For air, ρ0c ≈ 415Ns/m3 so that SPL = IL + 0.16 dB
Sound Intensity Measurement

23
Sound Intensity Measurement

24
Sound Intensity
COMBINATION OF SEVERAL SOURCES
Total Intensity produced by several sources
IT=I1+ I2+ I3+…
Usually, intensity levels are known (L1, L2,…)

⎡ IT ⎤ ⎡ I1 ⎤
LT = 10 Log ⎢ −12 ⎥ L1 = 10 Log ⎢ −12 ⎥
⎣10 ⎦ ⎣10 ⎦

⎡ ⎛⎜ 10L1 ⎞⎟ ⎛ L2 ⎞
⎜ 10 ⎟
⎛ L3 ⎞
⎜ 10 ⎟ ⎤
LT = 10 Log ⎢10⎝ ⎠ + 10⎝ ⎠ + 10⎝ ⎠ + ...⎥
⎢⎣ ⎥⎦
25
Noise Measurement and Instrumentation

Topics:
• Introduction
• Sound Measurement
• Sound Intensity
• Instrumentation
• Intensity Spectrum Level
• Sound Power
• Sound Power Measurement

26
 Instrumentation
Constant Bandwidth Devices
Instruments for analysing
Noise Proportional Bandwidth Devices

fU
fU =2 fc ≈ fU f L
= 2n fL
fL
Absolute Bandwidth = fU - fL = fL
n=1 for octave,
% Relative Bandwidth = (fU-fL / fc) = 70.7%
n=1/3 for 1/3rd octave

If we divide each octave into three fU

= 21/ 3
geometrically equal subsections, i.e., fL
These bands are thus called 1/3rd octave bands with % relative
bandwidth of 23.1%
fU
For 1/10th Octave filters, = 21/10 % relative bandwidth of 5.1%
27
fL
Octave Band Filters

Octave and 1/3rd Octave band

filters
mostly to analyse relatively
smooth varying spectra

If tones are present,

1/10th Octave or Narrow-band
filter be used

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Instrumentation

Microphones
Measurement transducer to measure noise

• Condenser Microphone
• Dynamic Microphone
• Ceramic Microphone

Condenser Microphone
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Instrumentation
Condenser Microphone

• Can be used in extreme • Very expensive

condition • Sensitive to humidity &
• Insensitive to vibrations moisture

•Measurements range can be from the 0.01 Hz to 140

KHz
•Dynamic range up to 140 dB

30
 Instrumentation

Dynamic Microphone

• Generation of the electrical signal in a moving coil is a magnetic field,

the moving coil is connected to the diaphragm that defects under
pressure fluctuations of the sound.
• Excellent sensitivity characteristics.
• Relatively insensitive to extreme variation in the humidity.
• Cheaper than condenser microphone.

But:-
Can not be used in places with strong magnetic field are present.
Lower frequency response than condenser microphone.

31
Instrumentation

Ceramic Microphone is also called as “Piezoelectric”

microphone

• Sensing element is the piezoelectric crystal.

• High frequency response.
• High dynamic range.
• Very cheap & can often be custom built.
• Common for research application as size is also small.
• But:-
• These are sensitive to the vibration and pressure fluctuation.

32
Noise Measurement and Instrumentation

Topics:
• Introduction
• Sound Measurement
• Sound Intensity
• Instrumentation
• Intensity Spectrum Level
• Sound Power
• Sound Power Measurement

33
Intensity Spectrum Level

DeciBel measure of ℑ is the Intensity Spectrum Level (ISL)

⎛ ℑ.1Hz ⎞
ISL = 10 log ⎜ ⎟⎟
⎜ I
⎝ ref ⎠
If the intensity is constant over the frequency
bandwidth w (= f2- f1),
w
then total intensity is just I= ℑ w and I = ℑ× 1Hz.
1Hz
and Intensity Level for the band is

IL = ISL + 10 log w
If the ISL has variation within the frequency band (w),
each band is subdivided into smaller bands so that in each band ISL
34
changes by no more than 1-2dB
 Intensity Spectrum Level
IL is calculated and converted to Intensities Ii and then total
intensity level ILtotal is ⎡⎛ ⎞⎤
⎢ ⎜ ∑ Ii ⎟ ⎥
ILi = ISLi + 10 log wi ILtotal = 10 log ⎢ ⎝ i ⎠ ⎥
⎢ I ref ⎥
⎢ ⎥
⎣ ⎦
as SPL and IL are numerically same, SPL = PSL + 10 log w
⎡⎛ ⎞⎤
⎢ ⎜ ∑ Ii ⎟ ⎥ ⎡ ⎤
ILi

ILtotal = 10 log ⎢ ⎝ i ⎠ ⎥
Can be ILtotal = 10 log10 ⎢ ∑10 ⎥
10

⎢ I ref ⎥ written as
⎣ i ⎦
⎢ ⎥
⎣ ⎦
Thus, when intensity level in each band is known, total intensity level can be estimated

35
PSL (Pressure Spectrum Level) is defined over a 1Hz interval – so the SPL of a tone is same as its PSL
Noise Measurement and Instrumentation

Topics:
• Introduction
• Sound Measurement
• Sound Intensity
• Instrumentation
• Intensity Spectrum Level
• Sound Power
• Sound Power Measurement

36
Sound Power
Intensity : Average Rate of energy transfer per unit area
W p 2
I= W/m 2
W = 4π r 2 I = 4π r 2 Watt
4π r 2 ρ0c
W
Sound Power Level: SWL = 10 log10 dB
Wref

Reference Power Wref =10-12 Watt

Peak Power output:
Female Voice – 0.002W, Male Voice – 0.004W, A
Soft whisper – 10-9W, An average shout – 0.001W Large
Orchestra – 10-70W, Large Jet at Takeoff – 100,000W
15,000,000 speakers speaking simultaneously generate 1HP 37
Noise Measurement and Instrumentation

Topics:
• Introduction
• Sound Measurement
• Sound Intensity
• Instrumentation
• Intensity Spectrum Level
• Sound Power
• Sound Power Measurement

38
Sound Power Measurement
• Free field technique
– Sound power of machines which is having discrete frequency spectrum

– Carried out in an anechoic chamber

• Test procedure

– Making no. of measurements on an imaginary surface of

hemisphere/sphere with machine at centre.

– No. of microphone positions required depends upon degree of

directionality of sound field

– Sound power once average sound pressure level is established

then it is integrated over the surface area .
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Sound Power Measurement
• Reverberant field technique

– Carried out in a reverberation room

– Complete diffused sound field sound pressure is independent of
distance from the source

• Sound power can be calculated from

i) The acoustic characteristics of the room

ii) The sound pressure level in the room

• Applicability

– Source which does not produce discrete frequencies

– And narrow spectrum 40
Sound Power Measurement

• Principle
– Consider directional sound source of total power ∏

– Sound intensity because of direct field

p 2θ / ρ0 c = ∏ Qθ / 4π r 2

where Qθ = Iθ / I s ; Iθ = p 2θ / ρ 0 c and I s = ∏ / 4π r 2
• Average sound absorption coefficient of the room is

S1α1 + S 2α 2 + ...... + S nα n
α avg =
S1 + S 2 + ...... + S n
α s are absorption coefficients of different materials
S are surface area of different absorbing materials in the chamber 41
Sound Power Measurement

• The energy which is reflected back is

∏ rev = ∏(1 − α avg )

• Upon making required substitutions
– Sound power level is given by
Qθ 4
L∏ = Lp − 10 log10 { + }
4π r 2
R
Lp Is the sound pressure level in chamber

R is room the constant given by R = Sα avg /(1 − α avg )

42