Evaluation of a mixed-order planar and periphonic Ambisonics playback implementation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Käsbach, Johannes; Favrot, Sylvain Emmanuel; Buchholz, Jörg

2011-01-01

. In order to combine the benefits of 2D and 3D systems, a higher order 2D playback system can be mixed with a lower order 3D system. In the present study, a mixed-order Ambisonics playback system was realised by extending the spherical harmonics decomposition of a 3D sound field with additional horizontal......Planar (2D) and periphonic (3D) higher-order Ambisonics (HOA) playback systems are widely used in multi-channel audio applications. For a given Ambisonics order, 2D systems require far less loudspeakers and provide a larger spatial resolution but cannot naturally reproduce elevated sound sources...... components. The performance of the system was analysed by considering a small and a large loudspeaker setup, allowing for different combinations of 2D and 3D Ambisonics orders. An objective evaluation showed that the systems provided a high spatial resolution for horizontal sources while producing a smooth...

Lion, ungulate, and visitor reactions to playbacks of lion roars at Zoo Atlanta.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelling, Angela S; Allard, Stephanie M; Kelling, Nicholas J; Sandhaus, Estelle A; Maple, Terry L

2012-01-01

Felids in captivity are often inactive and elusive in zoos, leading to a frustrating visitor experience. Eight roars were recorded from an adult male lion and played back over speakers as auditory enrichment to benefit the lions while simultaneously enhancing the zoo visitor experience. In addition, ungulates in an adjacent exhibit were observed to ensure that the novel location and increased frequency of roars did not lead to a stress or fear response. The male lion in this study roared more in the playback phase than in the baseline phases while not increasing any behaviors that would indicate compromised welfare. In addition, zoo visitors remained at the lion exhibit longer during playback. The nearby ungulates never exhibited any reactions stronger than orienting to playbacks, identical to their reactions to live roars. Therefore, naturalistic playbacks of lion roars are a potential form of auditory enrichment that leads to more instances of live lion roars and enhances the visitor experience without increasing the stress levels of nearby ungulates or the lion themselves, who might interpret the roar as that of an intruder.

Efficiency of playback for assessing the occurrence of five bird species in Brazilian Atlantic Forest fragments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danilo Boscolo

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Playback of bird songs is a useful technique for species detection; however, this method is usually not standardized. We tested playback efficiency for five Atlantic Forest birds (White-browed Warbler Basileuterus leucoblepharus, Giant Antshrike Batara cinerea, Swallow-tailed Manakin Chiroxiphia caudata, Whiteshouldered Fire-eye Pyriglena leucoptera and Surucua Trogon Trogon surrucura for different time of the day, season of the year and species abundance at the Morro Grande Forest Reserve (South-eastern Brazil and at thirteen forest fragments in a nearby landscape. Vocalizations were broadcasted monthly at sunrise, noon and sunset, during one year. For B. leucoblepharus, C. caudata and T. surrucura, sunrise and noon were more efficient than sunset. Batara cinerea presented higher efficiency from July to October. Playback expanded the favourable period for avifaunal surveys in tropical forest, usually restricted to early morning in the breeding season. The playback was efficient in detecting the presence of all species when the abundance was not too low. But only B. leucoblepharus and T. surrucura showed abundance values significantly related to this efficiency. The present study provided a precise indication of the best daily and seasonal periods and a confidence interval to maximize the efficiency of playback to detect the occurrence of these forest species.A técnica de play-back é muito útil para a detecção de aves, mas este método geralmente não é padronizado. Sua eficiência em atestar a ocorrência de cinco espécies de aves da Mata Atlântica (Pula-pula-assobiador Basileuterus leucoblepharus, Batará Batara cinerea, Tangará Chiroxiphia caudata, Olho-de-fogo Pyriglena leucoptera e Surucuá-de-barriga-vermelha Trogon surrucura foi analisada de acordo com o horário do dia, estação do ano e abundância das espécies na Reserva Florestal do Morro Grande (São Paulo, Brasil e em treze fragmentos florestais de uma paisagem adjacente

Development of an incipient rotor crack detection method by acoustic emission techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Reverend, D.; Massouri, M.H.

1988-01-01

The objective of the program presented is to develop a method of detection and monitoring of crack growth in machine rotor by application of acoustic emission techniques. This program is performed by R and D Division of Electricite de France, jointly with INSA de Lyon. The first task of the program is relative to the characterization of acoustic emission during a progressive tensile test performed on a NCT specimen. The second task of the program deals with the experimentation of acoustic emission techniques for the monitoring of a specimen during cycling bending tests. The last task of the program is relative to evaluation of application of acoustic emission techniques for a small rotor integrity monitoring during fatigue rotation tests [fr

The influence of motion quality on responses towards video playback stimuli

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emma Ware

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Visual motion, a critical cue in communication, can be manipulated and studied using video playback methods. A primary concern for the video playback researcher is the degree to which objects presented on video appear natural to the non-human subject. Here we argue that the quality of motion cues on video, as determined by the video's image presentation rate (IPR, are of particular importance in determining a subject's social response behaviour. We present an experiment testing the effect of variations in IPR on pigeon (Columbia livia response behaviour towards video images of courting opposite sex partners. Male and female pigeons were presented with three video playback stimuli, each containing a different social partner. Each stimulus was then modified to appear at one of three IPRs: 15, 30 or 60 progressive (p frames per second. The results showed that courtship behaviour became significantly longer in duration as IPR increased. This finding implies that the IPR significantly affects the perceived quality of motion cues impacting social behaviour. In males we found that the duration of courtship also depended on the social partner viewed and that this effect interacted with the effects of IPR on behaviour. Specifically, the effect of social partner reached statistical significance only when the stimuli were displayed at 60 p, demonstrating the potential for erroneous results when insufficient IPRs are used. In addition to demonstrating the importance of IPR in video playback experiments, these findings help to highlight and describe the role of visual motion processing in communication behaviour.

The ecological and evolutionary consequences of noise-induced acoustic habitat loss

Science.gov (United States)

Tennessen, Jennifer Beissinger

Anthropogenic threats are facilitating rapid environmental change and exerting novel pressures on the integrity of ecological patterns and processes. Currently, habitat loss is the leading factor contributing to global biodiversity loss. Noise created by human activities is nearly ubiquitous in terrestrial and marine systems, and causes acoustic habitat loss by interfering with species' abilities to freely send and receive critical acoustic biological information. My dissertation investigates how novel sounds from human activities affect ecological and evolutionary processes in space and time in marine and terrestrial systems, and how species may cope with this emerging novel pressure. Using species from both marine and terrestrial systems, I present results from a theoretical investigation, and four acoustic playback experiments combining laboratory studies and field trials, that reveal a range of eco-evolutionary consequences of noiseinduced acoustic habitat loss. First, I use sound propagation modeling to assess how marine shipping noise reduces communication space between mother-calf pairs of North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis ), an important unit of an endangered species. I show that shipping noise poses significant challenges for mother-calf pairs, but that vocal compensation strategies can substantially improve communication space. Next, in a series of acoustic playback experiments I show that road traffic noise impairs breeding migration behavior and physiology of wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus ). This work reveals the first evidence that traffic noise elicits a physiological stress response and suppresses production of antimicrobial peptides (a component of the innate immune response) in anurans. Further, wood frogs from populations with a history of inhabiting noisy sites mounted reduced physiological stress responses to continuous traffic noise exposure. This research using wood frogs suggests that chronic traffic noise exposure has

Duet function in the yellow-naped amazon, Amazona auropalliata: evidence from playbacks of duets and solos.

Science.gov (United States)

Dahlin, Christine R; Wright, Timothy F

2012-01-01

The question of why animals participate in duets is an intriguing one, as many such displays appear to be more costly to produce than individual signals. Mated pairs of yellow-naped amazons, Amazona auropalliata, give duets on their nesting territories. We investigated the function of those duets with a playback experiment. We tested two hypotheses for the function of those duets: the joint territory defense hypothesis and the mate-guarding hypothesis, by presenting territorial pairs with three types of playback treatments: duets, male solos, and female solos. The joint territory defense hypothesis suggests that individuals engage in duets because they appear more threatening than solos and are thus more effective for the establishment, maintenance and/or defense of territories. It predicts that pairs will be coordinated in their response (pair members approach speakers and vocalize together) and will either respond more strongly (more calls and/or more movement) to duet treatments than to solo treatments, or respond equally to all treatments. Alternatively, the mate-guarding hypothesis suggests that individuals participate in duets because they allow them to acoustically guard their mate, and predicts uncoordinated responses by pairs, with weak responses to duet treatments and stronger responses by individuals to solos produced by the same sex. Yellow-naped amazon pairs responded to all treatments in an equivalently aggressive and coordinated manner by rapidly approaching speakers and vocalizing more. These responses generally support the joint territory defense hypothesis and further suggest that all intruders are viewed as a threat by resident pairs.

A three-microphone acoustic reflection technique using transmitted acoustic waves in the airway.

Science.gov (United States)

Fujimoto, Yuki; Huang, Jyongsu; Fukunaga, Toshiharu; Kato, Ryo; Higashino, Mari; Shinomiya, Shohei; Kitadate, Shoko; Takahara, Yutaka; Yamaya, Atsuyo; Saito, Masatoshi; Kobayashi, Makoto; Kojima, Koji; Oikawa, Taku; Nakagawa, Ken; Tsuchihara, Katsuma; Iguchi, Masaharu; Takahashi, Masakatsu; Mizuno, Shiro; Osanai, Kazuhiro; Toga, Hirohisa

2013-10-15

The acoustic reflection technique noninvasively measures airway cross-sectional area vs. distance functions and uses a wave tube with a constant cross-sectional area to separate incidental and reflected waves introduced into the mouth or nostril. The accuracy of estimated cross-sectional areas gets worse in the deeper distances due to the nature of marching algorithms, i.e., errors of the estimated areas in the closer distances accumulate to those in the further distances. Here we present a new technique of acoustic reflection from measuring transmitted acoustic waves in the airway with three microphones and without employing a wave tube. Using miniaturized microphones mounted on a catheter, we estimated reflection coefficients among the microphones and separated incidental and reflected waves. A model study showed that the estimated cross-sectional area vs. distance function was coincident with the conventional two-microphone method, and it did not change with altered cross-sectional areas at the microphone position, although the estimated cross-sectional areas are relative values to that at the microphone position. The pharyngeal cross-sectional areas including retropalatal and retroglossal regions and the closing site during sleep was visualized in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. The method can be applicable to larger or smaller bronchi to evaluate the airspace and function in these localized airways.

Tutorial on the Psychophysics and Technology of Virtual Acoustic Displays

Science.gov (United States)

Wenzel, Elizabeth M.; Null, Cynthia (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

Virtual acoustics, also known as 3-D sound and auralization, is the simulation of the complex acoustic field experienced by a listener within an environment. Going beyond the simple intensity panning of normal stereo techniques, the goal is to process sounds so that they appear to come from particular locations in three-dimensional space. Although loudspeaker systems are being developed, most of the recent work focuses on using headphones for playback and is the outgrowth of earlier analog techniques. For example, in binaural recording, the sound of an orchestra playing classical music is recorded through small mics in the two "ear canals" of an anthropomorphic artificial or "dummy" head placed in the audience of a concert hall. When the recorded piece is played back over headphones, the listener passively experiences the illusion of hearing the violins on the left and the cellos on the right, along with all the associated echoes, resonances, and ambience of the original environment. Current techniques use digital signal processing to synthesize the acoustical properties that people use to localize a sound source in space. Thus, they provide the flexibility of a kind of digital dummy head, allowing a more active experience in which a listener can both design and move around or interact with a simulated acoustic environment in real time. Such simulations are being developed for a variety of application areas including architectural acoustics, advanced human-computer interfaces, telepresence and virtual reality, navigation aids for the visually-impaired, and as a test bed for psychoacoustical investigations of complex spatial cues. The tutorial will review the basic psychoacoustical cues that determine human sound localization and the techniques used to measure these cues as Head-Related Transfer Functions (HRTFs) for the purpose of synthesizing virtual acoustic environments. The only conclusive test of the adequacy of such simulations is an operational one in which

Anthropogenic noise playback impairs embryonic development and increases mortality in a marine invertebrate

Science.gov (United States)

Nedelec, Sophie L.; Radford, Andrew N.; Simpson, Stephen D.; Nedelec, Brendan; Lecchini, David; Mills, Suzanne C.

2014-07-01

Human activities can create noise pollution and there is increasing international concern about how this may impact wildlife. There is evidence that anthropogenic noise may have detrimental effects on behaviour and physiology in many species but there are few examples of experiments showing how fitness may be directly affected. Here we use a split-brood, counterbalanced, field experiment to investigate the effect of repeated boat-noise playback during early life on the development and survival of a marine invertebrate, the sea hare Stylocheilus striatus at Moorea Island (French Polynesia). We found that exposure to boat-noise playback, compared to ambient-noise playback, reduced successful development of embryos by 21% and additionally increased mortality of recently hatched larvae by 22%. Our work, on an understudied but ecologically and socio-economically important taxon, demonstrates that anthropogenic noise can affect individual fitness. Fitness costs early in life have a fundamental influence on population dynamics and resilience, with potential implications for community structure and function.

A hybrid SEA/modal technique for modeling structural-acoustic interior noise in rotorcraft.

Science.gov (United States)

Jayachandran, V; Bonilha, M W

2003-03-01

This paper describes a hybrid technique that combines Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) predictions for structural vibration with acoustic modal summation techniques to predict interior noise levels in rotorcraft. The method was applied for predicting the sound field inside a mock-up of the interior panel system of the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter. The vibration amplitudes of the frame and panel systems were predicted using a detailed SEA model and these were used as inputs to the model of the interior acoustic space. The spatial distribution of the vibration field on individual panels, and their coupling to the acoustic space were modeled using stochastic techniques. Leakage and nonresonant transmission components were accounted for using space-averaged values obtained from a SEA model of the complete structural-acoustic system. Since the cabin geometry was quite simple, the modeling of the interior acoustic space was performed using a standard modal summation technique. Sound pressure levels predicted by this approach at specific microphone locations were compared with measured data. Agreement within 3 dB in one-third octave bands above 40 Hz was observed. A large discrepancy in the one-third octave band in which the first acoustic mode is resonant (31.5 Hz) was observed. Reasons for such a discrepancy are discussed in the paper. The developed technique provides a method for modeling helicopter cabin interior noise in the frequency mid-range where neither FEA nor SEA is individually effective or accurate.

Acoustic monitoring techniques for corrosion degradation in cemented waste canisters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naish, C.C.; Buttle, D.; Wallace-Sims, R.; O'Brien, T.M.

1991-01-01

This report describes work to investigate acoustic emission as a non-intrusive monitor of corrosion and degradation of cemented wasteforms where the waste is a potentially reactive metal. The acoustic data collected shows good correlation with the corrosion rate as measured by hydrogen gas evolution rates and the electrochemically measured corrosion rates post cement hardening. The technique has been shown to be sensitive in detecting stress caused by expansive corrosion product within the cemented wasteform. The attenuation of the acoustic signal by the wasteform reduced the signal received by the monitoring equipment by a factor of 10 over a distance of approximately 150-400 mm, dependent on the water level in the cement. Full size packages were successfully monitored. It is concluded that the technique offers good potential for monitoring cemented containers of the more reactive metals, for example Magnox and aluminium. (author)

Flaw evolution monitoring by acoustic emission technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghia, S.; Sala, A.; Lucia, A.

1986-01-01

Flaw evolution monitoring during mechanical fatigue test has been performed by acoustic emission (AE) technique. Testing on 1:5 reduced scale vessel containing fabrication defects was carried out in the frame of an European program for pressure component residual life evaluation. Characteristics of AE signals associated to flaw evolution are discussed

Review of Micro/Nano Nondestructive Evaluation Technique (II): Measurement of Acoustic Properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Chung Seok; Park, Ik Keun

2012-01-01

The present paper reviews the micro and nano nondestructive evaluation(NDE) technique that is possible to investigate the surface and measure the acoustic properties. The technical theory, features and applications of the ultrasonic atomic force microscopy(UAFM) and scanning acoustic microscopy(SAM) are illustrated. Especially, these technologies are possible to evaluate the mechanical properties in micro/nano structure and surface through the measurement of acoustic properties in addition to the observation of surface and subsurface. Consequently, it is thought that technique developments and applications of these micro/nano NDE in advanced industrial parts together with present nondestructive industry are widely possible hereafter.

Time domain localization technique with sparsity constraint for imaging acoustic sources

Science.gov (United States)

Padois, Thomas; Doutres, Olivier; Sgard, Franck; Berry, Alain

2017-09-01

This paper addresses source localization technique in time domain for broadband acoustic sources. The objective is to accurately and quickly detect the position and amplitude of noise sources in workplaces in order to propose adequate noise control options and prevent workers hearing loss or safety risk. First, the generalized cross correlation associated with a spherical microphone array is used to generate an initial noise source map. Then a linear inverse problem is defined to improve this initial map. Commonly, the linear inverse problem is solved with an l2 -regularization. In this study, two sparsity constraints are used to solve the inverse problem, the orthogonal matching pursuit and the truncated Newton interior-point method. Synthetic data are used to highlight the performances of the technique. High resolution imaging is achieved for various acoustic sources configurations. Moreover, the amplitudes of the acoustic sources are correctly estimated. A comparison of computation times shows that the technique is compatible with quasi real-time generation of noise source maps. Finally, the technique is tested with real data.

Acoustic Techniques for Structural Health Monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Frankenstein, B.; Augustin, J.; Hentschel, D.; Schubert, F.; Köhler, B.; Meyendorf, N.

2008-02-01

Future safety and maintenance strategies for industrial components and vehicles are based on combinations of monitoring systems that are permanently attached to or embedded in the structure, and periodic inspections. The latter belongs to conventional nondestructive evaluation (NDE) and can be enhanced or partially replaced by structural health monitoring systems. However, the main benefit of this technology for the future will consist of systems that can be differently designed based on improved safety philosophies, including continuous monitoring. This approach will increase the efficiency of inspection procedures at reduced inspection times. The Fraunhofer IZFP Dresden Branch has developed network nodes, miniaturized transmitter and receiver systems for active and passive acoustical techniques and sensor systems that can be attached to or embedded into components or structures. These systems have been used to demonstrate intelligent sensor networks for the monitoring of aerospace structures, railway systems, wind energy generators, piping system and other components. Material discontinuities and flaws have been detected and monitored during full scale fatigue testing. This paper will discuss opportunities and future trends in nondestructive evaluation and health monitoring based on new sensor principles and advanced microelectronics. It will outline various application examples of monitoring systems based on acoustic techniques and will indicate further needs for research and development.

High-spatial-resolution sub-surface imaging using a laser-based acoustic microscopy technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Balogun, Oluwaseyi; Cole, Garrett D; Huber, Robert; Chinn, Diane; Murray, Todd W; Spicer, James B

2011-01-01

Scanning acoustic microscopy techniques operating at frequencies in the gigahertz range are suitable for the elastic characterization and interior imaging of solid media with micrometer-scale spatial resolution. Acoustic wave propagation at these frequencies is strongly limited by energy losses, particularly from attenuation in the coupling media used to transmit ultrasound to a specimen, leading to a decrease in the depth in a specimen that can be interrogated. In this work, a laser-based acoustic microscopy technique is presented that uses a pulsed laser source for the generation of broadband acoustic waves and an optical interferometer for detection. The use of a 900-ps microchip pulsed laser facilitates the generation of acoustic waves with frequencies extending up to 1 GHz which allows for the resolution of micrometer-scale features in a specimen. Furthermore, the combination of optical generation and detection approaches eliminates the use of an ultrasonic coupling medium, and allows for elastic characterization and interior imaging at penetration depths on the order of several hundred micrometers. Experimental results illustrating the use of the laser-based acoustic microscopy technique for imaging micrometer-scale subsurface geometrical features in a 70-μm-thick single-crystal silicon wafer with a (100) orientation are presented.

Design of digital voice storage and playback system

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Chao

2018-03-01

Based on STC89C52 chip, this paper presents a single chip microcomputer minimum system, which is used to realize the logic control of digital speech storage and playback system. Compared with the traditional tape voice recording system, the system has advantages of small size, low power consumption, The effective solution of traditional voice recording system is limited in the use of electronic and information processing.

Progress on acoustic techniques for LMFBR structural surveillance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burton, E J; Bentley, P G; McKnight, J A [RNL, UKAEA, Risley, Warrington, Cheshire (United Kingdom)

1980-11-01

Acoustic techniques are being developed to monitor remotely the incipient events of various modes of failure. Topics have been selected from the development programme which are either of special importance or in which significant advances have been made recently. Ultrasonic inspection of stainless steel welds is difficult and one alternative approach which is being explored is to identify manufacturing defects during fabrication by monitoring the welding processes. Preliminary measurements are described of the acoustic events measured during deliberately defective welding tests in the laboratory and some initial analysis using pattern recognition techniques is described. The assessment of structural failures using probability analysis has emphasised the potential value of continuous monitoring during operation and this has led to the investigation into the use of vibrational analysis and acoustic emission as monitoring techniques. Mechanical failure from fatigue may be anticipated from measurement of vibrational modes and experience from PFR and from models have indicated the depth of detailed understanding required to achieve this. In the laboratory a vessel with an artificial defect has been pressurised to failure. Detection of the weak stress wave emissions was possible but difficult and the prospects for on-line monitoring are discussed. Ultrasonic technology for providing images of components immersed in the opaque sodium of LMFBRs is being developed. Images are cormed by the physical scanning of a target using transducers in a pulse-echo mode. Lead zirconate transducers have been developed which can be deployed during reactor shut-down. The first application will be to examine a limited area of the core of PFR. Handling the data from such an experiment involves developing methods for reading and storing the information from such ultrasonic echo. Such techniques have been tested in real time by simulation in a water model. Methods of enhancing the images to be

Parallels between playbacks and Pleistocene tar seeps suggest sociality in an extinct sabretooth cat, Smilodon

OpenAIRE

Carbone, Chris; Maddox, Tom; Funston, Paul J.; Mills, Michael G.L.; Grether, Gregory F.; Van Valkenburgh, Blaire

2008-01-01

Inferences concerning the lives of extinct animals are difficult to obtain from the fossil record. Here we present a novel approach to the study of extinct carnivores, using a comparison between fossil records (n=3324) found in Late Pleistocene tar seeps at Rancho La Brea in North America and counts (n=4491) from playback experiments used to estimate carnivore abundance in Africa. Playbacks and tar seep deposits represent competitive, potentially dangerous encounters where multiple predators ...

Utilisation of acoustic emission technique to monitor lubrication condition in a low speed bearing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nordin Jamaludin; Mohd Jailani Mohd Nor

2003-01-01

Monitoring of lubrication condition in rolling element bearings through the use of vibration analysis is an established technique. However, this success has not mirrored at low rotational speeds. At low speeds the energy generated from the poor lubricated bearing lubrication might not show as an obvious change in signature and thus become undetectable using conventional vibration measuring equipment. This paper presents an investigation into the applicability of acoustic emission technique and analysis for detecting poorly lubricated bearing rotating at a speed of 1.12 rpm. Investigations were centered on a test-rig designed to simulate the real bearing used in the field. The variation of lubricant amount in the low-speed bearing was successfully monitored using a new developed method known as pulse injection technique (PIT). The PIT technique was based on acoustic emission method. The technique involved transmitting a Dirac pulse to the test bearing via a transmitting acoustic emission sensor while the bearing was in operation. Analysing the captured acoustic emission signatures using established statistical method could differentiate between properly and poorly lubricated bearing. (Author)

Acceleration recorder and playback module

Science.gov (United States)

Bozeman, Richard J., Jr.

1994-11-01

The present invention is directed to methods and apparatus relating to an accelerometer electrical signal recorder and playback module. The recorder module may be manufactured in lightweight configuration and includes analog memory components to store data. Signal conditioning circuitry is incorporated into the module so that signals may be connected directly from the accelerometer to the recorder module. A battery pack may be included for powering both the module and the accelerometer. Timing circuitry is included to control the time duration within which data is recorded or played back so as to avoid overloading the analog memory components. Multiple accelerometer signal recordings may be taken simultaneously without analog to digital circuits, multiplexing circuitry or software to compensate for the effects of multiplexing the signals.

Study of uranium dioxide pellets by micro-acoustic techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roque, V.

1999-01-01

In order to reduce the volume of spent fuel to reprocess and to improve the productivity and the safety of the nuclear reactor, 'Electricite De France' aim to increase the average fuel discharge burn-up. To elaborate the safety reports, EDF develops codes to simulate the thermo-mechanical behaviour of the nuclear fuel element. These numeric simulations need to evaluate accurately and locally the evolution of the material and of its properties. One of the major concern today is the local characterisation of the intrinsic volume fraction porosity and the mechanical properties of the irradiated fuel. The fuel pellet fragmentation, the steep radial gradient in its physical properties evolution and the chemical evolution of the irradiated material make difficult nay the use of the conventional techniques. This leads EDF to pay interest for the use of two complementary techniques: micro-indentation on the one hand and acoustic methods on the other hand (acoustic microscopy and micro-echography), with an additional constrain to perform on active materials. The objective of this work has been to adapt the acoustic methods for an application on uranium dioxide pellets, used as nuclear fuel in Water Pressurised Reactor. Acquisitions protocols have been set to measure accurately the Rayleigh velocity and the longitudinal velocity of the UO 2 . Using these protocols, we have calibrated these acoustic methods by analysing non irradiated nuclear pellet which properties were well known. This process enable to quantify the effects of different physico-chemical parameters of the UO 2 on the ultrasonic velocities measured. Particularly, the large influence of the porosity has been demonstrated and empirical laws to express the evolution of the acoustic velocities as a function of the volume fraction porosity were established. Moreover, we have established a methodology to characterise the intrinsic elastic constants and the volume fraction porosity on irradiated UO 2 fuel pellets

Acoustic impedance rhinometry (AIR): a technique for monitoring dynamic changes in nasal congestion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patuzzi, Robert; Cook, Alison

2014-01-01

We describe a simple and inexpensive method for monitoring nasal air flow resistance using measurement of the small-signal acoustic input impedance of the nasal passage, similar to the audiological measurement of ear drum compliance with acoustic tympanometry. The method requires generation of a fixed sinusoidal volume–velocity stimulus using ear-bud speakers, and an electret microphone to monitor the resultant pressure fluctuation in the nasal passage. Both are coupled to the nose via high impedance silastic tubing and a small plastic nose insert. The acoustic impedance is monitored in real-time using a laptop soundcard and custom-written software developed in LabView 7.0 (National Instruments). The compact, lightweight equipment and fast time resolution lends the technique to research into the small and rapid reflexive changes in nasal resistance caused by environmental and local neurological influences. The acoustic impedance rhinometry technique has the potential to be developed for use in a clinical setting, where the need exists for a simple and inexpensive objective nasal resistance measurement technique. (paper)

Application of finite element techniques in predicting the acoustic properties of turbofan inlets

Science.gov (United States)

Majjigi, R. K.; Sigman, R. K.; Zinn, B. T.

1978-01-01

An analytical technique was developed for predicting the acoustic performance of turbofan inlets carrying a subsonic axisymmetric steady flow. The finite element method combined with the method of weighted residuals is used in predicting the acoustic properties of variable area, annular ducts with or without acoustic treatments along their walls. An approximate solution for the steady inviscid flow field is obtained using an integral method for calculating the incompressible potential flow field in the inlet with a correction to account for compressibility effects. The accuracy of the finite element technique was assessed by comparison with available analytical solutions for the problems of plane and spinning wave propagation through a hard walled annular cylinder with a constant mean flow.

Quality-Based Backlight Optimization for Video Playback on Handheld Devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liang Cheng

2007-01-01

Full Text Available For a typical handheld device, the backlight accounts for a significant percentage of the total energy consumption (e.g., around 30% for a Compaq iPAQ 3650. Substantial energy savings can be achieved by dynamically adapting backlight intensity levels on such low-power portable devices. In this paper, we analyze the characteristics of video streaming services and propose a cross-layer optimization scheme called quality adapted backlight scaling (QABS to achieve backlight energy savings for video playback applications on handheld devices. Specifically, we present a fast algorithm to optimize backlight dimming while keeping the degradation in image quality to a minimum so that the overall service quality is close to a specified threshold. Additionally, we propose two effective techniques to prevent frequent backlight switching, which negatively affects user perception of video. Our initial experimental results indicate that the energy used for backlight is significantly reduced, while the desired quality is satisfied. The proposed algorithms can be realized in real time.

Capture and playback synchronization in video conferencing

Science.gov (United States)

Shae, Zon-Yin; Chang, Pao-Chi; Chen, Mon-Song

1995-03-01

Packet-switching based video conferencing has emerged as one of the most important multimedia applications. Lip synchronization can be disrupted in the packet network as the result of the network properties: packet delay jitters at the capture end, network delay jitters, packet loss, packet arrived out of sequence, local clock mismatch, and video playback overlay with the graphic system. The synchronization problem become more demanding as the real time and multiparty requirement of the video conferencing application. Some of the above mentioned problem can be solved in the more advanced network architecture as ATM having promised. This paper will present some of the solutions to the problems that can be useful at the end station terminals in the massively deployed packet switching network today. The playback scheme in the end station will consist of two units: compression domain buffer management unit and the pixel domain buffer management unit. The pixel domain buffer management unit is responsible for removing the annoying frame shearing effect in the display. The compression domain buffer management unit is responsible for parsing the incoming packets for identifying the complete data blocks in the compressed data stream which can be decoded independently. The compression domain buffer management unit is also responsible for concealing the effects of clock mismatch, lip synchronization, and packet loss, out of sequence, and network jitters. This scheme can also be applied to the multiparty teleconferencing environment. Some of the schemes presented in this paper have been implemented in the Multiparty Multimedia Teleconferencing (MMT) system prototype at the IBM watson research center.

Application of acoustic emission, as non destructive testing technique, to nuclear components inspection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanchez Miro, J.J.

1980-01-01

A panorama of actual state of acoustic emission as non destructive testing technique, from stand point of its safety applications to nuclear reactor is offered. In first place the physic grounds of acoustic emission phenomenon is briefly exposed. After we speak about the experimental methods for detection, and overall is made an explanation of the problems which are found during the application of this technology to on-line inspection of nuclear oower plants. It is hoped that this repport makes a contribution in the sense of to create a favourable atmosphere toward the introduction in our country of this important technique, and concretely within the nuclear power industry. In this last field the employ of acoustic emission is overcoming the experimental stage. (author)

Distributed acoustic sensing technique and its field trial in SAGD well

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Li; He, Xiangge; Pan, Yong; Liu, Fei; Yi, Duo; Hu, Chengjun; Zhang, Min; Gu, Lijuan

2017-10-01

Steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) is a very promising way for the development of heavy oil, extra heavy oil and tight oil reservoirs. Proper monitoring of the SAGD operations is essential to avoid operational issues and improve efficiency. Among all the monitoring techniques, micro-seismic monitoring and related interpretation method can give useful information about the steam chamber development and has been extensively studied. Distributed acoustic sensor (DAS) based on Rayleigh backscattering is a newly developed technique that can measure acoustic signal at all points along the sensing fiber. In this paper, we demonstrate a DAS system based on dual-pulse heterodyne demodulation technique and did field trial in SAGD well located in Xinjiang Oilfield, China. The field trail results validated the performance of the DAS system and indicated its applicability in steam-chamber monitoring and hydraulic monitoring.

Vehicle recognition by using acoustic signature and classic DSP techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Fernanda Díaz Velásquez

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This paper shows the application of the classic technique of digital signal processing (DSP, the cross-correlation, used for the detection of acoustic signatures of road traffic in Cali city, Colombia. Future goal is to build a detection software that through real time measures allows us estimate the levels of acoustic pollution in the city by using simulation models of road traffic, in the framework of environmentally-friendly smart cities. Final results of the experimental tests showed an accuracy of 71.43% for specific vehicle detection.

Opto-acoustic technique to evaluate adhesion strength of thin-film systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Yoshida

2012-06-01

Full Text Available An opto-acoustic technique is proposed to evaluate the adhesion strength of thin film systems at the film-substrate interface. The thin-film system to be examined is configured as an end-mirror of a Michelson interferometer, and driven from the rear with an acoustic transducer at audible frequencies. The amplitude of the resultant oscillation of the film is quantified as the variation in the contrast of the interferometric fringe pattern observed with a digital camera at 30 frames/s. As a proof of concept, experiment has been conducted with the use of a pair of strongly and weakly adhered Au-coated Si-wafer specimens. The technique successfully differentiates the adhesion strength of the specimens.

Using acoustic emission technique to monitor fractures on the analogous pressure pipes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Lichen

1989-01-01

By using the acoustic emission technique to monitor the fractures on analogous pressure pipes of the primary circuit which has had cracks and loading with pressure was investigated. The dynamical process, from cracking to fracturing, was recorded by the acoustic emission technique. Comparing with the conventional method, this method gives more informations, such as pre-cracking, cracking growing, fast fracturing and the pressure values at different phases. During testing time a microcomputer was used for real-time data processing and locating the fracturing position. These data are useful for the mechanical analysis of the reactor components

Laser Techniques on Acoustically Levitated Droplets

Science.gov (United States)

Cannuli, Antonio; Caccamo, Maria Teresa; Castorina, Giuseppe; Colombo, Franco; Magazù, Salvatore

2018-01-01

This work reports the results of an experimental study where laser techniques are applied to acoustically levitated droplets of trehalose aqueous solutions in order to perform spectroscopic analyses as a function of concentration and to test the theoretical diameter law. The study of such systems is important in order to better understand the behaviour of trehalose-synthesizing extremophiles that live in extreme environments. In particular, it will be shown how acoustic levitation, combined with optical spectroscopic instruments allows to explore a wide concentration range and to test the validity of the diameter law as a function of levitation lag time, i.e. the D2 vs t law. On this purpose a direct diameter monitoring by a video camera and a laser pointer was first performed; then the diameter was also evaluated by an indirect measure through an OH/CH band area ratio analysis of collected Raman and Infrared spectra. It clearly emerges that D2 vs t follows a linear trend for about 20 minutes, reaching then a plateau at longer time. This result shows how trehalose is able to avoid total water evaporation, this property being essential for the surviving of organisms under extreme environmental conditions.

Viscoelastic assessment of anal canal function using acoustic reflectometry: a clinically useful technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Peter J; Klarskov, Niels; Telford, Karen J; Hosker, Gordon L; Lose, Gunnar; Kiff, Edward S

2012-02-01

Anal acoustic reflectometry is a new reproducible technique that allows a viscoelastic assessment of anal canal function. Five new variables reflecting anal canal function are measured: the opening and closing pressure, opening and closing elastance, and hysteresis. The aim of this study was to assess whether the parameters measured in anal acoustic reflectometry are clinically valid between continent and fecally incontinent subjects. This was an age- and sex-matched study of continent and incontinent women. The study was conducted at a university teaching hospital. One hundred women (50 with fecal incontinence and 50 with normal bowel control) were included in the study. Subjects were age matched to within 5 years. Parameters measured with anal acoustic reflectometry and manometry were compared between incontinent and continent groups using a paired t test. Diagnostic accuracy was assessed by the use of receiver operator characteristic curves. Four of the 5 anal acoustic reflectometry parameters at rest were significantly different between continent and incontinent women (eg, opening pressure in fecally incontinent subjects was 31.6 vs 51.5 cm H2O in continent subjects, p = 0.0001). Both anal acoustic reflectometry parameters of squeeze opening pressure and squeeze opening elastance were significantly reduced in the incontinent women compared with continent women (50 vs 99.1 cm H2O, p = 0.0001 and 1.48 vs 1.83 cm H2O/mm, p = 0.012). In terms of diagnostic accuracy, opening pressure at rest measured by reflectometry was significantly superior in discriminating between continent and incontinent women in comparison with resting pressure measured with manometry (p = 0.009). Anal acoustic reflectometry is a new, clinically valid technique in the assessment of continent and incontinent subjects. This technique, which assesses the response of the anal canal to distension and relaxation, provides a detailed viscoelastic assessment of anal canal function. This technique

Probe beam deflection technique as acoustic emission directionality sensor with photoacoustic emission source.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnes, Ronald A; Maswadi, Saher; Glickman, Randolph; Shadaram, Mehdi

2014-01-20

The goal of this paper is to demonstrate the unique capability of measuring the vector or angular information of propagating acoustic waves using an optical sensor. Acoustic waves were generated using photoacoustic interaction and detected by the probe beam deflection technique. Experiments and simulations were performed to study the interaction of acoustic emissions with an optical sensor in a coupling medium. The simulated results predict the probe beam and wavefront interaction and produced simulated signals that are verified by experiment.

Techniques to assess acoustic-structure interaction in liquid rocket engines

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, R. Benjamin

Acoustoelasticity is the study of the dynamic interaction between elastic structures and acoustic enclosures. In this dissertation, acoustoelasticity is considered in the context of liquid rocket engine design. The techniques presented here can be used to determine which forcing frequencies are important in acoustoelastic systems. With a knowledge of these frequencies, an analyst can either find ways to attenuate the excitation at these frequencies or alter the system in such a way that the prescribed excitations do result in a resonant condition. The end result is a structural component that is less susceptible to failure. The research scope is divided into three parts. In the first part, the dynamics of cylindrical shells submerged in liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX) are considered. The shells are bounded by rigid outer cylinders. This configuration gives rise to two fluid-filled cavities---an inner cylindrical cavity and an outer annular cavity. Such geometries are common in rocket engine design. The natural frequencies and modes of the fluid-structure system are computed by combining the rigid wall acoustic cavity modes and the in vacuo structural modes into a system of coupled ordinary differential equations. Eigenvalue veering is observed near the intersections of the curves representing natural frequencies of the rigid wall acoustic and the in vacuo structural modes. In the case of a shell submerged in LH2, system frequencies near these intersections are as much as 30% lower than the corresponding in vacuo structural frequencies. Due to its high density, the frequency reductions in the presence of LOX are even more dramatic. The forced responses of a shell submerged in LH2 and LOX while subject to a harmonic point excitation are also presented. The responses in the presence of fluid are found to be quite distinct from those of the structure in vacuo. In the second part, coupled mode theory is used to explore the fundamental features of

Acoustic cloaking and transformation acoustics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Huanyang; Chan, C T

2010-01-01

In this review, we give a brief introduction to the application of the new technique of transformation acoustics, which draws on a correspondence between coordinate transformation and material properties. The technique is formulated for both acoustic waves and linear liquid surface waves. Some interesting conceptual devices can be designed for manipulating acoustic waves. For example, we can design acoustic cloaks that make an object invisible to acoustic waves, and the cloak can either encompass or lie outside the object to be concealed. Transformation acoustics, as an analog of transformation optics, can go beyond invisibility cloaking. As an illustration for manipulating linear liquid surface waves, we show that a liquid wave rotator can be designed and fabricated to rotate the wave front. The acoustic transformation media require acoustic materials which are anisotropic and inhomogeneous. Such materials are difficult to find in nature. However, composite materials with embedded sub-wavelength resonators can in principle be made and such 'acoustic metamaterials' can exhibit nearly arbitrary values of effective density and modulus tensors to satisfy the demanding material requirements in transformation acoustics. We introduce resonant sonic materials and Helmholtz resonators as examples of acoustic metamaterials that exhibit resonant behaviour in effective density and effective modulus. (topical review)

The Use of Structural-Acoustic Techniques to Assess Potential Structural Damage From Sonic Booms

Science.gov (United States)

Garrelick, Joel; Martini, Kyle

1996-01-01

The potential impact of supersonic operations includes structural damage from the sonic boom overpressure. This paper describes a study of how structural-acoustic modeling and testing techniques may be used to assess the potential for such damage in the absence of actual flyovers. Procedures are described whereby transfer functions relating structural response to sonic boom signature may be obtained with a stationary acoustic source and appropriate data processing. Further, by invoking structural-acoustic reciprocity, these transfer functions may also be acquired by measuring the radiated sound from the structure under a mechanical drive. The approach is based on the fundamental assumption of linearity, both with regard to the (acoustic) propagation of the boom in the vicinity of the structure and to the structure's response. Practical issues revolve around acoustic far field and source directivity requirements. The technique was implemented on a specially fabricated test structure at Edwards AFB, CA with the support of Wyle Laboratories, Inc. Blank shots from a cannon served as our acoustic source and taps from an instrumented hammer generated the mechanical drive. Simulated response functions were constructed. Results of comparisons with corresponding measurements recorded during dedicated supersonic flyovers with F-15 aircraft are presented for a number of sensor placements.

Effects of melody and technique on acoustical and musical features of western operatic singing voices.

Science.gov (United States)

Larrouy-Maestri, Pauline; Magis, David; Morsomme, Dominique

2014-05-01

The operatic singing technique is frequently used in classical music. Several acoustical parameters of this specific technique have been studied but how these parameters combine remains unclear. This study aims to further characterize the Western operatic singing technique by observing the effects of melody and technique on acoustical and musical parameters of the singing voice. Fifty professional singers performed two contrasting melodies (popular song and romantic melody) with two vocal techniques (with and without operatic singing technique). The common quality parameters (energy distribution, vibrato rate, and extent), perturbation parameters (standard deviation of the fundamental frequency, signal-to-noise ratio, jitter, and shimmer), and musical features (fundamental frequency of the starting note, average tempo, and sound pressure level) of the 200 sung performances were analyzed. The results regarding the effect of melody and technique on the acoustical and musical parameters show that the choice of melody had a limited impact on the parameters observed, whereas a particular vocal profile appeared depending on the vocal technique used. This study confirms that vocal technique affects most of the parameters examined. In addition, the observation of quality, perturbation, and musical parameters contributes to a better understanding of the Western operatic singing technique. Copyright © 2014 The Voice Foundation. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Testing social acoustic memory in rats: effects of stimulus configuration and long-term memory on the induction of social approach behavior by appetitive 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Wöhr, Markus; Schwarting, Rainer K W

2012-09-01

Rats emit distinct types of ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), which serve as situation-dependent affective signals. In appetitive situations, such as rough-and-tumble-play, high-frequency 50-kHz USVs occur, whereas low-frequency 22-kHz USVs can be observed in aversive situations, such as social defeat. USVs serve distinct communicative functions and induce call-specific behavioral responses in the receiver. While aversive 22-kHz USVs serve as alarm calls and induce behavioral inhibition, appetitive 50-kHz USVs have a pro-social communicative function and elicit social approach behavior, supporting the notion that they serve as social contact calls to (re)establish or maintain contact among conspecifics. The aim of the present study was to use the rat's ability to communicate in the ultrasonic range via high-frequency 50-kHz USVs in order to develop a test for social acoustic memory in rats with relevance for human verbal memory. Verbal learning and memory is among the seven cognitive domains identified as commonly deficient in human schizophrenia patients, but particularly difficult to model. We therefore tested whether the induction of social approach behavior by playback of appetitive 50-kHz USVs is dependent on (1) acoustic stimulus configuration and (2) social long-term memory, and whether (3) social long-term memory effects can be blocked by the administration of scopolamine, a muscarinic acetylcholine antagonist producing amnesia. Results show that social approach behavior in response to playback of natural 50-kHz USVs depends on acoustic stimulus configuration and occurs only when sound energy is concentrated to a critical frequency band in the ultrasonic range. Social approach behavior was detected during the first exposure to playback of 50-kHz USVs, whereas no such response was observed during the second exposure 1week later, indicating a stable memory trace. In contrast, when memory formation was blocked by i.p. administration of scopolamine (0.5mg/kg or

Computational reduction techniques for numerical vibro-acoustic analysis of hearing aids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Creixell Mediante, Ester

. In this thesis, several challenges encountered in the process of modelling and optimizing hearing aids are addressed. Firstly, a strategy for modelling the contacts between plastic parts for harmonic analysis is developed. Irregularities in the contact surfaces, inherent to the manufacturing process of the parts....... Secondly, the applicability of Model Order Reduction (MOR) techniques to lower the computational complexity of hearing aid vibro-acoustic models is studied. For fine frequency response calculation and optimization, which require solving the numerical model repeatedly, a computational challenge...... is encountered due to the large number of Degrees of Freedom (DOFs) needed to represent the complexity of the hearing aid system accurately. In this context, several MOR techniques are discussed, and an adaptive reduction method for vibro-acoustic optimization problems is developed as a main contribution. Lastly...

Online laboratory evaluation of seeding-machine application by an acoustic technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karimi, H.; Navid, H.; Mahmoudi, A.

2015-07-01

Researchers and planter manufacturers have been working closely to develop an automated system for evaluating performance of seeding. In the present study, an innovative use of acoustic signal for laboratory evaluation of seeding-machine application is described. Seed detection technique of the proposed system was based on a rising voltage value that a microphone sensed in each impaction of seeds to a steel plate. Online determining of seed spacing was done with a script which was written in MATLAB software. To evaluate the acoustic system with desired seed spacing, a testing rig was designed. Seeds of wheat, corn and pelleted tomato were used as experimental material. Typical seed patterns were positioned manually on a belt stand with different spacing patterns. When the belt was running, the falling seeds from the end point of the belt impacted to the steel plate, and their acoustic signal was sensed by the microphone. In each impact, data was processed and spacing between the seeds was automatically obtained. Coefficient of determination of gathered data from the belt system and the corresponding seeds spacing measured with the acoustic system in all runs was about 0.98. This strong correlation indicates that the acoustic system worked well in determining the seeds spacing. (Author)

Understanding seafloor morphology using remote high frequency acoustic methods: An appraisal to modern techniques and its effectiveness

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Chakraborty, B.

Content-Type text/plain; charset=UTF-8 179 Understanding seafloor morphology using remote high frequency acoustic methods: an appraisal to modern techniques and its effectiveness Bishwajit Chakraborty National institute of Oceanography.... The two third of the earth surface i.e. 362 million square km (70 %) is covered by the ocean. In order to understand the seafloor various methods like: application of remote acoustic techniques, seafloor photographic and geological sampling techniques...

Advanced signal processing techniques for acoustic detection of sodium/water reaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yughay, V.S.; Gribok, A.V.; Volov, A.N.

1997-01-01

In this paper results of development of a neural network technique for processing of acoustic background noise and injection noise of various media (argon, water steam, hydrogen) at test rigs and industrial steam generator are presented. (author). 3 refs, 9 figs, 3 tabs

UF6 Density and Mass Flow Measurements for Enrichment Plants using Acoustic Techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Good, Morris S.; Smith, Leon E.; Warren, Glen A.; Jones, Anthony M.; Ramuhalli, Pradeep; Roy, Surajit; Moran, Traci L.; Denslow, Kayte M.; Longoni, Gianluca

2017-09-01

A key enabling capability for enrichment plant safeguards being considered by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is high-accuracy, noninvasive, unattended measurement of UF6 gas density and mass flow rate. Acoustic techniques are currently used to noninvasively monitor gas flow in industrial applications; however, the operating pressures at gaseous centrifuge enrichment plants (GCEPs) are roughly two orders magnitude below the capabilities of commercial instrumentation. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is refining acoustic techniques for estimating density and mass flow rate of UF6 gas in scenarios typical of GCEPs, with the goal of achieving 1% measurement accuracy. Proof-of-concept laboratory measurements using a surrogate gas for UF6 have demonstrated signatures sensitive to gas density at low operating pressures such as 10–50 Torr, which were observed over the background acoustic interference. Current efforts involve developing a test bed for conducting acoustic measurements on flowing SF6 gas at representative flow rates and pressures to ascertain the viability of conducting gas flow measurements under these conditions. Density and flow measurements will be conducted to support the evaluation. If successful, the approach could enable an unattended, noninvasive approach to measure mass flow in unit header pipes of GCEPs.

Theoretical detection threshold of the proton-acoustic range verification technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, Moiz; Yousefi, Siavash; Xing, Lei; Xiang, Liangzhong

2015-01-01

Purpose: Range verification in proton therapy using the proton-acoustic signal induced in the Bragg peak was investigated for typical clinical scenarios. The signal generation and detection processes were simulated in order to determine the signal-to-noise limits. Methods: An analytical model was used to calculate the dose distribution and local pressure rise (per proton) for beams of different energy (100 and 160 MeV) and spot widths (1, 5, and 10 mm) in a water phantom. In this method, the acoustic waves propagating from the Bragg peak were generated by the general 3D pressure wave equation implemented using a finite element method. Various beam pulse widths (0.1–10 μs) were simulated by convolving the acoustic waves with Gaussian kernels. A realistic PZT ultrasound transducer (5 cm diameter) was simulated with a Butterworth bandpass filter with consideration of random noise based on a model of thermal noise in the transducer. The signal-to-noise ratio on a per-proton basis was calculated, determining the minimum number of protons required to generate a detectable pulse. The maximum spatial resolution of the proton-acoustic imaging modality was also estimated from the signal spectrum. Results: The calculated noise in the transducer was 12–28 mPa, depending on the transducer central frequency (70–380 kHz). The minimum number of protons detectable by the technique was on the order of 3–30 × 10 6 per pulse, with 30–800 mGy dose per pulse at the Bragg peak. Wider pulses produced signal with lower acoustic frequencies, with 10 μs pulses producing signals with frequency less than 100 kHz. Conclusions: The proton-acoustic process was simulated using a realistic model and the minimal detection limit was established for proton-acoustic range validation. These limits correspond to a best case scenario with a single large detector with no losses and detector thermal noise as the sensitivity limiting factor. Our study indicated practical proton-acoustic range

Theoretical detection threshold of the proton-acoustic range verification technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahmad, Moiz; Yousefi, Siavash; Xing, Lei, E-mail: lei@stanford.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305-5847 (United States); Xiang, Liangzhong [Center for Bioengineering and School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019-1101 (United States)

2015-10-15

Purpose: Range verification in proton therapy using the proton-acoustic signal induced in the Bragg peak was investigated for typical clinical scenarios. The signal generation and detection processes were simulated in order to determine the signal-to-noise limits. Methods: An analytical model was used to calculate the dose distribution and local pressure rise (per proton) for beams of different energy (100 and 160 MeV) and spot widths (1, 5, and 10 mm) in a water phantom. In this method, the acoustic waves propagating from the Bragg peak were generated by the general 3D pressure wave equation implemented using a finite element method. Various beam pulse widths (0.1–10 μs) were simulated by convolving the acoustic waves with Gaussian kernels. A realistic PZT ultrasound transducer (5 cm diameter) was simulated with a Butterworth bandpass filter with consideration of random noise based on a model of thermal noise in the transducer. The signal-to-noise ratio on a per-proton basis was calculated, determining the minimum number of protons required to generate a detectable pulse. The maximum spatial resolution of the proton-acoustic imaging modality was also estimated from the signal spectrum. Results: The calculated noise in the transducer was 12–28 mPa, depending on the transducer central frequency (70–380 kHz). The minimum number of protons detectable by the technique was on the order of 3–30 × 10{sup 6} per pulse, with 30–800 mGy dose per pulse at the Bragg peak. Wider pulses produced signal with lower acoustic frequencies, with 10 μs pulses producing signals with frequency less than 100 kHz. Conclusions: The proton-acoustic process was simulated using a realistic model and the minimal detection limit was established for proton-acoustic range validation. These limits correspond to a best case scenario with a single large detector with no losses and detector thermal noise as the sensitivity limiting factor. Our study indicated practical proton-acoustic

Acoustic Measurements in Opera Houses: Comparison Between Different Techniques and Equipment

Science.gov (United States)

FAUSTI, P.; FARINA, A.

2000-04-01

In room acoustics, many objective parameters to quantify subjective impressions have been introduced. These quantities can be measured by using a wide variety of powerful tools and equipment. The results can be influenced by the measurement techniques and instruments used. Furthermore, the results also depend on the measurement positions and on the condition of the hall (full, empty, etc.). The aim of this work is to define a tightly standardized measurement procedure for the collection of a complete objective description of an opera house's acoustics. In this paper some of the results obtained by the authors after measurements made in three different halls are presented. Comparisons were made both between different hardware and software tools (real-time analyzer, DAT, PC-board, source, microphones, post-processing software) and between different measurement methods (interrupted stationary noise, true-impulse, pseudo-random white noise with impulse-response doconvolution, sine sweep) as well as between different positions in the halls, with and without the presence of musicians and audience. The results have shown that the differences obtained when using different measurement techniques and equipment are not of significant importance. The only effective differences were found regarding the recording techniques, as the monaural measurements give appreciably different results from the average of left and right channel of binaural measurements. Slightly different results were alsofound between true impulsive sources (pistol shots, balloons) and omni-directional (dodecahedral) loudspeakers. Attention must be paid to the signal-to-noise ratio, as this can influence the correct calculation of some acoustical parameters. Some differences, not as great as expected, were found in the results with and without the musicians in the orchestra shell and with and without the audience in the hall. This is probably due to the high sound absorption that is typical in Italian opera

Vibro-acoustic condition monitoring of Internal Combustion Engines: A critical review of existing techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Delvecchio, S.; Bonfiglio, P.; Pompoli, F.

2018-01-01

This paper deals with the state-of-the-art strategies and techniques based on vibro-acoustic signals that can monitor and diagnose malfunctions in Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs) under both test bench and vehicle operating conditions. Over recent years, several authors have summarized what is known in critical reviews mainly focused on reciprocating machines in general or on specific signal processing techniques: no attempts to deal with IC engine condition monitoring have been made. This paper first gives a brief summary of the generation of sound and vibration in ICEs in order to place further discussion on fault vibro-acoustic diagnosis in context. An overview of the monitoring and diagnostic techniques described in literature using both vibration and acoustic signals is also provided. Different faulty conditions are described which affect combustion, mechanics and the aerodynamics of ICEs. The importance of measuring acoustic signals, as opposed to vibration signals, is due since the former seem to be more suitable for implementation on on-board monitoring systems in view of their non-intrusive behaviour, capability in simultaneously capturing signatures from several mechanical components and because of the possibility of detecting faults affecting airborne transmission paths. In view of the recent needs of the industry to (-) optimize component structural durability adopting long-life cycles, (-) verify the engine final status at the end of the assembly line and (-) reduce the maintenance costs monitoring the ICE life during vehicle operations, monitoring and diagnosing system requests are continuously growing up. The present review can be considered a useful guideline for test engineers in understanding which types of fault can be diagnosed by using vibro-acoustic signals in sufficient time in both test bench and operating conditions and which transducer and signal processing technique (of which the essential background theory is here reported) could be

Acoustic emission technique for characterisation of deformation, fatigue, fracture and phase transformation and for leak detection with high sensitivity- our experiences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jayakumar, T.; Mukhopadhyay, C.K.; Baldev Raj

1996-01-01

Acoustic emission technique has been used for studying tensile deformation, fracture behaviour, detection and assessment of fatigue crack growth and α-martensite phase transformation in austenitic alloys. A methodology for amplification of weak acoustic emission signals has been established. Acoustic emission technique with advanced spectral analysis has enabled detection with high sensitivity of minute leaks in noisy environments. (author)

Digital signal processor for silicon audio playback devices; Silicon audio saisei kikiyo digital signal processor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-03-01

The digital audio signal processor (DSP) TC9446F series has been developed silicon audio playback devices with a memory medium of, e.g., flash memory, DVD players, and AV devices, e.g., TV sets. It corresponds to AAC (advanced audio coding) (2ch) and MP3 (MPEG1 Layer3), as the audio compressing techniques being used for transmitting music through an internet. It also corresponds to compressed types, e.g., Dolby Digital, DTS (digital theater system) and MPEG2 audio, being adopted for, e.g., DVDs. It can carry a built-in audio signal processing program, e.g., Dolby ProLogic, equalizer, sound field controlling, and 3D sound. TC9446XB has been lined up anew. It adopts an FBGA (fine pitch ball grid array) package for portable audio devices. (translated by NEDO)

Acoustic levitation technique for containerless processing at high temperatures in space

Science.gov (United States)

Rey, Charles A.; Merkley, Dennis R.; Hammarlund, Gregory R.; Danley, Thomas J.

1988-01-01

High temperature processing of a small specimen without a container has been demonstrated in a set of experiments using an acoustic levitation furnace in the microgravity of space. This processing technique includes the positioning, heating, melting, cooling, and solidification of a material supported without physical contact with container or other surface. The specimen is supported in a potential energy well, created by an acoustic field, which is sufficiently strong to position the specimen in the microgravity environment of space. This containerless processing apparatus has been successfully tested on the Space Shuttle during the STS-61A mission. In that experiment, three samples wer successfully levitated and processed at temperatures from 600 to 1500 C. Experiment data and results are presented.

Fundamental and assessment of concrete structure monitoring by using acoustic emission technique testing: A review

Science.gov (United States)

Desa, M. S. M.; Ibrahim, M. H. W.; Shahidan, S.; Ghadzali, N. S.; Misri, Z.

2018-04-01

Acoustic emission (AE) technique is one of the non-destructive (NDT) testing, where it can be used to determine the damage of concrete structures such as crack, corrosion, stability, sensitivity, as structure monitoring and energy formed within cracking opening growth in the concrete structure. This article gives a comprehensive review of the acoustic emission (AE) technique testing due to its application in concrete structure for structural health monitoring (SHM). Assessment of AE technique used for structural are reviewed to give the perception of its structural engineering such as dam, bridge and building, where the previous research has been reviewed based on AE application. The assessment of AE technique focusing on basic fundamental of parametric and signal waveform analysis during analysis process and its capability in structural monitoring. Moreover, the assessment and application of AE due to its function have been summarized and highlighted for future references

Swept frequency acoustic interferometry technique for chemical weapons verification and monitoring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sinha, D.N.; Anthony, B.W.; Lizon, D.C.

1995-03-01

Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques are important for rapid on-site verification and monitoring of chemical munitions, such as artillery shells and bulk containers. Present NDE techniques provide only limited characterizations of such munitions. This paper describes the development of a novel noninvasive technique, swept-frequency acoustic interferometry (SFAI), that significantly enhances the capability of munitions characterizations. The SFAI technique allows very accurate and simultaneous determination of sound velocity and attenuation of chemical agents over a large frequency range inside artillery shells, in addition to determining agent density. The frequency-dependent sound velocity and attenuation can, in principle, provide molecular relaxation properties of the chemical agent. The same instrument also enables a direct fill-level measurement in bulk containers. Industrial and other applications of this general-purpose technique are also discussed.

Acoustic emission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nichols, R.W.

1976-01-01

The volume contains six papers which together provide an overall review of the inspection technique known as acoustic emission or stress wave emission. The titles are: a welder's introduction to acoustic emission technology; use of acoustic emission for detection of defects as they arise during fabrication; examples of laboratory application and assessment of acoustic emission in the United Kingdom; (Part I: acoustic emission behaviour of low alloy steels; Part II: fatigue crack assessment from proof testing and continuous monitoring); inspection of selected areas of engineering structures by acoustic emission; Japanese experience in laboratory and practical applications of acoustic emission to welded structures; and ASME acoustic emission code status. (U.K.)

Long-time storage of song types in birds: evidence from interactive playbacks.

Science.gov (United States)

Geberzahn, Nicole; Hultsch, Henrike

2003-05-22

In studies of birdsong learning, imitation-based assays of stimulus memorization do not take into account that tutored song types may have been stored, but were not retrieved from memory. Such a 'silent' reservoir of song material could be used later in the bird's life, e.g. during vocal interactions. We examined this possibility in hand-reared nightingales during their second year. The males had been exposed to songs, both as fledglings and later, during their first full song period in an interactive playback design. Our design allowed us to compare the performance of imitations from the following categories: (i) songs only experienced during the early tutoring; (ii) songs experienced both during early tutoring and interactive playbacks; and (iii) novel songs experienced only during the simulated interactions. In their second year, birds imitated song types from each category, including those from categories (i) and (ii) which they had failed to imitate before. In addition, the performance of these song types was different (category (ii) > category (i)) and more pronounced than for category (iii) songs. Our results demonstrate 'silent' song storage in nightingales and point to a graded influence of the time and the social context of experience on subsequent vocal imitation.

Detection of cavitation vortex in hydraulic turbines using acoustic techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Candel, I; Ioana, C; Bunea, F; Politehnica University of Bucharest (Romania))" data-affiliation=" (Power Engineering Faculty, Politehnica University of Bucharest (Romania))" >Dunca, G; Politehnica University of Bucharest (Romania))" data-affiliation=" (Power Engineering Faculty, Politehnica University of Bucharest (Romania))" >Bucur, D M; Division Technique Générale, Grenoble (France))" data-affiliation=" (Electricité de France, Division Technique Générale, Grenoble (France))" >Reeb, B; Ciocan, G D

2014-01-01

Cavitation phenomena are known for their destructive capacity in hydraulic machineries and are caused by the pressure decrease followed by an implosion when the cavitation bubbles find an adverse pressure gradient. A helical vortex appears in the turbine diffuser cone at partial flow rate operation and can be cavitating in its core. Cavity volumes and vortex frequencies vary with the under-pressure level. If the vortex frequency comes close to one of the eigen frequencies of the turbine, a resonance phenomenon may occur, the unsteady fluctuations can be amplified and lead to important turbine and hydraulic circuit damage. Conventional cavitation vortex detection techniques are based on passive devices (pressure sensors or accelerometers). Limited sensor bandwidths and low frequency response limit the vortex detection and characterization information provided by the passive techniques. In order to go beyond these techniques and develop a new active one that will remove these drawbacks, previous work in the field has shown that techniques based on acoustic signals using adapted signal content to a particular hydraulic situation, can be more robust and accurate. The cavitation vortex effects in the water flow profile downstream hydraulic turbines runner are responsible for signal content modifications. Basic signal techniques use narrow band signals traveling inside the flow from an emitting transducer to a receiving one (active sensors). Emissions of wide band signals in the flow during the apparition and development of the vortex embeds changes in the received signals. Signal processing methods are used to estimate the cavitation apparition and evolution. Tests done in a reduced scale facility showed that due to the increasing flow rate, the signal -- vortex interaction is seen as modifications on the received signal's high order statistics and bandwidth. Wide band acoustic transducers have a higher dynamic range over mechanical elements; the system

Electromagnetically induced acoustic emission—novel NDT technique for damage evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Finkel, P.; Godinez, V.; Miller, R.; Finlayson, R.

2001-04-01

A recently developed electromagnetically induced acoustic emission technique (EM AE) which can be used for damage assessment of thin walled conducting structures is described. This technique allows a structure to be loaded locally by applying an electromagnetic field in order to produce an AE response, which may be captured by conventional or fiber optic (FO) AE sensors. The advantage of this technique is that the localized dynamic stresses induced by a short current pulse in the presence of an external magnetic field aid in the detection of cracks. Also, it is shown that electromagnetic stimulation can be applied to enhance conventional ultrasonics by modulation of the scattered signal from the defect (EM UT). Experimental data is presented for the case of a fatigue crack near rivet holes in thin walled aluminum structures.

Non-destructive evaluation of nuclear material storage container integrity using an acoustic technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, R.F.; Pechersky, M.J.; Raju, P.K.

1994-01-01

A non-intrusive method for determining the gas mixture in a sealed container using acoustics has been conceived. Analysis has shown that it is possible to both excite the acoustic resonance of the gas cavity, and detect when resonance occurs from the outside surface of the container. The resonant frequency of the acoustic cavity is dependent on the molecular weight of the gas that fills it. A change in the mixture of gases within the cavity alters the gas molecular weight and can produce a detectable change in the resonant frequency of the cavity. This concept provides a method of monitoring and/or analyzing the gas mixture in a sealed container without taking physical samples. An advantage of this technique is that it eliminates safety and contamination risks associated with breaching a pressure boundary and taking a sample of potentially hazardous gases in order to monitor or analyze the mixture

Underwater Acoustic Networking Techniques

CERN Document Server

Otnes, Roald; Casari, Paolo; Goetz, Michael; Husøy, Thor; Nissen, Ivor; Rimstad, Knut; van Walree, Paul; Zorzi, Michele

2012-01-01

This literature study presents an overview of underwater acoustic networking. It provides a background and describes the state of the art of all networking facets that are relevant for underwater applications. This report serves both as an introduction to the subject and as a summary of existing protocols, providing support and inspiration for the development of network architectures.

Detection of steam leaks into sodium in fast reactor steam generators by acoustic techniques - An overview of Indian programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prabhakar, R.; Vyjayanthi, R.K.; Kale, R.D.

1990-01-01

Realising the potential of acoustic leak detection technique, an experimental programme was initiated a few years back at Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) to develop this technique. The first phase of this programme consists of experiments to measure background noise characteristics on the steam generator modules of the 40 MW (thermal) Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) at Kalpakkam and experiments to establish leak noise characteristics with the help of a leak simulation set up. By subjecting the measured data from these experiments to signal analysis techniques, a criterion for acoustic leak detection for FBTR steam generator will be evolved. Second phase of this programme will be devoted to developing an acoustic leak detection system suitable for installation in the 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR). This paper discusses the first phase of the experimental programme, results obtained from measurements carried out on FBTR steam generators and results obtained from leak simulation experiments. Acoustic leak detection system being considered for PFBR is also briefly described. 4 refs, 8 figs, 1 tab

Battlefield acoustics

CERN Document Server

Damarla, Thyagaraju

2015-01-01

This book presents all aspects of situational awareness in a battlefield using acoustic signals. It starts by presenting the science behind understanding and interpretation of sound signals. The book then goes on to provide various signal processing techniques used in acoustics to find the direction of sound source, localize gunfire, track vehicles, and detect people. The necessary mathematical background and various classification and fusion techniques are presented. The book contains majority of the things one would need to process acoustic signals for all aspects of situational awareness in one location. The book also presents array theory, which is pivotal in finding the direction of arrival of acoustic signals. In addition, the book presents techniques to fuse the information from multiple homogeneous/heterogeneous sensors for better detection. MATLAB code is provided for majority of the real application, which is a valuable resource in not only understanding the theory but readers, can also use the code...

Using video playbacks to study visual communication in a marine fish, Salaria pavo.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonçalves; Oliveira; Körner; Poschadel; Schlupp

2000-09-01

Video playbacks have been successfully applied to the study of visual communication in several groups of animals. However, this technique is controversial as video monitors are designed with the human visual system in mind. Differences between the visual capabilities of humans and other animals will lead to perceptually different interpretations of video images. We simultaneously presented males and females of the peacock blenny, Salaria pavo, with a live conspecific male and an online video image of the same individual. Video images failed to elicit appropriate responses. Males were aggressive towards the live male but not towards video images of the same male. Similarly, females courted only the live male and spent more time near this stimulus. In contrast, females of the gynogenetic poecilid Poecilia formosa showed an equal preference for a live and video image of a P. mexicana male, suggesting a response to live animals as strong as to video images. We discuss differences between the species that may explain their opposite reaction to video images. Copyright 2000 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.

Fabrication of Capacitive Acoustic Resonators Combining 3D Printing and 2D Inkjet Printing Techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rubaiyet Iftekharul Haque

2015-10-01

Full Text Available A capacitive acoustic resonator developed by combining three-dimensional (3D printing and two-dimensional (2D printed electronics technique is described. During this work, a patterned bottom structure with rigid backplate and cavity is fabricated directly by a 3D printing method, and then a direct write inkjet printing technique has been employed to print a silver conductive layer. A novel approach has been used to fabricate a diaphragm for the acoustic sensor as well, where the conductive layer is inkjet-printed on a pre-stressed thin organic film. After assembly, the resulting structure contains an electrically conductive diaphragm positioned at a distance from a fixed bottom electrode separated by a spacer. Measurements confirm that the transducer acts as capacitor. The deflection of the diaphragm in response to the incident acoustic single was observed by a laser Doppler vibrometer and the corresponding change of capacitance has been calculated, which is then compared with the numerical result. Observation confirms that the device performs as a resonator and provides adequate sensitivity and selectivity at its resonance frequency.

Who's your neighbor? Acoustic cues to individual identity in red squirrel Tamiasciurus hudsonicus rattle calls

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shannon M. DIGWEED, Drew RENDALL, Teana IMBEAU

2012-10-01

Full Text Available North American red squirrels Tamiasciurus hudsonicus often produce a loud territorial rattle call when conspecifics enter or invade a territory. Previous playback experiments suggest that the territorial rattle call may indicate an invader's identity as squirrels responded more intensely to calls played from strangers than to calls played from neighbors. This dear-enemy effect is well known in a variety of bird and mammal species and functions to reduce aggressive interactions between known neighbors. However, although previous experiments on red squirrels suggest some form of individual differentiation and thus recognition, detailed acoustic analysis of potential acoustic cues in rattle calls have not been conducted. If calls function to aid in conspecific identification in order to mitigate aggressive territorial interactions, we would expect that individual recognition cues would be acoustically represented. Our work provides a detailed analysis of acoustic cues to identity within rattle calls. A total of 225 calls across 32 individual squirrels from Sheep River Provincial Park, Kananaskis, AB, Canada, were analyzed with discriminant function analysis for potential acoustic cues to individual identity. Initial analysis of all individuals revealed a reliable acoustic differentiation across individuals. A more detailed analysis of clusters of neighboring squirrels was performed and results again indicated a statistically significant likelihood that calls were assigned correctly to specific squirrels (55%-75% correctly assigned; in other words squirrels have distinct voices that should allow for individual identification and discrimination by conspecifics [Current Zoology 58 (5: 758–764, 2012].

Flight trajectory recreation and playback system of aerial mission based on ossimplanet

OpenAIRE

Wu, Wu; Hu, Jiulin; Huang, Xiaofang; Chen, Huijie; Sun, Bo

2014-01-01

Recreation of flight trajectory is important among research areas. The design of a flight trajectory recreation and playback system is presented in this paper. Rather than transferring the flight data to diagram, graph and table, flight data is visualized on the 3D global of ossimPlanet. ossimPlanet is an open-source 3D global geo-spatial viewer and the system realization is based on analysis it. Users are allowed to choose their interested flight of aerial mission. The aerial ...

Acoustic tweezers: patterning cells and microparticles using standing surface acoustic waves (SSAW).

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Jinjie; Ahmed, Daniel; Mao, Xiaole; Lin, Sz-Chin Steven; Lawit, Aitan; Huang, Tony Jun

2009-10-21

Here we present an active patterning technique named "acoustic tweezers" that utilizes standing surface acoustic wave (SSAW) to manipulate and pattern cells and microparticles. This technique is capable of patterning cells and microparticles regardless of shape, size, charge or polarity. Its power intensity, approximately 5x10(5) times lower than that of optical tweezers, compares favorably with those of other active patterning methods. Flow cytometry studies have revealed it to be non-invasive. The aforementioned advantages, along with this technique's simple design and ability to be miniaturized, render the "acoustic tweezers" technique a promising tool for various applications in biology, chemistry, engineering, and materials science.

Spatial Techniques to Visualize Acoustic Comfort along Cultural and Heritage Routes for a World Heritage City

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ni Sheng

2015-07-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes to visualize acoustic comfort along tourist routes. Route-based tourism is crucial to the sustainability of tourism development in historic areas. Applying the concept of route-based tourism to guide tourists rambling along cultural and heritage routes can relieve overcrowded condition at hot scenic spots and increase the overall carrying capacity of the city. However, acoustic comfort along tourist routes is rarely addressed in academic studies and decision-making. Taking Macao as an example, this paper has studied pedestrian exposure to traffic noise along the cultural and heritage routes. The study is based on a GIS-based traffic noise model system with a high spatial resolution down to individual buildings along both sides of the street. Results show that tourists suffer from excessive traffic noise at certain sites, which may have negative impact on the promotion of route-based tourism in the long run. In addition, it is found that urban growth affects urban form and street layout, which in turn affect traffic flow and acoustic comfort in urban area. The present study demonstrates spatial techniques to visualize acoustic comfort along tourist routes, and the techniques are foreseen to be used more frequently to support effective tourism planning in the future.

Structural investigation and simulation of acoustic properties of some tellurite glasses using artificial intelligence technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaafar, M.S.; Abdeen, Mostafa A.M.; Marzouk, S.Y.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Simulation the acoustic properties of some tellurite glasses using one of the artificial intelligence techniques (artificial neural network). → The glass network is strengthened by enhancing the linkage of Te-O chains. The tellurite network will also come to homogenization, because of uniform distribution of Nb 5+ ions among the Te-O chains, though some of the tellurium-oxide polyhedra still link each other in edge sharing. → Excellent agreements between the measured values and the predicted values were obtained for over 50 different tellurite glass compositions. → The model we designed gives a better agreement as compared with Makishima and Machenzie model. - Abstract: The developments in the field of industry raise the need for simulating the acoustic properties of glass materials before melting raw material oxides. In this paper, we are trying to simulate the acoustic properties of some tellurite glasses using one of the artificial intelligence techniques (artificial neural network). The artificial neural network (ANN) technique is introduced in the current study to simulate and predict important parameters such as density, longitudinal and shear ultrasonic velocities and elastic moduli (longitudinal and shear moduli). The ANN results were found to be in successful good agreement with those experimentally measured parameters. Then the presented ANN model is used to predict the acoustic properties of some new tellurite glasses. For this purpose, four glass systems xNb 2 O 5 -(1 - x)TeO 2 , 0.1PbO-xNb 2 O 5 -(0.9 - x)TeO 2 , 0.2PbO-xNb 2 O 5 -(0.8 - x)TeO 2 and 0.05Bi 2 O 3 -xNb 2 O 5 -(0.95 - x)TeO 2 were prepared using melt quenching technique. The results of ultrasonic velocities and elastic moduli showed that the addition of Nb 2 O 5 as a network modifier provides oxygen ions to change [TeO 4 ] tbps into [TeO 3 ] tps.

Structural investigation and simulation of acoustic properties of some tellurite glasses using artificial intelligence technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gaafar, M.S., E-mail: mohamed_s_gaafar@hotmail.com [Ultrasonic Department, National Institute for Standards, Giza (Egypt); Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Majmaah University, Zulfi (Saudi Arabia); Abdeen, Mostafa A.M., E-mail: mostafa_a_m_abdeen@hotmail.com [Dept. of Eng. Math. and Physics, Faculty of Eng., Cairo University, Giza (Egypt); Marzouk, S.Y., E-mail: samir_marzouk2001@yahoo.com [Arab Academy of Science and Technology, Al-Horria, Heliopolis, Cairo (Egypt)

2011-02-24

Research highlights: > Simulation the acoustic properties of some tellurite glasses using one of the artificial intelligence techniques (artificial neural network). > The glass network is strengthened by enhancing the linkage of Te-O chains. The tellurite network will also come to homogenization, because of uniform distribution of Nb{sup 5+} ions among the Te-O chains, though some of the tellurium-oxide polyhedra still link each other in edge sharing. > Excellent agreements between the measured values and the predicted values were obtained for over 50 different tellurite glass compositions. > The model we designed gives a better agreement as compared with Makishima and Machenzie model. - Abstract: The developments in the field of industry raise the need for simulating the acoustic properties of glass materials before melting raw material oxides. In this paper, we are trying to simulate the acoustic properties of some tellurite glasses using one of the artificial intelligence techniques (artificial neural network). The artificial neural network (ANN) technique is introduced in the current study to simulate and predict important parameters such as density, longitudinal and shear ultrasonic velocities and elastic moduli (longitudinal and shear moduli). The ANN results were found to be in successful good agreement with those experimentally measured parameters. Then the presented ANN model is used to predict the acoustic properties of some new tellurite glasses. For this purpose, four glass systems xNb{sub 2}O{sub 5}-(1 - x)TeO{sub 2}, 0.1PbO-xNb{sub 2}O{sub 5}-(0.9 - x)TeO{sub 2}, 0.2PbO-xNb{sub 2}O{sub 5}-(0.8 - x)TeO{sub 2} and 0.05Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}-xNb{sub 2}O{sub 5}-(0.95 - x)TeO{sub 2} were prepared using melt quenching technique. The results of ultrasonic velocities and elastic moduli showed that the addition of Nb{sub 2}O{sub 5} as a network modifier provides oxygen ions to change [TeO{sub 4}] tbps into [TeO{sub 3}] tps.

Acoustic Emission Technology and Application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joo, Y. S.; Lim, S. H.; Eom, H. S.; Kim, J. H.; Jung, H. K.

2003-10-01

Acoustic emission is the elastic wave that is generated by the rapid release of energy from the localized sources within a material. After the observation of acoustic emission phenomenon in 1950, the research and further investigation had been performed. Acoustic emission examination becomes a rapidly matured nondestructive testing method with demonstrated capabilities for characterizing material behavior and for detecting the defect. It is of interest as a possible passive monitoring technique for detecting, locating and characterizing the defects in component and structure. Acoustic emission technology has recently strengthened the on-line monitoring application for the detection of incipient failures and the assurance of structural integrity. The field of acoustic emission testing is still growing vigorously and presents many challenges. Especially, acoustic emission has been successfully applied in the leak detection of primary pressure boundary of nuclear power plants. In this state-of-art report, the principle, measurement and field applications of acoustic emission technique is reviewed and summarized. Acoustic emission technology will contribute to the assurance of nuclear safety as the on-line monitoring technique of structural integrity of NSSS components and structures

Diagnostics of glass fiber reinforced polymers and comparative analysis of their fabrication techniques with the use of acoustic emission

Science.gov (United States)

Bashkov, O. V.; Bryansky, A. A.; Panin, S. V.; Zaikov, V. I.

2016-11-01

Strength properties of the glass fiber reinforced polymers (GFRP) fabricated by vacuum and vacuum autoclave molding techniques were analyzed. Measurements of porosity of the GFRP parts manufactured by various molding techniques were conducted with the help of optical microscopy. On the basis of experimental data obtained by means of acoustic emission hardware/software setup, the technique for running diagnostics and forecasting the bearing capacity of polymeric composite materials based on the result of three-point bending tests has been developed. The operation principle of the technique is underlined by the evaluation of the power function index change which takes place on the dependence of the total acoustic emission counts versus the loading stress.

Detection of cavitation inception by acoustic technique in centrifugal pumps for nuclear application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prakash, V.; Prabhakar, R.; Rao, A.S.L.K.; Kale, R.D.

1994-01-01

The primary centrifugal pumps in a pool type reactor like the proposed Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) are required to operate at low values of available net positive suction head due to the limited submergence available in the pool. Pump hydraulics are designed to ensure that there is no cavitation or only minimum cavitation in the pump impeller in order to minimise long term erosion damage. Rigorous cavitation tests are usually carried out during development and final testing phase and a promising cavitation detection technique lies in acoustic noise measurements on the pump. As part of PFBR pump development programme, cavitation noise measurements were initially carried out on an experimental sodium pump in a water rig to establish detection procedures. Recently cavitation noise measurements were carried out on a 1/3 scale model impeller of PFBR pump along with visual observation of impeller passages to establish a correlation between visual and acoustic technique. Accelerometer responding to structure borne noise seems to give the best result. (author). 4 refs., 6 figs

Computational Ocean Acoustics

CERN Document Server

Jensen, Finn B; Porter, Michael B; Schmidt, Henrik

2011-01-01

Since the mid-1970s, the computer has played an increasingly pivotal role in the field of ocean acoustics. Faster and less expensive than actual ocean experiments, and capable of accommodating the full complexity of the acoustic problem, numerical models are now standard research tools in ocean laboratories. The progress made in computational ocean acoustics over the last thirty years is summed up in this authoritative and innovatively illustrated new text. Written by some of the field's pioneers, all Fellows of the Acoustical Society of America, Computational Ocean Acoustics presents the latest numerical techniques for solving the wave equation in heterogeneous fluid–solid media. The authors discuss various computational schemes in detail, emphasizing the importance of theoretical foundations that lead directly to numerical implementations for real ocean environments. To further clarify the presentation, the fundamental propagation features of the techniques are illustrated in color. Computational Ocean A...

Acoustic Signals and Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2008-01-01

The Handbook of Signal Processing in Acoustics will compile the techniques and applications of signal processing as they are used in the many varied areas of Acoustics. The Handbook will emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of signal processing in acoustics. Each Section of the Handbook...... will present topics on signal processing which are important in a specific area of acoustics. These will be of interest to specialists in these areas because they will be presented from their technical perspective, rather than a generic engineering approach to signal processing. Non-specialists, or specialists...... from different areas, will find the self-contained chapters accessible and will be interested in the similarities and differences between the approaches and techniques used in different areas of acoustics....

Acoustic Biometric System Based on Preprocessing Techniques and Linear Support Vector Machines.

Science.gov (United States)

del Val, Lara; Izquierdo-Fuente, Alberto; Villacorta, Juan J; Raboso, Mariano

2015-06-17

Drawing on the results of an acoustic biometric system based on a MSE classifier, a new biometric system has been implemented. This new system preprocesses acoustic images, extracts several parameters and finally classifies them, based on Support Vector Machine (SVM). The preprocessing techniques used are spatial filtering, segmentation-based on a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) to separate the person from the background, masking-to reduce the dimensions of images-and binarization-to reduce the size of each image. An analysis of classification error and a study of the sensitivity of the error versus the computational burden of each implemented algorithm are presented. This allows the selection of the most relevant algorithms, according to the benefits required by the system. A significant improvement of the biometric system has been achieved by reducing the classification error, the computational burden and the storage requirements.

Effects of Playback Theatre on cognitive function and quality of life in older adults in Singapore: A preliminary study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Krystal Shu Yi; Lee, Eleena Shi Lynn; Tan, Jia Qi; Teo, Dylan Jin Hao; Lee, Chris Ban Loong; Ee, Sharifah Rose; Sim, Sam Kim Yang; Chee, Chew Sim

2018-03-01

This study investigated the effects of Playback Theatre on older adults' cognitive function and well-being, specifically in the Singapore context. Eighteen healthy older adults, older than 50 years of age, participated in the study. Due to practical limitations, a single-group pre-post study design was adopted. Participants completed the outcome measures before and after the training program. There were six weekly sessions in total (about 1.5 hours, once weekly). Participants experienced a significant improvement in their emotional well-being after training. However, there were no significant changes in participants' cognitive function or health-related quality of life. Our results suggest that Playback Theatre as a community program has potential to improve the mental and emotional well-being of older people. © 2018 AJA Inc.

Comparative evaluation of acoustic techniques for detection of damages in historical wood

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kloiber, Michal; Reinprecht, L.; Hrivnák, Jaroslav; Tippner, J.

2016-01-01

Roč. 20, July-August (2016), s. 622-631 ISSN 1296-2074 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0060; GA MŠk(CZ) LO1219; GA MK(CZ) DG16P02M026 Keywords : historical wood * damages * inspection * acoustic techniques * mechanical properties Subject RIV: AL - Art, Architecture, Cultural Heritage Impact factor: 1.838, year: 2016 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1296207416300103

Call transmission efficiency in native and invasive anurans: competing hypotheses of divergence in acoustic signals.

Science.gov (United States)

Llusia, Diego; Gómez, Miguel; Penna, Mario; Márquez, Rafael

2013-01-01

Invasive species are a leading cause of the current biodiversity decline, and hence examining the major traits favouring invasion is a key and long-standing goal of invasion biology. Despite the prominent role of the advertisement calls in sexual selection and reproduction, very little attention has been paid to the features of acoustic communication of invasive species in nonindigenous habitats and their potential impacts on native species. Here we compare for the first time the transmission efficiency of the advertisement calls of native and invasive species, searching for competitive advantages for acoustic communication and reproduction of introduced taxa, and providing insights into competing hypotheses in evolutionary divergence of acoustic signals: acoustic adaptation vs. morphological constraints. Using sound propagation experiments, we measured the attenuation rates of pure tones (0.2-5 kHz) and playback calls (Lithobates catesbeianus and Pelophylax perezi) across four distances (1, 2, 4, and 8 m) and over two substrates (water and soil) in seven Iberian localities. All factors considered (signal type, distance, substrate, and locality) affected transmission efficiency of acoustic signals, which was maximized with lower frequency sounds, shorter distances, and over water surface. Despite being broadcast in nonindigenous habitats, the advertisement calls of invasive L. catesbeianus were propagated more efficiently than those of the native species, in both aquatic and terrestrial substrates, and in most of the study sites. This implies absence of optimal relationship between native environments and propagation of acoustic signals in anurans, in contrast to what predicted by the acoustic adaptation hypothesis, and it might render these vertebrates particularly vulnerable to intrusion of invasive species producing low frequency signals, such as L. catesbeianus. Our findings suggest that mechanisms optimizing sound transmission in native habitat can play a less

Call transmission efficiency in native and invasive anurans: competing hypotheses of divergence in acoustic signals.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diego Llusia

Full Text Available Invasive species are a leading cause of the current biodiversity decline, and hence examining the major traits favouring invasion is a key and long-standing goal of invasion biology. Despite the prominent role of the advertisement calls in sexual selection and reproduction, very little attention has been paid to the features of acoustic communication of invasive species in nonindigenous habitats and their potential impacts on native species. Here we compare for the first time the transmission efficiency of the advertisement calls of native and invasive species, searching for competitive advantages for acoustic communication and reproduction of introduced taxa, and providing insights into competing hypotheses in evolutionary divergence of acoustic signals: acoustic adaptation vs. morphological constraints. Using sound propagation experiments, we measured the attenuation rates of pure tones (0.2-5 kHz and playback calls (Lithobates catesbeianus and Pelophylax perezi across four distances (1, 2, 4, and 8 m and over two substrates (water and soil in seven Iberian localities. All factors considered (signal type, distance, substrate, and locality affected transmission efficiency of acoustic signals, which was maximized with lower frequency sounds, shorter distances, and over water surface. Despite being broadcast in nonindigenous habitats, the advertisement calls of invasive L. catesbeianus were propagated more efficiently than those of the native species, in both aquatic and terrestrial substrates, and in most of the study sites. This implies absence of optimal relationship between native environments and propagation of acoustic signals in anurans, in contrast to what predicted by the acoustic adaptation hypothesis, and it might render these vertebrates particularly vulnerable to intrusion of invasive species producing low frequency signals, such as L. catesbeianus. Our findings suggest that mechanisms optimizing sound transmission in native habitat

Acoustic signature recognition technique for Human-Object Interactions (HOI) in persistent surveillance systems

Science.gov (United States)

Alkilani, Amjad; Shirkhodaie, Amir

2013-05-01

Handling, manipulation, and placement of objects, hereon called Human-Object Interaction (HOI), in the environment generate sounds. Such sounds are readily identifiable by the human hearing. However, in the presence of background environment noises, recognition of minute HOI sounds is challenging, though vital for improvement of multi-modality sensor data fusion in Persistent Surveillance Systems (PSS). Identification of HOI sound signatures can be used as precursors to detection of pertinent threats that otherwise other sensor modalities may miss to detect. In this paper, we present a robust method for detection and classification of HOI events via clustering of extracted features from training of HOI acoustic sound waves. In this approach, salient sound events are preliminary identified and segmented from background via a sound energy tracking method. Upon this segmentation, frequency spectral pattern of each sound event is modeled and its features are extracted to form a feature vector for training. To reduce dimensionality of training feature space, a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) technique is employed to expedite fast classification of test feature vectors, a kd-tree and Random Forest classifiers are trained for rapid classification of training sound waves. Each classifiers employs different similarity distance matching technique for classification. Performance evaluations of classifiers are compared for classification of a batch of training HOI acoustic signatures. Furthermore, to facilitate semantic annotation of acoustic sound events, a scheme based on Transducer Mockup Language (TML) is proposed. The results demonstrate the proposed approach is both reliable and effective, and can be extended to future PSS applications.

Anal acoustic reflectometry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mitchell, Peter J; Klarskov, Niels; Telford, Karen J

2011-01-01

Anal acoustic reflectometry is a new technique of assessing anal sphincter function. Five new variables reflecting anal canal function are measured: the opening and closing pressure, the opening and closing elastance, and hysteresis.......Anal acoustic reflectometry is a new technique of assessing anal sphincter function. Five new variables reflecting anal canal function are measured: the opening and closing pressure, the opening and closing elastance, and hysteresis....

A Century of Acoustic Metrology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Knud

1998-01-01

The development in acoustic measurement technique over the last century is reviewed with special emphasis on the metrological aspect.......The development in acoustic measurement technique over the last century is reviewed with special emphasis on the metrological aspect....

Performance analysis of passive time reversal communication technique for multipath interference in shallow sea acoustic channel

Science.gov (United States)

Kida, Yukihiro; Shimura, Takuya; Deguchi, Mitsuyasu; Watanabe, Yoshitaka; Ochi, Hiroshi; Meguro, Koji

2017-07-01

In this study, the performance of passive time reversal (PTR) communication techniques in multipath rich underwater acoustic environments is investigated. It is recognized empirically and qualitatively that a large number of multipath arrivals could generally raise the demodulation result of PTR. However, the relationship between multipath and the demodulation result is hardly evaluated quantitatively. In this study, the efficiency of the PTR acoustic communication techniques for multipath interference cancelation was investigated quantitatively by applying a PTR-DFE (decision feed-back filter) scheme to a synthetic dataset of a horizontal underwater acoustic channel. Mainly, in this study, we focused on the relationship between the signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) of datasets and the output signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) of demodulation results by a parametric study approach. As a result, a proportional relation between SIR and OSNR is confirmed in low-SNR datasets. It was also found that PTR has a performance limitation, that is OSNR converges to a typical value depending on the number of receivers. In conclusion, results indicate that PTR could utilize the multipath efficiently and also withstand the negative effects of multipath interference at a given limitation.

Acoustic measuring techniques for suspended sediment

Science.gov (United States)

Gruber, P.; Felix, D.; Storti, G.; Lattuada, M.; Fleckenstein, P.; Deschwanden, F.

2016-11-01

Acoustic signals can be used in various ways for suspended sediment monitoring. One possibility which lends itself particularly well in the context of hydropower plants (HPPs), is to use installations for acoustic discharge measurement (ADM). Such installations already exist at waterways of many HPPs. Similar to certain turbidimeters, the attenuation of the forward scattered signal travelling through the water-sediment mixture is correlated with suspended sediment concentration (SSC). This correlation can be based on reference SSCs, e.g. from gravimetric analyses of bottle samples. Without the need of additional sensors and practically maintenance-free, this method is used successfully in the HPP Fieschertal to warn the HPP operator of high SSC to prevent excessive turbine abrasion. Acoustic methods and systems that allow for estimating both SSC and particle size distribution (PSD) are under development. The simultaneous determination of SSC and PSD is not possible using a single frequency. Therefore, multi-frequency approaches are investigated for generally scattered signals. When backscattered signals are used, a stronger frequency dependency can be exploited. However, the reliable simultaneous determination of particle size (and distribution) and concentration is still a major challenge due to a low signal-to-noise ratio and an ill- posed problem of estimating concentration and size from recorded signals. The optimal setup configuration (angles, frequencies) for such a system is not unique and further investigations are recommended.

Supersonic acoustic intensity with statistically optimized near-field acoustic holography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fernandez Grande, Efren; Jacobsen, Finn

2011-01-01

The concept of supersonic acoustic intensity was introduced some years ago for estimating the fraction of the flow of energy radiated by a source that propagates to the far field. It differs from the usual (active) intensity by excluding the near-field energy resulting from evanescent waves...... to the information provided by the near-field acoustic holography technique. This study proposes a version of the supersonic acoustic intensity applied to statistically optimized near-field acoustic holography (SONAH). The theory, numerical results and an experimental study are presented. The possibility of using...

Failure Mechanism of Rock Bridge Based on Acoustic Emission Technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guoqing Chen

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Acoustic emission (AE technique is widely used in various fields as a reliable nondestructive examination technology. Two experimental tests were carried out in a rock mechanics laboratory, which include (1 small scale direct shear tests of rock bridge with different lengths and (2 large scale landslide model with locked section. The relationship of AE event count and record time was analyzed during the tests. The AE source location technology and comparative analysis with its actual failure model were done. It can be found that whether it is small scale test or large scale landslide model test, AE technique accurately located the AE source point, which reflected the failure generation and expansion of internal cracks in rock samples. Large scale landslide model with locked section test showed that rock bridge in rocky slope has typical brittle failure behavior. The two tests based on AE technique well revealed the rock failure mechanism in rocky slope and clarified the cause of high speed and long distance sliding of rocky slope.

A line array based near field imaging technique for characterising acoustical properties of elongated targets

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Driessen, F.P.G.

1995-01-01

With near field imaging techniques the acoustical pressure waves at distances other than the recorded can be calculated. Normally, acquisition on a two dimensional plane is necessary and extrapolation is performed by a Rayleigh integral. A near field single line instead of two dimensional plane

Elevated stress hormone diminishes the strength of female preferences for acoustic signals in the green treefrog.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, A Gabriell; Leary, Christopher J

2015-03-01

Mate selection can be stressful; time spent searching for mates can increase predation risk and/or decrease food consumption, resulting in elevated stress hormone levels. Both high predation risk and low food availability are often associated with increased variation in mate choice by females, but it is not clear whether stress hormone levels contribute to such variation in female behavior. We examined how the stress hormone corticosterone (CORT) affects female preferences for acoustic signals in the green treefrog, Hyla cinerea. Specifically, we assessed whether CORT administration affects female preferences for call rate - an acoustic feature that is typically under directional selection via mate choice by females in most anurans and other species that communicate using acoustic signals. Using a dual speaker playback paradigm, we show that females that were administered higher doses of CORT were less likely to choose male advertisement calls broadcast at high rates. Neither CORT dose nor level was related to the latency of female phonotactic responses, suggesting that elevated CORT does not influence the motivation to mate. Results were also not related to circulating sex steroids (i.e., progesterone, androgens or estradiol) that have traditionally been the focus of studies examining the hormonal basis for variation in female mate choice. Our results thus indicate that elevated CORT levels decrease the strength of female preferences for acoustic signals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pattern recognition methods for acoustic emission analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doctor, P.G.; Harrington, T.P.; Hutton, P.H.

1979-07-01

Models have been developed that relate the rate of acoustic emissions to structural integrity. The implementation of these techniques in the field has been hindered by the noisy environment in which the data must be taken. Acoustic emissions from noncritical sources are recorded in addition to those produced by critical sources, such as flaws. A technique is discussed for prescreening acoustic events and filtering out those that are produced by noncritical sources. The methodology that was investigated is pattern recognition. Three different pattern recognition techniques were applied to a data set that consisted of acoustic emissions caused by crack growth and acoustic signals caused by extraneous noise sources. Examination of the acoustic emission data presented has uncovered several features of the data that can provide a reasonable filter. Two of the most valuable features are the frequency of maximum response and the autocorrelation coefficient at Lag 13. When these two features and several others were combined with a least squares decision algorithm, 90% of the acoustic emissions in the data set were correctly classified. It appears possible to design filters that eliminate extraneous noise sources from flaw-growth acoustic emissions using pattern recognition techniques

On measurement of the acoustic nonlinearity parameter using the finite amplitude insertion substitution (FAIS) technique

Science.gov (United States)

Zeqiri, Bajram; Cook, Ashley; Rétat, Lise; Civale, John; ter Haar, Gail

2015-04-01

The acoustic nonlinearity parameter, B/A, is an important parameter which defines the way a propagating finite amplitude acoustic wave progressively distorts when travelling through any medium. One measurement technique used to determine its value is the finite amplitude insertion substitution (FAIS) method which has been applied to a range of liquid, tissue and tissue-like media. Importantly, in terms of the achievable measurement uncertainties, it is a relative technique. This paper presents a detailed study of the method, employing a number of novel features. The first of these is the use of a large area membrane hydrophone (30 mm aperture) which is used to record the plane-wave component of the acoustic field. This reduces the influence of diffraction on measurements, enabling studies to be carried out within the transducer near-field, with the interrogating transducer, test cell and detector positioned close to one another, an attribute which assists in controlling errors arising from nonlinear distortion in any intervening water path. The second feature is the development of a model which estimates the influence of finite-amplitude distortion as the acoustic wave travels from the rear surface of the test cell to the detector. It is demonstrated that this can lead to a significant systematic error in B/A measurement whose magnitude and direction depends on the acoustic property contrast between the test material and the water-filled equivalent cell. Good qualitative agreement between the model and experiment is reported. B/A measurements are reported undertaken at (20 ± 0.5) °C for two fluids commonly employed as reference materials within the technical literature: Corn Oil and Ethylene Glycol. Samples of an IEC standardised agar-based tissue-mimicking material were also measured. A systematic assessment of measurement uncertainties is presented giving expanded uncertainties in the range ±7% to ±14%, expressed at a confidence level close to 95

Acoustic monitoring techniques for corrosion degradation in cemented waste canisters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naish, C.C.; Buttle, D.; Wallace-Sims, R.; O'Brien, T.M.

1991-01-01

This report describes work carried out to investigate acoustic emission as a monitor of corrosion and degradation of wasteforms where the waste is potentially reactive metal. Electronic monitoring equipment has been designed, built and tested to allow long-term monitoring of a number of waste packages simultaneously. Acoustic monitoring experiments were made on a range of 1 litre cemented Magnox and aluminium samples cast into canisters comparing the acoustic events with hydrogen gas evolution rates and electrochemical corrosion rates. The attenuation of the acoustic signals by the cement grout under a range of conditions has been studied to determine the volume of wasteform that can be satisfactorily monitored by one transducer. The final phase of the programme monitored the acoustic events from full size (200 litre) cemented, inactive, simulated aluminium swarf wastepackages prepared at the AEA waste cementation plant at Winfrith. (Author)

Mechanical seal monitoring technique by acoustic emission measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kataoka, Tadashi; Fujita, Yoshihiro; Kawaguchi, Kazunori; Saito, Kazuhiro; Yokota, Setsuo; Hisada, Yasuhide; Masahiro, Komatsu

1987-09-20

This report describes a technique for mechanical seal monitoring through acoustic emission (AE) measurement. The equipment consists of an AE sensor, preamplifier, multiplexer, main amplifier, effective value transducer and computer system. When the sealed liquid pressure undergoes a large change, the seal surface configuration is monitored and evaluated accurately through AE measurement. If the mechanical seal surface id damaged or worn, the AE level is kept high or continues to fluctuate largely for a rather long period. When leak occurs, the AE value shows great fluctuations either at extremely low levels or at high levels. The former trend is considered to result from a decrease in solid contact due to an excessive amount of liquid film being formed at the seal surface during leak. In the latter case, the leak is attributed to severe damage to the seal surface. (18 figs, 1 tab, 5 photos, 3 refs)

Studies on acoustic modelling techniques for CANDU reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chatoorgoon, V; Zhou, R [Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., Chalk River, ON (Canada)

1996-12-31

This paper reviews the current technology being used to predict acoustic resonance in fluid-filled piping systems. The paper also reports on the analysis of a simple benchmark experiment that yielded some valuable insights and understanding into acoustic damping. A volumetric drag formula for the ABAQUS code is presented. Its application in experiments has yielded better results than previously obtained using a constant volumetric drag. (author). 24 refs., 1 tab., 12 figs.

Studies on acoustic modelling techniques for CANDU reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chatoorgoon, V.; Zhou, R.

1995-01-01

This paper reviews the current technology being used to predict acoustic resonance in fluid-filled piping systems. The paper also reports on the analysis of a simple benchmark experiment that yielded some valuable insights and understanding into acoustic damping. A volumetric drag formula for the ABAQUS code is presented. Its application in experiments has yielded better results than previously obtained using a constant volumetric drag. (author). 24 refs., 1 tab., 12 figs

Ambiguity of source location in acoustic emission technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barat, P.; Mukherjee, P.; Kalyanasundaram, P.; Raj, B.

1996-01-01

Location of acoustic emission (AE) source in a plane is detected from the difference of the arrival times of the AE signal to at least three sensors placed on it. The detected location may not be unique in all cases. In this paper, the condition for the unambiguous solution for the location of the source has been deduced mathematically in terms of arrival times of the AE signal, the coordinate of the three sensors and the acoustic velocity. (author)

Acoustic analysis of a piping system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Misra, A.S.; Vijay, D.K.

1996-01-01

Acoustic pulsations in the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station, a 881 MW CANDU, primary heat transport piping system caused fuel bundle failures under short term operations. The problem was successfully analyzed using the steady-state acoustic analysis capability of the ABAQUS program. This paper describes in general, modelling of low amplitude acoustic pulsations in a liquid filled piping system using ABAQUS. The paper gives techniques for estimating the acoustic medium properties--bulk modulus, fluid density and acoustic damping--and modelling fluid-structure interactions at orifices and elbows. The formulations and techniques developed are benchmarked against the experiments given in 3 cited references. The benchmark analysis shows that the ABAQUS results are in excellent agreement with the experiments

Autoregressive techniques for acoustic detection of in-sodium water leaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayashi, K.

1997-01-01

We have been applied a background signal whitening filter built by univariate autoregressive model to the estimation problem of the leak start time and duration. In the 1995 present benchmark stage, we evaluated the method using acoustic signals from real hydrogen or water/steam injection experiments. The results show that the signal processing technique using this filter can detect reliability the leak signals with a sufficient signal-to-noise ratio. Even if the sensor signal contains non-boiling or non-leak high-amplitude pulses, they can be classified by spectral information. Especially, the feature signal made from the time-frequency spectrum of the filtered signal is very sensitive and useful. (author). 8 refs, 14 figs, 6 tabs

Experimental analysis of crack evolution in concrete by the acoustic emission technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Saliba

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The fracture process zone (FPZ was investigated on unnotched and notched beams with different notch depths. Three point bending tests were realized on plain concrete under crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD control. Crack growth was monitored by applying the acoustic emission (AE technique. In order to improve our understanding of the FPZ, the width and length of the FPZ were followed based on the AE source locations maps and several AE parameters were studied during the entire loading process. The bvalue analysis, defined as the log-linear slope of the frequency-magnitude distribution of acoustic emissions, was also carried out to describe quantitatively the influence of the relative notch depth on the fracture process. The results show that the number of AE hits increased with the decrease of the relative notch depth and an important AE energy dissipation was observed at the crack initiation in unnotched beams. In addition, the relative notch depth influenced the AE characteristics, the process of crack propagation, and the brittleness of concrete.

Preliminary studies for monitoring erosion in pipelines by the acoustic emission technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tiboni, G.B. [Universidade Tecnologica Federal do Parana (UTFPR), Curitiba, PR (Brazil). Programa de Pos-graduacao em Engenharia Mecanica e de Materiais; Marquardt, T.A.S; SantaMaria, V.A.R.; Silva, C.H. [Universidade Tecnologica Federal do Parana (UTFPR), Curitiba, PR (Brazil)

2009-07-01

The aim of this work is to present some applications of Acoustic Emission (AE), which is a powerful technique for nondestructive testing in Tribology, treated here as tests of friction, wear by contact fatigue, wear by slip and wear by erosion. In this work a special attention is given to solid particle erosion and hydro-abrasive erosion, problems found in almost every pipeline that lead to local loss of material and eventually rupture of the line. The technique of AE can be used as an efficient online tool when, primarily, to monitor tribological aspects such as the rate of wear of materials, as well as detect the spread of flaws in them. In wear by erosion, specifically, the parameters of RMS and acoustic energy are capable of correlation with the type of mechanism for removal of material. As a preliminary goal, erosive tests were performed with gas (air) without erosive particles, monitored by AE, varying the surface of the samples and the internal diameter the nozzle, taking the differences in signs of AE. Correlation between parameters of RMS and amplitude were noticed with the variables of the tests, such as roughness and fluid velocity. The RMS parameter showed a exponential correction with the fluid velocity, however the amplitude signals had a linear behavior. The knowledge of these parameters is essential for the development of a system that is able to quantify the wear rate of a pipeline without taking it out of operation. (author)

Laser Techniques on Acoustically Levitated Droplets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cannuli Antonio

2018-01-01

acoustically levitated droplets of trehalose aqueous solutions in order to perform spectroscopic analyses as a function of concentration and to test the theoretical diameter law. The study of such systems is important in order to better understand the behaviour of trehalose-synthesizing extremophiles that live in extreme environments. In particular, it will be shown how acoustic levitation, combined with optical spectroscopic instruments allows to explore a wide concentration range and to test the validity of the diameter law as a function of levitation lag time, i.e. the D2 vs t law. On this purpose a direct diameter monitoring by a video camera and a laser pointer was first performed; then the diameter was also evaluated by an indirect measure through an OH/CH band area ratio analysis of collected Raman and Infrared spectra. It clearly emerges that D2 vs t follows a linear trend for about 20 minutes, reaching then a plateau at longer time. This result shows how trehalose is able to avoid total water evaporation, this property being essential for the surviving of organisms under extreme environmental conditions.

Fatigue damage monitoring for basalt fiber reinforced polymer composites using acoustic emission technique

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wentao; Li, Hui; Qu, Zhi

2012-04-01

Basalt fiber reinforced polymer (BFRP) is a structural material with superior mechanical properties. In this study, unidirectional BFRP laminates with 14 layers are made with the hand lay-up method. Then, the acoustic emission technique (AE) combined with the scanning electronic microscope (SEM) technique is employed to monitor the fatigue damage evolution of the BFRP plates in the fatigue loading tests. Time-frequency analysis using the wavelet transform technique is proposed to analyze the received AE signal instead of the peak frequency method. A comparison between AE signals and SEM images indicates that the multi-frequency peaks picked from the time-frequency curves of AE signals reflect the accumulated fatigue damage evolution and fatigue damage patterns. Furthermore, seven damage patterns, that is, matrix cracking, delamination, fiber fracture and their combinations, are identified from the time-frequency curves of the AE signals.

A robust calibration technique for acoustic emission systems based on momentum transfer from a ball drop

Science.gov (United States)

McLaskey, Gregory C.; Lockner, David A.; Kilgore, Brian D.; Beeler, Nicholas M.

2015-01-01

We describe a technique to estimate the seismic moment of acoustic emissions and other extremely small seismic events. Unlike previous calibration techniques, it does not require modeling of the wave propagation, sensor response, or signal conditioning. Rather, this technique calibrates the recording system as a whole and uses a ball impact as a reference source or empirical Green’s function. To correctly apply this technique, we develop mathematical expressions that link the seismic moment $M_{0}$ of internal seismic sources (i.e., earthquakes and acoustic emissions) to the impulse, or change in momentum $\\Delta p $, of externally applied seismic sources (i.e., meteor impacts or, in this case, ball impact). We find that, at low frequencies, moment and impulse are linked by a constant, which we call the force‐moment‐rate scale factor $C_{F\\dot{M}} = M_{0}/\\Delta p$. This constant is equal to twice the speed of sound in the material from which the seismic sources were generated. Next, we demonstrate the calibration technique on two different experimental rock mechanics facilities. The first example is a saw‐cut cylindrical granite sample that is loaded in a triaxial apparatus at 40 MPa confining pressure. The second example is a 2 m long fault cut in a granite sample and deformed in a large biaxial apparatus at lower stress levels. Using the empirical calibration technique, we are able to determine absolute source parameters including the seismic moment, corner frequency, stress drop, and radiated energy of these magnitude −2.5 to −7 seismic events.

Signal processing techniques for the acoustic detection of boiling in LMFBRs: preliminary results of an IAEA collaborative research programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macleod, I.D.

1988-01-01

A specialist meeting organised by the International Working Group on Fast Reactors (IWGFR) of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was held at Chester in the United Kingdom in 1981 to discuss techniques for the detection of acoustic noise from boiling. This meeting recommended that a benchmark test should be carried out to evaluate and compare signal processing methods for use in the detection of the acoustic noise produced by boiling sodium. In response to this recommendation the IAEA set up a collaborative research programme to examine and compare the processing techniques used in the laboratories of member countries. Eight laboratories in six countries have taken part in the programme which will be completed in 1988. This paper summarises the results obtained so far. (author)

PVT Degradation Studies: Acoustic Diagnostics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dib, Gerges [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Tucker, Brian J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Kouzes, Richard T. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Smith, Philip J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2017-04-01

Under certain environmental conditions, polyvinyl toluene (PVT) plastic scintillator has been observed to undergo internal fogging. This document reports on a study of acoustic techniques to determine whether they can provide a diagnostic for the fogging of PVT. Different ultrasound techniques were employed for detecting the level of internal fogging in PVT, including wave velocity measurements, attenuation, nonlinear acoustics, and acoustic microscopy. The results indicate that there are linear relations between the wave velocity and wave attenuation with the level of internal fogging. The effects of fogging on ultrasound wave attenuation is further verified by acoustic microscopy imaging, where regions with fog in the specimen demonstration higher levels of attenuation compared to clear regions. Results from the nonlinear ultrasound measurements were inconclusive due to high sensitivities to transducer coupling and fixture variabilities.

Acoustic leak detection in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McElroy, J.W.

1986-01-01

For several years now, utilities have been utilizing acoustic leak detection methods as an operating tool in their nuclear power stations. The purpose for using the leak detection system at the various stations vary from safety, ALARA, improved operations, preventive maintenance, or increased plant availability. This paper describes the various acoustic techniques and their application. The techniques are divided into three categories: specific component leakage, intersystem leakage, and pipe through-wall crack leakage. The paper addresses each category in terms of motivation to monitor, method of application and operation, and benefits to be gained. Current requirements are reviewed and analyzed with respect to the acoustic techniques. The paper shows how acoustic leak detection is one of the most effective leak detection tools available. 9 figures, 1 table

An efficient HW and SW design of H.264 video compression, storage and playback on FPGA devices for handheld thermal imaging systems

Science.gov (United States)

Gunay, Omer; Ozsarac, Ismail; Kamisli, Fatih

2017-05-01

Video recording is an essential property of new generation military imaging systems. Playback of the stored video on the same device is also desirable as it provides several operational benefits to end users. Two very important constraints for many military imaging systems, especially for hand-held devices and thermal weapon sights, are power consumption and size. To meet these constraints, it is essential to perform most of the processing applied to the video signal, such as preprocessing, compression, storing, decoding, playback and other system functions on a single programmable chip, such as FPGA, DSP, GPU or ASIC. In this work, H.264/AVC (Advanced Video Coding) compatible video compression, storage, decoding and playback blocks are efficiently designed and implemented on FPGA platforms using FPGA fabric and Altera NIOS II soft processor. Many subblocks that are used in video encoding are also used during video decoding in order to save FPGA resources and power. Computationally complex blocks are designed using FPGA fabric, while blocks such as SD card write/read, H.264 syntax decoding and CAVLC decoding are done using NIOS processor to benefit from software flexibility. In addition, to keep power consumption low, the system was designed to require limited external memory access. The design was tested using 640x480 25 fps thermal camera on CYCLONE V FPGA, which is the ALTERA's lowest power FPGA family, and consumes lower than 40% of CYCLONE V 5CEFA7 FPGA resources on average.

Computational Aero-Acoustic Using High-order Finite-Difference Schemes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhu, Wei Jun; Shen, Wen Zhong; Sørensen, Jens Nørkær

2007-01-01

are solved using the in-house flow solver EllipSys2D/3D which is a second-order finite volume code. The acoustic solution is found by solving the acoustic equations using high-order finite difference schemes. The incompressible flow equations and the acoustic equations are solved at the same time levels......In this paper, a high-order technique to accurately predict flow-generated noise is introduced. The technique consists of solving the viscous incompressible flow equations and inviscid acoustic equations using a incompressible/compressible splitting technique. The incompressible flow equations...

Acoustic Modifications of the Ames 40x80 Foot Wind Tunnel and Test Techniques for High-Speed Research Model Testing

Science.gov (United States)

Soderman, Paul T.; Olson, Larry (Technical Monitor)

1995-01-01

The NFAC 40- by 80- Foot Wind Tunnel at Ames is being refurbished with a new, deep acoustic lining in the test section which will make the facility nearly anechoic over a large frequency range. The modification history, key elements, and schedule will be discussed. Design features and expected performance gains will be described. Background noise reductions will be summarized. Improvements in aeroacoustic research techniques have been developed and used recently at NFAC on several wind tunnel tests of High Speed Research models. Research on quiet inflow microphones and struts will be described. The Acoustic Survey Apparatus in the 40x80 will be illustrated. A special intensity probe was tested for source localization. Multi-channel, high speed digital data acquisition is now used for acoustics. And most important, phased microphone arrays have been developed and tested which have proven to be very powerful for source identification and increased signal-to-noise ratio. Use of these tools for the HEAT model will be illustrated. In addition, an acoustically absorbent symmetry plane was built to satisfy the HEAT semispan aerodynamic and acoustic requirements. Acoustic performance of that symmetry plane will be shown.

Damage detection in wind turbine blades using acoustic techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Juengert, A., E-mail: anne.juengert@mpa.uni-stuttgart.de [Univ. of Stuttgart, Materialpruefungsanstalt Stuttgart, Stuttgart (Germany)

2013-05-15

Facing climate change, the use of renewable energy gains importance. The wind energy sector grows very fast. Bigger and more powerful wind turbines will be built in the coming decades and the safety and reliability of the turbines will become more important. Wind turbine blades have to be inspected at regular intervals, because they are highly stressed during operation and a blade breakdown can cause big economic damages. The turbine blades consist of fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP/CFRP) and sandwich areas containing wood or plastic foam. The blades are manufactured as two halves and glued together afterwards. Typical damages are delaminations within the GFRP or the sandwich and missing adhesive or deficient bond at the bonding surfaces. The regular inspections of wind turbine blades are performed manually by experts and are limited to visual appraisals and simple tapping tests. To improve the inspections of wind turbine blades non-destructive testing techniques using acoustic waves are being developed. To detect delaminations within the laminates of the turbine blade, a local resonance spectroscopy was used. To detect missing bond areas from the outside of the blade the impulse-echo-technique was applied. This paper is an updated reprint of an article published on ndt.net in 2008. (author)

Damage detection in wind turbine blades using acoustic techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Juengert, A.

2013-01-01

Facing climate change, the use of renewable energy gains importance. The wind energy sector grows very fast. Bigger and more powerful wind turbines will be built in the coming decades and the safety and reliability of the turbines will become more important. Wind turbine blades have to be inspected at regular intervals, because they are highly stressed during operation and a blade breakdown can cause big economic damages. The turbine blades consist of fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP/CFRP) and sandwich areas containing wood or plastic foam. The blades are manufactured as two halves and glued together afterwards. Typical damages are delaminations within the GFRP or the sandwich and missing adhesive or deficient bond at the bonding surfaces. The regular inspections of wind turbine blades are performed manually by experts and are limited to visual appraisals and simple tapping tests. To improve the inspections of wind turbine blades non-destructive testing techniques using acoustic waves are being developed. To detect delaminations within the laminates of the turbine blade, a local resonance spectroscopy was used. To detect missing bond areas from the outside of the blade the impulse-echo-technique was applied. This paper is an updated reprint of an article published on ndt.net in 2008. (author)

Acoustic Emission Technique Applied in Textiles Mechanical Characterization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rios-Soberanis Carlos Rolando

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The common textile architecture/geometry are woven, braided, knitted, stitch boded, and Z-pinned. Fibres in textile form exhibit good out-of-plane properties and good fatigue and impact resistance, additionally, they have better dimensional stability and conformability. Besides the nature of the textile, the architecture has a great role in the mechanical behaviour and mechanisms of damage in textiles, therefore damage mechanisms and mechanical performance in structural applications textiles have been a major concern. Mechanical damage occurs to a large extent during the service lifetime consequently it is vital to understand the material mechanical behaviour by identifying its mechanisms of failure such as onset of damage, crack generation and propagation. In this work, textiles of different architecture were used to manufacture epoxy based composites in order to study failure events under tensile load by using acoustic emission technique which is a powerful characterization tool due to its link between AE data and fracture mechanics, which makes this relation a very useful from the engineering point of view.

Adaptive parametric model order reduction technique for optimization of vibro-acoustic models: Application to hearing aid design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Creixell Mediante, Ester; Jensen, Jakob Søndergaard; Naets, Frank

2018-01-01

Finite Element (FE) models of complex structural-acoustic coupled systems can require a large number of degrees of freedom in order to capture their physical behaviour. This is the case in the hearing aid field, where acoustic-mechanical feedback paths are a key factor in the overall system...... by projecting the full system into a reduced space. A drawback of most of the existing techniques is that the vector basis of the reduced space is built at an offline phase where the full system must be solved for a large sample of parameter values, which can also become highly time consuming. In this work, we...

Vibration impact acoustic emission technique for identification and analysis of defects in carbon steel tubes: Part A Statistical analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Halim, Zakiah Abd [Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (Malaysia); Jamaludin, Nordin; Junaidi, Syarif [Faculty of Engineering and Built, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi (Malaysia); Yahya, Syed Yusainee Syed [Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam (Malaysia)

2015-04-15

Current steel tubes inspection techniques are invasive, and the interpretation and evaluation of inspection results are manually done by skilled personnel. This paper presents a statistical analysis of high frequency stress wave signals captured from a newly developed noninvasive, non-destructive tube inspection technique known as the vibration impact acoustic emission (VIAE) technique. Acoustic emission (AE) signals have been introduced into the ASTM A179 seamless steel tubes using an impact hammer, and the AE wave propagation was captured using an AE sensor. Specifically, a healthy steel tube as the reference tube and four steel tubes with through-hole artificial defect at different locations were used in this study. The AE features extracted from the captured signals are rise time, peak amplitude, duration and count. The VIAE technique also analysed the AE signals using statistical features such as root mean square (r.m.s.), energy, and crest factor. It was evident that duration, count, r.m.s., energy and crest factor could be used to automatically identify the presence of defect in carbon steel tubes using AE signals captured using the non-invasive VIAE technique.

Study on flow-induced acoustic resonance in symmetrically located side-branches using dynamic PIV technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yanrong; Inagaki, Terumi; Nishi, Yasuyuki; Someya, Satoshi; Okamoto, Koji

2014-01-01

Flow-induced acoustic resonance in a piping system containing closed coaxial side-branches was investigated experimentally. Resonance characteristics of the piping system were examined by a microphone. The results revealed that the resonance frequencies of the shear layer instability were locked in corresponding to the natural frequencies of the side-branches. Phase-averaged velocity fields were obtained two-dimensionally in the junction of coaxial side-branches by dynamic particle image velocimetry (PIV), while the acoustic resonance was induced at the first and second hydrodynamic modes. Patterns of jet correspond to two hydrodynamic modes were derived from the phase-averaged velocity fields. The dynamic PIV can acquire time-series velocity fluctuations, then, two-dimensional phase delay maps under resonance and off-resonance conditions in the junction of coaxial side-branches were obtained. Experimental results show that the proposed phase delay map method costs less experiment and computation time and achieves a better accuracy and repetition than the phase-locking technique. In addition, the phase delay map method can obtain phase difference under the different frequency components. This is important when two different acoustic modes were induced in one experimental condition. (author)

A simulation technique for 3D MR-guided acoustic radiation force imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Payne, Allison; Bever, Josh de; Farrer, Alexis; Coats, Brittany; Parker, Dennis L.; Christensen, Douglas A.

2015-01-01

Purpose: In magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) therapies, the in situ characterization of the focal spot location and quality is critical. MR acoustic radiation force imaging (MR-ARFI) is a technique that measures the tissue displacement caused by the radiation force exerted by the ultrasound beam. This work presents a new technique to model the displacements caused by the radiation force of an ultrasound beam in a homogeneous tissue model. Methods: When a steady-state point-source force acts internally in an infinite homogeneous medium, the displacement of the material in all directions is given by the Somigliana elastostatic tensor. The radiation force field, which is caused by absorption and reflection of the incident ultrasound intensity pattern, will be spatially distributed, and the tensor formulation takes the form of a convolution of a 3D Green’s function with the force field. The dynamic accumulation of MR phase during the ultrasound pulse can be theoretically accounted for through a time-of-arrival weighting of the Green’s function. This theoretical model was evaluated experimentally in gelatin phantoms of varied stiffness (125-, 175-, and 250-bloom). The acoustic and mechanical properties of the phantoms used as parameters of the model were measured using independent techniques. Displacements at focal depths of 30- and 45-mm in the phantoms were measured by a 3D spin echo MR-ARFI segmented-EPI sequence. Results: The simulated displacements agreed with the MR-ARFI measured displacements for all bloom values and focal depths with a normalized RMS difference of 0.055 (range 0.028–0.12). The displacement magnitude decreased and the displacement pattern broadened with increased bloom value for both focal depths, as predicted by the theory. Conclusions: A new technique that models the displacements caused by the radiation force of an ultrasound beam in a homogeneous tissue model theory has been rigorously validated through comparison

Investigating deformation processes in AM60 magnesium alloy using the acoustic emission technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathis, K.; Chmelik, F.; Janecek, M.; Hadzima, B.; Trojanova, Z.; Lukac, P.

2006-01-01

Microstructure changes in an AM60 magnesium alloy were monitored using the acoustic emission (AE) technique during tensile tests in the temperature range from 20 to 300 deg. C. The correlation of the AE signal and the deformation processes is discussed. It is shown, using transmission electron and light microscopy, that the character of the AE response is associated with various modes of mechanical twinning at lower temperatures, whereas at higher temperatures also the influence of non-basal dislocations on the AE response must be taken into account

Acoustic Particle Detection with the ANTARES Detector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Neff

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The (Antares Modules for Acoustic Detection Under the Sea AMADEUS system within the (Astronomy with a Neutrino Telescope and Abyss environmental RESsearch ANTARES neutrino telescope is designed to investigate detection techniques for acoustic signals produced by particle cascades. While passing through a liquid a cascade deposits energy and produces a measurable pressure pulse. This can be used for the detection of neutrinos with energies exceeding 1018 eV. The AMADEUS setup consists of 36 hydrophones grouped in six local clusters measuring about one cubic meter each. This article focuses on acoustic particle detection, the hardware of the AMADEUS detector and techniques used for acoustic signal processing.

Acoustic Particle Detection with the ANTARES Detector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richardt C

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The (Antares Modules for Acoustic Detection Under the Sea AMADEUS system within the (Astronomy with a Neutrino Telescope and Abyss environmental RESsearch ANTARES neutrino telescope is designed to investigate detection techniques for acoustic signals produced by particle cascades. While passing through a liquid a cascade deposits energy and produces a measurable pressure pulse. This can be used for the detection of neutrinos with energies exceeding  eV. The AMADEUS setup consists of 36 hydrophones grouped in six local clusters measuring about one cubic meter each. This article focuses on acoustic particle detection, the hardware of the AMADEUS detector and techniques used for acoustic signal processing.

Handbook of Engineering Acoustics

CERN Document Server

Möser, Michael

2013-01-01

This book examines the physical background of engineering acoustics, focusing on empirically obtained engineering experience as well as on measurement techniques and engineering methods for prognostics. Its goal is not only to describe the state of art of engineering acoustics but also to give practical help to engineers in order to solve acoustic problems. It deals with the origin, the transmission and the methods of the abating different kinds of air-borne and structure-borne sounds caused by various mechanisms – from traffic to machinery and flow-induced sound. In addition the modern aspects of room and building acoustics, as well as psychoacoustics and active noise control, are covered.

Synchrotron x-ray imaging of acoustic cavitation bubbles induced by acoustic excitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Sung Yong; Park, Han Wook; Park, Sung Ho; Lee, Sang Joon

2017-01-01

The cavitation induced by acoustic excitation has been widely applied in various biomedical applications because cavitation bubbles can enhance the exchanges of mass and energy. In order to minimize the hazardous effects of the induced cavitation, it is essential to understand the spatial distribution of cavitation bubbles. The spatial distribution of cavitation bubbles visualized by the synchrotron x-ray imaging technique is compared to that obtained with a conventional x-ray tube. Cavitation bubbles with high density in the region close to the tip of the probe are visualized using the synchrotron x-ray imaging technique, however, the spatial distribution of cavitation bubbles in the whole ultrasound field is not detected. In this study, the effects of the ultrasound power of acoustic excitation and working medium on the shape and density of the induced cavitation bubbles are examined. As a result, the synchrotron x-ray imaging technique is useful for visualizing spatial distributions of cavitation bubbles, and it could be used for optimizing the operation conditions of acoustic cavitation. (paper)

Acoustic scaling: A re-evaluation of the acoustic model of Manchester Studio 7

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, R.

1984-12-01

The reasons for the reconstruction and re-evaluation of the acoustic scale mode of a large music studio are discussed. The design and construction of the model using mechanical and structural considerations rather than purely acoustic absorption criteria is described and the results obtained are given. The results confirm that structural elements within the studio gave rise to unexpected and unwanted low-frequency acoustic absorption. The results also show that at least for the relatively well understood mechanisms of sound energy absorption physical modelling of the structural and internal components gives an acoustically accurate scale model, within the usual tolerances of acoustic design. The poor reliability of measurements of acoustic absorption coefficients, is well illustrated. The conclusion is reached that such acoustic scale modelling is a valid and, for large scale projects, financially justifiable technique for predicting fundamental acoustic effects. It is not appropriate for the prediction of fine details because such small details are unlikely to be reproduced exactly at a different size without extensive measurements of the material's performance at both scales.

A non-invasive acoustic and vibration analysis technique for evaluation of hip joint conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Glaser, Diana; Komistek, Richard D; Cates, Harold E; Mahfouz, Mohamed R

2010-02-10

The performance evaluation of THA outcome is difficult and surgeons often use invasive methods to investigate effectiveness. A non-invasive acoustic and vibration analysis technique has recently been developed for more-in-depth evaluation of in vivo hip conditions. Gait kinematics, corresponding vibration and sound measurement of five THA subjects were analyzed post-operatively using video-fluoroscopy, sound and accelerometer measurements while walking on a treadmill. The sound sensor and a pair of tri-axial accelerometers, externally attached to the pelvic and femoral bone prominences, detected frequencies that are propagated through the femoral head and acetabular cup interactions. A data acquisition system was used to amplify the signal and filter out noise generated by undesired frequencies. In vivo kinematics and femoral head sliding quantified using video fluoroscopy were correlated to the sound and acceleration measurements. Distinct variations between the different subjects were identified. A correlation of sound and acceleration impulses with separation has been achieved. Although, in vivo sounds are quite variable in nature and all correlated well with the visual images. This is the first study to document and correlate visual and audible effects of THA under in-vivo conditions. This study has shown that the development of the acoustic and vibration technique provides a practical method and generates new possibilities for a better understanding of THA performance. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prototype acoustic resonance spectroscopy monitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sinha, D.N.; Olinger, C.T.

1996-03-01

This report reports on work performed for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) through the Program Office for Technical Assistance (POTAS). In this work, we investigate possible applications of nondestructive acoustics measurements to facilitate IAEA safeguards at bulk processing facilities. Two different acoustic techniques for verifying the internal structure of a processing tank were investigated. During this effort we also examined two acoustic techniques for assessing the fill level within a processing tank. The fill-level measurements could be made highly portable and have an added safeguards advantage that they can also detect stratification of fill material. This later application may be particularly useful in confirming the absence of stratification in plutonium processing tanks before accountability samples are withdrawn

Study of the uniform corrosion of non alloy and stainless steels: combined utilization of acoustic emission and electrochemical techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaubert, Lionel

2004-01-01

In chemical and petrochemical industry, uniform corrosion induces important economic and security disappointments. The mechanisms of this damaging corrosion mode are well understood, but methods for on-line detection are badly missing. Acoustic emission technique presents, to palliate this lack, potentialities that have been studied in an instrumented laboratory loop allowing the simulation of industrial uniform corrosion conditions. In acidic media, acoustic activity is related to the hydrogen evolution resulting from proton reduction; it is therefore well correlated to the damage severity. In neutral aerated media, the deposit formation of corrosion products is not very emissive. Yet, a specific study of frequency parameters allows detection of corrosion evolution, but in that case, the quantification of corrosion rate remains difficult. A subsidiary study confirms the technique applicability in the case of 'acidic' corrosion, even in very noisy conditions. (author) [fr

Responses to playback of different subspecies songs in the Reed Bunting (Emberiza s. schoeniclus)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Matessi, Giuliano; Dabelsteen, Torben; Pilastro, A.

2000-01-01

Populations of Reed Buntings Emberiza schoeniclus in the western Palearctic are classified in two major subspecies groups according to morphology: northern migratory schoeniclus and Mediterranean resident intermedia. Songs of the two groups differ mainly in complexity and syllable structure......, with intermedia songs being more complex. We explored the possibilities of song as a subspecies isolating mechanism by testing if male schoeniclus Reed Buntings reacted differently to field playbacks of songs from their own subspecies group, from the foreign subspecies group and from a control species...

Review of Progress in Acoustic Levitation

Science.gov (United States)

Andrade, Marco A. B.; Pérez, Nicolás; Adamowski, Julio C.

2018-04-01

Acoustic levitation uses acoustic radiation forces to counteract gravity and suspend objects in mid-air. Although acoustic levitation was first demonstrated almost a century ago, for a long time, it was limited to objects much smaller than the acoustic wavelength levitating at fixed positions in space. Recent advances in acoustic levitation now allow not only suspending but also rotating and translating objects in three dimensions. Acoustic levitation is also no longer restricted to small objects and can now be employed to levitate objects larger than the acoustic wavelength. This article reviews the progress of acoustic levitation, focusing on the working mechanism of different types of acoustic levitation devices developed to date. We start with a brief review of the theory. Then, we review the acoustic levitation methods to suspend objects at fixed positions, followed by the techniques that allow the manipulation of objects. Finally, we present a brief summary and offer some future perspectives for acoustic levitation.

Monitoring the viscosity of diesel engine lubricating oil by using acoustic emission technique, the selection of measurement parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Othman Inayatullah; Nordin Jamaludin; Fauziah Mat

2009-04-01

Acoustic emission technique has been developed through years of monitoring and diagnosis of bearing, but it is still new in the diagnosis and monitoring of lubrication oil to bearings drive. The propagation of acoustic emission signal is generated when the signal piston on the cylinder liner lubricating oil which is a par. The signal is analyzed in time domain to obtain the parameters of root mean squared, amplitude, energy and courtesy. Lubricant viscosity will undergo changes due to temperature, pressure and useful. This study focuses on the appropriate parameters for the diagnosis and monitoring of lubricating oil viscosity. Studies were conducted at a constant rotational speed and temperature, but use a different age. The results showed that the energy parameter is the best parameter used in this monitoring. However, this parameter cannot be used directly and it should be analyzed using mathematical formulas. This mathematical formula is a relationship between acoustic emission energy with the viscosity of lubricating oil. (author)

Handbook of Signal Processing in Acoustics

CERN Document Server

Havelock, David; Vorländer, Michael

2009-01-01

The Handbook of Signal Processing in Acoustics presents signal processing as it is practiced in the field of acoustics. The Handbook is organized by areas of acoustics, with recognized leaders coordinating the self-contained chapters of each section. It brings together a wide range of perspectives from over 100 authors to reveal the interdisciplinary nature of signal processing in acoustics. Success in acoustic applications often requires juggling both the acoustic and the signal processing parameters of the problem. This handbook brings the key issues from both into perspective and is complementary to other reference material on the two subjects. It is a unique resource for experts and practitioners alike to find new ideas and techniques within the diversity of signal processing in acoustics.

Acoustic remote sensing of ocean flows

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Joseph, A.; Desa, E.

Acoustic techniques have become powerful tools for measurement of ocean circulation mainly because of the ability of acoustic signals to travel long distances in water, and the inherently non-invasive nature of measurement. The satellite remote...

Understanding acoustics an experimentalist’s view of acoustics and vibration

CERN Document Server

Garrett, Steven L

2017-01-01

This textbook provides a unified approach to acoustics and vibration suitable for use in advanced undergraduate and first-year graduate courses on vibration and fluids. The book includes thorough treatment of vibration of harmonic oscillators, coupled oscillators, isotropic elasticity, and waves in solids including the use of resonance techniques for determination of elastic moduli. Drawing on 35 years of experience teaching introductory graduate acoustics at the Naval Postgraduate School and Penn State, the author presents a hydrodynamic approach to the acoustics of sound in fluids that provides a uniform methodology for analysis of lumped-element systems and wave propagation that can incorporate attenuation mechanisms and complex media. This view provides a consistent and reliable approach that can be extended with confidence to more complex fluids and future applications. Understanding Acoustics opens with a mathematical introduction that includes graphing and statistical uncertainty, followed by five chap...

Noncontacting acoustics-based temperature measurement techniques in rapid thermal processing

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Yong J.; Chou, Ching-Hua; Khuri-Yakub, Butrus T.; Saraswat, Krishna C.

1991-04-01

Temperature measurement of silicon wafers based on the temperature dependence of acoustic waves is studied. The change in the temperature-dependent dispersion relations of the plate modes through the wafer can be exploited to provide a viable temperature monitoring scheme with advantages over both thermocouples and pyrometers. Velocity measurements of acoustic waves through a thin layer of ambient directly above the wafer provides the temperature of the wafer-ambient interface. 1.

Mourning dove ( Zenaida macroura) wing-whistles may contain threat-related information for con- and hetero-specifics

Science.gov (United States)

Coleman, Seth W.

2008-10-01

Distinct acoustic whistles are associated with the wing-beats of many doves, and are especially noticeable when doves ascend from the ground when startled. I thus hypothesized that these sounds may be used by flock-mates as cues of potential danger. To test this hypothesis, I compared the responses of mourning doves ( Zenaida macroura), northern cardinals ( Cardinalis cardinalis), and house sparrows ( Passer domesticus) to audio playbacks of dove ‘startle wing-whistles’, cardinal alarm calls, dove ‘nonstartle wing-whistles’, and sparrow ‘social chatter’. Following playbacks of startle wing-whistles and alarm calls, conspecifics and heterospecifics startled and increased vigilance more than after playbacks of other sounds. Also, the latency to return to feeding was greater following playbacks of startle wing-whistles and alarm calls than following playbacks of other sounds. These results suggest that both conspecifics and heterospecifics may attend to dove wing-whistles in decisions related to antipredator behaviors. Whether the sounds of dove wing-whistles are intentionally produced signals warrants further testing.

Bulk microstructure and local elastic properties of carbon nanocomposites studied by impulse acoustic microscopy technique

Science.gov (United States)

Levin, V.; Petronyuk, Yu.; Morokov, E.; Chernozatonskii, L.; Kuzhir, P.; Fierro, V.; Celzard, A.; Bellucci, S.; Bistarelli, S.; Mastrucci, M.; Tabacchioni, I.

2016-05-01

Bulk microstructure and elastic properties of epoxy-nanocarbon nanocomposites for diverse types and different content of carbon nanofiller has been studied by using impulse acoustic microscopy technique. It has been shown occurrence of various types of mesoscopic structure formed by nanoparticles inside the bulk of nanocomposite materials, including nanoparticle conglomerates and nanoparticle aerogel systems. In spite of the bulk microstructure, nanocarbon composites demonstrate elastic uniformity and negligible influence of nanofiller on elastic properties of carbon nanocomposite materials.

An acoustic technique for the determination of liquor level in tanks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watson, J.; Jones, T.L.

1980-02-01

The design, development and application of a prototype suitable for the measurement of liquor levels in tanks is described. The technique involves directing an acoustic pulse down a constraining tube to the liquor surface and measuring the time of return of the reflected pulse. Using the equipment it is possible to determine the position of a solid surface with a total error of less than 1 mm. The prototype instrument was used to measure the volume of liquors contained in rectangular slab tanks used for accountancy purposes at Dounreay Nuclear Power Development Establishment. The total error obtained in an individual measurement of volume was less than 0.2 litres (95% confidence limits). The instrument may be used as a replacement for a Pneumercator system in existing installations. (author)

The acoustic detection of cavitation in pumps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macleod, I.D.; Gray, B.S.; Taylor, C.G.

1978-01-01

A programme was initiated to develop a reliable technique for detecting the onset of acoustic noise from cavitation in a pump and to relate this to cavitation inception data, since significant noise from collapse of vapour bubbles arising from such cavitation would reduce the sensitivity of a noise detection system for boiling of sodium in fast breeder reactors. Factors affecting the detection of cavitation are discussed. The instrumentation and techniques of frequency analysis and pulse detection are described. Two examples are then given of the application of acoustic detection techniques under controlled conditions. It is concluded that acoustic detection can be a reliable method for detecting inception of cavitation in a pump and the required conditions are stated. (U.K.)

Introducing passive acoustic filter in acoustic based condition monitoring: Motor bike piston-bore fault identification

Science.gov (United States)

Jena, D. P.; Panigrahi, S. N.

2016-03-01

Requirement of designing a sophisticated digital band-pass filter in acoustic based condition monitoring has been eliminated by introducing a passive acoustic filter in the present work. So far, no one has attempted to explore the possibility of implementing passive acoustic filters in acoustic based condition monitoring as a pre-conditioner. In order to enhance the acoustic based condition monitoring, a passive acoustic band-pass filter has been designed and deployed. Towards achieving an efficient band-pass acoustic filter, a generalized design methodology has been proposed to design and optimize the desired acoustic filter using multiple filter components in series. An appropriate objective function has been identified for genetic algorithm (GA) based optimization technique with multiple design constraints. In addition, the sturdiness of the proposed method has been demonstrated in designing a band-pass filter by using an n-branch Quincke tube, a high pass filter and multiple Helmholtz resonators. The performance of the designed acoustic band-pass filter has been shown by investigating the piston-bore defect of a motor-bike using engine noise signature. On the introducing a passive acoustic filter in acoustic based condition monitoring reveals the enhancement in machine learning based fault identification practice significantly. This is also a first attempt of its own kind.

Writing magnetic patterns with surface acoustic waves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Weiyang; Buford, Benjamin; Jander, Albrecht; Dhagat, Pallavi, E-mail: dhagat@eecs.oregonstate.edu [School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331 (United States)

2014-05-07

A novel patterning technique that creates magnetization patterns in a continuous magnetostrictive film with surface acoustic waves is demonstrated. Patterns of 10 μm wide stripes of alternating magnetization and a 3 μm dot of reversed magnetization are written using standing and focusing acoustic waves, respectively. The magnetization pattern is size-tunable, erasable, and rewritable by changing the magnetic field and acoustic power. This versatility, along with its solid-state implementation (no moving parts) and electronic control, renders it as a promising technique for application in magnetic recording, magnonic signal processing, magnetic particle manipulation, and spatial magneto-optical modulation.

Sediment Types Determination Using Acoustic Techniques in the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Kim, Gil

2004-01-01

... those (acoustic impedance and grain size) in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. The acoustic data were acquired using a 11 kHz normal incident echo sounder over approximately 2000 km of track line...

Acoustic emission during hydrogen absorption and desorption in palladium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramesh, R.; Mukhopadhyay, C.K.; Jayakumar, T.; Baldev Raj

1996-01-01

Acoustic emission technique has been used to study charging and discharging of hydrogen in palladium. During charging, breaking of oxide film due to surface activation and saturation of hydrogen absorption have been identified by acoustic emission. In the discharging cycle, the desorption of hydrogen from the specimen leads to high AE activity immediately after initiation of discharging, followed by gradual decrease in the acoustic activity, which reaches a minimum upon completion of the desorption. The potential of the acoustic emission technique for studying the kinetics of hydrogen absorption and desorption in metals has been shown. (author)

Cave acoustics in prehistory: Exploring the association of Palaeolithic visual motifs and acoustic response.

Science.gov (United States)

Fazenda, Bruno; Scarre, Chris; Till, Rupert; Pasalodos, Raquel Jiménez; Guerra, Manuel Rojo; Tejedor, Cristina; Peredo, Roberto Ontañón; Watson, Aaron; Wyatt, Simon; Benito, Carlos García; Drinkall, Helen; Foulds, Frederick

2017-09-01

During the 1980 s, acoustic studies of Upper Palaeolithic imagery in French caves-using the technology then available-suggested a relationship between acoustic response and the location of visual motifs. This paper presents an investigation, using modern acoustic measurement techniques, into such relationships within the caves of La Garma, Las Chimeneas, La Pasiega, El Castillo, and Tito Bustillo in Northern Spain. It addresses methodological issues concerning acoustic measurement at enclosed archaeological sites and outlines a general framework for extraction of acoustic features that may be used to support archaeological hypotheses. The analysis explores possible associations between the position of visual motifs (which may be up to 40 000 yrs old) and localized acoustic responses. Results suggest that motifs, in general, and lines and dots, in particular, are statistically more likely to be found in places where reverberation is moderate and where the low frequency acoustic response has evidence of resonant behavior. The work presented suggests that an association of the location of Palaeolithic motifs with acoustic features is a statistically weak but tenable hypothesis, and that an appreciation of sound could have influenced behavior among Palaeolithic societies of this region.

Notes on some experiments on the application of subtractive compensation to USGS seismic magnetic tape recording and playback systems

Science.gov (United States)

Eaton, Jerry P.

1975-01-01

The purpose of these experiments is to lay the groundwork for the implementation of subtractive compensation of the USGS seismic network tape playbacks utilizing the Develco model 6203 discriminators at a x1 playback speed. Although the Develco discriminators were designed for this application and a matching Develco compensation discriminator was purchased, effective use of this system for subtractive compensation has been blocked by the inadequate (frequency dependent) matching of the phase of the compensation signal to that of the data signal at the point compensation is carried out in the data discriminators. John Van Schaack has ameliorated the phase mismatch problem by an empirical alteration of the compensation discriminator input bandpass filter. We have selected a set (of eight) Develco discriminators and adjusted their compensation signal input levels to minimize spurious signals (noise) originating from tape speed irregularities. The sensitivity of the data discriminators was adjusted so that deviations of +125 Hz and -125 Hz produced output signals of +2.00 volts and -2.00 volts, respectively. The eight data discriminators are driven by a multiplex signal on a single tape track (subcarriers 680, 1020, 1360, 1700, 2040, 2380, 2720, and 3060 Hz). The Develco-supplied compensation discriminator requires an unmodulated 3125 Hz signal on a separate tape track.

Vibration impact acoustic emission technique for identification and analysis of defects in carbon steel tubes: Part B Cluster analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Halim, Zakiah Abd [Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (Malaysia); Jamaludin, Nordin; Junaidi, Syarif [Faculty of Engineering and Built, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi (Malaysia); Yahya, Syed Yusainee Syed [Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam (Malaysia)

2015-04-15

Current steel tubes inspection techniques are invasive, and the interpretation and evaluation of inspection results are manually done by skilled personnel. Part A of this work details the methodology involved in the newly developed non-invasive, non-destructive tube inspection technique based on the integration of vibration impact (VI) and acoustic emission (AE) systems known as the vibration impact acoustic emission (VIAE) technique. AE signals have been introduced into a series of ASTM A179 seamless steel tubes using the impact hammer. Specifically, a good steel tube as the reference tube and four steel tubes with through-hole artificial defect at different locations were used in this study. The AEs propagation was captured using a high frequency sensor of AE systems. The present study explores the cluster analysis approach based on autoregressive (AR) coefficients to automatically interpret the AE signals. The results from the cluster analysis were graphically illustrated using a dendrogram that demonstrated the arrangement of the natural clusters of AE signals. The AR algorithm appears to be the more effective method in classifying the AE signals into natural groups. This approach has successfully classified AE signals for quick and confident interpretation of defects in carbon steel tubes.

Vibration impact acoustic emission technique for identification and analysis of defects in carbon steel tubes: Part B Cluster analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halim, Zakiah Abd; Jamaludin, Nordin; Junaidi, Syarif; Yahya, Syed Yusainee Syed

2015-01-01

Current steel tubes inspection techniques are invasive, and the interpretation and evaluation of inspection results are manually done by skilled personnel. Part A of this work details the methodology involved in the newly developed non-invasive, non-destructive tube inspection technique based on the integration of vibration impact (VI) and acoustic emission (AE) systems known as the vibration impact acoustic emission (VIAE) technique. AE signals have been introduced into a series of ASTM A179 seamless steel tubes using the impact hammer. Specifically, a good steel tube as the reference tube and four steel tubes with through-hole artificial defect at different locations were used in this study. The AEs propagation was captured using a high frequency sensor of AE systems. The present study explores the cluster analysis approach based on autoregressive (AR) coefficients to automatically interpret the AE signals. The results from the cluster analysis were graphically illustrated using a dendrogram that demonstrated the arrangement of the natural clusters of AE signals. The AR algorithm appears to be the more effective method in classifying the AE signals into natural groups. This approach has successfully classified AE signals for quick and confident interpretation of defects in carbon steel tubes.

The roles of vocal and visual interactions in social learning zebra finches: A video playback experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Guillette, Lauren M; Healy, Susan D

2017-06-01

The transmission of information from an experienced demonstrator to a naïve observer often depends on characteristics of the demonstrator, such as familiarity, success or dominance status. Whether or not the demonstrator pays attention to and/or interacts with the observer may also affect social information acquisition or use by the observer. Here we used a video-demonstrator paradigm first to test whether video demonstrators have the same effect as using live demonstrators in zebra finches, and second, to test the importance of visual and vocal interactions between the demonstrator and observer on social information use by the observer. We found that female zebra finches copied novel food choices of male demonstrators they saw via live-streaming video while they did not consistently copy from the demonstrators when they were seen in playbacks of the same videos. Although naive observers copied in the absence of vocalizations by the demonstrator, as they copied from playback of videos with the sound off, females did not copy where there was a mis-match between the visual information provided by the video and vocal information from a live male that was out of sight. Taken together these results suggest that video demonstration is a useful methodology for testing social information transfer, at least in a foraging context, but more importantly, that social information use varies according to the vocal interactions, or lack thereof, between the observer and the demonstrator. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Acoustic-Levitation Chamber

Science.gov (United States)

Barmatz, M. B.; Granett, D.; Lee, M. C.

1984-01-01

Uncontaminated environments for highly-pure material processing provided within completely sealed levitation chamber that suspends particles by acoustic excitation. Technique ideally suited for material processing in low gravity environment of space.

Flaw identification using acoustic emission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woodward, B.; McDonald, N.R.

1975-01-01

Acoustic emission 'signatures' contain information about the fine structure of metallurgical source events and their interpretation may provide a means of assessing the severity of internal flaws as well as surface flaws. The ultimate aim of this research on signature analysis is to develop a real time non-destructive testing technique having the capability of flaw recognition as well as flaw location in nuclear reactor components and structures under stress. Thus the requisite, unlike that in most acoustic emission work to date, is for a technique which affords discrimination between acoustic emission from different types of flaws propagating simultaneously. The approach described here requires detailed analysis of the emission signatures in terms of a specific statistical parameter, energy spectral density. In order to realise the full inspection potential of acoustic emission monitoring data obtained from zirconium and steel testpieces have been correlated with metallurgical condition and mechanical behaviour, since the nature of emission signatures is strongly affected by the physical characteristics and internal structure of the material. (Auth.)

Developments in acoustic emission for application to nuclear reactor systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bentley, P.G.

1982-01-01

Developments in acoustic emission are summarised as they relate to the principal applications to nuclear reactors, and light water reactor pressure vessels in particular. Improvement in the understanding of acoustic emission has come from materials tests and these confirm the problems in applying the technique for in-service or periodic proof test monitoring of growing fatique cracks. Applications in LMFBR have confirmed that acoustic emission can be applied in the nuclear environment and the detection of stress corrosion cracking in both BWR and LMFBR seems possible. Some information is included on the developing interest in applying the techniques of acoustic emission for leak detection during shop hydro and in-service monitoring. Acoustic emission is also being developed for weld fabrication monitoring and recently introduced pattern recognition techniques are having a significant impact in this application. (author)

Photo-acoustic and video-acoustic methods for sensing distant sound sources

Science.gov (United States)

Slater, Dan; Kozacik, Stephen; Kelmelis, Eric

2017-05-01

Long range telescopic video imagery of distant terrestrial scenes, aircraft, rockets and other aerospace vehicles can be a powerful observational tool. But what about the associated acoustic activity? A new technology, Remote Acoustic Sensing (RAS), may provide a method to remotely listen to the acoustic activity near these distant objects. Local acoustic activity sometimes weakly modulates the ambient illumination in a way that can be remotely sensed. RAS is a new type of microphone that separates an acoustic transducer into two spatially separated components: 1) a naturally formed in situ acousto-optic modulator (AOM) located within the distant scene and 2) a remote sensing readout device that recovers the distant audio. These two elements are passively coupled over long distances at the speed of light by naturally occurring ambient light energy or other electromagnetic fields. Stereophonic, multichannel and acoustic beam forming are all possible using RAS techniques and when combined with high-definition video imagery it can help to provide a more cinema like immersive viewing experience. A practical implementation of a remote acousto-optic readout device can be a challenging engineering problem. The acoustic influence on the optical signal is generally weak and often with a strong bias term. The optical signal is further degraded by atmospheric seeing turbulence. In this paper, we consider two fundamentally different optical readout approaches: 1) a low pixel count photodiode based RAS photoreceiver and 2) audio extraction directly from a video stream. Most of our RAS experiments to date have used the first method for reasons of performance and simplicity. But there are potential advantages to extracting audio directly from a video stream. These advantages include the straight forward ability to work with multiple AOMs (useful for acoustic beam forming), simpler optical configurations, and a potential ability to use certain preexisting video recordings. However

LARA. Localization of an automatized refueling machine by acoustical sounding in breeder reactors - implementation of artificial intelligence techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lhuillier, C.; Malvache, P.

1987-01-01

The automatic control of the machine which handles the nuclear subassemblies in fast neutron reactors requires autonomous perception and decision tools. An acoustical device allows the machine to position in the work area. Artificial intelligence techniques are implemented to interpret the data: pattern recognition, scene analysis. The localization process is managed by an expert system. 6 refs.; 8 figs

Holograms for acoustics.

Science.gov (United States)

Melde, Kai; Mark, Andrew G; Qiu, Tian; Fischer, Peer

2016-09-22

Holographic techniques are fundamental to applications such as volumetric displays, high-density data storage and optical tweezers that require spatial control of intricate optical or acoustic fields within a three-dimensional volume. The basis of holography is spatial storage of the phase and/or amplitude profile of the desired wavefront in a manner that allows that wavefront to be reconstructed by interference when the hologram is illuminated with a suitable coherent source. Modern computer-generated holography skips the process of recording a hologram from a physical scene, and instead calculates the required phase profile before rendering it for reconstruction. In ultrasound applications, the phase profile is typically generated by discrete and independently driven ultrasound sources; however, these can only be used in small numbers, which limits the complexity or degrees of freedom that can be attained in the wavefront. Here we introduce monolithic acoustic holograms, which can reconstruct diffraction-limited acoustic pressure fields and thus arbitrary ultrasound beams. We use rapid fabrication to craft the holograms and achieve reconstruction degrees of freedom two orders of magnitude higher than commercial phased array sources. The technique is inexpensive, appropriate for both transmission and reflection elements, and scales well to higher information content, larger aperture size and higher power. The complex three-dimensional pressure and phase distributions produced by these acoustic holograms allow us to demonstrate new approaches to controlled ultrasonic manipulation of solids in water, and of liquids and solids in air. We expect that acoustic holograms will enable new capabilities in beam-steering and the contactless transfer of power, improve medical imaging, and drive new applications of ultrasound.

Relationships between acoustic emissions and microstructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao, G.V.; Gopal, R.

1979-01-01

Results of a systematic study of 'microstructure-deformation-acoustic emission' relationships on two widely used pressure retaining component materials, namely A533-B nuclear pressure vessel steel and a 7075 aluminum alloy, are presented. The study consists of conducting acoustic monitored tensile tests on a variety of quenched and aged microstructures in the two alloy systems and extensive microstructural characterization of test specimens by light optic and electron microscopy techniques. The results suggest a consistent relationship between acoustic emissions and microdeformation mechanisms. The role of specific microstructural constituents in generating acoustic emissions in the two alloys is discussed. (author)

Acoustic biosensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Fogel, Ronen; Limson, Janice; Seshia, Ashwin A

2016-06-30

Resonant and acoustic wave devices have been researched for several decades for application in the gravimetric sensing of a variety of biological and chemical analytes. These devices operate by coupling the measurand (e.g. analyte adsorption) as a modulation in the physical properties of the acoustic wave (e.g. resonant frequency, acoustic velocity, dissipation) that can then be correlated with the amount of adsorbed analyte. These devices can also be miniaturized with advantages in terms of cost, size and scalability, as well as potential additional features including integration with microfluidics and electronics, scaled sensitivities associated with smaller dimensions and higher operational frequencies, the ability to multiplex detection across arrays of hundreds of devices embedded in a single chip, increased throughput and the ability to interrogate a wider range of modes including within the same device. Additionally, device fabrication is often compatible with semiconductor volume batch manufacturing techniques enabling cost scalability and a high degree of precision and reproducibility in the manufacturing process. Integration with microfluidics handling also enables suitable sample pre-processing/separation/purification/amplification steps that could improve selectivity and the overall signal-to-noise ratio. Three device types are reviewed here: (i) bulk acoustic wave sensors, (ii) surface acoustic wave sensors, and (iii) micro/nano-electromechanical system (MEMS/NEMS) sensors. © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

Acoustic Parametric Array for Identifying Standoff Targets

Science.gov (United States)

Hinders, M. K.; Rudd, K. E.

2010-02-01

An integrated simulation method for investigating nonlinear sound beams and 3D acoustic scattering from any combination of complicated objects is presented. A standard finite-difference simulation method is used to model pulsed nonlinear sound propagation from a source to a scattering target via the KZK equation. Then, a parallel 3D acoustic simulation method based on the finite integration technique is used to model the acoustic wave interaction with the target. Any combination of objects and material layers can be placed into the 3D simulation space to study the resulting interaction. Several example simulations are presented to demonstrate the simulation method and 3D visualization techniques. The combined simulation method is validated by comparing experimental and simulation data and a demonstration of how this combined simulation method assisted in the development of a nonlinear acoustic concealed weapons detector is also presented.

Source Identification in Structural Acoustics with an Inverse Frequency Response Function Technique

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Visser, Rene

2002-01-01

Inverse source identification based on acoustic measurements is essential for the investigation and understanding of sound fields generated by structural vibrations of various devices and machinery. Acoustic pressure measurements performed on a grid in the nearfield of a surface can be used to

Hemispheric specialization in dogs for processing different acoustic stimuli.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcello Siniscalchi

Full Text Available Considerable experimental evidence shows that functional cerebral asymmetries are widespread in animals. Activity of the right cerebral hemisphere has been associated with responses to novel stimuli and the expression of intense emotions, such as aggression, escape behaviour and fear. The left hemisphere uses learned patterns and responds to familiar stimuli. Although such lateralization has been studied mainly for visual responses, there is evidence in primates that auditory perception is lateralized and that vocal communication depends on differential processing by the hemispheres. The aim of the present work was to investigate whether dogs use different hemispheres to process different acoustic stimuli by presenting them with playbacks of a thunderstorm and their species-typical vocalizations. The results revealed that dogs usually process their species-typical vocalizations using the left hemisphere and the thunderstorm sounds using the right hemisphere. Nevertheless, conspecific vocalizations are not always processed by the left hemisphere, since the right hemisphere is used for processing vocalizations when they elicit intense emotion, including fear. These findings suggest that the specialisation of the left hemisphere for intraspecific communication is more ancient that previously thought, and so is specialisation of the right hemisphere for intense emotions.

Modeling ground vehicle acoustic signatures for analysis and synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haschke, G.; Stanfield, R.

1995-01-01

Security and weapon systems use acoustic sensor signals to classify and identify moving ground vehicles. Developing robust signal processing algorithms for this is expensive, particularly in presence of acoustic clutter or countermeasures. This paper proposes a parametric ground vehicle acoustic signature model to aid the system designer in understanding which signature features are important, developing corresponding feature extraction algorithms and generating low-cost, high-fidelity synthetic signatures for testing. The authors have proposed computer-generated acoustic signatures of armored, tracked ground vehicles to deceive acoustic-sensored smart munitions. They have developed quantitative measures of how accurately a synthetic acoustic signature matches those produced by actual vehicles. This paper describes parameters of the model used to generate these synthetic signatures and suggests methods for extracting these parameters from signatures of valid vehicle encounters. The model incorporates wide-bandwidth and narrow- bandwidth components that are modulated in a pseudo-random fashion to mimic the time dynamics of valid vehicle signatures. Narrow- bandwidth feature extraction techniques estimate frequency, amplitude and phase information contained in a single set of narrow frequency- band harmonics. Wide-bandwidth feature extraction techniques estimate parameters of a correlated-noise-floor model. Finally, the authors propose a method of modeling the time dynamics of the harmonic amplitudes as a means adding necessary time-varying features to the narrow-bandwidth signal components. The authors present results of applying this modeling technique to acoustic signatures recorded during encounters with one armored, tracked vehicle. Similar modeling techniques can be applied to security systems

An Experimental Introduction to Acoustics

Science.gov (United States)

Black, Andy Nicholas; Magruder, Robert H.

2017-11-01

Learning and understanding physics requires more than studying physics texts. It requires doing physics. Doing research is a key opportunity for students to connect physical principles with their everyday experience. A powerful way to introduce students to research and technique is through subjects in which they might find interest. Presented is an experiment that serves to introduce an advanced undergraduate or high school student to conducting research in acoustics via an experiment involving a standard dreadnought acoustic guitar, recording industry-related equipment, and relevant industrial analysis software. This experimental process is applicable to a wide range of acoustical topics including both acoustic and electric instruments. Also, the student has a hands-on experience with relevant audio engineering technology to study physical principles.

Outdoor Acoustics as a General Discipline

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Karsten Bo

1999-01-01

A tutorial paper exploring the characteristics of sound outdoors. Outdoor acoustics is contrasted to room acoustics. A number of important aspects of outdoor acoustics are exemplified and theoretical approaches are outlined. These are influence of ground impedance, influence of weather, screening...... to the application in question. In this way results providing a certain level of accuracy are obtained using methods which are balanced with the accuracy of the input data. Advanced measurement techniques are looked into and suggestions for future research are made...

Message Brokering Evaluation for Live Spacecraft Telemetry Monitoring, Recorded Playback, and Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Daren; Pomerantz, Marc

2015-01-01

Live monitoring and post-flight analysis of telemetry data play a vital role in the development, diagnosis, and deployment of components of a space flight mission. Requirements for such a system include low end-to-end latency between data producers and visualizers, preserved ordering of messages, data stream archiving with random access playback, and real-time creation of derived data streams. We evaluate the RabbitMQ and Kafka message brokering systems, on how well they can enable a real-time, scalable, and robust telemetry framework that delivers telemetry data to multiple clients across heterogeneous platforms and flight projects. In our experiments using an actively developed robotic arm testbed, Kafka yielded a much higher message throughput rate and a consistent publishing rate across the number of topics and consumers. Consumer message rates were consistent across the number of topics but can exhibit bursty behavior with an increase in the contention for a single topic partition with increasing number of consumers.

Acoustic emission non-destructive testing of structures using source location techniques.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beattie, Alan G.

2013-09-01

The technology of acoustic emission (AE) testing has been advanced and used at Sandia for the past 40 years. AE has been used on structures including pressure vessels, fire bottles, wind turbines, gas wells, nuclear weapons, and solar collectors. This monograph begins with background topics in acoustics and instrumentation and then focuses on current acoustic emission technology. It covers the overall design and system setups for a test, with a wind turbine blade as the object. Test analysis is discussed with an emphasis on source location. Three test examples are presented, two on experimental wind turbine blades and one on aircraft fire extinguisher bottles. Finally, the code for a FORTRAN source location program is given as an example of a working analysis program. Throughout the document, the stress is on actual testing of real structures, not on laboratory experiments.

Acoustic detection of high energy neutrinos in sea water: status and prospects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lahmann Robert

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The acoustic neutrino detection technique is a promising approach for future large-scale detectors with the aim of measuring the small expected flux of neutrinos at energies in the EeV-range and above. The technique is based on the thermo-acoustic model, which implies that the energy deposition by a particle cascade – resulting from a neutrino interaction in a medium with suitable thermal and acoustic properties – leads to a local heating and a subsequent characteristic pressure pulse that propagates in the surrounding medium. Current or recent test setups for acoustic neutrino detection have either been add-ons to optical neutrino telescopes or have been using acoustic arrays built for other purposes, typically for military use. While these arrays have been too small to derive competitive limits on neutrino fluxes, they allowed for detailed studies of the experimental technique. With the advent of the research infrastructure KM3NeT in the Mediterranean Sea, new possibilities will arise for acoustic neutrino detection. In this article, results from the “first generation” of acoustic arrays will be summarized and implications for the future of acoustic neutrino detection will be discussed.

Evaluation of Acoustic Propagation Paths into the Human Head

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

O'Brien, William D., Jr; Liu, Yuhui

2005-01-01

The overall goal of this research was to develop an acoustic wave propagation model using well-understood and documented computational techniques that track and quantify an air-borne incident acoustic...

Stable And Oscillating Acoustic Levitation

Science.gov (United States)

Barmatz, Martin B.; Garrett, Steven L.

1988-01-01

Sample stability or instability determined by levitating frequency. Degree of oscillation of acoustically levitated object along axis of levitation chamber controlled by varying frequency of acoustic driver for axis above or below frequency of corresponding chamber resonance. Stabilization/oscillation technique applied in normal Earth gravity, or in absence of gravity to bring object quickly to rest at nominal levitation position or make object oscillate in desired range about that position.

Simplified Rotation In Acoustic Levitation

Science.gov (United States)

Barmatz, M. B.; Gaspar, M. S.; Trinh, E. H.

1989-01-01

New technique based on old discovery used to control orientation of object levitated acoustically in axisymmetric chamber. Method does not require expensive equipment like additional acoustic drivers of precisely adjustable amplitude, phase, and frequency. Reflecting object acts as second source of sound. If reflecting object large enough, close enough to levitated object, or focuses reflected sound sufficiently, Rayleigh torque exerted on levitated object by reflected sound controls orientation of object.

Sustainable Acoustic Metasurfaces for Sound Control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paola Gori

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Sound attenuation with conventional acoustic materials is subject to the mass law and requires massive and bulky structures at low frequencies. A possible alternative solution is provided by the use of metamaterials, which are artificial materials properly engineered to obtain properties and characteristics that it is not possible to find in natural materials. Theory and applications of metamaterials, already consolidated in electromagnetism, can be extended to acoustics; in particular, they can be applied to improve the properties of acoustical panels. The design of acoustic metasurfaces that could effectively control transmitted sound in unconventional ways appears a significant subject to be investigated, given its wide-ranging possible applications. In this contribution, we investigate the application of a metasurface-inspired technique to achieve the acoustical insulation of an environment. The designed surface has subwavelength thickness and structuring and could be realized with cheap, lightweight and sustainable materials. We present a few examples of such structures and analyze their acoustical behavior by means of full-wave simulations.

Acoustic Communications Measurement Systems (ACOMMS)

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — FUNCTION: Design and develop adaptive signal processing techniques to improve underwater acoustic communications and networking. Phase coherent and incoherent signal...

Material Property Measurement in Hostile Environments using Laser Acoustics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ken L. Telschow

2004-01-01

Acoustic methods are well known and have been used to measure various intrinsic material properties, such as, elastic coefficients, density, crystal axis orientation, microstructural texture, and residual stress. Extrinsic properties, such as, dimensions, motion variables or temperature are also readily determined from acoustic methods. Laser acoustics, employing optical generation and detection of elastic waves, has a unique advantage over other acoustic methods-it is noncontacting, uses the sample surface itself for transduction, requires no couplant or invasive sample surface preparation and can be utilized in any hostile environment allowing optical access to the sample surface. In addition, optical generation and detection probe beams can be focused to the micron scale and/or shaped to alter the transduction process with a degree of control not possible using contact transduction methods. Laser methods are amenable to both continuous wave and pulse-echo measurements and have been used from Hz to 100's of GHz (time scales from sec to psec) and with amplitudes sufficient to fracture materials. This paper shall review recent applications of laser acoustic methods to determining material properties in hostile environments that preclude the use of contacting transduction techniques. Example environments include high temperature (>1000C) sintering and molten metal processing, thin film deposition by plasma techniques, materials moving at high velocity during the fabrication process and nuclear high radiation regions. Recent technological advances in solid-state lasers and telecommunications have greatly aided the development and implementation of laser acoustic methods, particularly at ultra high frequencies. Consequently, laser acoustic material property measurements exhibit high precision and reproducibility today. In addition, optical techniques provide methods of imaging acoustic motion that is both quantitative and rapid. Possible future directions for laser

Estimating propagation velocity through a surface acoustic wave sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Wenyuan; Huizinga, John S.

2010-03-16

Techniques are described for estimating the propagation velocity through a surface acoustic wave sensor. In particular, techniques which measure and exploit a proper segment of phase frequency response of the surface acoustic wave sensor are described for use as a basis of bacterial detection by the sensor. As described, use of velocity estimation based on a proper segment of phase frequency response has advantages over conventional techniques that use phase shift as the basis for detection.

The near-field acoustic levitation of high-mass rotors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Z. Y.; Lü, P.; Geng, D. L.; Zhai, W.; Yan, N.; Wei, B.

2014-01-01

Here we demonstrate that spherical rotors with 40 mm diameter and 0-1 kg mass can be suspended more than tens of micrometers away from an ultrasonically vibrating concave surface by near-field acoustic radiation force. Their rotating speeds exceed 3000 rpm. An acoustic model has been developed to evaluate the near-field acoustic radiation force and the resonant frequencies of levitation system. This technique has potential application in developing acoustic gyroscope

The near-field acoustic levitation of high-mass rotors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, Z. Y.; Lü, P.; Geng, D. L.; Zhai, W.; Yan, N.; Wei, B., E-mail: bbwei@nwpu.edu.cn [Department of Applied Physics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi' an 710072 (China)

2014-10-15

Here we demonstrate that spherical rotors with 40 mm diameter and 0-1 kg mass can be suspended more than tens of micrometers away from an ultrasonically vibrating concave surface by near-field acoustic radiation force. Their rotating speeds exceed 3000 rpm. An acoustic model has been developed to evaluate the near-field acoustic radiation force and the resonant frequencies of levitation system. This technique has potential application in developing acoustic gyroscope.

The near-field acoustic levitation of high-mass rotors.

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Z Y; Lü, P; Geng, D L; Zhai, W; Yan, N; Wei, B

2014-10-01

Here we demonstrate that spherical rotors with 40 mm diameter and 0-1 kg mass can be suspended more than tens of micrometers away from an ultrasonically vibrating concave surface by near-field acoustic radiation force. Their rotating speeds exceed 3000 rpm. An acoustic model has been developed to evaluate the near-field acoustic radiation force and the resonant frequencies of levitation system. This technique has potential application in developing acoustic gyroscope.

Integrating acoustic analysis in the architectural design process using parametric modelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Peters, Brady

2011-01-01

This paper discusses how parametric modeling techniques can be used to provide architectural designers with a better understanding of the acoustic performance of their designs and provide acoustic engineers with models that can be analyzed using computational acoustic analysis software. Architects......, acoustic performance can inform the geometry and material logic of the design. In this way, the architectural design and the acoustic analysis model become linked....

Cerebellar interaction with the acoustic reflex.

Science.gov (United States)

Jastreboff, P J

1981-01-01

The involvement of the cerebellar vermis in the acoustic reflex was analyzed in 12 cats, decerebrated or in pentobarbital anesthesia. Anatomical data suggested the existence of a connection of lobules VIII with the ventral cochlear nucleus. Single cell recording and evoked potential techniques demonstrated the existence of the acoustic projection to lobulus VIII. Electrical stimulation of this area changed the tension of the middle ear muscle and caused evoked potential responses in the caudal part of the ventral cochlear nucleus. Electrical stimulation of the motor nucleus of the facial nerve evoked a slow wave in the recording taken from the surrounding of the cochlear round window. A hypothesis is proposed which postulates the involvement of the acoustic reflex in space localization of acoustic stimuli and the action of cerebellar vermis in order to assure the stability and plasticity of the acoustic reflex arc.

PC operated acoustic transient spectroscopy of deep levels in MIS structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bury, P.; Jamnicky, I.

1996-01-01

A new version of acoustic deep-level transient spectroscopy is presented to study the traps at the insulator-semiconductor interface. The acoustic deep-level transient spectroscopy uses an acoustoelectric response signal produced by the MIS structure interface when a longitudinal acoustic wave propagates through a structure. The acoustoelectric response signal is extremely sensitive to external conditions of the structure and reflects any changes in the charge distribution, connected also with charged traps. In comparison with previous version of acoustic deep-level transient spectroscopy that closely coincides with the principle of the original deep-level transient spectroscopy technique, the present technique is based on the computer-evaluated isothermal transients and represents an improved, more efficient and time saving technique. Many tests on the software used for calculation as well as on experimental setup have been performed. The improved acoustic deep-level transient spectroscopy method has been applied for the Si(p) MIS structures. The deep-level parameters as activation energy and capture cross-section have been determined. (authors)

Laser-induced acoustic landmine detection with experimental results on buried landmines

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heuvel, J.C. van den; Putten, F.J.M. van; Koersel, A.C. van; Schleijpen, H.M.A.

2004-01-01

Acoustic landmine detection (ALD) is a technique for the detection of buried landmines including non-metal mines. Since it gives complementary results with GPR or metal detection, sensor fusion of these techniques with acoustic detection would give promising results. Two methods are used for the

Error analysis by means of acoustic holography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kutzner, J.; Wuestenberg, H.

1976-01-01

The possilbilities to use the acoustical holography in nondestructive testing are discussed. Although compared to optical holography the image quality of acoustical holography is reduced this technique can give important informations about the shape of defects. Especially in nondestructive testing of thick walled components no alternative exists until now. (orig.) [de

Multimodal signal variation in space and time : how important is matching a signal with its signaler?

OpenAIRE

Taylor, Ryan C.; Klein, Barrett; Stein, Joey; Ryan, Michael J.

2011-01-01

Multimodal signals (acoustic+visual) are known to be used by many anuran amphibians during courtship displays. The relative degree to which each signal component influences female mate choice, however, remains poorly understood. In this study we used a robotic frog with an inflating vocal sac and acoustic playbacks to document responses of female túngara frogs to unimodal signal components (acoustic and visual). We then tested female responses to a synchronous multimodal signal. Finally, we t...

Acoustic agglomeration methods and apparatus

Science.gov (United States)

Barmatz, M. B. (Inventor)

1984-01-01

Methods are described for using acoustic energy to agglomerate fine particles on the order of one micron diameter that are suspended in gas, to provide agglomerates large enough for efficient removal by other techniques. The gas with suspended particles, is passed through the length of a chamber while acoustic energy at a resonant chamber mode is applied to set up one or more acoustic standing wave patterns that vibrate the suspended particles to bring them together so they agglomerate. Several widely different frequencies can be applied to efficiently vibrate particles of widely differing sizes. The standing wave pattern can be applied along directions transversed to the flow of the gas. The particles can be made to move in circles by applying acoustic energy in perpendicular directions with the energy in both directions being of the same wavelength but 90 deg out of phase.

Acoustic tomography in the atmospheric surface layer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Ziemann

Full Text Available Acoustic tomography is presented as a technique for remote monitoring of meteorological quantities. This method and a special algorithm of analysis can directly produce area-averaged values of meteorological parameters. As a result consistent data will be obtained for validation of numerical atmospheric micro-scale models. Such a measuring system can complement conventional point measurements over different surfaces. The procedure of acoustic tomography uses the horizontal propagation of sound waves in the atmospheric surface layer. Therefore, to provide a general overview of sound propagation under various atmospheric conditions a two-dimensional ray-tracing model according to a modified version of Snell's law is used. The state of the crossed atmosphere can be estimated from measurements of acoustic travel time between sources and receivers at different points. Derivation of area-averaged values of the sound speed and furthermore of air temperature results from the inversion of travel time values for all acoustic paths. Thereby, the applied straight ray two-dimensional tomographic model using SIRT (simultaneous iterative reconstruction technique is characterised as a method with small computational requirements, satisfactory convergence and stability properties as well as simple handling, especially, during online evaluation.

Key words. Meteorology and atmospheric dynamics (turbulence; instruments and techniques.

Digital sonar design in underwater acoustics principles and applications

CERN Document Server

Li, Qihu

2012-01-01

"Digital Sonar Design in Underwater Acoustics Principles and Applications" provides comprehensive and up-to-date coverage of research on sonar design, including the basic theory and techniques of digital signal processing, basic concept of information theory, ocean acoustics, underwater acoustic signal propagation theory, and underwater signal processing theory. This book discusses the general design procedure and approaches to implementation, the design method, system simulation theory and techniques, sonar tests in the laboratory, lake and sea, and practical validation criteria and methods for digital sonar design. It is intended for researchers in the fields of underwater signal processing and sonar design, and also for navy officers and ocean explorers. Qihu Li is a professor at the Institute of Acoustics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Advanced numerical technique for analysis of surface and bulk acoustic waves in resonators using periodic metal gratings

Science.gov (United States)

Naumenko, Natalya F.

2014-09-01

A numerical technique characterized by a unified approach for the analysis of different types of acoustic waves utilized in resonators in which a periodic metal grating is used for excitation and reflection of such waves is described. The combination of the Finite Element Method analysis of the electrode domain with the Spectral Domain Analysis (SDA) applied to the adjacent upper and lower semi-infinite regions, which may be multilayered and include air as a special case of a dielectric material, enables rigorous simulation of the admittance in resonators using surface acoustic waves, Love waves, plate modes including Lamb waves, Stonely waves, and other waves propagating along the interface between two media, and waves with transient structure between the mentioned types. The matrix formalism with improved convergence incorporated into SDA provides fast and robust simulation for multilayered structures with arbitrary thickness of each layer. The described technique is illustrated by a few examples of its application to various combinations of LiNbO3, isotropic silicon dioxide and silicon with a periodic array of Cu electrodes. The wave characteristics extracted from the admittance functions change continuously with the variation of the film and plate thicknesses over wide ranges, even when the wave nature changes. The transformation of the wave nature with the variation of the layer thicknesses is illustrated by diagrams and contour plots of the displacements calculated at resonant frequencies.

Condition monitoring of a check valve for nuclear power plants by means of acoustic emission technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Min Rae; Leee, Jun Hyun; Kim, Jung Tack; Kim, Jung Soo; Luk, V. K.

2003-01-01

This work performed in support of the International Nuclear Energy Research Initiative(INERI) program, which was to develop and demonstrate advanced sensor and computational technology for on-line monitoring of the condition of components, structures, and systems in advanced and next-generation nuclear power plants (NPPs). The primary object of this work is to investigate advanced condition monitoring systems based on acoustic emission detection that can provide timely detection of check valve degradation and service aging so that maintenance/replacement could be preformed prior to loss of safety function. The research is focused on the capability of AE technique to provide diagnostic information useful in determining check valve aging and degradation, check valve failures and undesirable operating modes. This work also includes the investigation and adaptation of several advanced sensor technologies such as accelerometer and advanced ultrasonic technique. In addition, this work will develop advanced sophisticated signal processing, noise reduction, and pattern recognition techniques and algorithms from check valve degradation.

Condition monitoring of a check valve for nuclear power plants by means of acoustic emission technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, M. R.; Lee, J. H.; Kim, J. T.; Kim, J. S.; Luk, V. K.

2003-01-01

This work performed in support of the International Nuclear Energy Research Institute (INERI) program, which was to develop and demonstrate advanced sensor and computational technology for on-line monitoring of the condition of components, structures, and systems in advanced and next-generation nuclear power plants (NPPs). This primary object of this work is to investigate advanced condition monitoring systems based on acoustic emission detection that can provide timely detection of check valve degeneration and service aging so that maintenance/replacement could be preformed prior to loss safety function. The research is focused on the capability of AE technique to provide diagnostic information useful in determining check valve aging and degradation check valve failure and undesirable operating modes. This work also includes the investigation and adaptation of several advanced sensor technologies such as accelerometer and advanced ultrasonic technique. In addition, this work will develop advanced sophisticated signal processing, noise reduction, and pattern recognition techniques and algorithms from check valve degradation.

A consideration on physical tuning for acoustical coloration in recording studio

Science.gov (United States)

Shimizu, Yasushi

2003-04-01

Coloration due to particular architectural shapes and dimension or less surface absorption has been mentioned as an acoustical defect in recording studio. Generally interference among early reflected sounds arriving within 10 ms in delay after the direct sound produces coloration by comb filter effect over mid- and high-frequency sounds. In addition, less absorbed room resonance modes also have been well known as a major component for coloration in low-frequency sounds. Small size in dimension with recording studio, however, creates difficulty in characterization associated with wave acoustics behavior, that make acoustical optimization more difficult than that of concert hall acoustics. There still remains difficulty in evaluating amount of coloration as well as predicting its acoustical characteristics in acoustical modeling and in other words acoustical tuning technique during construction is regarded as important to optimize acoustics appropriately to the function of recording studio. This paper presents a example of coloration by comb filtering effect and less damped room modes in typical post-processing recording studio. And acoustical design and measurement technique will be presented for adjusting timbre due to coloration based on psycho-acoustical performance with binaural hearing and room resonance control with line array resonator adjusted to the particular room modes considered.

Densitometry By Acoustic Levitation

Science.gov (United States)

Trinh, Eugene H.

1989-01-01

"Static" and "dynamic" methods developed for measuring mass density of acoustically levitated solid particle or liquid drop. "Static" method, unknown density of sample found by comparison with another sample of known density. "Dynamic" method practiced with or without gravitational field. Advantages over conventional density-measuring techniques: sample does not have to make contact with container or other solid surface, size and shape of samples do not affect measurement significantly, sound field does not have to be know in detail, and sample can be smaller than microliter. Detailed knowledge of acoustic field not necessary.

Aero-acoustic Computations of Wind Turbines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shen, Wen Zhong; Michelsen, Jess; Sørensen, Jens Nørkær

2002-01-01

A numerical algorithm for acoustic noise generation is extended to 3D flows. The approach involves two parts comprising a viscous incompressible flow part and an inviscid acoustic part. In order to simulate noise generated from a wind turbine, the incompressible and acoustic equations are written...... in polar coordinates. The developed algorithm is combined with a so-called actuator-line technique in which the loading is distributed along lines representing the blade forces. Computations are carried out for the 500kW Nordtank wind turbine equipped with three LM19 blades. ©2001 The American Institute...

Portable acoustic myography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Harrison, Adrian Paul; Danneskiold-Samsøe, Bente; Bartels, Else Marie

2013-01-01

Muscle sound gives a local picture of muscles involved in a particular movement and is independent of electrical signals between nerve and muscle. Sound recording (acoustic myography) is a well-known noninvasive technique that has suffered from not being easily applicable, as well as not being able...

World Conference on Acoustic Emission 2013

CERN Document Server

Wu, Zhanwen; Zhang, Junjiao

2015-01-01

This volume collects the papers from the 2013 World Conference on Acoustic Emission in Shanghai. The latest research and applications of Acoustic Emission (AE) are explored, with particular emphasis on detecting and processing of AE signals, development of AE instrument and testing standards, AE of materials, engineering structures and systems, including the processing of collected data and analytical techniques as well as experimental case studies.

World Conference on Acoustic Emission 2015

CERN Document Server

Wu, Zhanwen; Zhang, Junjiao

2017-01-01

This volume collects the papers from the World Conference on Acoustic Emission 2015 (WCAE-2015) in Hawaii. The latest research and applications of Acoustic Emission (AE) are explored, with particular emphasis on detecting and processing of AE signals, development of AE instrument and testing standards, AE of materials, engineering structures and systems, including the processing of collected data and analytical techniques as well as experimental case studies.

Acoustic emission monitoring of the bending under tension test

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Moghadam, Marcel; Sulaiman, Mohd Hafis Bin; Christiansen, Peter

2017-01-01

Preliminary investigations have shown that acoustic emission has promising aspects as an online monitoring technique for assessment of tribological conditions during metal forming as regards to determination of the onset of galling. In the present study the acoustic emission measuring technique h...... in BUT testing has been found to describe the frictional conditions during forming well and to allow for accurate assessment of the limits of lubrication....... been applied for online monitoring of the frictional conditions experienced during Bending Under Tension (BUT) testing. The BUT test emulates the forming conditions experienced when drawing sheet material over a die curvature as in deep drawing processes. Monitoring of the developed acoustic emission...

Adaptive parametric model order reduction technique for optimization of vibro-acoustic models: Application to hearing aid design

Science.gov (United States)

Creixell-Mediante, Ester; Jensen, Jakob S.; Naets, Frank; Brunskog, Jonas; Larsen, Martin

2018-06-01

Finite Element (FE) models of complex structural-acoustic coupled systems can require a large number of degrees of freedom in order to capture their physical behaviour. This is the case in the hearing aid field, where acoustic-mechanical feedback paths are a key factor in the overall system performance and modelling them accurately requires a precise description of the strong interaction between the light-weight parts and the internal and surrounding air over a wide frequency range. Parametric optimization of the FE model can be used to reduce the vibroacoustic feedback in a device during the design phase; however, it requires solving the model iteratively for multiple frequencies at different parameter values, which becomes highly time consuming when the system is large. Parametric Model Order Reduction (pMOR) techniques aim at reducing the computational cost associated with each analysis by projecting the full system into a reduced space. A drawback of most of the existing techniques is that the vector basis of the reduced space is built at an offline phase where the full system must be solved for a large sample of parameter values, which can also become highly time consuming. In this work, we present an adaptive pMOR technique where the construction of the projection basis is embedded in the optimization process and requires fewer full system analyses, while the accuracy of the reduced system is monitored by a cheap error indicator. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated for a 4-parameter optimization of a frequency response for a hearing aid model, evaluated at 300 frequencies, where the objective function evaluations become more than one order of magnitude faster than for the full system.

Non-invasive acoustic-based monitoring of uranium in solution and H/D ratio

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pantea, Cristian [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Beedle, Christopher Craig [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Sinha, Dipen N. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Lakis, Rollin Evan [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-08-01

The primary objective of this project is to adapt existing non-invasive acoustic techniques (Swept-Frequency Acoustic Interferometry and Gaussian-pulse acoustic technique) for the purpose of demonstrating the ability to quantify U or H/D ratios in solution. Furthermore, a successful demonstration will provide an easily implemented, low cost, and non-invasive method for remote and unattended uranium mass measurements for International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Iterative calculation of reflected and transmitted acoustic waves at a rough interface

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Berkhoff, Arthur P.; van den Berg, P.M.; Thijssen, J.M.

A rigorous iterative technique is described for calculating the acoustic wave reflection and transmission at an irregular interface between two different media. The method is based upon a plane-wave expansion technique in which the acoustic field equations and the radiation condition are satisfied

Highly Localized Acoustic Streaming and Size-Selective Submicrometer Particle Concentration Using High Frequency Microscale Focused Acoustic Fields.

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, David J; Ma, Zhichao; Ai, Ye

2016-05-17

Concentration and separation of particles and biological specimens are fundamental functions of micro/nanofluidic systems. Acoustic streaming is an effective and biocompatible way to create rapid microscale fluid motion and induce particle capture, though the >100 MHz frequencies required to directly generate acoustic body forces on the microscale have traditionally been difficult to generate and localize in a way that is amenable to efficient generation of streaming. Moreover, acoustic, hydrodynamic, and electrical forces as typically applied have difficulty manipulating specimens in the submicrometer regime. In this work, we introduce highly focused traveling surface acoustic waves (SAW) at high frequencies between 193 and 636 MHz for efficient and highly localized production of acoustic streaming vortices on microfluidic length scales. Concentration occurs via a novel mechanism, whereby the combined acoustic radiation and streaming field results in size-selective aggregation in fluid streamlines in the vicinity of a high-amplitude acoustic beam, as opposed to previous acoustic radiation induced particle concentration where objects typically migrate toward minimum pressure locations. Though the acoustic streaming is induced by a traveling wave, we are able to manipulate particles an order of magnitude smaller than possible using the traveling wave force alone. We experimentally and theoretically examine the range of particle sizes that can be captured in fluid streamlines using this technique, with rapid particle concentration demonstrated down to 300 nm diameters. We also demonstrate that locations of trapping and concentration are size-dependent, which is attributed to the combined effects of the acoustic streaming and acoustic forces.

Tipping point analysis of ocean acoustic noise

Science.gov (United States)

Livina, Valerie N.; Brouwer, Albert; Harris, Peter; Wang, Lian; Sotirakopoulos, Kostas; Robinson, Stephen

2018-02-01

We apply tipping point analysis to a large record of ocean acoustic data to identify the main components of the acoustic dynamical system and study possible bifurcations and transitions of the system. The analysis is based on a statistical physics framework with stochastic modelling, where we represent the observed data as a composition of deterministic and stochastic components estimated from the data using time-series techniques. We analyse long-term and seasonal trends, system states and acoustic fluctuations to reconstruct a one-dimensional stochastic equation to approximate the acoustic dynamical system. We apply potential analysis to acoustic fluctuations and detect several changes in the system states in the past 14 years. These are most likely caused by climatic phenomena. We analyse trends in sound pressure level within different frequency bands and hypothesize a possible anthropogenic impact on the acoustic environment. The tipping point analysis framework provides insight into the structure of the acoustic data and helps identify its dynamic phenomena, correctly reproducing the probability distribution and scaling properties (power-law correlations) of the time series.

A new, simple electrostatic-acoustic hybrid levitator

Science.gov (United States)

Lierke, E. G.; Loeb, H.; Gross, D.

1990-01-01

Battelle has developed a hybrid levitator by combining the known single-axis acoustic standing wave levitator with a coaxial DC electric field. The resulting Coulomb forces on the charged liquid or solid sample support its weight and, together with the acoustic force, center the sample. Liquid samples with volumes approximately less than 100 micro-liters are deployed from a syringe reservoir into the acoustic pressure node. The sample is charged using a miniature high voltage power supply (approximately less than 20 kV) connected to the syringe needle. As the electric field, generated by a second miniature power supply, is increased, the acoustic intensity is reduced. The combination of both fields allows stable levitation of samples larger than either single technique could position on the ground. Decreasing the acoustic intensity reduces acoustic convection and sample deformation. Neither the electrostatic nor the acoustic field requires sample position sensing or active control. The levitator, now used for static and dynamic fluid physics investigations on the ground, can be easily modified for space operations.

Tipping point analysis of ocean acoustic noise

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. N. Livina

2018-02-01

Full Text Available We apply tipping point analysis to a large record of ocean acoustic data to identify the main components of the acoustic dynamical system and study possible bifurcations and transitions of the system. The analysis is based on a statistical physics framework with stochastic modelling, where we represent the observed data as a composition of deterministic and stochastic components estimated from the data using time-series techniques. We analyse long-term and seasonal trends, system states and acoustic fluctuations to reconstruct a one-dimensional stochastic equation to approximate the acoustic dynamical system. We apply potential analysis to acoustic fluctuations and detect several changes in the system states in the past 14 years. These are most likely caused by climatic phenomena. We analyse trends in sound pressure level within different frequency bands and hypothesize a possible anthropogenic impact on the acoustic environment. The tipping point analysis framework provides insight into the structure of the acoustic data and helps identify its dynamic phenomena, correctly reproducing the probability distribution and scaling properties (power-law correlations of the time series.

Acoustic detection in superconducting magnets for performance characterization and diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marchevsky, M; Wang, X; Sabbi, G; Prestemon, S

2013-01-01

Quench diagnostics in superconducting accelerator magnets is essential for understanding performance limitations and improving magnet design. Applicability of the conventional quench diagnostics methods such as voltage taps or quench antennas is limited for long magnets or complex winding geometries, and alternative approaches are desirable. Here, we discuss acoustic sensing technique for detecting mechanical vibrations in superconducting magnets. Using LARP high-field Nb3Sn quadrupole HQ01, we show how acoustic data is connected with voltage instabilities measured simultaneously in the magnet windings during provoked extractions and current ramps to quench. Instrumentation and data analysis techniques for acoustic sensing are reviewed. (author)

Acoustic detection in superconducting magnets for performance characterization and diagnostics

CERN Document Server

Marchevsky, M.; Sabbi, G.; Prestemon, S.

2013-01-01

Quench diagnostics in superconducting accelerator magnets is essential for understanding performance limitations and improving magnet design. Applicability of the conventional quench diagnostics methods such as voltage taps or quench antennas is limited for long magnets or complex winding geometries, and alternative approaches are desirable. Here, we discuss acoustic sensing technique for detecting mechanical vibrations in superconducting magnets. Using LARP high-field Nb$_{3}$Sn quadrupole HQ01 [1], we show how acoustic data is connected with voltage instabilities measured simultaneously in the magnet windings during provoked extractions and current ramps to quench. Instrumentation and data analysis techniques for acoustic sensing are reviewed.

GammaLog Playback 1.0 - mobile gamma ray spectrometry software

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watson, R.J.; Smethurst, M.A.

2011-01-01

The Geological Survey of Norway (NGU) operates a mobile gamma ray spectrometer system which can be used in nuclear emergency situations to determine the location and type of orphan sources, or the extent and type of fallout contamination. The system consists of a 20 litre (16 litre downward and 4 litre upward looking) RSX-5 NaI detector and spectrometer, and can be mounted in fixed wing aircraft, helicopters, or vans/cars as appropriate. NGU has developed its own data acquisition and analysis software for this system. GammaLog (Smethurst 2005) controls the acquisition, display, and storage of data from the spectrometer, and performs real-time data analysis including estimation of dose rates and fallout concentrations, and separation of geological and anthropogenic components of the signal. The latter is particularly important where the geological radioisotope signal varies strongly from one place to another, and makes it easier to locate and identify anthropogenic sources which might otherwise be difficult to separate from the geological background signal. A modified version of GammaLog has been developed, GammaLog Playback, which allows the replay of previously acquired GammaLog datasets, while performing similar processing and display as the GammaLog acquisition software. This allows datasets to be reviewed and compared in the field or during post-survey analysis to help plan subsequent measurement strategies.(Au)

Male blue monkeys alarm call in response to danger experienced by others

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Papworth, Sarah; Böse, Anne-Sophie; Barker, Jessie

2008-01-01

Male blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni) of Budongo Forest, Uganda, produce two acoustically distinct alarm calls: hacks to crowned eagles (Stephanoaetus coronatus) and pyows to leopards (Panthera pardus) and a range of other disturbances. In playback experiments, males responded...... to leopard growls exclusively with a series of pyows and to eagle shrieks predominantly with hacks. Responses to playbacks of these alarm call series matched the responses to the corresponding predators, suggesting that the calls conveyed something about the nature of the threat. When responding to a series...... of hacks, indicating an eagle, males responded predominately with hacks, but produced significantly more calls if their group members were close to the playback stimulus than far away, regardless of their own position. When responding to a series of pyows, indicating a range of disturbances, males...

Effect of speech rate variation on acoustic phone stability in Afrikaans speech recognition

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Badenhorst, JAC

2007-11-01

Full Text Available The authors analyse the effect of speech rate variation on Afrikaans phone stability from an acoustic perspective. Specifically they introduce two techniques for the acoustic analysis of speech rate variation, apply these techniques to an Afrikaans...

Laser-induced acoustic imaging of underground objects

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wen; DiMarzio, Charles A.; McKnight, Stephen W.; Sauermann, Gerhard O.; Miller, Eric L.

1999-02-01

This paper introduces a new demining technique based on the photo-acoustic interaction, together with results from photo- acoustic experiments. We have buried different types of targets (metal, rubber and plastic) in different media (sand, soil and water) and imaged them by measuring reflection of acoustic waves generated by irradiation with a CO2 laser. Research has been focused on the signal acquisition and signal processing. A deconvolution method using Wiener filters is utilized in data processing. Using a uniform spatial distribution of laser pulses at the ground's surface, we obtained 3D images of buried objects. The images give us a clear representation of the shapes of the underground objects. The quality of the images depends on the mismatch of acoustic impedance of the buried objects, the bandwidth and center frequency of the acoustic sensors and the selection of filter functions.

Evaluating Acoustic Emission Signals as an in situ process monitoring technique for Selective Laser Melting (SLM)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fisher, Karl A. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Candy, Jim V. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Guss, Gabe [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Mathews, M. J. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2016-10-14

In situ real-time monitoring of the Selective Laser Melting (SLM) process has significant implications for the AM community. The ability to adjust the SLM process parameters during a build (in real-time) can save time, money and eliminate expensive material waste. Having a feedback loop in the process would allow the system to potentially ‘fix’ problem regions before a next powder layer is added. In this study we have investigated acoustic emission (AE) phenomena generated during the SLM process, and evaluated the results in terms of a single process parameter, of an in situ process monitoring technique.

What does See the Impulse Acoustic Microscopy inside Nanocomposites?

Science.gov (United States)

Levin, V. M.; Petronyuk, Y. S.; Morokov, E. S.; Celzard, A.; Bellucci, S.; Kuzhir, P. P.

The paper presents results of studying bulk microstructure in carbon nanocomposites by impulse acoustic microscopy technique. Nanocomposite materials are in the focus of interest because of their outstanding properties in minimal nanofiller content. Large surface area and high superficial activity cause strong interaction between nanoparticles that can result in formation of fractal conglomerates. This paper involves results of the first direct observation of nanoparticle conglomerates inside the bulk of epoxy-carbon nanocomposites. Diverse types of carbon nanofiller have been under investigation. The impulse acoustic microscope SIAM-1 (Acoustic Microscopy Lab, IBCP RAS) has been employed for 3D imaging bulk microstructure and measuring elastic properties of the nanocomposite specimens. The range of 50-200 MHz allows observing microstructure inside the entire specimen bulk. Acoustic images are obtained in the ultramicroscopic regime; they are formed by the Rayleigh type scattered radiation. It has been found the high-resolution acoustic vision (impulse acoustic microscopy) is an efficient technique to observe mesostructure formed by fractal cluster inside nanocomposites. The clusterization takes its utmost form in nanocomposites with graphite nanoplatelets as nanofiller. The nanoparticles agglomerate into micron-sized conglomerates distributed randomly over the material. Mesostructure in nanocomposites filled with carbon nanotubes is alternation of regions with diverse density of nanotube packing. Regions with alternative density of CNT packing are clearly seen in acoustical images as neighboring pixels of various brightness.

Acoustic multivariate condition monitoring - AMCM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosenhave, P E [Vestfold College, Maritime Dept., Toensberg (Norway)

1998-12-31

In Norway, Vestfold College, Maritime Department presents new opportunities for non-invasive, on- or off-line acoustic monitoring of rotating machinery such as off-shore pumps and diesel engines. New developments within acoustic sensor technology coupled with chemometric data analysis of complex signals now allow condition monitoring of hitherto unavailable flexibility and diagnostic specificity. Chemometrics paired with existing knowledge yields a new and powerful tool for condition monitoring. By the use of multivariate techniques and acoustics it is possible to quantify wear and tear as well as predict the performance of working components in complex machinery. This presentation describes the AMCM method and one result of a feasibility study conducted onboard the LPG/C `Norgas Mariner` owned by Norwegian Gas Carriers as (NGC), Oslo. (orig.) 6 refs.

Acoustic multivariate condition monitoring - AMCM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosenhave, P.E. [Vestfold College, Maritime Dept., Toensberg (Norway)

1997-12-31

In Norway, Vestfold College, Maritime Department presents new opportunities for non-invasive, on- or off-line acoustic monitoring of rotating machinery such as off-shore pumps and diesel engines. New developments within acoustic sensor technology coupled with chemometric data analysis of complex signals now allow condition monitoring of hitherto unavailable flexibility and diagnostic specificity. Chemometrics paired with existing knowledge yields a new and powerful tool for condition monitoring. By the use of multivariate techniques and acoustics it is possible to quantify wear and tear as well as predict the performance of working components in complex machinery. This presentation describes the AMCM method and one result of a feasibility study conducted onboard the LPG/C `Norgas Mariner` owned by Norwegian Gas Carriers as (NGC), Oslo. (orig.) 6 refs.

Acoustic rhinometry (AR): An Alternative Method to Image Nasal Airway Geometry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Straszek, Sune; Pedersen, O.F.

  ACOUSTIC RHINOMETRY (AR): AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD TO IMAGE NASAL AIRWAY GEOMETRY.  INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND:  In human studies the acoustic reflection technique was first applied to describe the area-distance relationship of the lower airways, but later the acoustic reflection technique appeared...... to be of more use in the description of nasal cavity geometry. Applied to human subjects AR has been applied to monitor the effect of corrective surgery and mucosal effects of pharmacological interventions. In recent years, however, AR has found use also in pharmacological studies in animals ranging in size...

An introduction to acoustic emission technology for in-process inspection of welds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goswami, G.L.

1983-01-01

Weld quality monitoring, as it stands today, is primarily done by X-ray radiography and ultrasonic testing which is applied after welding is complete. Acoustic Emission Technique (AET) also presents a possible substitute for weld quality monitoring which can be used during welding. Acoustic signals are generated during welding and the sound waves of weld defects are picked up by using AE sensors. With the introduction of sophisticated instrumentation in AET, it is possible to carry out the test even in noisy shop floor environments. Large number of reports on the subject of acoustic emission in recent years is a clear indication that it is gaining importance in welding industry. The present day status of the acoustic emission technology as an on-line weld quality monitoring technique has been reviewed. This report discusses the technique and system along with the acoustic emission parameters important for weld quality analysis. This also deals with the application of this technique in different welding processes like TIG, resistance, electro slag and submerged arc. It has been reported that monitoring of emission during welding can detect crack formation, crack growth and lack of fusion precisely. Static defects like porosity and inclusion do not generate very strong acoustic signals and are therefore difficult to intercept, but, however, lately they have detected successfully. (author)

Acoustic-noise-optimized diffusion-weighted imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Ott, Martin; Blaimer, Martin; Grodzki, David M; Breuer, Felix A; Roesch, Julie; Dörfler, Arnd; Heismann, Björn; Jakob, Peter M

2015-12-01

This work was aimed at reducing acoustic noise in diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI) that might reach acoustic noise levels of over 100 dB(A) in clinical practice. A diffusion-weighted readout-segmented echo-planar imaging (EPI) sequence was optimized for acoustic noise by utilizing small readout segment widths to obtain low gradient slew rates and amplitudes instead of faster k-space coverage. In addition, all other gradients were optimized for low slew rates. Volunteer and patient imaging experiments were conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of the method. Acoustic noise measurements were performed and analyzed for four different DWI measurement protocols at 1.5T and 3T. An acoustic noise reduction of up to 20 dB(A) was achieved, which corresponds to a fourfold reduction in acoustic perception. The image quality was preserved at the level of a standard single-shot (ss)-EPI sequence, with a 27-54% increase in scan time. The diffusion-weighted imaging technique proposed in this study allowed a substantial reduction in the level of acoustic noise compared to standard single-shot diffusion-weighted EPI. This is expected to afford considerably more patient comfort, but a larger study would be necessary to fully characterize the subjective changes in patient experience.

Dislodgement and removal of dust-particles from a surface by a technique combining acoustic standing wave and airflow.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Di; Wu, Junru

2010-01-01

It is known that there are many fine particles on the moon and Mars. Their existence may cause risk for the success of a long-term project for NASA, i.e., exploration and habitation of the moon and Mars. These dust-particles might cover the solar panels, making them fail to generate electricity, and they might also penetrate through seals on space suits, hatches, and vehicle wheels causing many incidents. The fine particles would be hazardous to human health if they were inhaled. Development of robust dust mitigation technology is urgently needed for the viable long-term exploration and habilitation of either the moon or Mars. A feasibility study to develop a dust removal technique, which may be used in space-stations or other enclosures for habitation, is reported. It is shown experimentally that the acoustic radiation force produced by a 13.8 kHz 128 dB sound-level standing wave between a 3 cm-aperture tweeter and a reflector separated by 9 cm is strong enough to overcome the van der Waals adhesive force between the dust-particles and the reflector-surface. Thus the majority of fine particles (>2 microm diameter) on a reflector-surface can be dislodged and removed by a technique combining acoustic levitation and airflow methods. The removal efficiency deteriorates for particles of less than 2 microm in size.

Helioseismology in a bottle: modal acoustic velocimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Triana, Santiago Andrés; Zimmerman, Daniel S; Lathrop, Daniel P; Nataf, Henri-Claude; Thorette, Aurélien; Lekic, Vedran

2014-01-01

Measurement of the differential rotation of the Sun's interior is one of the great achievements of helioseismology, providing important constraints for stellar physics. The technique relies on observing and analyzing rotationally-induced splittings of p-modes in the star. Here, we demonstrate the first use of the technique in a laboratory setting. We apply it in a spherical cavity with a spinning central core (spherical-Couette flow) to determine the mean azimuthal velocity of the air filling the cavity. We excite a number of acoustic resonances (analogous to p-modes in the Sun) using a speaker and record the response with an array of small microphones on the outer sphere. Many observed acoustic modes show rotationally-induced splittings, which allow us to perform an inversion to determine the air's azimuthal velocity as a function of both radius and latitude. We validate the method by comparing the velocity field obtained through inversion against the velocity profile measured with a calibrated hot film anemometer. This modal acoustic velocimetry technique has great potential for laboratory setups involving rotating fluids in axisymmetric cavities. It will be useful especially in liquid metals where direct optical methods are unsuitable and ultrasonic techniques very challenging at best. (paper)

Energy Harvesting Hybrid Acoustic-Optical Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks Localization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nasir Saeed

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Underwater wireless technologies demand to transmit at higher data rate for ocean exploration. Currently, large coverage is achieved by acoustic sensor networks with low data rate, high cost, high latency, high power consumption, and negative impact on marine mammals. Meanwhile, optical communication for underwater networks has the advantage of the higher data rate albeit for limited communication distances. Moreover, energy consumption is another major problem for underwater sensor networks, due to limited battery power and difficulty in replacing or recharging the battery of a sensor node. The ultimate solution to this problem is to add energy harvesting capability to the acoustic-optical sensor nodes. Localization of underwater sensor networks is of utmost importance because the data collected from underwater sensor nodes is useful only if the location of the nodes is known. Therefore, a novel localization technique for energy harvesting hybrid acoustic-optical underwater wireless sensor networks (AO-UWSNs is proposed. AO-UWSN employs optical communication for higher data rate at a short transmission distance and employs acoustic communication for low data rate and long transmission distance. A hybrid received signal strength (RSS based localization technique is proposed to localize the nodes in AO-UWSNs. The proposed technique combines the noisy RSS based measurements from acoustic communication and optical communication and estimates the final locations of acoustic-optical sensor nodes. A weighted multiple observations paradigm is proposed for hybrid estimated distances to suppress the noisy observations and give more importance to the accurate observations. Furthermore, the closed form solution for Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB is derived for localization accuracy of the proposed technique.

Energy Harvesting Hybrid Acoustic-Optical Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks Localization.

Science.gov (United States)

Saeed, Nasir; Celik, Abdulkadir; Al-Naffouri, Tareq Y; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2017-12-26

Underwater wireless technologies demand to transmit at higher data rate for ocean exploration. Currently, large coverage is achieved by acoustic sensor networks with low data rate, high cost, high latency, high power consumption, and negative impact on marine mammals. Meanwhile, optical communication for underwater networks has the advantage of the higher data rate albeit for limited communication distances. Moreover, energy consumption is another major problem for underwater sensor networks, due to limited battery power and difficulty in replacing or recharging the battery of a sensor node. The ultimate solution to this problem is to add energy harvesting capability to the acoustic-optical sensor nodes. Localization of underwater sensor networks is of utmost importance because the data collected from underwater sensor nodes is useful only if the location of the nodes is known. Therefore, a novel localization technique for energy harvesting hybrid acoustic-optical underwater wireless sensor networks (AO-UWSNs) is proposed. AO-UWSN employs optical communication for higher data rate at a short transmission distance and employs acoustic communication for low data rate and long transmission distance. A hybrid received signal strength (RSS) based localization technique is proposed to localize the nodes in AO-UWSNs. The proposed technique combines the noisy RSS based measurements from acoustic communication and optical communication and estimates the final locations of acoustic-optical sensor nodes. A weighted multiple observations paradigm is proposed for hybrid estimated distances to suppress the noisy observations and give more importance to the accurate observations. Furthermore, the closed form solution for Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) is derived for localization accuracy of the proposed technique.

Energy Harvesting Hybrid Acoustic-Optical Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks Localization

KAUST Repository

Saeed, Nasir; Celik, Abdulkadir; Al-Naffouri, Tareq Y.; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2017-01-01

Underwater wireless technologies demand to transmit at higher data rate for ocean exploration. Currently, large coverage is achieved by acoustic sensor networks with low data rate, high cost, high latency, high power consumption, and negative impact on marine mammals. Meanwhile, optical communication for underwater networks has the advantage of the higher data rate albeit for limited communication distances. Moreover, energy consumption is another major problem for underwater sensor networks, due to limited battery power and difficulty in replacing or recharging the battery of a sensor node. The ultimate solution to this problem is to add energy harvesting capability to the acoustic-optical sensor nodes. Localization of underwater sensor networks is of utmost importance because the data collected from underwater sensor nodes is useful only if the location of the nodes is known. Therefore, a novel localization technique for energy harvesting hybrid acoustic-optical underwater wireless sensor networks (AO-UWSNs) is proposed. AO-UWSN employs optical communication for higher data rate at a short transmission distance and employs acoustic communication for low data rate and long transmission distance. A hybrid received signal strength (RSS) based localization technique is proposed to localize the nodes in AO-UWSNs. The proposed technique combines the noisy RSS based measurements from acoustic communication and optical communication and estimates the final locations of acoustic-optical sensor nodes. A weighted multiple observations paradigm is proposed for hybrid estimated distances to suppress the noisy observations and give more importance to the accurate observations. Furthermore, the closed form solution for Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) is derived for localization accuracy of the proposed technique.

Energy Harvesting Hybrid Acoustic-Optical Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks Localization

KAUST Repository

Saeed, Nasir

2017-12-26

Underwater wireless technologies demand to transmit at higher data rate for ocean exploration. Currently, large coverage is achieved by acoustic sensor networks with low data rate, high cost, high latency, high power consumption, and negative impact on marine mammals. Meanwhile, optical communication for underwater networks has the advantage of the higher data rate albeit for limited communication distances. Moreover, energy consumption is another major problem for underwater sensor networks, due to limited battery power and difficulty in replacing or recharging the battery of a sensor node. The ultimate solution to this problem is to add energy harvesting capability to the acoustic-optical sensor nodes. Localization of underwater sensor networks is of utmost importance because the data collected from underwater sensor nodes is useful only if the location of the nodes is known. Therefore, a novel localization technique for energy harvesting hybrid acoustic-optical underwater wireless sensor networks (AO-UWSNs) is proposed. AO-UWSN employs optical communication for higher data rate at a short transmission distance and employs acoustic communication for low data rate and long transmission distance. A hybrid received signal strength (RSS) based localization technique is proposed to localize the nodes in AO-UWSNs. The proposed technique combines the noisy RSS based measurements from acoustic communication and optical communication and estimates the final locations of acoustic-optical sensor nodes. A weighted multiple observations paradigm is proposed for hybrid estimated distances to suppress the noisy observations and give more importance to the accurate observations. Furthermore, the closed form solution for Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) is derived for localization accuracy of the proposed technique.

Airy acoustical-sheet spinner tweezers

Science.gov (United States)

Mitri, F. G.

2016-09-01

The Airy acoustical beam exhibits parabolic propagation and spatial acceleration, meaning that the propagation bending angle continuously increases before the beam trajectory reaches a critical angle where it decays after a propagation distance, without applying any external bending force. As such, it is of particular importance to investigate its properties from the standpoint of acoustical radiation force, spin torque, and particle dynamics theories, in the development of novel particle sorting techniques and acoustically mediated clearing systems. This work investigates these effects on a two-dimensional (2D) circular absorptive structure placed in the field of a nonparaxial Airy "acoustical-sheet" (i.e., finite beam in 2D), for potential applications in surface acoustic waves and acousto-fluidics. Based on the characteristics of the acoustic field, the beam is capable of manipulating the circular cylindrical fluid cross-section and guides it along a transverse or parabolic trajectory. This feature of Airy acoustical beams could lead to a unique characteristic in single-beam acoustical tweezers related to acoustical sieving, filtering, and removal of particles and cells from a section of a small channel. The analysis developed here is based on the description of the nonparaxial Airy beam using the angular spectrum decomposition of plane waves in close association with the partial-wave series expansion method in cylindrical coordinates. The numerical results demonstrate the ability of the nonparaxial Airy acoustical-sheet beam to pull, propel, or accelerate a particle along a parabolic trajectory, in addition to particle confinement in the transverse direction of wave propagation. Negative or positive radiation force and spin torque causing rotation in the clockwise or the anticlockwise direction can occur depending on the nondimensional parameter ka (where k is the wavenumber and a is the radius) and the location of the cylinder in the beam. Applications in

Acoustic resonance in MEMS scale cylindrical tubes with side branches

Science.gov (United States)

Schill, John F.; Holthoff, Ellen L.; Pellegrino, Paul M.; Marcus, Logan S.

2014-05-01

Photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) is a useful monitoring technique that is well suited for trace gas detection. This method routinely exhibits detection limits at the parts-per-million (ppm) or parts-per-billion (ppb) level for gaseous samples. PAS also possesses favorable detection characteristics when the system dimensions are scaled to a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) design. One of the central issues related to sensor miniaturization is optimization of the photoacoustic cell geometry, especially in relationship to high acoustical amplification and reduced system noise. Previous work relied on a multiphysics approach to analyze the resonance structures of the MEMS scale photo acoustic cell. This technique was unable to provide an accurate model of the acoustic structure. In this paper we describe a method that relies on techniques developed from musical instrument theory and electronic transmission line matrix methods to describe cylindrical acoustic resonant cells with side branches of various configurations. Experimental results are presented that demonstrate the ease and accuracy of this method. All experimental results were within 2% of those predicted by this theory.

Topology optimization in acoustics and elasto-acoustics via a level-set method

Science.gov (United States)

Desai, J.; Faure, A.; Michailidis, G.; Parry, G.; Estevez, R.

2018-04-01

Optimizing the shape and topology (S&T) of structures to improve their acoustic performance is quite challenging. The exact position of the structural boundary is usually of critical importance, which dictates the use of geometric methods for topology optimization instead of standard density approaches. The goal of the present work is to investigate different possibilities for handling topology optimization problems in acoustics and elasto-acoustics via a level-set method. From a theoretical point of view, we detail two equivalent ways to perform the derivation of surface-dependent terms and propose a smoothing technique for treating problems of boundary conditions optimization. In the numerical part, we examine the importance of the surface-dependent term in the shape derivative, neglected in previous studies found in the literature, on the optimal designs. Moreover, we test different mesh adaptation choices, as well as technical details related to the implicit surface definition in the level-set approach. We present results in two and three-space dimensions.

Measurement of stiffness of standing trees and felled logs using acoustics: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Legg, Mathew; Bradley, Stuart

2016-02-01

This paper provides a review on the use of acoustics to measure stiffness of standing trees, stems, and logs. An outline is given of the properties of wood and how these are related to stiffness and acoustic velocity throughout the tree. Factors are described that influence the speed of sound in wood, including the different types of acoustic waves which propagate in tree stems and lumber. Acoustic tools and techniques that have been used to measure the stiffness of wood are reviewed. The reasons for a systematic difference between direct and acoustic measurements of stiffness for standing trees, and methods for correction, are discussed. Other techniques, which have been used in addition to acoustics to try to improve stiffness measurements, are also briefly described. Also reviewed are studies which have used acoustic tools to investigate factors that influence the stiffness of trees. These factors include different silvicultural practices, geographic and environmental conditions, and genetics.

Estimating surface acoustic impedance with the inverse method.

Science.gov (United States)

Piechowicz, Janusz

2011-01-01

Sound field parameters are predicted with numerical methods in sound control systems, in acoustic designs of building and in sound field simulations. Those methods define the acoustic properties of surfaces, such as sound absorption coefficients or acoustic impedance, to determine boundary conditions. Several in situ measurement techniques were developed; one of them uses 2 microphones to measure direct and reflected sound over a planar test surface. Another approach is used in the inverse boundary elements method, in which estimating acoustic impedance of a surface is expressed as an inverse boundary problem. The boundary values can be found from multipoint sound pressure measurements in the interior of a room. This method can be applied to arbitrarily-shaped surfaces. This investigation is part of a research programme on using inverse methods in industrial room acoustics.

Acoustic Seaglider: PhilSea10 Data Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

2016-06-13

and (simple) Kalman filtering techniques will be explored to utilize the unique time-space sound speed sampling of the Seagliders to generate snapshots... temperature and salinity were deployed (Figure 1). General objectives of the experiment are to understand the acoustic propagation in the...an acoustic recording system (ARS) to record the moored source transmissions, as well as temperature , salinity and pressure sensors (from which

Controlling the acoustic streaming by pulsed ultrasounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoyos, Mauricio; Castro, Angélica

2013-01-01

We propose a technique based on pulsed ultrasounds for controlling, reducing to a minimum observable value the acoustic streaming in closed ultrasonic standing wave fluidic resonators. By modifying the number of pulses and the repetition time it is possible to reduce the velocity of the acoustic streaming with respect to the velocity generated by the continuous ultrasound mode of operation. The acoustic streaming is observed at the nodal plane where a suspension of 800nm latex particles was focused by primary radiation force. A mixture of 800nm and 15μm latex particles has been also used for showing that the acoustic streaming is hardly reduced while primary and secondary forces continue to operate. The parameter we call "pulse mode factor" i.e. the time of applied ultrasound divided by the duty cycle, is found to be the adequate parameter that controls the acoustic streaming. We demonstrate that pulsed ultrasound is more efficient for controlling the acoustic streaming than the variation of the amplitude of the standing waves. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of acoustic flow instruments for solid/gas pipe flows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheen, S.H.; Raptis, A.C.

1986-05-01

Two nonintrusive acoustic flow sensing techniques are reported. One technique, passive in nature, simply measures the bandpassed acoustic noise level produced by particle/particle and particle/wall collisions. The noise levels, given in true RMS voltages or in autocorrelations, show a linear relationship to particle velocity but increase with solid concentration. Therefore, the passive technique requires calibration and a separate measure of solid concentration before it can be used to monitor the particle velocity. The second technique is based on the active cross-correlation principle. It measures particle velocity directly by correlating flow-related signatures at two sensing stations. The velocity data obtained by this technique are compared with measurements by a radioactive-particle time-of-flight (TOF) method. A multiplier of 1.53 is required to bring the acoustic data into agreement with the radioactive TOF result. The difference may originate from the difference in flow fields where particles are detected. The radioactive method senses particles mainly in the turbulent region and essentially measures average particle velocity across the pipe, while the acoustic technique detects particles near the pipe wall, and so measures the particle velocity in the viscous sublayer. Both techniques were tested in flows of limestone and air and 1-mm glass beads and air at the Argonne National Laboratory Solid/Gas Test Facility (SGFTF). The test matrix covered solid velocities of 20 to 30 m/s in a 2-in. pipe and solid-to-gas loading ratios of 6 to 22. 37 refs., 19 figs., 4 tabs

Intelligent acoustic data fusion technique for information security analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Ying; Tang, Yize; Lu, Wenda; Wang, Zhongfeng; Wang, Zepeng; Zhang, Luming

2017-08-01

Tone is an essential component of word formation in all tonal languages, and it plays an important role in the transmission of information in speech communication. Therefore, tones characteristics study can be applied into security analysis of acoustic signal by the means of language identification, etc. In speech processing, fundamental frequency (F0) is often viewed as representing tones by researchers of speech synthesis. However, regular F0 values may lead to low naturalness in synthesized speech. Moreover, F0 and tone are not equivalent linguistically; F0 is just a representation of a tone. Therefore, the Electroglottography (EGG) signal is collected for deeper tones characteristics study. In this paper, focusing on the Northern Kam language, which has nine tonal contours and five level tone types, we first collected EGG and speech signals from six natural male speakers of the Northern Kam language, and then achieved the clustering distributions of the tone curves. After summarizing the main characteristics of tones of Northern Kam, we analyzed the relationship between EGG and speech signal parameters, and laid the foundation for further security analysis of acoustic signal.

Spatial Hearing with Incongruent Visual or Auditory Room Cues

Science.gov (United States)

Gil-Carvajal, Juan C.; Cubick, Jens; Santurette, Sébastien; Dau, Torsten

2016-11-01

In day-to-day life, humans usually perceive the location of sound sources as outside their heads. This externalized auditory spatial perception can be reproduced through headphones by recreating the sound pressure generated by the source at the listener’s eardrums. This requires the acoustical features of the recording environment and listener’s anatomy to be recorded at the listener’s ear canals. Although the resulting auditory images can be indistinguishable from real-world sources, their externalization may be less robust when the playback and recording environments differ. Here we tested whether a mismatch between playback and recording room reduces perceived distance, azimuthal direction, and compactness of the auditory image, and whether this is mostly due to incongruent auditory cues or to expectations generated from the visual impression of the room. Perceived distance ratings decreased significantly when collected in a more reverberant environment than the recording room, whereas azimuthal direction and compactness remained room independent. Moreover, modifying visual room-related cues had no effect on these three attributes, while incongruent auditory room-related cues between the recording and playback room did affect distance perception. Consequently, the external perception of virtual sounds depends on the degree of congruency between the acoustical features of the environment and the stimuli.

Disturbance-specific social responses in long-finned pilot whales, Globicephala melas

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Visser, F.; Curé, C.; Kvadsheim, P.H.; Lam, F.P.A.; Tyack, P.L.; Miller, P.J.O.

2016-01-01

Social interactions among animals can influence their response to disturbance. We investigated responses of long-finned pilot whales to killer whale sound playbacks and two anthropogenic sources of disturbance: Tagging effort and naval sonar exposure. The acoustic scene and diving behaviour of

76 FR 78242 - Marine Mammals; File No. 14241

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-16

... the acoustic stimuli an animal hears and measures vocalization, behavior, and physiological parameters. Research also involves conducting sound playbacks in a carefully controlled manner and measuring animals... permit holder to conduct research on cetacean behavior, sound production, and responses to sound. The...

2nd International Symposium on Shipboard Acoustics

CERN Document Server

1986-01-01

The first International Symposium on Shipboard Acoustics, held in Noordwijkerhout (The Netherlands) in 1976, was a meeting of invited experts, each having considerable expertise in ship acoustics. Many of the participants were dealing with research on various ship acoustical subjects, and it proved to be a good idea to discuss future investigations and new techniques. At that time acousticians learned to use real-time signal-processing techniques and attempts were made to establish sound level prediction methods based on semi-fundamental considerations instead of the methods using empirically obtained data. Time was pressing as it was assumed that, in view of the adoption of Recommendation 141 of the International Labour Conference in 1970, authorities would soon make appropriate provisions to "protect seafarers from the ill effects of noise". This resulted in several national recommendations followed by the IMO "Code on noise levels aboard ships" which was adopted by the IMO Assembly in 1981. After that, pre...

Hydroxyapatite cement cranioplasty in translabyrinthine acoustic neuroma surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Arriaga, Moisês A; Chen, Douglas A

2002-05-01

Hydroxyapatite cement cranioplasty (HAC) after translabyrinthine resection of acoustic neuroma is a promising new technique for wound reconstruction. This study reviews the efficacy of HAC for the prevention of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage and the long-term wound outcomes of HAC versus abdominal fat graft (AFG) reconstruction. This retrospective study of l08 consecutive acoustic neuromas operated on by Pittsburgh Ear Associates uses chart review, telephone interview, and mail questionnaire data. Fifty-four patients received AFG dural repair, and 54 patients received HAC. Seven AFG patients (12.5%) had CSF leaks versus 2 (3.7%) of the overall group of 54 HAC patients. However, none (0%) of the 47 HAC patients had CSF leakage with current HAC techniques. HAC also produced significantly less postauricular wound depression and superior cosmetic results in comparison with AFG. Although HAC patients experienced less postoperative discomfort, wound complications requiring medical or surgical intervention were extremely uncommon in both groups. HAC offers significant CSF leakage control and long-term cosmetic and comfort advantages over AFG alone. We recommend HAC as the standard closure technique for translabyrinthine acoustic neuroma surgery.

The acoustic center of laboratory standard microphones

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barrera Figueroa, Salvador; Rasmussen, Knud; Jacobsen, Finn

2006-01-01

An experimental procedure is described for obtaining the effective acoustic distance between pairs of microphones coupled by a free field, leading to the determination of the position of the acoustic center of the microphones. The procedure, which is based on measuring the modulus of the electrical...... transfer impedance, has been applied to a large number of microphones. In all cases effects due to reflections from the walls of the anechoic chamber and the interference between the microphones have been removed using a time-selective technique. The procedure of determining the position of the acoustic...... center from the inverse distance law is analyzed. Experimental values of the acoustic center of laboratory standard microphones are presented, and numerical results obtained using the boundary element method supplement the experimental data. Estimated uncertainties are also presented. The results...

Modern methods in analytical acoustics lecture notes

CERN Document Server

Crighton, D G; Williams, J E Ffowcs; Heckl, M; Leppington, F G

1992-01-01

Modern Methods in Analytical Acoustics considers topics fundamental to the understanding of noise, vibration and fluid mechanisms. The series of lectures on which this material is based began by some twenty five years ago and has been developed and expanded ever since. Acknowledged experts in the field have given this course many times in Europe and the USA. Although the scope of the course has widened considerably, the primary aim of teaching analytical techniques of acoustics alongside specific areas of wave motion and unsteady fluid mechanisms remains. The distinguished authors of this volume are drawn from Departments of Acoustics, Engineering of Applied Mathematics in Berlin, Cambridge and London. Their intention is to reach a wider audience of all those concerned with acoustic analysis than has been able to attend the course.

Laser-nucleated acoustic cavitation in focused ultrasound.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerold, Bjoern; Kotopoulis, Spiros; McDougall, Craig; McGloin, David; Postema, Michiel; Prentice, Paul

2011-04-01

Acoustic cavitation can occur in therapeutic applications of high-amplitude focused ultrasound. Studying acoustic cavitation has been challenging, because the onset of nucleation is unpredictable. We hypothesized that acoustic cavitation can be forced to occur at a specific location using a laser to nucleate a microcavity in a pre-established ultrasound field. In this paper we describe a scientific instrument that is dedicated to this outcome, combining a focused ultrasound transducer with a pulsed laser. We present high-speed photographic observations of laser-induced cavitation and laser-nucleated acoustic cavitation, at frame rates of 0.5×10(6) frames per second, from laser pulses of energy above and below the optical breakdown threshold, respectively. Acoustic recordings demonstrated inertial cavitation can be controllably introduced to the ultrasound focus. This technique will contribute to the understanding of cavitation evolution in focused ultrasound including for potential therapeutic applications. © 2011 American Institute of Physics

A New Fault Location Approach for Acoustic Emission Techniques in Wind Turbines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Quiterio Gómez Muñoz

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The renewable energy industry is undergoing continuous improvement and development worldwide, wind energy being one of the most relevant renewable energies. This industry requires high levels of reliability, availability, maintainability and safety (RAMS for wind turbines. The blades are critical components in wind turbines. The objective of this research work is focused on the fault detection and diagnosis (FDD of the wind turbine blades. The FDD approach is composed of a robust condition monitoring system (CMS and a novel signal processing method. CMS collects and analyses the data from different non-destructive tests based on acoustic emission. The acoustic emission signals are collected applying macro-fiber composite (MFC sensors to detect and locate cracks on the surface of the blades. Three MFC sensors are set in a section of a wind turbine blade. The acoustic emission signals are generated by breaking a pencil lead in the blade surface. This method is used to simulate the acoustic emission due to a breakdown of the composite fibers. The breakdown generates a set of mechanical waves that are collected by the MFC sensors. A graphical method is employed to obtain a system of non-linear equations that will be used for locating the emission source. This work demonstrates that a fiber breakage in the wind turbine blade can be detected and located by using only three low cost sensors. It allows the detection of potential failures at an early stages, and it can also reduce corrective maintenance tasks and downtimes and increase the RAMS of the wind turbine.

Long-Term Aging Diagnosis of Rotor Steel Using Acoustic Nonlinearity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Chung Seok; Jhang, Kyung Young [Hanyang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Park, Ik Keun; Hyun, Chang Yong [Seoul National University of Science and Tecnology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2011-12-15

The long-term aging of ferritic 2.25CrMo steel was characterized using the acoustic nonlinear effect in order to apply to diagnose the degradation behavior of structural materials. We measured the acoustic nonlinearity parameter for each thermally aged specimen by the higher harmonic-generation technique. The acoustic nonlinearity parameter increased with aging time due to equilibrium M6C carbide precipitation, and has a favorable linear relation with Rockwell hardness. This study suggests that acoustic nonlinearity testing may be applicable to diagnostics on strength degradation in rotor steels.

Acoustic resonance spectroscopy for the advanced undergraduate laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franco-Villafañe, J A; Méndez-Sánchez, R A; Flores-Olmedo, E; Báez, G; Gandarilla-Carrillo, O

2012-01-01

We present a simple experiment that allows advanced undergraduates to learn the principles and applications of spectroscopy. The technique, known as acoustic resonance spectroscopy, is applied to study a vibrating rod. The setup includes electromagnetic-acoustic transducers, an audio amplifier and a vector network analyzer. Typical results of compressional, torsional and bending waves are analyzed and compared with analytical results. (paper)

Deep sea AUV navigation using multiple acoustic beacons

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Da-xiong; Song, Wei; Zhao, Hong-yu; Liu, Jian

2016-04-01

Navigation is a critical requirement for the operation of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs). To estimate the vehicle position, we present an algorithm using an extended Kalman filter (EKF) to integrate dead-reckoning position with acoustic ranges from multiple beacons pre-deployed in the operating environment. Owing to high latency, variable sound speed multipath transmissions and unreliability in acoustic measurements, outlier recognition techniques are proposed as well. The navigation algorithm has been tested by the recorded data of deep sea AUV during field operations in a variety of environments. Our results show the improved performance over prior techniques based on position computation.

Ipsilateral masking between acoustic and electric stimulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Payton; Turner, Christopher W; Gantz, Bruce J; Djalilian, Hamid R; Zeng, Fan-Gang

2011-08-01

Residual acoustic hearing can be preserved in the same ear following cochlear implantation with minimally traumatic surgical techniques and short-electrode arrays. The combined electric-acoustic stimulation significantly improves cochlear implant performance, particularly speech recognition in noise. The present study measures simultaneous masking by electric pulses on acoustic pure tones, or vice versa, to investigate electric-acoustic interactions and their underlying psychophysical mechanisms. Six subjects, with acoustic hearing preserved at low frequencies in their implanted ear, participated in the study. One subject had a fully inserted 24 mm Nucleus Freedom array and five subjects had Iowa/Nucleus hybrid implants that were only 10 mm in length. Electric masking data of the long-electrode subject showed that stimulation from the most apical electrodes produced threshold elevations over 10 dB for 500, 625, and 750 Hz probe tones, but no elevation for 125 and 250 Hz tones. On the contrary, electric stimulation did not produce any electric masking in the short-electrode subjects. In the acoustic masking experiment, 125-750 Hz pure tones were used to acoustically mask electric stimulation. The acoustic masking results showed that, independent of pure tone frequency, both long- and short-electrode subjects showed threshold elevations at apical and basal electrodes. The present results can be interpreted in terms of underlying physiological mechanisms related to either place-dependent peripheral masking or place-independent central masking.

78 FR 23908 - Marine Mammals; File No. 14809

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-23

... and Southern Oceans. Methods to be used include suction cup tagging, acoustic playbacks, passive... macrocephalus), and southern right (Eubalaena australis) whales, as well as 31 cetacean species that are not... Scientific Advisors. Documents may be reviewed in the following locations: Permits and Conservation Division...

Application of the pattern recognition technique to fast reactor acoustic monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brunet, M.; Val, M.

1981-10-01

The early detection of operating anomalies is an aim involving the safety of fast reactors. The most likely accident is the complete or partial blocking up of an assembly, one of the signs of which is the boiling of the sodium contained in it. This boiling is accompanied by the production of acoustic waves, the detection of which by appropriate sensors appears to be an efficient way of monitoring the core. For a number of years the CEA has been conducting an experimental programme for studying the detection of boiling by acoustic means. The text presents the various different experiments undertaken and then draws a parallel between the results obtained by conventional processing procedures and those obtained by applying the shape recognition method to the same basic data [fr

Acoustic resonance spectroscopy intrinsic seals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olinger, C.T.; Burr, T.; Vnuk, D.R.

1994-01-01

We have begun to quantify the ability of acoustic resonance spectroscopy (ARS) to detect the removal and replacement of the lid of a simulated special nuclear materials drum. Conceptually, the acoustic spectrum of a container establishcs a baseline fingerprint, which we refer to as an intrinsic seal, for the container. Simply removing and replacing the lid changes some of the resonant frequencies because it is impossible to exactly duplicate all of the stress patterns between the lid and container. Preliminary qualitative results suggested that the ARS intrinsic seal could discriminate between cases where a lid has or has not been removed. The present work is directed at quantifying the utility of the ARS intrinsic seal technique, including the technique's sensitivity to ''nuisance'' effects, such as temperature swings, movement of the container, and placement of the transducers. These early quantitative tests support the potential of the ARS intrinsic seal application, but also reveal a possible sensitivity to nuisance effects that could limit environments or conditions under which the technique is effective

Acoustic Emission and Echo Signal Compensation Techniques Applied to an Ultrasonic Logging-While-Drilling Caliper.

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Yongchao; Ju, Xiaodong; Lu, Junqiang; Men, Baiyong

2017-06-10

A logging-while-drilling (LWD) caliper is a tool used for the real-time measurement of a borehole diameter in oil drilling engineering. This study introduces the mechanical structure and working principle of a new LWD caliper based on ultrasonic distance measurement (UDM). The detection range is a major performance index of a UDM system. This index is determined by the blind zone length and remote reflecting interface detection capability of the system. To reduce the blind zone length and detect near the reflecting interface, a full bridge acoustic emission technique based on bootstrap gate driver (BGD) and metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) is designed by analyzing the working principle and impedance characteristics of a given piezoelectric transducer. To detect the remote reflecting interface and reduce the dynamic range of the received echo signals, the relationships between the echo amplitude and propagation distance of ultrasonic waves are determined. A signal compensation technique based on time-varying amplification theory, which can automatically change the gain according to the echo arrival time is designed. Lastly, the aforementioned techniques and corresponding circuits are experimentally verified. Results show that the blind zone length in the UDM system of the LWD caliper is significantly reduced and the capability to detect the remote reflecting interface is considerably improved.

Student design projects in applied acoustics.

Science.gov (United States)

Bös, Joachim; Moritz, Karsten; Skowronek, Adam; Thyes, Christian; Tschesche, Johannes; Hanselka, Holger

2012-03-01

This paper describes a series of student projects which are intended to complement theoretical education in acoustics and engineering noise control with practical experience. The projects are also intended to enhance the students' ability to work in a team, to manage a project, and to present their results. The projects are carried out in close cooperation with industrial partners so that the students can get a taste of the professional life of noise control engineers. The organization of such a project, its execution, and some of the results from the most recent student project are presented as a demonstrative example. This latest project involved the creation of noise maps of a production hall, the acoustic analysis of a packaging machine, and the acoustic analysis of a spiral vibratory conveyor. Upon completion of the analysis, students then designed, applied, and verified some simple preliminary noise reduction measures to demonstrate the potential of these techniques. © 2012 Acoustical Society of America

On-chip manipulation of single microparticles, cells, and organisms using surface acoustic waves.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Xiaoyun; Lin, Sz-Chin Steven; Kiraly, Brian; Yue, Hongjun; Li, Sixing; Chiang, I-Kao; Shi, Jinjie; Benkovic, Stephen J; Huang, Tony Jun

2012-07-10

Techniques that can dexterously manipulate single particles, cells, and organisms are invaluable for many applications in biology, chemistry, engineering, and physics. Here, we demonstrate standing surface acoustic wave based "acoustic tweezers" that can trap and manipulate single microparticles, cells, and entire organisms (i.e., Caenorhabditis elegans) in a single-layer microfluidic chip. Our acoustic tweezers utilize the wide resonance band of chirped interdigital transducers to achieve real-time control of a standing surface acoustic wave field, which enables flexible manipulation of most known microparticles. The power density required by our acoustic device is significantly lower than its optical counterparts (10,000,000 times less than optical tweezers and 100 times less than optoelectronic tweezers), which renders the technique more biocompatible and amenable to miniaturization. Cell-viability tests were conducted to verify the tweezers' compatibility with biological objects. With its advantages in biocompatibility, miniaturization, and versatility, the acoustic tweezers presented here will become a powerful tool for many disciplines of science and engineering.

Diesel Engine Valve Clearance Detection Using Acoustic Emission

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fathi Elamin

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This paper investigated, using experimental method, the suitability of acoustic emission (AE technique for the condition monitoring of diesel engine valve faults. The clearance fault was adjusted experimentally in an exhaust valve and successfully detected and diagnosed in a Ford FSD 425 four-cylinder, four-stroke, in-line OHV, direct injection diesel engine. The effect of faulty exhaust valve clearance on engine performance was monitored and the difference between the healthy and faulty engine was observed from the recorded AE signals. The measured results from this technique show that using only time domain and frequency domain analysis of acoustic emission signals can give a superior measure of engine condition. This concludes that acoustic emission is a powerful and reliable method of detection and diagnosis of the faults in diesel engines and this is considered to be a unique approach to condition monitoring of valve performance.

Acoustic emission from hydrogen saturated Type 304L stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caskey, G.R. Jr.

1978-01-01

Acoustic emission is attributed to energy release within a material body by localized plastic deformation or failure processes. The elastic stress waves may come from slip band formation, mechanical twinning, martensite transformation, or crack propagation. Each of these processes has slightly different acoustic characteristics allowing for easy identification. Acoustic emission was monitored during tensile tests of Type 304L austenitic stainless steel to explore the applicability of the technique to hydrogen-assisted fracture

Longitudinal acoustic instabilities in slender solid propellant rockets : linear analysis

OpenAIRE

García Schafer, Juan Esteban; Liñán Martínez, Amable

2001-01-01

To describe the acoustic instabilities in the combustion chambers of laterally burning solid propellant rockets the interaction of the mean flow with the acoustic waves is analysed, using multiple scale techniques, for realistic cases in which the combustion chamber is slender and the nozzle area is small compared with the cross-sectional area of the chamber. Associated with the longitudinal acoustic oscillations we find vorticity and entropy waves, with a wavelength typically small compared ...

Playback Theatre as a tool to enhance communication in medical education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramiro Salas

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Playback Theatre (PT is an improvisational form of theatre in which a group of actors “play back” real life stories told by audience members. In PT, a conductor elicits moments, feelings and stories from audience members, and conducts mini-interviews with those who volunteer a moment of their lives to be re-enacted or “played” for the audience. A musician plays music according to the theme of each story, and 4-5 actors listen to the interview and perform the story that has just been told. PT has been used in a large number of settings as a tool to share stories in an artistic manner. Despite its similarities to psychodrama, PT does not claim to be a form of therapy.We offered two PT performances to first year medical students at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, to bring the students a safe and fun environment, conducive to sharing feelings and moments related to being a medical student. Through the moments and stories shared by students, we conclude that there is an enormous need in this population for opportunities to communicate the many emotions associated with medical school and with healthcare-related personal experiences, such as anxiety, pride, or anger. PT proved a powerful tool to help students communicate.

Sodium boiling detection in LMFBRs by acoustic-neutronic cross correlation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wright, S.A.

1977-01-01

The acoustic and neutronic noise signals caused by boiling are the signals primarily considered likely to detect sodium boiling in an LMFBR. Unfortunately, these signals may have serious signal-to-noise problems due to strong background noise sources. Neutronic-acoustic cross correlation techniques are expected to provide a means of improving the signal-to-noise ratio. This technique can improve the signal-to-noise ratio because the neutronic and acoustic signals due to boiling are highly correlated near the bubble repetition frequency, while the background noise sources are expected to be uncorrelated (or at most weakly correlated). An experiment was designed to show that the neutronic and acoustic noise signals are indeed highly correlated. The experiment consisted of simulating the void and pressure effects of local sodium boiling in the core of a zero-power reactor (ARK). The analysis showed that the neutronic and acoustic noise signals caused by boiling are almost perfectly correlated in a wide frequency band about the bubble repetition frequency. The results of the experiments were generalized to full-scale reactors to compare the inherent effectiveness of the methods which use the neutronic or acoustic signals alone with a hybrid method, which cross correlates the neutronic and acoustic signals. It was concluded that over a zone of the reactor where the void coefficient is sufficiently large (approximately 85 percent the core volume), the cross correlation method can provide a more rapid detection system for a given signal-to-noise ratio. However, where the void coefficient is small, one must probably rely on the acoustic method alone

A comparison of SONAH and IBEM for near-field acoustic holography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Juhl, Peter Møller

2008-01-01

Among the popular techniques for acoustic source identification in complex environments are the Statistically Optimal Near Acoustic Holography (SONAH) and the Inverse Boundary Element Method (IBEM). These two methods are quite different regarding the underlying assumptions and the practical...

Sediment acoustic index method for computing continuous suspended-sediment concentrations

Science.gov (United States)

Landers, Mark N.; Straub, Timothy D.; Wood, Molly S.; Domanski, Marian M.

2016-07-11

Suspended-sediment characteristics can be computed using acoustic indices derived from acoustic Doppler velocity meter (ADVM) backscatter data. The sediment acoustic index method applied in these types of studies can be used to more accurately and cost-effectively provide time-series estimates of suspended-sediment concentration and load, which is essential for informed solutions to many sediment-related environmental, engineering, and agricultural concerns. Advantages of this approach over other sediment surrogate methods include: (1) better representation of cross-sectional conditions from large measurement volumes, compared to other surrogate instruments that measure data at a single point; (2) high temporal resolution of collected data; (3) data integrity when biofouling is present; and (4) less rating curve hysteresis compared to streamflow as a surrogate. An additional advantage of this technique is the potential expansion of monitoring suspended-sediment concentrations at sites with existing ADVMs used in streamflow velocity monitoring. This report provides much-needed standard techniques for sediment acoustic index methods to help ensure accurate and comparable documented results.

Validation and application of Acoustic Mapping Velocimetry

Science.gov (United States)

Baranya, Sandor; Muste, Marian

2016-04-01

The goal of this paper is to introduce a novel methodology to estimate bedload transport in rivers based on an improved bedform tracking procedure. The measurement technique combines components and processing protocols from two contemporary nonintrusive instruments: acoustic and image-based. The bedform mapping is conducted with acoustic surveys while the estimation of the velocity of the bedforms is obtained with processing techniques pertaining to image-based velocimetry. The technique is therefore called Acoustic Mapping Velocimetry (AMV). The implementation of this technique produces a whole-field velocity map associated with the multi-directional bedform movement. Based on the calculated two-dimensional bedform migration velocity field, the bedload transport estimation is done using the Exner equation. A proof-of-concept experiment was performed to validate the AMV based bedload estimation in a laboratory flume at IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering (IIHR). The bedform migration was analysed at three different flow discharges. Repeated bed geometry mapping, using a multiple transducer array (MTA), provided acoustic maps, which were post-processed with a particle image velocimetry (PIV) method. Bedload transport rates were calculated along longitudinal sections using the streamwise components of the bedform velocity vectors and the measured bedform heights. The bulk transport rates were compared with the results from concurrent direct physical samplings and acceptable agreement was found. As a first field implementation of the AMV an attempt was made to estimate bedload transport for a section of the Ohio river in the United States, where bed geometry maps, resulted by repeated multibeam echo sounder (MBES) surveys, served as input data. Cross-sectional distributions of bedload transport rates from the AMV based method were compared with the ones obtained from another non-intrusive technique (due to the lack of direct samplings), ISSDOTv2, developed by the US Army

Evaluating autonomous acoustic surveying techniques for rails in tidal marshes

Science.gov (United States)

Stiffler, Lydia L.; Anderson, James T.; Katzner, Todd

2018-01-01

There is a growing interest toward the use of autonomous recording units (ARUs) for acoustic surveying of secretive marsh bird populations. However, there is little information on how ARUs compare to human surveyors or how best to use ARU data that can be collected continuously throughout the day. We used ARUs to conduct 2 acoustic surveys for king (Rallus elegans) and clapper rails (R. crepitans) within a tidal marsh complex along the Pamunkey River, Virginia, USA, during May–July 2015. To determine the effectiveness of an ARU in replacing human personnel, we compared results of callback point‐count surveys with concurrent acoustic recordings and calculated estimates of detection probability for both rail species combined. The success of ARUs at detecting rails that human observers recorded decreased with distance (P ≤ 0.001), such that at 75 m, only 34.0% of human‐detected rails were detected by the ARU. To determine a subsampling scheme for continuous ARU data that allows for effective surveying of presence and call rates of rails, we used ARUs to conduct 15 continuous 48‐hr passive surveys, generating 720 hr of recordings. We established 5 subsampling periods of 5, 10, 15, 30, and 45 min to evaluate ARU‐based presence and vocalization detections of rails compared with each of the full 60‐min sampling of ARU‐based detection of rails. All subsampling periods resulted in different (P ≤ 0.001) detection rates and unstandardized vocalization rates compared with the hourly sampling period. However, standardized vocalization counts from the 30‐min subsampling period were not different from vocalization counts of the full hourly sampling period. When surveying rail species in estuarine environments, species‐, habitat‐, and ARU‐specific limitations to ARU sampling should be considered when making inferences about abundances and distributions from ARU data. 

Holographic and acoustic emission evaluation of pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyd, D.M.

1980-01-01

Optical holographic interfereometry and acoustic emission monitoring were simultaneously used to evaluate two small, high pressure vessels during pressurization. The techniques provide pressure vessel designers with both quantitative information such as displacement/strain measurements and qualitative information such as flaw detection. The data from the holographic interferograms were analyzed for strain profiles. The acoustic emission signals were monitored for crack growth and vessel quality

Developement of leakage localization technique by using acoustic signal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Y. H.; Jeon, J. H.; Seo, D. H.; Kim, K. W. [KAIST, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2010-07-15

The objective of this research is to develop a leakage monitoring system for pipelines or valves in the secondary water system of a nuclear power plant. The system aims to detect the existence of leakage and to estimate the leak location, especially by utilizing the noise generated from the leak. It is safe, precise real-time alert system compared with the previous monitoring methods and tools such as the visual test and the thermal imaging camera. When there exists leakage in the pipeline or valves of nuclear power plant, the noise due to gas flow is radiated through leak region. That is, the secondary water system with leakage generates different noise from the system without leakage. This motivates us to measure and analyze the noise generated from the secondary water system, so as firstly to detect the existence of leakage, and secondly to estimate the leak location by using the noise source identification technique such as beamforming and acoustic holography. Especially the beamforming method models the signal from the noise source to estimate the location of source. Therefore, it is necessary to model the noise due to leakage which is dependent upon parameters. In the process of leak localization, the reflected wave due to interior walls and the measurement noise should be removed for the precise estimation. Therefore, we attempt to characterize the reflected wave and the measurement noise by modeling the interior sound field, thus to remove them and to localize the leak location with high precision

Use of acoustic vortices in acoustic levitation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cutanda Henriquez, Vicente; Santillan, Arturo Orozco; Juhl, Peter Møller

2009-01-01

Acoustic fields are known to exert forces on the surfaces of objects. These forces are noticeable if the sound pressure is sufficiently high. Two phenomena where acoustic forces are relevant are: i) acoustic levitation, where strong standing waves can hold small objects at certain positions......, counterbalancing their weight, and ii) acoustic vortices, spinning sound fields that can impinge angular momentum and cause rotation of objects. In this contribution, both force-creating sound fields are studied by means of numerical simulations. The Boundary Element Method is employed to this end. The simulation...... of acoustical vortices uses an efficient numerical implementation based on the superposition of two orthogonal sound fields with a delay of 90° between them. It is shown that acoustic levitation and the use of acoustic vortices can be combined to manipulate objects in an efficient and controlled manner without...

Spectral identification of sperm whales from Littoral Acoustic Demonstration Center passive acoustic recordings

Science.gov (United States)

Sidorovskaia, Natalia A.; Richard, Blake; Ioup, George E.; Ioup, Juliette W.

2005-09-01

The Littoral Acoustic Demonstration Center (LADC) made a series of passive broadband acoustic recordings in the Gulf of Mexico and Ligurian Sea to study noise and marine mammal phonations. The collected data contain a large amount of various types of sperm whale phonations, such as isolated clicks and communication codas. It was previously reported that the spectrograms of the extracted clicks and codas contain well-defined null patterns that seem to be unique for individuals. The null pattern is formed due to individual features of the sound production organs of an animal. These observations motivated the present studies of adapting human speech identification techniques for deep-diving marine mammal phonations. A three-state trained hidden Markov model (HMM) was used with the phonation spectra of sperm whales. The HHM-algorithm gave 75% accuracy in identifying individuals when it had been initially tested for the acoustic data set correlated with visual observations of sperm whales. A comparison of the identification accuracy based on null-pattern similarity analysis and the HMM-algorithm is presented. The results can establish the foundation for developing an acoustic identification database for sperm whales and possibly other deep-diving marine mammals that would be difficult to observe visually. [Research supported by ONR.

Aero-Acoustic Modelling using Large Eddy Simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen, W Z; Soerensen, J N

2007-01-01

The splitting technique for aero-acoustic computations is extended to simulate three-dimensional flow and acoustic waves from airfoils. The aero-acoustic model is coupled to a sub-grid-scale turbulence model for Large-Eddy Simulations. In the first test case, the model is applied to compute laminar flow past a NACA 0015 airfoil at a Reynolds number of 800, a Mach number of 0.2 and an angle of attack of 20 deg. The model is then applied to compute turbulent flow past a NACA 0015 airfoil at a Reynolds number of 100 000, a Mach number of 0.2 and an angle of attack of 20 deg. The predicted noise spectrum is compared to experimental data

Coherent acoustic phonon oscillation accompanied with backward acoustic pulse below exciton resonance in a ZnO epifilm on oxide-buffered Si(1 1 1)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Ja-Hon; Shen, Yu-Kai; Lu, Chia-Hui; Chen, Yao-Hui; Chang, Chun-peng; Liu, Wei-Rein; Hsu, Chia-Hung; Lee, Wei-Chin; Hong, Minghwei; Kwo, Jueinai-Raynien; Hsieh, Wen-Feng

2016-01-01

Unlike coherent acoustic phonons (CAPs) generated from heat induced thermal stress by the coated Au film, we demonstrated the oscillation from c-ZnO epitaxial film on oxide buffered Si through a degenerate pump–probe technique. As the excited photon energy was set below the exciton resonance, the electronic stress that resulted from defect resonance was used to induce acoustic wave. The damped oscillation revealed a superposition of a high frequency and long decay CAP signal with a backward propagating acoustic pulse which was generated by the absorption of the penetrated pump beam at the Si surface and selected by the ZnO layer as the acoustic resonator. (paper)

Chemical analysis of acoustically levitated drops by Raman spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Tuckermann, Rudolf; Puskar, Ljiljana; Zavabeti, Mahta; Sekine, Ryo; McNaughton, Don

2009-07-01

An experimental apparatus combining Raman spectroscopy with acoustic levitation, Raman acoustic levitation spectroscopy (RALS), is investigated in the field of physical and chemical analytics. Whereas acoustic levitation enables the contactless handling of microsized samples, Raman spectroscopy offers the advantage of a noninvasive method without complex sample preparation. After carrying out some systematic tests to probe the sensitivity of the technique to drop size, shape, and position, RALS has been successfully applied in monitoring sample dilution and preconcentration, evaporation, crystallization, an acid-base reaction, and analytes in a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy colloidal suspension.

Acoustic emission measurement on large scale coils at JAERI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, K.; Hattori, Y.; Nishi, M.F.; Shimamoto, S.; Tsuji, H.

1986-01-01

The objective of acoustic emission measurement at Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) is an establishment of a general diagnostic method for superconducting magnet systems. Output of strain and displacement gages can not cover a whole system in monitoring premonitory phenomena of a magnet system s failure, because these sensors are mounted on points and therefore localized. Acoustic emissions can be transmitted to sensors through structural materials without electrical noise. Monitoring of acoustic emission will be one of the methods to predict a serious failure of magnet systems in a vacuum vessel. For this purpose, several sensors were installed on the Japanese LCT coil and the Test Module Coil (TMC). Some of acoustic activity was similar as seen in these coils. The correlation between voltage spikes and acoustic events is excellent during single coil charging mode, but poorer during out of plane force mode. There are no indicative acoustical phenomena before a magnet quench or during normal zone generation. The conditioning of acoustic events and voltage spikes can be seen after any cooling down. The localization of electrical insulation damage with the acoustic emission technique is one of its most useful applications

Acoustic emission from polycrystalline graphites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ioka, I.; Yoda, S.; Oku, T.; Miyamoto, Y.

1987-01-01

Acoustic emission was monitored from polycrystalline graphites with different microstructure (pore size and pore volume) subjected to compressive loading. The graphites used in this study comprised five brands, that is, PGX, ISEM-1, IG-11, IG-15, and ISO-88. A root mean square (RMS) voltage and event counts of acoustic emission for graphites were measured during compressive loading. The acoustic emission was measured using a computed-based data acquisition and analysis system. The graphites were first deformed up to 80 % of the average fracture stress, then unloaded and reloaded again until the fracture occured. During the first loading, the change in RMS voltage for acoustic emission was detected from the initial stage. During the unloading, the RMS voltage became zero level as soon as the applied stress was released and then gradually rose to a peak and declined. The behavior indicated that the reversed plastic deformation occured in graphites. During the second loading, the RMS voltage gently increased until the applied stress exceeded the maximum stress of the first loading; there is no Kaiser effect in the graphites. A bicrystal model could give a reasonable explanation of this results. The empirical equation between the ratio of σ AE to σ f and σ f was obtained. It is considered that the detection of microfracture by the acoustic emission technique is effective in macrofracture prediction of polycrystalline graphites. (author)

Airborne chemistry: acoustic levitation in chemical analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Santesson, Sabina; Nilsson, Staffan

2004-04-01

This review with 60 references describes a unique path to miniaturisation, that is, the use of acoustic levitation in analytical and bioanalytical chemistry applications. Levitation of small volumes of sample by means of a levitation technique can be used as a way to avoid solid walls around the sample, thus circumventing the main problem of miniaturisation, the unfavourable surface-to-volume ratio. Different techniques for sample levitation have been developed and improved. Of the levitation techniques described, acoustic or ultrasonic levitation fulfils all requirements for analytical chemistry applications. This technique has previously been used to study properties of molten materials and the equilibrium shape()and stability of liquid drops. Temperature and mass transfer in levitated drops have also been described, as have crystallisation and microgravity applications. The airborne analytical system described here is equipped with different and exchangeable remote detection systems. The levitated drops are normally in the 100 nL-2 microL volume range and additions to the levitated drop can be made in the pL-volume range. The use of levitated drops in analytical and bioanalytical chemistry offers several benefits. Several remote detection systems are compatible with acoustic levitation, including fluorescence imaging detection, right angle light scattering, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Applications include liquid/liquid extractions, solvent exchange, analyte enrichment, single-cell analysis, cell-cell communication studies, precipitation screening of proteins to establish nucleation conditions, and crystallisation of proteins and pharmaceuticals.

Multimedia consultation session recording and playback using Java-based browser in global PACS

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez, Ralph; Shah, Pinkesh J.; Yu, Yuan-Pin

1998-07-01

The current version of the Global PACS software system uses a Java-based implementation of the Remote Consultation and Diagnosis (RCD) system. The Java RCD includes a multimedia consultation session between physicians that includes text, static image, image annotation, and audio data. The JAVA RCD allows 2-4 physicians to collaborate on a patient case. It allows physicians to join the session via WWW Java-enabled browsers or stand alone RCD application. The RCD system includes a distributed database archive system for archiving and retrieving patient and session data. The RCD system can be used for store and forward scenarios, case reviews, and interactive RCD multimedia sessions. The RCD system operates over the Internet, telephone lines, or in a private Intranet. A multimedia consultation session can be recorded, and then played back at a later time for review, comments, and education. A session can be played back using Java-enabled WWW browsers on any operating system platform. The JAVA RCD system shows that a case diagnosis can be captured digitally and played back with the original real-time temporal relationships between data streams. In this paper, we describe design and implementation of the RCD session playback.

A visual acoustic high-pressure cell for the study of critical behavior of nonsimple mixtures

Science.gov (United States)

Aguiar-Ricardo, A.; Temtem, M.; Casimiro, T.; Ribeiro, N.

2004-10-01

A visual acoustic high-pressure cell was constructed for the determination of critical data of multicomponent mixtures. The cell was specially designed to include two piezoelectric transducers and two sapphire windows that make this cell well suited to investigate the critical behavior of mixtures, simultaneously using the acoustic technique and the direct visual inspection of the critical opalescence. Critical data obtained on the binary mixtures of CO2+CHF3 were used for comparison with values given in literature using the traditional methods. The acoustic results are in agreement with those obtained by the conventional methods, within the combined experimental errors. Comparison of visual and acoustic data enabled the evaluation of the applicability of the acoustic technique to study the critical behavior of multicomponent mixtures.

Demonstration of acoustic resonances in a cylindrical cavity applying the photoacoustic technique

Science.gov (United States)

Barreiro, N. L.; Vallespi, A. S.; Zajarevich, N. M.; Peuriot, A. L.; Slezak, V. B.

2017-09-01

In this work we present some experiments which can be performed in college or on the first courses of university to acquire knowledge about resonant acoustical phenomena in closed cavities in a tangible way, through experiments based on the photoacoustic effect in gases. This phenomenon consists in the generation of acoustic waves after optical excitation of an absorbing gas and further local heating of the non-absorbing surrounding gas by energy exchange through collisions between molecules of both species. Simple experiments, performed with daily live elements, can be very useful for teachers and students to get in touch with the phenomenon of acoustic resonances with the addition of concepts about light-matter interaction. The setups consist of the resonant cavity, the illumination source and the signal detection-acquisition scheme. In this paper a closed glass test tube is used as the resonant cavity and is filled with a mixture of nitrogen dioxide and air. The illumination is performed by a pulsed power LED modulated at different resonant frequencies of the cavity. A microphone inside the tube is connected to an oscilloscope which displays the photoacoustic signal. The LED is moved along the tube showing how different resonant modes can be excited.

Deep diving odontocetes foraging strategies and their prey field as determined by acoustic techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Giorli, Giacomo

Deep diving odontocetes, like sperm whales, beaked whales, Risso's dolphins, and pilot whales are known to forage at deep depths in the ocean on squid and fish. These marine mammal species are top predators and for this reason are very important for the ecosystems they live in, since they can affect prey populations and control food web dynamics through top-down effects. The studies presented in this thesis investigate deep diving odontocetes. foraging strategies, and the density and size of their potential prey in the deep ocean using passive and active acoustic techniques. Ecological Acoustic Recorders (EAR) were used to monitor the foraging activity of deep diving odontocetes at three locations around the world: the Josephine Seamount High Sea Marine Protected Area (JHSMPA), the Ligurian Sea, and along the Kona coast of the island of Hawaii. In the JHSMPA, sperm whales. and beaked whales. foraging rates do not differ between night-time and day-time. However, in the Ligurian Sea, sperm whales switch to night-time foraging as the winter approaches, while beaked whales alternate between hunting mainly at night, and both at night and at day. Spatial differences were found in deep diving odontocetes. foraging activity in Hawaii where they forage most in areas with higher chlorophyll concentrations. Pilot whales (and false killer whales, clustered together in the category "blackfishes") and Risso's dolphins forage mainly at night at all locations. These two species adjust their foraging activity with the length of the night. The density and size of animals living in deep sea scattering layers was studied using a DIDSON imaging sonar at multiple stations along the Kona coast of Hawaii. The density of animals was affected by location, depth, month, and the time of day. The size of animals was influenced by station and month. The DIDSON proved to be a successful, non-invasive technique to study density and size of animals in the deep sea. Densities were found to be an

Acoustic detection of UHE neutrinos in the Mediterranean sea: status and perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simeone Francesco

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In recent years the astro-particle community is involved in the realization of experimental apparatuses for the detection of high energy neutrinos originated in cosmic sources or produced in the interaction of Cosmic Rays with the Cosmic Microwave Background. For neutrino energies in the TeV-PeV range, optical Cherenkov detectors, that have been so far positively exploited by Baikal[1], IceCube[2] and ANTARES[3], are considered optimal. For higher energies, three different experimental techniques are under study: the detection of radio pulses produced by showers induced by a neutrino interaction, the detection of air showers initiated by neutrinos interacting with rocks or deep Earth’s atmosphere and the detection of acoustic waves produced by deposition of energy following the interaction of neutrinos in an acoustically transparent medium. The potential of the acoustic detection technique, first proposed by Askaryan[4], to build very large neutrino detectors is appealing, thanks to the optimal properties of media such as water or ice as sound propagator. Though the studies on this technique are still in an early stage, acoustic positioning systems used to locate the optical modules in underwater Cherenkov neutrino detectors, give the possibility to study the ambient noise and provide important information for the future analysis of acoustic data.

Baffling or Baffled: Improve Your Acoustics.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdoo, Frank B.

1981-01-01

Presents techniques for evaluating the acoustics (reverberation time, and standing waves and resonance phenomena) of a band performance room. Gives instructions for building and placing inexpensive baffles (free-standing, portable sound barriers) to correct room defects. (SJL)

Spatial Hearing with Incongruent Visual or Auditory Room Cues

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gil Carvajal, Juan Camilo; Cubick, Jens; Santurette, Sébastien

2016-01-01

In day-to-day life, humans usually perceive the location of sound sources as outside their heads. This externalized auditory spatial perception can be reproduced through headphones by recreating the sound pressure generated by the source at the listener’s eardrums. This requires the acoustical...... the recording and playback room did affect distance perception. Consequently, the external perception of virtual sounds depends on the degree of congruency between the acoustical features of the environment and the stimuli....

Shift of the Acoustic Center of a Closed-Box Loudspeaker in a Linear Array: Investigation Using the Beamforming Technique

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chang, Ji-Ho; Jensen, Joe; Agerkvist, Finn T.

2015-01-01

The center of the spherical waves radiated from a loudspeaker is defined as its acoustic center. This study aims to investigate how the acoustic center of a closed-box loudspeaker is shifted when the loudspeaker is placed in a linear array. That is, the acoustic center of the loudspeaker is estim......The center of the spherical waves radiated from a loudspeaker is defined as its acoustic center. This study aims to investigate how the acoustic center of a closed-box loudspeaker is shifted when the loudspeaker is placed in a linear array. That is, the acoustic center of the loudspeaker...... is estimated when the loudspeaker is placed alone and then the loudspeaker is placed in a linear array composed of two or three identical loudspeakers. The acoustic center of each loudspeaker in the linear arrays is estimated with the other loudspeakers turned off and compared with that in the single...... that the acoustic center is shifted differently depending on the relative position of the loudspeaker in the array. This implies that the performance of sound field control with a linear array of loudspeakers can be improved by taking the shift of the acoustic center into account....

Translational illusion of acoustic sources by transformation acoustics.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Fei; Li, Shichao; He, Sailing

2017-09-01

An acoustic illusion of creating a translated acoustic source is designed by utilizing transformation acoustics. An acoustic source shifter (ASS) composed of layered acoustic metamaterials is designed to achieve such an illusion. A practical example where the ASS is made with naturally available materials is also given. Numerical simulations verify the performance of the proposed device. The designed ASS may have some applications in, e.g., anti-sonar detection.

Injection locking of optomechanical oscillators via acoustic waves

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Ke; Hossein-Zadeh, Mani

2018-04-01

Injection locking is a powerful technique for synchronization of oscillator networks and controlling the phase and frequency of individual oscillators using similar or other types of oscillators. Here, we present the first demonstration of injection locking of a radiation-pressure driven optomechanical oscillator (OMO) via acoustic waves. As opposed to previously reported techniques (based on pump modulation or direct application of a modulated electrostatic force), injection locking of OMO via acoustic waves does not require optical power modulation or physical contact with the OMO and it can easily be implemented on various platforms. Using this approach we have locked the phase and frequency of two distinct modes of a microtoroidal silica OMO to a piezoelectric transducer (PZT). We have characterized the behavior of the injection locked OMO with three acoustic excitation configurations and showed that even without proper acoustic impedance matching the OMO can be locked to the PZT and tuned over 17 kHz with only -30 dBm of RF power fed to the PZT. The high efficiency, simplicity and scalability of the proposed approach paves the road toward a new class of photonic systems that rely on synchronization of several OMOs to a single or multiple RF oscillators with applications in optical communication, metrology and sensing. Beyond its practical applications, injection locking via acoustic waves can be used in fundamental studies in quantum optomechanics where thermal and optical isolation of the OMO are critical.

Combination of acoustic levitation with small angle scattering techniques and synchrotron radiation circular dichroism. Application to the study of protein solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Cristiglio, Viviana; Grillo, Isabelle; Fomina, Margarita; Wien, Frank; Shalaev, Evgenyi; Novikov, Alexey; Brassamin, Séverine; Réfrégiers, Matthieu; Pérez, Javier; Hennet, Louis

2017-01-01

The acoustic levitation technique is a useful sample handling method for small solid and liquids samples, suspended in air by means of an ultrasonic field. This method was previously used at synchrotron sources for studying pharmaceutical liquids and protein solutions using x-ray diffraction and small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS). In this work we combined for the first time this containerless method with small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and synchrotron radiation circular dichroism (SRCD) to study the structural behavior of proteins in solutions during the water evaporation. SANS results are also compared with SAXS experiments. The aggregation behavior of 45μl droplets of lysozyme protein diluted in water was followed during the continuous increase of the sample concentration by evaporating the solvent. The evaporation kinetics was followed at different drying stage by SANS and SAXS with a good data quality. In a prospective work using SRCD, we also studied the evolution of the secondary structure of the myoglobin protein in water solution in the same evaporation conditions. Acoustic levitation was applied for the first time with SANS and the high performances of the used neutron instruments made it possible to monitor fast container-less reactions in situ. A preliminary work using SRCD shows the potentiality of its combination with acoustic levitation for studying the evolution of the protein structure with time. This multi-techniques approach could give novel insights into crystallization and self-assembly phenomena of biological compound with promising potential applications in pharmaceutical, food and cosmetics industry. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Science for Life" Guest Editor: Dr. Austen Angell, Dr. Salvatore Magazù and Dr. Federica Migliardo. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Auralization fundamentals of acoustics, modelling, simulation, algorithms and acoustic virtual reality

CERN Document Server

Vorlander, Michael

2007-01-01

"Auralization" is the technique of creation and reproduction of sound on the basis of computer data. With this tool is it possible to predict the character of sound signals which are generated at the source and modified by reinforcement, propagation and transmission in systems such as rooms, buildings, vehicles or other technical devices. This book is organized as a comprehensive collection of the basics of sound and vibration, acoustic modelling, simulation, signal processing and audio reproduction. Implementations of the auralization technique are described using examples drawn from various fields in acoustic’s research and engineering, architecture, sound design and virtual reality.

Remote sensing of temperature and wind using acoustic travel-time measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barth, Manuela; Fischer, Gabi; Raabe, Armin; Weisse, Frank [Leipzig Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Meteorologie; Ziemann, Astrid [Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). Professur fuer Meteorologie

2013-04-15

A remote sensing technique to detect area-averaged temperature and flow properties within an area under investigation, utilizing acoustic travel-time measurements, is introduced. This technique uses the dependency of the speed of acoustic signals on the meteorological parameters temperature and wind along the propagation path. The method itself is scalable: It is applicable for investigation areas with an extent of some hundred square metres as well as for small-scale areas in the range of one square metre. Moreover, an arrangement of the acoustic transducers at several height levels makes it possible to determine profiles and gradients of the meteorological quantities. With the help of two examples the potential of this remote sensing technique for simultaneously measuring averaged temperature and flow fields is demonstrated. A comparison of time histories of temperature and wind values derived from acoustic travel-time measurements with point measurements shows a qualitative agreement whereas calculated root-mean-square errors differ for the two example applications. They amount to 1.4 K and 0.3 m/s for transducer distances of 60 m and 0.4 K and 0.2 m/s for transducer distances in the range of one metre. (orig.)

Report on Non-invasive acoustic monitoring of D2O concentration Oct 31 2017

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pantea, Cristian [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Sinha, Dipen N. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Lakis, Rollin Evan [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Beedle, Christopher Craig [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Davis, Eric Sean [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-11-06

There is an urgent need for real-time monitoring of the hydrogen /deuterium ratio (H/D) for heavy water production monitoring. Based upon published literature, sound speed is sensitive to the deuterium content of heavy water and can be measured using existing acoustic methods to determine the deuterium concentration in heavy water solutions. We plan to adapt existing non-invasive acoustic techniques (Swept-Frequency Acoustic Interferometry and Gaussian-pulse acoustic technique) for the purpose of quantifying H/D ratios in solution. A successful demonstration will provide an easily implemented, low cost, and non-invasive method for remote and unattended H/D ratio measurements with a resolution of less than 0.2% vol.

An Optimisation Approach for Room Acoustics Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holm-Jørgensen, Kristian; Kirkegaard, Poul Henning; Andersen, Lars

2005-01-01

This paper discuss on a conceptual level the value of optimisation techniques in architectural acoustics room design from a practical point of view. It is chosen to optimise one objective room acoustics design criterium estimated from the sound field inside the room. The sound field is modeled...... using the boundary element method where absorption is incorporated. An example is given where the geometry of a room is defined by four design modes. The room geometry is optimised to get a uniform sound pressure....

ACOUSTIC TECHNIQUES FOR THE MAPPING OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF CONTAMINATED SEDIMENTS

Science.gov (United States)

An overview of the last 30 years of analytical research into the acoustic properties of harbor marine sediments has allowed the extension of the original work of Hamilton (1970) into a production system for classifying the density and bulk physical properties of standard marine s...

Acoustic Emission and Echo Signal Compensation Techniques Applied to an Ultrasonic Logging-While-Drilling Caliper

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yongchao Yao

2017-06-01

Full Text Available A logging-while-drilling (LWD caliper is a tool used for the real-time measurement of a borehole diameter in oil drilling engineering. This study introduces the mechanical structure and working principle of a new LWD caliper based on ultrasonic distance measurement (UDM. The detection range is a major performance index of a UDM system. This index is determined by the blind zone length and remote reflecting interface detection capability of the system. To reduce the blind zone length and detect near the reflecting interface, a full bridge acoustic emission technique based on bootstrap gate driver (BGD and metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET is designed by analyzing the working principle and impedance characteristics of a given piezoelectric transducer. To detect the remote reflecting interface and reduce the dynamic range of the received echo signals, the relationships between the echo amplitude and propagation distance of ultrasonic waves are determined. A signal compensation technique based on time-varying amplification theory, which can automatically change the gain according to the echo arrival time is designed. Lastly, the aforementioned techniques and corresponding circuits are experimentally verified. Results show that the blind zone length in the UDM system of the LWD caliper is significantly reduced and the capability to detect the remote reflecting interface is considerably improved.

Acoustic levitation methods for density measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Trinh, E. H.; Hsu, C. J.

1986-01-01

The capability of ultrasonic levitators operating in air to perform density measurements has been demonstrated. The remote determination of the density of ordinary liquids as well as low density solid metals can be carried out using levitated samples with size on the order of a few millimeters and at a frequency of 20 kHz. Two basic methods may be used. The first one is derived from a previously known technique developed for acoustic levitation in liquid media, and is based on the static equilibrium position of levitated samples in the earth's gravitational field. The second approach relies on the dynamic interaction between a levitated sample and the acoustic field. The first technique appears more accurate (1 percent uncertainty), but the latter method is directly applicable to a near gravity-free environment such as that found in space.

An NLRA Transducer for Dual Use Bone Conduction Audio and Haptic Communication. Summary Report

Science.gov (United States)

2016-12-30

100 gram proof mass , was approximately 1G tap and 1.5G sustained vibration. While we were unable to accommodate a detailed quantitative evaluation of...the acoustic operating mode within the Phase 1 budget, the transducer was capable of transmitting intelligible voice and good fidelity music playback at

Underwater Acoustic Target Tracking: A Review

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Ying; Fan, Liying

2018-01-01

Advances in acoustic technology and instrumentation now make it possible to explore marine resources. As a significant component of ocean exploration, underwater acoustic target tracking has aroused wide attention both in military and civil fields. Due to the complexity of the marine environment, numerous techniques have been proposed to obtain better tracking performance. In this paper, we survey over 100 papers ranging from innovative papers to the state-of-the-art in this field to present underwater tracking technologies. Not only the related knowledge of acoustic tracking instrument and tracking progress is clarified in detail, but also a novel taxonomy method is proposed. In this paper, algorithms for underwater acoustic target tracking are classified based on the methods used as: (1) instrument-assisted methods; (2) mode-based methods; (3) tracking optimization methods. These algorithms are compared and analyzed in the aspect of dimensions, numbers, and maneuvering of the tracking target, which is different from other survey papers. Meanwhile, challenges, countermeasures, and lessons learned are illustrated in this paper. PMID:29301318

Acoustic levitation for high temperature containerless processing in space

Science.gov (United States)

Rey, C. A.; Sisler, R.; Merkley, D. R.; Danley, T. J.

1990-01-01

New facilities for high-temperature containerless processing in space are described, including the acoustic levitation furnace (ALF), the high-temperature acoustic levitator (HAL), and the high-pressure acoustic levitator (HPAL). In the current ALF development, the maximum temperature capabilities of the levitation furnaces are 1750 C, and in the HAL development with a cold wall furnace they will exceed 2000-2500 C. The HPAL demonstrated feasibility of precursor space flight experiments on the ground in a 1 g pressurized-gas environment. Testing of lower density materials up to 1300 C has also been accomplished. It is suggested that advances in acoustic levitation techniques will result in the production of new materials such as ceramics, alloys, and optical and electronic materials.

Acoustic droplet vaporization of vascular droplets in gas embolotherapy

Science.gov (United States)

Bull, Joseph

2016-11-01

This work is primarily motivated by a developmental gas embolotherapy technique for cancer treatment. In this methodology, infarction of tumors is induced by selectively formed vascular gas bubbles that arise from the acoustic vaporization of vascular droplets. Additionally, micro- or nano-droplets may be used as vehicles for localized drug delivery, with or without flow occlusion. In this talk, we examine the dynamics of acoustic droplet vaporization through experiments and theoretical/computational fluid mechanics models, and investigate the bioeffects of acoustic droplet vaporization on endothelial cells and in vivo. Functionalized droplets that are targeted to tumor vasculature are examined. The influence of fluid mechanical and acoustic parameters, as well as droplet functionalization, is explored. This work was supported by NIH Grant R01EB006476.

Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Urban Acoustic Environments with Binaural Psycho-Acoustical Considerations for IoT-Based Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Segura-Garcia, Jaume; Navarro-Ruiz, Juan Miguel; Perez-Solano, Juan J; Montoya-Belmonte, Jose; Felici-Castell, Santiago; Cobos, Maximo; Torres-Aranda, Ana M

2018-02-26

Sound pleasantness or annoyance perceived in urban soundscapes is a major concern in environmental acoustics. Binaural psychoacoustic parameters are helpful to describe generic acoustic environments, as it is stated within the ISO 12913 framework. In this paper, the application of a Wireless Acoustic Sensor Network (WASN) to evaluate the spatial distribution and the evolution of urban acoustic environments is described. Two experiments are presented using an indoor and an outdoor deployment of a WASN with several nodes using an Internet of Things (IoT) environment to collect audio data and calculate meaningful parameters such as the sound pressure level, binaural loudness and binaural sharpness. A chunk of audio is recorded in each node periodically with a microphone array and the binaural rendering is conducted by exploiting the estimated directional characteristics of the incoming sound by means of DOA estimation. Each node computes the parameters in a different location and sends the values to a cloud-based broker structure that allows spatial statistical analysis through Kriging techniques. A cross-validation analysis is also performed to confirm the usefulness of the proposed system.

Acoustic levitation and manipulation for space applications

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, T. G.

1979-01-01

A wide spectrum of experiments to be performed in space in a microgravity environment require levitation and manipulation of liquid or molten samples. A novel acoustic method has been developed at JPL for controlling liquid samples without physical contacts. This method utilizes the static pressure generated by three orthogonal acoustic standing waves excited within an enclosure. Furthermore, this method will allow the sample to be rotated and/or oscillated by modifying the phase angles and/or the amplitude of the acoustic field. This technique has been proven both in our laboratory and in a microgravity environment provided by KC-135 flights. Samples placed within our chamber driven at (1,0,0), (0,1,0), and (0,0,1), modes were indeed levitated, rotated, and oscillated.

Application of acoustic emission technique and friction welding for excavator hose nipple

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kong, Yu Sik; Lee, Jin Kyung

2013-01-01

Friction welding is a very useful joining process to weld metals which have axially symmetric cross section. In this paper, the feasibility of industry application was determined by analyzing the mechanical properties of weld region for a specimen of tube-to-tube shape for excavator hose nipple with friction welding, and optimized welding variables were suggested. In order to accomplish this object, friction heating pressure and friction heating time were selected as the major process variables and the experiment was performed in three levels of each parameter. An acoustic emission(AE) technique was applied to evaluate the optimal friction welding conditions nondestructively. AE parameters of accumulative count and event were analyzed in terms of generating trend of AE signals across the full range of friction weld. The typical waveform and frequency spectrum of AE signals which is generated by friction weld were discussed. From this study the optimal welding variables could be suggested as rotating speed of 1300 rpm, friction heating pressure of 15 MPa, and friction heating time of 10 sec. AE event was a useful parameter to estimate the tensile strength of tube-to tube specimen with friction weld.

Unusual structure in forsterite glass synthesized by an aero-acoustic levitation technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kohara, Shinji; Suzuya, Kentaro; Takeuchi, Ken

2005-01-01

Forsterite Mg 2 SiO 4 exhibits an orthorhombic structure consisted of two kinds of MgO 6 octahedra. One of them forms edge-sharing ribbons along the [001] direction which are linked by the other kind of edge-sharing MgO 6 octahedra, resulting in a three-dimensional framework. Given only 33.3 mol% of SiO 2 in the material, the SiO 4 tetrahedra are isolated within the framework, sharing the O-O bonds with the common edges of the MgO 6 octahedra. If forsterite can be vitrified, an interesting question concerning the glass structure arises because there is insufficient glass forming SiO 2 to establish the corner-sharing SiO 4 tetrahedral net-work needed in conventional silicate glasses. A bulk Mg 2 SiO 4 glass was synthesized using an aero-acoustic levitation technique and to visualize the short-to intermediate-range structure by a combined high-energy synchrotron x-ray and neutron diffraction and reverse Monte Carlo computer simulation. We found that the role of network former is largely taken on by corner-and edge-sharing ionic magnesium species that adopt 4-, 5- and 6-coordination with oxygen. (author)

Multi-carrier Communications over Time-varying Acoustic Channels

Science.gov (United States)

Aval, Yashar M.

Acoustic communication is an enabling technology for many autonomous undersea systems, such as those used for ocean monitoring, offshore oil and gas industry, aquaculture, or port security. There are three main challenges in achieving reliable high-rate underwater communication: the bandwidth of acoustic channels is extremely limited, the propagation delays are long, and the Doppler distortions are more pronounced than those found in wireless radio channels. In this dissertation we focus on assessing the fundamental limitations of acoustic communication, and designing efficient signal processing methods that cam overcome these limitations. We address the fundamental question of acoustic channel capacity (achievable rate) for single-input-multi-output (SIMO) acoustic channels using a per-path Rician fading model, and focusing on two scenarios: narrowband channels where the channel statistics can be approximated as frequency- independent, and wideband channels where the nominal path loss is frequency-dependent. In each scenario, we compare several candidate power allocation techniques, and show that assigning uniform power across all frequencies for the first scenario, and assigning uniform power across a selected frequency-band for the second scenario, are the best practical choices in most cases, because the long propagation delay renders the feedback information outdated for power allocation based on the estimated channel response. We quantify our results using the channel information extracted form the 2010 Mobile Acoustic Communications Experiment (MACE'10). Next, we focus on achieving reliable high-rate communication over underwater acoustic channels. Specifically, we investigate orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) as the state-of-the-art technique for dealing with frequency-selective multipath channels, and propose a class of methods that compensate for the time-variation of the underwater acoustic channel. These methods are based on multiple

Evaluating autonomous acoustic surveying techniques for rails in tidal marshes

Science.gov (United States)

Stiffler, Lydia L.; Anderson, James T.; Katzner, Todd

2018-01-01

There is a growing interest toward the use of autonomous recording units (ARUs) for acoustic surveying of secretive marsh bird populations. However, there is little information on how ARUs compare to human surveyors or how best to use ARU data that can be collected continuously throughout the day. We used ARUs to conduct 2 acoustic surveys for king (Rallus elegans) and clapper rails (R. crepitans) within a tidal marsh complex along the Pamunkey River, Virginia, USA, during May–July 2015. To determine the effectiveness of an ARU in replacing human personnel, we compared results of callback point‐count surveys with concurrent acoustic recordings and calculated estimates of detection probability for both rail species combined. The success of ARUs at detecting rails that human observers recorded decreased with distance (P ≤ 0.001), such that at of human‐recorded rails also were detected by the ARU, but at >75 m, only 34.0% of human‐detected rails were detected by the ARU. To determine a subsampling scheme for continuous ARU data that allows for effective surveying of presence and call rates of rails, we used ARUs to conduct 15 continuous 48‐hr passive surveys, generating 720 hr of recordings. We established 5 subsampling periods of 5, 10, 15, 30, and 45 min to evaluate ARU‐based presence and vocalization detections of rails compared with each of the full 60‐min sampling of ARU‐based detection of rails. All subsampling periods resulted in different (P ≤ 0.001) detection rates and unstandardized vocalization rates compared with the hourly sampling period. However, standardized vocalization counts from the 30‐min subsampling period were not different from vocalization counts of the full hourly sampling period. When surveying rail species in estuarine environments, species‐, habitat‐, and ARU‐specific limitations to ARU sampling should be considered when making inferences about abundances and distributions from ARU data. 

Development of FBR visual inspection technique in sodium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, T.; Nagai, S.; Shioyama, T.; Sato, M.; Karasawa, H.; Maruyama, F.; Ota, S.; Hida, T.; Kai, M.

1995-01-01

Because the reactor vessel of Fast Breeder Reactor is filled with opaque liquid sodium, it is expected to develop an acoustic visual inspection technique in sodium. The acoustic 3 dimensional image processing technique and the elemental parts of the visual inspection equipment in sodium have been developed at the first stage of the in-sodium visual inspection technique development. The cross correlation processing has been applied to improve the S/N ratio in the acoustic echo that are deteriorated by wetting in sodium and the low sensitivity that are also deteriorated by rather smaller diameter to integrate the high density multiple acoustic sensors. The improvement of S/N ratio has been realized by the cross correlation between acoustic echo data that is reflected from the objects and M-series continuous wave that is transmitted from the acoustic transducer. The high speed parallel processing circuits, in which DSPs (Digital Signal Processors) are included, have been developed to realize high speed processing by employing (the circuits connected to) each of sensors in parallel. Synthetic Aperture Focussing Technique (SAFT) has been applied to the acoustic 3-dimensional image processing. The amounts of ellipsoids must be drawn into the 3-dimensional memory to compose the 3-dimensional image by SAFT. Then, a high performance work-station has been employed to deal with enormous data to compose the acoustic 3 dimensional image. Motors and cables, which can be operated under the condition of high-temperature and high-radiation environment, have been developed as the parts of the manipulator which will be used for visual inspection equipment in sodium. A prototype drive mechanism consists of the manipulator with three joints and a scanner with an arrayed acoustic sensors which a sweeps in fan-shape mechanically. The manipulatory type prototype drive mechanism and the signal processing device have been developed and tested, and the acoustic 3-dimensional image of pyramid

Acoustic profilometry within polymers as performed by Brillouin microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanctuary, R [Laboratoire Europeen de Recherche Universitaire Saarland-Lorraine (LERUSL) at the Centre Universitaire de Luxembourg, Departement des Sciences, Laboratoire 1.19, 162a avenue de la Faiencerie, L-1511 Luxembourg (Luxembourg); Bactavatchalou, Ravi [Universitaet des Saarlandes, Fakultaet fuer Physik und Elektrotechnik 7.2, Gebaeude 38, D-66041 Saarbruecken (Germany); Mueller, Ulrich [Universitaet des Saarlandes, Fakultaet fuer Physik und Elektrotechnik 7.2, Gebaeude 38, D-66041 Saarbruecken (Germany); Possart, W [Universitaet des Saarlandes, Fakultaet fuer Chemie, Pharmazie und Werkstoffwissenschaften 8.15, Gebaeude 22, D-66041 Saarbruecken (Germany); Alnot, P [Laboratoire de Physique des Milieux Ionises et Applications (LPMIA), UMR 7040-C.N.R.S, Universite de Nancy I, Bd des Aiguillettes, B.P. 239 F-54506 Vandoeuvre les Nancy (France); Krueger, J K [Universitaet des Saarlandes, Fakultaet fuer Physik und Elektrotechnik 7.2, Gebaeude 38, D-66041 Saarbruecken (Germany)

2003-11-07

Using high performance Brillouin spectroscopy we present a new technique, which enables us to perform acoustic microscopy with a spatial resolution of about 1 {mu}m. This technique, called Brillouin microscopy, is tested on several bulk- and film-like polymer samples.

Acoustic waves in transversely excited atmospheric CO2 laser discharges: effect on performance and reduction techniques

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

von Bergmann, HM

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Results are presented on the influence of acoustic waves on the performance of high-repetition-rate TEA CO2 lasers. It is shown that acoustic waves generated inside the laser cavity lead to nonuniform discharges, resulting in a deterioration...

Acoustic Emission Beamforming for Detection and Localization of Damage

Science.gov (United States)

Rivey, Joshua Callen

The aerospace industry is a constantly evolving field with corporate manufacturers continually utilizing innovative processes and materials. These materials include advanced metallics and composite systems. The exploration and implementation of new materials and structures has prompted the development of numerous structural health monitoring and nondestructive evaluation techniques for quality assurance purposes and pre- and in-service damage detection. Exploitation of acoustic emission sensors coupled with a beamforming technique provides the potential for creating an effective non-contact and non-invasive monitoring capability for assessing structural integrity. This investigation used an acoustic emission detection device that employs helical arrays of MEMS-based microphones around a high-definition optical camera to provide real-time non-contact monitoring of inspection specimens during testing. The study assessed the feasibility of the sound camera for use in structural health monitoring of composite specimens during tensile testing for detecting onset of damage in addition to nondestructive evaluation of aluminum inspection plates for visualizing stress wave propagation in structures. During composite material monitoring, the sound camera was able to accurately identify the onset and location of damage resulting from large amplitude acoustic feedback mechanisms such as fiber breakage. Damage resulting from smaller acoustic feedback events such as matrix failure was detected but not localized to the degree of accuracy of larger feedback events. Findings suggest that beamforming technology can provide effective non-contact and non-invasive inspection of composite materials, characterizing the onset and the location of damage in an efficient manner. With regards to the nondestructive evaluation of metallic plates, this remote sensing system allows us to record wave propagation events in situ via a single-shot measurement. This is a significant improvement over

Acoustic levitation of liquid drops: Dynamics, manipulation and phase transitions.

Science.gov (United States)

Zang, Duyang; Yu, Yinkai; Chen, Zhen; Li, Xiaoguang; Wu, Hongjing; Geng, Xingguo

2017-05-01

The technique of acoustic levitation normally produces a standing wave and the potential well of the sound field can be used to trap small objects. Since no solid surface is involved it has been widely applied for the study of fluid physics, nucleation, bio/chemical processes, and various forms of soft matter. In this article, we survey the works on drop dynamics in acoustic levitation, focus on how the dynamic behavior is related to the rheological properties and discuss the possibility to develop a novel rheometer based on this technique. We review the methods and applications of acoustic levitation for the manipulation of both liquid and solid samples and emphasize the important progress made in the study of phase transitions and bio-chemical analysis. We also highlight the possible open areas for future research. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fundamentals of Acoustics. Psychoacoustics and Hearing. Acoustical Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Begault, Durand R.; Ahumada, Al (Technical Monitor)

1997-01-01

These are 3 chapters that will appear in a book titled "Building Acoustical Design", edited by Charles Salter. They are designed to introduce the reader to fundamental concepts of acoustics, particularly as they relate to the built environment. "Fundamentals of Acoustics" reviews basic concepts of sound waveform frequency, pressure, and phase. "Psychoacoustics and Hearing" discusses the human interpretation sound pressure as loudness, particularly as a function of frequency. "Acoustic Measurements" gives a simple overview of the time and frequency weightings for sound pressure measurements that are used in acoustical work.

Communication Acoustics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Blauert, Jens

Communication Acoustics deals with the fundamentals of those areas of acoustics which are related to modern communication technologies. Due to the advent of digital signal processing and recording in acoustics, these areas have enjoyed an enormous upswing during the last 4 decades. The book...... the book a source of valuable information for those who want to improve or refresh their knowledge in the field of communication acoustics - and to work their way deeper into it. Due to its interdisciplinary character Communication Acoustics is bound to attract readers from many different areas, such as......: acoustics, cognitive science, speech science, and communication technology....

The coupling technique: A two-wave acoustic method for the study of dislocation dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Gremaud, G.; Bujard, M.; Benoit, W.

1987-03-01

Progress in the study of dislocation dynamics has been achieved using a two-wave acoustic method, which has been called the coupling technique. In this method, the attenuation α and the velocity v of ultrasonic waves are measured in a sample submitted simultaneously to a harmonic stress σ of low frequency. Closed curves Δα(σ) and Δv/v(σ) are drawn during each cycle of the applied stress. The shapes of these curves and their evolution are characteristic of each dislocation motion mechanism which is activated by the low-frequency applied stress. For this reason, the closed curves Δα(σ) and Δv/v(σ) can be considered as signatures of the interaction mechanism which controls the low-frequency dislocation motion. In this paper, the concept of signature is presented and explained with some experimental examples. It will also be shown that theoretical models can be developed which explain very well the experimental results.

Injection locking of optomechanical oscillators via acoustic waves.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Ke; Hossein-Zadeh, Mani

2018-04-02

Injection locking is an effective technique for synchronization of oscillator networks and controlling the phase and frequency of individual oscillators. As such, exploring new mechanisms for injection locking of emerging oscillators is important for their usage in various systems. Here, we present the first demonstration of injection locking of a radiation pressure driven optomechanical oscillator (OMO) via acoustic waves. As opposed to previously reported techniques (based on pump modulation or direct application of a modulated electrostatic force), injection locking of OMO via acoustic waves does not require optical power modulation or physical contact with the OMO and it can be easily implemented on various platforms to lock different types of OMOs independent of their size and structure. Using this approach we have locked the phase and frequency of two distinct modes of a microtoroidal silica OMO to a piezoelectric transducer (PZT). We have characterized the behavior of the injection locked OMO with three acoustic excitation configurations and showed that even without proper acoustic impedance, matching the OMO can be locked to the PZT and tuned over 17 kHz with only -30 dBm of RF power fed to the PZT. The high efficiency, simplicity, and scalability of the proposed approach paves the road toward a new class of photonic systems that rely on synchronization of several OMOs to a single or multiple RF oscillators with applications in optical communication, metrology, and sensing. Beyond its practical applications, injection locking via acoustic waves can be used in fundamental studies in quantum optomechanics where thermal and optical isolation of the OMO are critical.

Particle separation by phase modulated surface acoustic waves.

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, Gergely; Andrade, Marco A B; Reboud, Julien; Marques-Hueso, Jose; Desmulliez, Marc P Y; Cooper, Jonathan M; Riehle, Mathis O; Bernassau, Anne L

2017-09-01

High efficiency isolation of cells or particles from a heterogeneous mixture is a critical processing step in lab-on-a-chip devices. Acoustic techniques offer contactless and label-free manipulation, preserve viability of biological cells, and provide versatility as the applied electrical signal can be adapted to various scenarios. Conventional acoustic separation methods use time-of-flight and achieve separation up to distances of quarter wavelength with limited separation power due to slow gradients in the force. The method proposed here allows separation by half of the wavelength and can be extended by repeating the modulation pattern and can ensure maximum force acting on the particles. In this work, we propose an optimised phase modulation scheme for particle separation in a surface acoustic wave microfluidic device. An expression for the acoustic radiation force arising from the interaction between acoustic waves in the fluid was derived. We demonstrated, for the first time, that the expression of the acoustic radiation force differs in surface acoustic wave and bulk devices, due to the presence of a geometric scaling factor. Two phase modulation schemes are investigated theoretically and experimentally. Theoretical findings were experimentally validated for different mixtures of polystyrene particles confirming that the method offers high selectivity. A Monte-Carlo simulation enabled us to assess performance in real situations, including the effects of particle size variation and non-uniform acoustic field on sorting efficiency and purity, validating the ability to separate particles with high purity and high resolution.

Acoustic source for generating an acoustic beam

Science.gov (United States)

Vu, Cung Khac; Sinha, Dipen N.; Pantea, Cristian

2016-05-31

An acoustic source for generating an acoustic beam includes a housing; a plurality of spaced apart piezo-electric layers disposed within the housing; and a non-linear medium filling between the plurality of layers. Each of the plurality of piezoelectric layers is configured to generate an acoustic wave. The non-linear medium and the plurality of piezo-electric material layers have a matching impedance so as to enhance a transmission of the acoustic wave generated by each of plurality of layers through the remaining plurality of layers.

Optimization of a Biometric System Based on Acoustic Images

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alberto Izquierdo Fuente

2014-01-01

Full Text Available On the basis of an acoustic biometric system that captures 16 acoustic images of a person for 4 frequencies and 4 positions, a study was carried out to improve the performance of the system. On a first stage, an analysis to determine which images provide more information to the system was carried out showing that a set of 12 images allows the system to obtain results that are equivalent to using all of the 16 images. Finally, optimization techniques were used to obtain the set of weights associated with each acoustic image that maximizes the performance of the biometric system. These results improve significantly the performance of the preliminary system, while reducing the time of acquisition and computational burden, since the number of acoustic images was reduced.

Optimization of a Biometric System Based on Acoustic Images

Science.gov (United States)

Izquierdo Fuente, Alberto; Del Val Puente, Lara; Villacorta Calvo, Juan J.; Raboso Mateos, Mariano

2014-01-01

On the basis of an acoustic biometric system that captures 16 acoustic images of a person for 4 frequencies and 4 positions, a study was carried out to improve the performance of the system. On a first stage, an analysis to determine which images provide more information to the system was carried out showing that a set of 12 images allows the system to obtain results that are equivalent to using all of the 16 images. Finally, optimization techniques were used to obtain the set of weights associated with each acoustic image that maximizes the performance of the biometric system. These results improve significantly the performance of the preliminary system, while reducing the time of acquisition and computational burden, since the number of acoustic images was reduced. PMID:24616643

Acoustic calibration apparatus for calibrating plethysmographic acoustic pressure sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Zuckerwar, Allan J. (Inventor); Davis, David C. (Inventor)

1995-01-01

An apparatus for calibrating an acoustic sensor is described. The apparatus includes a transmission material having an acoustic impedance approximately matching the acoustic impedance of the actual acoustic medium existing when the acoustic sensor is applied in actual in-service conditions. An elastic container holds the transmission material. A first sensor is coupled to the container at a first location on the container and a second sensor coupled to the container at a second location on the container, the second location being different from the first location. A sound producing device is coupled to the container and transmits acoustic signals inside the container.

An Evaluation of the Acoustic Signal processing Techniques for Sodium-Water Reaction Detection in KALIMER-600

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hur, Seop; Seong, S. H.; Kim, T. J.; Kim, S. O.; Lee, M. K.

2005-02-01

KALIMER-600 is a pool type fast breeder reactor using liquid sodium as a coolant. Although it has the several advantages such as long-term fuel cycle and enhanced safety concepts, it is possible to leak the secondary side water/steam into sodium boundary. This event could make the plant abnormal condition. One of the major design issues in KALIMER-600 is, therefore, to develop the system which can early detect the sodium-water reaction to protect the sodium-water reaction event. After evaluating the various signal processing techniques for passive acoustic leak detection, we have proposed the early leak detection logics. the signal processing techniques for evaluation were the spectral estimation using the linear modeling, the estimation error of linear modeling, the system adaptation rate using an adaptive signal processing, and the background noise cancellation using adaptive and fixed filtering. As the analysis results regarding the stationary and the cross-correlation of leak signals and background noises, the two signal systems met a wide-dense stationary process and there was only the week cross correlation relationship between two signals. It is ,therefore, possible to use the linear/harmonic modeling of signal systems, and the leak signal in sensor outputs can be discriminated. As the results of the evaluation of the various spectral estimation methods, the spectral estimation method based on autoregressive modeling was more practical comparing with other methods in the sodium-water reaction detection. The passive acoustic leak detection logics were suggested based on above evaluations. the logics consist of 3 levels; transient identification, leak determination and leak symptom identification. The simulation results using sodium-water reaction signals showed that it was possible to determine the leak at above -3dB of SNR, while between -3 dB and -10 dB of SNR the logics determined the leak symptom identification. The detection sensitivity can be enhanced

Acoustic analysis of swallowing sounds: a new technique for assessing dysphagia.

Science.gov (United States)

Santamato, Andrea; Panza, Francesco; Solfrizzi, Vincenzo; Russo, Anna; Frisardi, Vincenza; Megna, Marisa; Ranieri, Maurizio; Fiore, Pietro

2009-07-01

To perform acoustic analysis of swallowing sounds, using a microphone and a notebook computer system, in healthy subjects and patients with dysphagia affected by neurological diseases, testing the positive/negative predictive value of a pathological pattern of swallowing sounds for penetration/aspiration. Diagnostic test study, prospective, not blinded, with the penetration/aspiration evaluated by fibreoptic endoscopy of swallowing as criterion standard. Data from a previously recorded database of normal swallowing sounds for 60 healthy subjects according to gender, age, and bolus consistency was compared with those of 15 patients with dysphagia from a university hospital referral centre who were affected by various neurological diseases. Mean duration of the swallowing sounds and post-swallowing apnoea were recorded. Penetration/aspiration was verified by fibreoptic endoscopy of swallowing in all patients with dysphagia. The mean duration of swallowing sounds for a liquid bolus of 10 ml water was significantly different between patients with dysphagia and healthy patients. We also described patterns of swallowing sounds and tested the negative/positive predictive values of post-swallowing apnoea for penetration/aspiration verified by fibreoptic endoscopy of swallowing (sensitivity 0.67 (95% confidence interval 0.24-0.94); specificity 1.00 (95% confidence interval 0.56-1.00)). The proposed technique for recording and measuring swallowing sounds could be incorporated into the bedside evaluation, but it should not replace the use of more diagnostic and valuable measures.

A novel acoustic method for gas flow measurement using correlation techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Knuuttila, M. [VTT Chemical Technology, Espoo (Finland). Industrial Physics

1997-12-31

The study demonstrates a new kind of acoustic method for gas flow measurement. The method uses upstream and downstream propagating low frequency plane wave and correlation techniques for volume flow rate determination. The theory of propagating low frequency plane waves in the pipe is introduced and is proved empirically to be applicable for flow measurement. The flow profile dependence of the method is verified and found to be negligible at least in the region of moderate perturbations. The physical principles of the method were applied in practice in the form of a flowmeter with new design concepts. The developed prototype meters were verified against the reference standard of NMI (Nederlands Meetinstituut), which showed that a wide dynamic range of 1:80 is achievable with total expanded uncertainty below 0.3 %. Also the requirements used for turbine meters of linearity, weighted mean error and stability were shown to be well fulfilled. A brief comparison with other flowmeter types shows the new flowmeter to be competitive. The advantages it offers are a small pressure drop over the meter, no blockage of flow in possible malfunction, no pulsation to flow, essentially no moving parts, and the possibility for bidirectional measurements. The introduced flowmeter is also capable of using the telephone network or a radio-modem to read the consumption of gas and report its operation to the user. (orig.) 51 refs.

Practical acoustic thermometry with twin-tube and single-tube sensors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Podesta, M.; Sutton, G.; Edwards, G.; Stanger, L.; Preece, H. [National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, (United Kingdom)

2015-07-01

Accurate measurement of high temperatures in a nuclear environment presents unique challenges. All secondary techniques inevitably drift because the thermometric materials in thermocouples and resistance sensors are sensitive not just to temperature, but also their own chemical and physical composition. The solution is to use primary methods that rely on fundamental links between measurable physical properties and temperature. In the nuclear field the best known technique is the measurement of Johnson Noise in a resistor (See Paper 80 at this conference). In this paper we describe the measurement of temperature in terms of the speed of sound in a gas confined in a tube - an acoustic waveguide. Acoustic thermometry is the most accurate technique of primary thermometry ever devised with the best uncertainty of measurement below 0.001 C. In contrast, the acoustic technique described in this work has a much larger uncertainty, approximately 1 deg. C. But the cost and ease of use are improved by several orders of magnitude, making implementation eminently practical. We first describe the basic construction and method of operation of thermometers using twin-tubes and single tubes. We then present results using a twin-tube design showing that showing long term stability (i.e. no detectable drift) at 700 deg. C over periods of several weeks. We then outline how the technique may be developed for different nuclear applications. (authors)

Acoustically Induced Vibration of Structures: Reverberant Vs. Direct Acoustic Testing

Science.gov (United States)

Kolaini, Ali R.; O'Connell, Michael R.; Tsoi, Wan B.

2009-01-01

Large reverberant chambers have been used for several decades in the aerospace industry to test larger structures such as solar arrays and reflectors to qualify and to detect faults in the design and fabrication of spacecraft and satellites. In the past decade some companies have begun using direct near field acoustic testing, employing speakers, for qualifying larger structures. A limited test data set obtained from recent acoustic tests of the same hardware exposed to both direct and reverberant acoustic field testing has indicated some differences in the resulting structural responses. In reverberant acoustic testing, higher vibration responses were observed at lower frequencies when compared with the direct acoustic testing. In the case of direct near field acoustic testing higher vibration responses appeared to occur at higher frequencies as well. In reverberant chamber testing and direct acoustic testing, standing acoustic modes of the reverberant chamber or the speakers and spacecraft parallel surfaces can strongly couple with the fundamental structural modes of the test hardware. In this paper data from recent acoustic testing of flight hardware, that yielded evidence of acoustic standing wave coupling with structural responses, are discussed in some detail. Convincing evidence of the acoustic standing wave/structural coupling phenomenon will be discussed, citing observations from acoustic testing of a simple aluminum plate. The implications of such acoustic coupling to testing of sensitive flight hardware will be discussed. The results discussed in this paper reveal issues with over or under testing of flight hardware that could pose unanticipated structural and flight qualification issues. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to understand the structural modal coupling with standing acoustic waves that has been observed in both methods of acoustic testing. This study will assist the community to choose an appropriate testing method and test setup in

Coupling creep and damage in concrete under high sustained loading: Experimental investigation on bending beams and application of Acoustic Emission technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grondin F.

2010-06-01

had a strengthening effect on concrete, probably because of the consolidation of the hardened cement paste. The influence of creep on fracture energy, fracture toughness, and characteristic length of concrete is also studied. The fracture energy and the characteristic length of concrete increases slightly when creep occurs prior to failure and the size of the fracture process zone increases too. The load-CMOD relationship is linear in the ascending portion and gradually drops off after the peak value in the descending portion. The length of the tail end portion of the softening curve increases with beams subjected to creep. Relatively more ductile fracture behavior was observed with beams subjected to creep. The contribution of non-destructive and instrumental investigation methods is currently exploited to check and measure the evolution of some negative structural phenomena, such as micro-and macro-cracking, finally resulting in a creep-like behaviour. Among these methods, the non-destructive technique based on acoustic Emission proves to be very effective, especially to check and measure micro-cracking that takes place inside a structure under mechanical loading. Thus as a part of the investigation quantitative acoustic emission techniques were applied to investigate microcracking and damage localization in concrete beams. The AE signals were captured with the AE WIN software and further analyzed with Noesis software analysis of acoustic emission data. AE waveforms were generated as elastic waves in concrete due to crack nucleation. And a multichannel data acquisition system was used to record the AE waveforms. During the three point bending tests, quantitative acoustic emission (AE techniques were used to monitor crack growth and to deduce micro fracture mechanics in concrete beams before and after creep. Several specimens are experimented in order to match each cluster with corresponding damage mechanism of the material under loading. At the same time acoustic

Coupling creep and damage in concrete under high sustained loading: Experimental investigation on bending beams and application of Acoustic Emission technique

Science.gov (United States)

Saliba, J.; Loukili, A.; Grondin, F.

2010-06-01

effect on concrete, probably because of the consolidation of the hardened cement paste. The influence of creep on fracture energy, fracture toughness, and characteristic length of concrete is also studied. The fracture energy and the characteristic length of concrete increases slightly when creep occurs prior to failure and the size of the fracture process zone increases too. The load-CMOD relationship is linear in the ascending portion and gradually drops off after the peak value in the descending portion. The length of the tail end portion of the softening curve increases with beams subjected to creep. Relatively more ductile fracture behavior was observed with beams subjected to creep. The contribution of non-destructive and instrumental investigation methods is currently exploited to check and measure the evolution of some negative structural phenomena, such as micro-and macro-cracking, finally resulting in a creep-like behaviour. Among these methods, the non-destructive technique based on acoustic Emission proves to be very effective, especially to check and measure micro-cracking that takes place inside a structure under mechanical loading. Thus as a part of the investigation quantitative acoustic emission techniques were applied to investigate microcracking and damage localization in concrete beams. The AE signals were captured with the AE WIN software and further analyzed with Noesis software analysis of acoustic emission data. AE waveforms were generated as elastic waves in concrete due to crack nucleation. And a multichannel data acquisition system was used to record the AE waveforms. During the three point bending tests, quantitative acoustic emission (AE) techniques were used to monitor crack growth and to deduce micro fracture mechanics in concrete beams before and after creep. Several specimens are experimented in order to match each cluster with corresponding damage mechanism of the material under loading. At the same time acoustic emission was used to

Apparatus and methods for investigations into acoustic properties of electronic melts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glazov, V.M.; Timoshenko, V.I.; Kim, S.G.

1985-01-01

Apparatus and highly sensitive methods of systematic investigations into acoustic properties of electronic melts are described. A variant of a measuring cell to investigate agressive melts is presented. A new technique for the reception of an acoustic contact with high transmission capacity of ultrasonic wave based on utilization of clarified layers of liquid boron anhydride is described. Results of calibration tests on lead and aluminium melts point to a good agreement with literature data. High sensitivity of the above technique allows one to reveal thin structural effects in melts

Acoustical holographic recording with coherent optical read-out and image processing

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, H. K.

1980-10-01

New acoustic holographic wave memory devices have been designed for real-time in-situ recording applications. The basic operating principles of these devices and experimental results through the use of some of the prototypes of the devices are presented. Recording media used in the device include thermoplastic resin, Crisco vegetable oil, and Wilson corn oil. In addition, nonlinear coherent optical image processing techniques including equidensitometry, A-D conversion, and pseudo-color, all based on the new contact screen technique, are discussed with regard to the enhancement of the normally poor-resolved acoustical holographic images.

A computerized system based on an alternative pulse echo immersion technique for acoustic characterization of non-porous solid tissue mimicking materials

Science.gov (United States)

Nazihah Mat Daud, Anis; Jaafar, Rosly; Kadri Ayop, Shahrul; Supar Rohani, Md

2018-04-01

This paper discusses the development of a computerized acoustic characterization system of non-porous solid tissue mimicking materials. This system employs an alternative pulse echo immersion technique and consists of a pulser/receiver generator, a transducer used as both a transmitter and a receiver, a digital oscilloscope, and a personal computer with a custom-developed program installed. The program was developed on the LabVIEW 2012 platform and comprises two main components, a user interface and a block diagram. The user interface consists of three panels: a signal acquisition and selection panel, a display panel, and a calculation panel. The block diagram comprises four blocks: a signal acquisition block, a peak signal analysis block, an acoustic properties calculation and display block, and an additional block. Interestingly, the system can be operated in both online and offline modes. For the online mode, the measurements are performed by connecting the system with a Rigol DS2000 Series digital oscilloscope. In contrast, the measurements are carried out by processing the saved data on the computer for the offline mode. The accuracy and consistency of the developed system was validated by a KB-Aerotech Alpha Series transducer with 5 MHz center frequency and a Rigol DS2202 two-channel 200 MHz 2 GSa s-1 digital oscilloscope, based on the measurement of the acoustic properties of three poly(methyl methacrylate) samples immersed in a medium at a temperature of (24.0  ±  0.1) °C. The findings indicated that the accuracy and consistency of the developed system was exceptionally high, within a 1.04% margin of error compared to the reference values. As such, this computerized system can be efficiently used for the acoustic characterization of non-porous solid tissues, given its spontaneous display of results, user-friendly interface, and convenient hardware connection.

Interior acoustic cloak

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wael Akl

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Acoustic cloaks have traditionally been intended to externally surround critical objects to render these objects acoustically invisible. However, in this paper, the emphasis is placed on investigating the application of the acoustic cloaks to the interior walls of acoustic cavities in an attempt to minimize the noise levels inside these cavities. In this manner, the acoustic cloaks can serve as a viable and efficient alternative to the conventional passive noise attenuation treatments which are invariably heavy and bulky. The transformation acoustics relationships that govern the operation of this class of interior acoustic cloaks are presented. Physical insights are given to relate these relationships to the reasons behind the effectiveness of the proposed interior acoustic cloaks. Finite element models are presented to demonstrate the characteristics of interior acoustic cloaks used in treating the interior walls of circular and square cavities both in the time and frequency domains. The obtained results emphasize the effectiveness of the proposed interior cloaks in eliminating the reflections of the acoustic waves from the walls of the treated cavities and thereby rendering these cavities acoustically quiet. It is important to note here that the proposed interior acoustic cloaks can find applications in acoustic cavities such as aircraft cabins and auditoriums as well as many other critical applications.

Comparison of Estimation Techniques for Vibro-Acoustic Transfer Path Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paulo Eduardo França Padilha

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Vibro-acoustic Transfer Path Analysis (TPA is a tool to evaluate the contribution of different energy propagation paths between a source and a receiver, linked to each other by a number of connections. TPA is typically used to quantify and rank the relative importance of these paths in a given frequency band, determining the most significant one to the receiver. Basically, two quantities have to be determined for TPA: the operational forces at each transfer path and the Frequency Response Functions (FRF of these paths. The FRF are obtained either experimentally or analytically, and the influence of the mechanical impedance of the source can be taken into account or not. The operational forces can be directly obtained from measurements using force transducers or indirectly estimated from auxiliary response measurements. Two methods to obtain the operational forces indirectly – the Complex Stiffness Method (CSM and the Matrix Inversion Method (MIM – associated with two possible configurations to determine the FRF – including and excluding the source impedance – are presented and discussed in this paper. The effect of weak and strong coupling among the paths is also commented considering the techniques previously presented. The main conclusion is that, with the source removed, CSM gives more accurate results. On the other hand, with the source present, MIM is preferable. In the latter case, CSM should be used only if there is a high impedance mismatch between the source and the receiver. Both methods are not affected by a higher or lower degree of coupling among the transfer paths.

Spatially resolved acoustic spectroscopy for rapid imaging of material microstructure and grain orientation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Richard J; Li, Wenqi; Coulson, Jethro; Clark, Matt; Somekh, Michael G; Sharples, Steve D

2014-01-01

Measuring the grain structure of aerospace materials is very important to understand their mechanical properties and in-service performance. Spatially resolved acoustic spectroscopy is an acoustic technique utilizing surface acoustic waves to map the grain structure of a material. When combined with measurements in multiple acoustic propagation directions, the grain orientation can be obtained by fitting the velocity surface to a model. The new instrument presented here can take thousands of acoustic velocity measurements per second. The spatial and velocity resolution can be adjusted by simple modification to the system; this is discussed in detail by comparison of theoretical expectations with experimental data. (paper)

Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Urban Acoustic Environments with Binaural Psycho-Acoustical Considerations for IoT-Based Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaume Segura-Garcia

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Sound pleasantness or annoyance perceived in urban soundscapes is a major concern in environmental acoustics. Binaural psychoacoustic parameters are helpful to describe generic acoustic environments, as it is stated within the ISO 12913 framework. In this paper, the application of a Wireless Acoustic Sensor Network (WASN to evaluate the spatial distribution and the evolution of urban acoustic environments is described. Two experiments are presented using an indoor and an outdoor deployment of a WASN with several nodes using an Internet of Things (IoT environment to collect audio data and calculate meaningful parameters such as the sound pressure level, binaural loudness and binaural sharpness. A chunk of audio is recorded in each node periodically with a microphone array and the binaural rendering is conducted by exploiting the estimated directional characteristics of the incoming sound by means of DOA estimation. Each node computes the parameters in a different location and sends the values to a cloud-based broker structure that allows spatial statistical analysis through Kriging techniques. A cross-validation analysis is also performed to confirm the usefulness of the proposed system.

Distributed temperature and distributed acoustic sensing for remote and harsh environments

Science.gov (United States)

Mondanos, Michael; Parker, Tom; Milne, Craig H.; Yeo, Jackson; Coleman, Thomas; Farhadiroushan, Mahmoud

2015-05-01

Advances in opto-electronics and associated signal processing have enabled the development of Distributed Acoustic and Temperature Sensors. Unlike systems relying on discrete optical sensors a distributed system does not rely upon manufactured sensors but utilises passive custom optical fibre cables resistant to harsh environments, including high temperature applications (600°C). The principle of distributed sensing is well known from the distributed temperature sensor (DTS) which uses the interaction of the source light with thermal vibrations (Raman scattering) to determine the temperature at all points along the fibre. Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) uses a novel digital optical detection technique to precisely capture the true full acoustic field (amplitude, frequency and phase) over a wide dynamic range at every point simultaneously. A number of signal processing techniques have been developed to process a large array of acoustic signals to quantify the coherent temporal and spatial characteristics of the acoustic waves. Predominantly these systems have been developed for the oil and gas industry to assist reservoir engineers in optimising the well lifetime. Nowadays these systems find a wide variety of applications as integrity monitoring tools in process vessels, storage tanks and piping systems offering the operator tools to schedule maintenance programs and maximize service life.

Development of an Acoustic Localization Method for Cavitation Experiments in Reverberant Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Ranjeva, Minna; Thompson, Lee; Perlitz, Daniel; Bonness, William; Capone, Dean; Elbing, Brian

2011-11-01

Cavitation is a major concern for the US Navy since it can cause ship damage and produce unwanted noise. The ability to precisely locate cavitation onset in laboratory scale experiments is essential for proper design that will minimize this undesired phenomenon. Measuring the cavitation onset is more accurately determined acoustically than visually. However, if other parts of the model begin to cavitate prior to the component of interest the acoustic data is contaminated with spurious noise. Consequently, cavitation onset is widely determined by optically locating the event of interest. The current research effort aims at developing an acoustic localization scheme for reverberant environments such as water tunnels. Currently cavitation bubbles are being induced in a static water tank with a laser, allowing the localization techniques to be refined with the bubble at a known location. The source is located with the use of acoustic data collected with hydrophones and analyzed using signal processing techniques. To verify the accuracy of the acoustic scheme, the events are simultaneously monitored visually with the use of a high speed camera. Once refined testing will be conducted in a water tunnel. This research was sponsored by the Naval Engineering Education Center (NEEC).

Acoustic manipulation: Bessel beams and active carriers

Science.gov (United States)

Rajabi, Majid; Mojahed, Alireza

2017-10-01

In this paper, we address the interaction of zero-order acoustic Bessel beams as an acoustic manipulation tool, with an active spherical shell, as a carrier in drug, agent, or material delivery systems, in order to investigate the controllability of exerted acoustic radiation force as the driver. The active body is comprised of a spherical elastic shell stimulated in its monopole mode of vibrations with the same frequency as the incident wave field via an internally bonded and spatially uniformly excited piezoelectric actuator. The main aim of this work is to examine the performance of a nondiffracting and self-reconstructing zero-order Bessel beam to obtain the full manipulability condition of active carriers in comparison with the case of a plane wave field. The results unveil some unique potentials of the Bessel beams in the company of active carriers, with emphasis on the consumed power of the actuation system. This paper will widen the path toward the single-beam robust acoustic manipulation techniques and may lead to the prospect of combined tweezers and fields, with applications in delivery systems, microswimmers, and trapper designs.

Responsive acoustic surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Peters, Brady; Tamke, Martin; Nielsen, Stig Anton

2011-01-01

Acoustic performance is defined by the parameter of reverberation time; however, this does not capture the acoustic experience in some types of open plan spaces. As many working and learning activities now take place in open plan spaces, it is important to be able to understand and design...... for the acoustic conditions of these spaces. This paper describes an experimental research project that studied the design processes necessary to design for sound. A responsive acoustic surface was designed, fabricated and tested. This acoustic surface was designed to create specific sonic effects. The design...... was simulated using custom integrated acoustic software and also using Odeon acoustic analysis software. The research demonstrates a method for designing space- and sound-defining surfaces, defines the concept of acoustic subspace, and suggests some new parameters for defining acoustic subspaces....

Flat acoustic lens by acoustic grating with curled slits

KAUST Repository

Peng, Pai

2014-10-01

We design a flat sub-wavelength lens that can focus acoustic wave. We analytically study the transmission through an acoustic grating with curled slits, which can serve as a material with tunable impedance and refractive index for acoustic waves. The effective parameters rely on the geometry of the slits and are independent of frequency. A flat acoustic focusing lens by such acoustic grating with gradient effective refractive index is designed. The focusing effect is clearly observed in simulations and well predicted by the theory. We demonstrate that despite the large impedance mismatch between the acoustic lens and the matrix, the intensity at the focal point is still high due to Fabry-Perot resonance.

Anthropogenic noise compromises antipredator behaviour in European eels.

Science.gov (United States)

Simpson, Stephen D; Purser, Julia; Radford, Andrew N

2015-02-01

Increases in noise-generating human activities since the Industrial Revolution have changed the acoustic landscape of many terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Anthropogenic noise is now recognized as a major pollutant of international concern, and recent studies have demonstrated impacts on, for instance, hearing thresholds, communication, movement and foraging in a range of species. However, consequences for survival and reproductive success are difficult to ascertain. Using a series of laboratory-based experiments and an open-water test with the same methodology, we show that acoustic disturbance can compromise antipredator behaviour--which directly affects survival likelihood--and explore potential underlying mechanisms. Juvenile European eels (Anguilla anguilla) exposed to additional noise (playback of recordings of ships passing through harbours), rather than control conditions (playback of recordings from the same harbours without ships), performed less well in two simulated predation paradigms. Eels were 50% less likely and 25% slower to startle to an 'ambush predator' and were caught more than twice as quickly by a 'pursuit predator'. Furthermore, eels experiencing additional noise had diminished spatial performance and elevated ventilation and metabolic rates (indicators of stress) compared with control individuals. Our results suggest that acoustic disturbance could have important physiological and behavioural impacts on animals, compromising life-or-death responses. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Parametric Room Acoustic workflows with real-time acoustic simulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Parigi, Dario

2017-01-01

The paper investigates and assesses the opportunities that real-time acoustic simulation offer to engage in parametric acoustics workflow and to influence architectural designs from early design stages......The paper investigates and assesses the opportunities that real-time acoustic simulation offer to engage in parametric acoustics workflow and to influence architectural designs from early design stages...

Nonplanar ion acoustic waves with kappa-distributed electrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sahu, Biswajit

2011-01-01

Using the standard reductive perturbation technique, nonlinear cylindrical and spherical Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equations are derived for the propagation of ion acoustic solitary waves in an unmagnetized collisionless plasma with kappa distributed electrons and warm ions. The influence of kappa-distributed electrons and the effects caused by the transverse perturbation on cylindrical and spherical ion acoustic waves (IAWs) are investigated. It is observed that increase in the kappa distributed electrons (i.e., decreasing κ) decreases the amplitude of the solitary electrostatic potential structures. The numerical results are presented to understand the formation of ion acoustic solitary waves with kappa-distributed electrons in nonplanar geometry. The present investigation may have relevance in the study of propagation of IAWs in space and laboratory plasmas.

Uncertainty of input data for room acoustic simulations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jeong, Cheol-Ho; Marbjerg, Gerd; Brunskog, Jonas

2016-01-01

Although many room acoustic simulation models have been well established, simulation results will never be accurate with inaccurate and uncertain input data. This study addresses inappropriateness and uncertainty of input data for room acoustic simulations. Firstly, the random incidence absorption...... and scattering coefficients are insufficient when simulating highly non-diffuse rooms. More detailed information, such as the phase and angle dependence, can greatly improve the simulation results of pressure-based geometrical and wave-based models at frequencies well below the Schroeder frequency. Phase...... summarizes potential advanced absorption measurement techniques that can improve the quality of input data for room acoustic simulations. Lastly, plenty of uncertain input data are copied from unreliable sources. Software developers and users should be careful when spreading such uncertain input data. More...

Beyond auscultation: acoustic cardiography in clinical practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Yong-Na; Lee, Alex Pui-Wai; Fang, Fang; Jin, Chun-Na; Yu, Cheuk-Man

2014-04-01

Cardiac auscultation by stethoscope is widely used but limited by low sensitivity and accuracy. Phonocardiogram was developed in an attempt to provide quantitative and qualitative information of heart sounds and murmurs by transforming acoustic signal into visual wavelet. Although phonocardiogram provides objective heart sound information and holds diagnostic potentials of different heart problems, its examination procedure is time-consuming and it requires specially trained technicians to operate the device. Acoustic cardiography (AUDICOR, Inovise Medical, Inc., Portland, OR, USA) is a major recent advance in the evolution of cardiac auscultation technology. The technique is more efficient and less operator-dependent. It synchronizes cardiac auscultation with ECG recording and provides a comprehensive assessment of both mechanical and electronic function of the heart. The application of acoustic cardiography is far beyond auscultation only. It generates various parameters which have been proven to correlate with gold standards in heart failure diagnosis and ischemic heart disease detection. Its application can be extended to other diseases, including LV hypertrophy, constrictive pericarditis, sleep apnea and ventricular fibrillation. The newly developed ambulatory acoustic cardiography is potentially used in heart failure follow-up in both home and hospital setting. This review comprehensively summarizes acoustic cardiographic research, including the most recent development. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Acoustic Emission Sensing for Maritime Diesel Engine Performance and Health

Science.gov (United States)

2016-05-01

system does not provide direct current power to the preamplifier, equivalent pre-amplifiers with external power inputs were purchased , but the... behaviour of piston ring/cylinder liner interaction in diesel engines using acoustic emission. Tribology International 39 (12) 12 / 01 / 1634-1642...diesel engine using in-cylinder pressure and acoustic emission techniques. Dyanmics for Sustainable Engineering 1 454-463 26. Lowe, D. P., et al

The acoustic environment in large HTGR's

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burton, T.E.

1979-01-01

Well-known techniques for estimating acoustic vibration of structures have been applied to a General Atomic high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) design. It is shown that one must evaluate internal loss factors for both fluid and structure modes, as well as radiation loss factors, to avoid large errors in estimated structural response. At any frequency above 1350 rad/s there are generally at least 20 acoustic modes contributing to acoustic pressure, so statistical energy analysis may be employed. But because the gas circuit consists mainly of high-aspect-ratio cavities, reverberant fields are nowhere isotropic below 7500 rad/s, and in some regions are not isotropic below 60 000 rad/s. In comparison with isotropic reverberant fields, these anistropic fields enhance the radiation efficiencies of some structural modes at low frequencies, but have surprisingly little effect at most frequencies. The efficiency of a dipole sound source depends upon its orientation. (Auth.)

Some far-field acoustics characteristics of the XV-15 tilt-rotor aircraft

Science.gov (United States)

Golub, Robert A.; Conner, David A.; Becker, Lawrence E.; Rutledge, C. Kendall; Smith, Rita A.

1990-01-01

Far-field acoustics tests have been conducted on an instrumented XV-15 tilt-rotor aircraft. The purpose of these acoustic measurements was to create an encompassing, high confidence (90 percent), and accurate (-1.4/ +1/8 dB theoretical confidence interval) far-field acoustics data base to validate ROTONET and other current rotorcraft noise prediction computer codes. This paper describes the flight techniques used, with emphasis on the care taken to obtain high-quality far-field acoustic data. The quality and extensiveness of the data base collected are shown by presentation of ground acoustic contours for level flyovers for the airplane flight mode and for several forward velocities and nacelle tilts for the transition mode and helicopter flight mode. Acoustic pressure time-histories and fully analyzed ensemble averaged far-field data results (spectra) are shown for each of the ground contour cases.

Enhancing the beamforming map of spherical arrays at low frequencies using acoustic holography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tiana Roig, Elisabet; Torras Rosell, Antoni; Fernandez Grande, Efren

2014-01-01

Recent studies have shown that the localization of acoustic sources based on circular arrays can be improved at low frequencies by combining beamforming with acoustic holography. This paper extends this technique to the three dimensional case by making use of spherical arrays. The pressure captur...

Computer fan performance enhancement via acoustic perturbations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Greenblatt, David, E-mail: davidg@technion.ac.il [Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa (Israel); Avraham, Tzahi; Golan, Maayan [Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa (Israel)

2012-04-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Computer fan effectiveness was increased by introducing acoustic perturbations. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Acoustic perturbations controlled blade boundary layer separation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Optimum frequencies corresponded with airfoils studies. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Exploitation of flow instabilities was responsible for performance improvements. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Peak pressure and peak flowrate were increased by 40% and 15% respectively. - Abstract: A novel technique for increasing computer fan effectiveness, based on introducing acoustic perturbations onto the fan blades to control boundary layer separation, was assessed. Experiments were conducted in a specially designed facility that simultaneously allowed characterization of fan performance and introduction of the perturbations. A parametric study was conducted to determine the optimum control parameters, namely those that deliver the largest increase in fan pressure for a given flowrate. The optimum reduced frequencies corresponded with those identified on stationary airfoils and it was thus concluded that the exploitation of Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities, commonly observed on airfoils, was responsible for the fan blade performance improvements. The optimum control inputs, such as acoustic frequency and sound pressure level, showed some variation with different fan flowrates. With the near-optimum control conditions identified, the full operational envelope of the fan, when subjected to acoustic perturbations, was assessed. The peak pressure and peak flowrate were increased by up to 40% and 15% respectively. The peak fan efficiency increased with acoustic perturbations but the overall system efficiency was reduced when the speaker input power was accounted for.

Computer fan performance enhancement via acoustic perturbations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greenblatt, David; Avraham, Tzahi; Golan, Maayan

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Computer fan effectiveness was increased by introducing acoustic perturbations. ► Acoustic perturbations controlled blade boundary layer separation. ► Optimum frequencies corresponded with airfoils studies. ► Exploitation of flow instabilities was responsible for performance improvements. ► Peak pressure and peak flowrate were increased by 40% and 15% respectively. - Abstract: A novel technique for increasing computer fan effectiveness, based on introducing acoustic perturbations onto the fan blades to control boundary layer separation, was assessed. Experiments were conducted in a specially designed facility that simultaneously allowed characterization of fan performance and introduction of the perturbations. A parametric study was conducted to determine the optimum control parameters, namely those that deliver the largest increase in fan pressure for a given flowrate. The optimum reduced frequencies corresponded with those identified on stationary airfoils and it was thus concluded that the exploitation of Kelvin–Helmholtz instabilities, commonly observed on airfoils, was responsible for the fan blade performance improvements. The optimum control inputs, such as acoustic frequency and sound pressure level, showed some variation with different fan flowrates. With the near-optimum control conditions identified, the full operational envelope of the fan, when subjected to acoustic perturbations, was assessed. The peak pressure and peak flowrate were increased by up to 40% and 15% respectively. The peak fan efficiency increased with acoustic perturbations but the overall system efficiency was reduced when the speaker input power was accounted for.

A method for Perceptual Assessment of Automotive Audio Systems and Cabin Acoustics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaplanis, Neofytos; Bech, Søren; Sakari, Tervo

2016-01-01

This paper reports the design and implementation of a method to perceptually assess the acoustical prop- erties of a car cabin and the subsequent sound reproduction properties of automotive audio systems. Here, we combine Spatial Decomposition Method and Rapid Sensory Analysis techniques. The for......This paper reports the design and implementation of a method to perceptually assess the acoustical prop- erties of a car cabin and the subsequent sound reproduction properties of automotive audio systems. Here, we combine Spatial Decomposition Method and Rapid Sensory Analysis techniques...

A Methodology to Integrate Magnetic Resonance and Acoustic Measurements for Reservoir Characterization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parra, Jorge O.; Hackert, Chris L.; Collier, Hughbert A.; Bennett, Michael

2002-01-29

The objective of this project was to develop an advanced imaging method, including pore scale imaging, to integrate NMR techniques and acoustic measurements to improve predictability of the pay zone in hydrocarbon reservoirs. This is accomplished by extracting the fluid property parameters using NMR laboratory measurements and the elastic parameters of the rock matrix from acoustic measurements to create poroelastic models of different parts of the reservoir. Laboratory measurement techniques and core imaging are being linked with a balanced petrographical analysis of the core and theoretical model.

Radiation dominated acoustophoresis driven by surface acoustic waves.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Jinhong; Kang, Yuejun; Ai, Ye

2015-10-01

Acoustophoresis-based particle manipulation in microfluidics has gained increasing attention in recent years. Despite the fact that experimental studies have been extensively performed to demonstrate this technique for various microfluidic applications, numerical simulation of acoustophoresis driven by surface acoustic waves (SAWs) has still been largely unexplored. In this work, a numerical model taking into account the acoustic-piezoelectric interaction was developed to simulate the generation of a standing surface acoustic wave (SSAW) field and predict the acoustic pressure field in the liquid. Acoustic radiation dominated particle tracing was performed to simulate acoustophoresis of particles with different sizes undergoing a SSAW field. A microfluidic device composed of two interdigital transducers (IDTs) for SAW generation and a microfluidic channel was fabricated for experimental validation. Numerical simulations could well capture the focusing phenomenon of particles to the pressure nodes in the experimental observation. Further comparison of particle trajectories demonstrated considerably quantitative agreement between numerical simulations and experimental results with fitting in the applied voltage. Particle switching was also demonstrated using the fabricated device that could be further developed as an active particle sorting device. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Surface Acoustic Waves to Drive Plant Transpiration.

Science.gov (United States)

Gomez, Eliot F; Berggren, Magnus; Simon, Daniel T

2017-03-31

Emerging fields of research in electronic plants (e-plants) and agro-nanotechnology seek to create more advanced control of plants and their products. Electronic/nanotechnology plant systems strive to seamlessly monitor, harvest, or deliver chemical signals to sense or regulate plant physiology in a controlled manner. Since the plant vascular system (xylem/phloem) is the primary pathway used to transport water, nutrients, and chemical signals-as well as the primary vehicle for current e-plant and phtyo-nanotechnology work-we seek to directly control fluid transport in plants using external energy. Surface acoustic waves generated from piezoelectric substrates were directly coupled into rose leaves, thereby causing water to rapidly evaporate in a highly localized manner only at the site in contact with the actuator. From fluorescent imaging, we find that the technique reliably delivers up to 6x more water/solute to the site actuated by acoustic energy as compared to normal plant transpiration rates and 2x more than heat-assisted evaporation. The technique of increasing natural plant transpiration through acoustic energy could be used to deliver biomolecules, agrochemicals, or future electronic materials at high spatiotemporal resolution to targeted areas in the plant; providing better interaction with plant physiology or to realize more sophisticated cyborg systems.

The application of the acoustic emission technique to stone decay by sodium sulphate in laboratory tests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grossi, C. M.

1997-03-01

Full Text Available Acoustic emission was monitored during salt crystallisation cycles in order to study the mechanisms of rock deterioration by sodium sulphate in laboratory tests. Some porous carbonate stones used in Spanish monuments (Cathedral of Oviedo, Murcia and Seo Vella of Lérida were selected for this study. The acoustic emission detected during the different stages of the cycles (immersion, drying and cooling was interpreted to be the result of the salt behaviour inside the stone. The use of this technique has confirmed that this behaviour depends on salt characteristics (solubility, hydration state and polymorphism of anhydrous sodium sulphate and stone porosity and pore network.

Para determinar los mecanismos de deterioro de las rocas debidos a la acción del sulfato de sodio, se ha registrado la emisión acústica durante ensayos de cristalización de sales en el laboratorio. Para ello, se han seleccionado tres piedras porosas carbonatadas utilizadas como materiales de construcción en monumentos españoles (Catedrales de Oviedo, Murcia y Seo Vella de Lérida. La emisión acústica detectada durante las diferentes etapas de los ciclos (inmersión, secado y enfriamiento se ha interpretado como debida al comportamiento de la sal en el interior de la piedra. Mediante esta técnica se ha confirmado que este comportamiento depende de las características de la sal (solubilidad, diferentes estados de hidratación y el polimorfismo del sulfato de sodio anhidro y de la porosidad y configuración del sistema poroso de las rocas.

A numerical study on acoustic behavior in gas turbine combustor with acoustic resonator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, I Sun; Sohn, Chae Hoon

2005-01-01

Acoustic behavior in gas turbine combustor with acoustic resonator is investigated numerically by adopting linear acoustic analysis. Helmholtz-type resonator is employed as acoustic resonator to suppress acoustic instability passively. The tuning frequency of acoustic resonator is adjusted by varying its length. Through harmonic analysis, acoustic-pressure responses of chamber to acoustic excitation are obtained and the resonant acoustic modes are identified. Acoustic damping effect of acoustic resonator is quantified by damping factor. As the tuning frequency of acoustic resonator approaches the target frequency of the resonant mode to be suppressed, mode split from the original resonant mode to lower and upper modes appears and thereby complex patterns of acoustic responses show up. Considering mode split and damping effect as a function of tuning frequency, it is desirable to make acoustic resonator tuned to broad-band frequencies near the maximum frequency of those of the possible upper modes

OFDM for underwater acoustic communications

CERN Document Server

Zhou, Shengli

2014-01-01

A blend of introductory material and advanced signal processing and communication techniques, of critical importance to underwater system and network development This book, which is the first to describe the processing techniques central to underwater OFDM, is arranged into four distinct sections: First, it describes the characteristics of underwater acoustic channels, and stresses the difference from wireless radio channels. Then it goes over the basics of OFDM and channel coding. The second part starts with an overview of the OFDM receiver, and develops various modules for the receiver des

Acoustical Imaging

CERN Document Server

Litniewski, Jerzy; Kujawska, Tamara; 31st International Symposium on Acoustical Imaging

2012-01-01

The International Symposium on Acoustical Imaging is a unique forum for advanced research, covering new technologies, developments, methods and theories in all areas of acoustics. This interdisciplinary Symposium has been taking place continuously since 1968. In the course of the years the proceedings volumes in the Acoustical Imaging Series have become a reference for cutting-edge research in the field. In 2011 the 31st International Symposium on Acoustical Imaging was held in Warsaw, Poland, April 10-13. Offering both a broad perspective on the state-of-the-art as well as  in-depth research contributions by the specialists in the field, this Volume 31 in the Series contains an excellent collection of papers in six major categories: Biological and Medical Imaging Physics and Mathematics of Acoustical Imaging Acoustic Microscopy Transducers and Arrays Nondestructive Evaluation and Industrial Applications Underwater Imaging

Acoustic programming in step-split-flow lateral-transport thin fractionation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ratier, Claire; Hoyos, Mauricio

2010-02-15

We propose a new separation scheme for micrometer-sized particles combining acoustic forces and gravitational field in split-flow lateral-transport thin (SPLITT)-like fractionation channels. Acoustic forces are generated by ultrasonic standing waves set up in the channel thickness. We report on the separation of latex particles of two different sizes in a preliminary experiment using this proposed hydrodynamic acoustic sorter, HAS. Total binary separation of 5 and 10 microm diameter particles has been achieved. Numerical simulations of trajectories of particles flowing through a step-SPLITT under the conditions which combine acoustic standing waves and gravity show a very good agreement with the experiment. Calculations in order to compare separations obtained by the acoustic programming s-SPLITT fractionation and the conventional SPLITT fractionation show that the improvement in separation time is around 1 order of magnitude and could still be improved; this is the major finding of this work. This separation technique can be extended to biomimetic particles and blood cells.

Acoustic Noise Prediction of the Amine Swingbed ISS ExPRESS Rack Payload

Science.gov (United States)

Welsh, David; Smith, Holly; Wang, Shuo

2010-01-01

Acoustics plays a vital role in maintaining the health, safety, and comfort of crew members aboard the International Space Station (ISS). In order to maintain this livable and workable environment, acoustic requirements have been established to ensure that ISS hardware and payload developers account for the acoustic emissions of their equipment and develop acoustic mitigations as necessary. These requirements are verified by an acoustic emissions test of the integrated hardware. The Amine Swingbed ExPRESS (Expedite the PRocessing of ExperimentS to Space) rack payload creates a unique challenge to the developers in that the payload hardware is transported to the ISS in phases, making an acoustic emissions test on the integrated flight hardware impossible. In addition, the payload incorporates a high back pressure fan and a diaphragm vacuum pump, which are recognized as significant and complex noise sources. In order to accurately predict the acoustic emissions of the integrated payload, the individual acoustic noise sources and paths are first characterized. These characterizations are conducted though a series of acoustic emissions tests on the individual payload components. Secondly, the individual acoustic noise sources and paths are incorporated into a virtual model of the integrated hardware. The virtual model is constructed with the use of hybrid method utilizing the Finite Element Acoustic (FEA) and Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) techniques, which predict the overall acoustic emissions. Finally, the acoustic model is validated though an acoustic characterization test performed on an acoustically similar mock-up of the flight unit. The results of the validated acoustic model are then used to assess the acoustic emissions of the flight unit and define further acoustic mitigation efforts.

Experimental and numerical investigation of the acoustic response of multi-slit Bunsen burners

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kornilov, V.N.; Rook, R.; Thije Boonkkamp, ten J.H.M.; Goey, de L.P.H.

2009-01-01

Experimental and numerical techniques to characterize the response of premixed methane-air flames to acoustic waves are discussed and applied to a multi-slit Bunsen burner. The steady flame shape, flame front kinematics and flow field of acoustically exited flames, as well as the flame transfer

Virtual Acoustic Displays for Teleconferencing: Intelligibility Advantage for "Telephone Grade" Audio

Science.gov (United States)

Begault, Durand R.; Null, Cynthia H. (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

Speech intelligibility was evaluated using a virtual acoustic ("3-D audio") display using the method specified by ANSI. Ten subjects were evaluated with stimuli either unfiltered or low-pass filtered at 4 kHz. Results show virtual acoustic techniques are advantageous for both full-bandwidth (44.1 kHz srate) and low (8 kHz srate) bandwidth "telephone-grade" teleconferencing systems.

Some limitations on processing materials in acoustic levitation devices

Science.gov (United States)

Oran, W. A.; Witherow, W. K.; Ross, B. B.; Rush, J. E.

1979-01-01

The spot heating of samples, suspended in an acoustic field, was investigated to determine if the technique could be used to process materials. A single axis resonance device operating in air at 25 C with an rms pressure maximum of 160 to 170 db was used in the experiments. The heat flow from a hot object suspended in a levitation node is dominated by the effects of the field, with the heat loss approximately 20 times larger than that due to natural convection. The acoustic forces which suspend the body at a node also serve to eject the heated air. The coupling between the locally heated region around the body and the acoustic field results in instabilities in both the pressure wave and force field. The investigations indicated the extreme difficulties in developing a materials processing device based on acoustic/spot heating for use in a terrestrial environment.

Operational monitoring of acoustic sensor networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boltenkov V.A.

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Acoustic sensor networks (ASN are widely used to monitor water leaks in the power generating systems. Since the ASN are used in harsh climatic conditions the failures of microphone elements of ASN are inevitable. That's why the failure detection of ASN elements is a problem of current interest. Two techniques of operational monitoring ASN are developed. Both of them are based on the placement of the test sound source within a network. The signal processing for ASN sensors had to detect the failed element. Techniques are based time difference of arrival (TDOA estimating at the each pair of ASN elements. TDOA estimates as argmaximum of cross-correlation function (CCF for signals on each microphone sensors pair. The M-sequence phase-shift keyed signal is applied as a test acoustic signal to ensure high accuracy of the CCF maximum estimation at low signal/noise ratio (SNR. The first technique is based on the isolation principle for TDOA sum at three points. It require to locate the test sound source in the far field. This is not always possible due to technological reasons. For the second proposed technique test sound source can be located near the ASN. It is based on a system of hyperbolic equations solving for each of the four elements of the ASN. Both techniques has been tested in the computer imitation experiment. It was found that for the SNR to –5 dB both techniques show unmistakable indicators of control quality. The second method requires significantly more time control.

Topological Acoustics

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Zhaoju; Gao, Fei; Shi, Xihang; Lin, Xiao; Gao, Zhen; Chong, Yidong; Zhang, Baile

2015-03-01

The manipulation of acoustic wave propagation in fluids has numerous applications, including some in everyday life. Acoustic technologies frequently develop in tandem with optics, using shared concepts such as waveguiding and metamedia. It is thus noteworthy that an entirely novel class of electromagnetic waves, known as "topological edge states," has recently been demonstrated. These are inspired by the electronic edge states occurring in topological insulators, and possess a striking and technologically promising property: the ability to travel in a single direction along a surface without backscattering, regardless of the existence of defects or disorder. Here, we develop an analogous theory of topological fluid acoustics, and propose a scheme for realizing topological edge states in an acoustic structure containing circulating fluids. The phenomenon of disorder-free one-way sound propagation, which does not occur in ordinary acoustic devices, may have novel applications for acoustic isolators, modulators, and transducers.

Inspection of nuclear power plant piping welds by in-process acoustic emission monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prine, D.W.

1976-01-01

The results of using in-process acoustic emission monitoring on nuclear power plant piping welds are discussed. The technique was applied to good and intentionally flawed test welds as well as production welds, and the acoustic emission results are compared to standard NDT methods and selected metallographic cross-sections

Acoustic Emission from Elevator Wire Ropes During Tensile Testing

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Wenjie; Chai, Mengyu; Li, Lichan; Li, Yongquan; Duan, Quan

The acoustic emission (AE) technique was used to monitor the tensile testing process for two kinds of elevator wire ropes in our work. The AE signals from wire breaks were obtained and analyzed by AE parameters and waveforms. The results showed that AE technique can be a useful tool to monitor wire break phenomenon of wire ropes and effectively capture information of wire break signal. The relationship between AE signal characteristics and wire breaks is investigated and it is found that the most effective acoustic signal discriminators are amplitude and absolute energy. Moreover, the wire break signal of two kinds of ropes is a type of burst signal and it is believed that the waveform and spectrum can be applied to analyze the AE wire break signals.

Spectral element method for elastic and acoustic waves in frequency domain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shi, Linlin; Zhou, Yuanguo; Wang, Jia-Min; Zhuang, Mingwei [Institute of Electromagnetics and Acoustics, and Department of Electronic Science, Xiamen, 361005 (China); Liu, Na, E-mail: liuna@xmu.edu.cn [Institute of Electromagnetics and Acoustics, and Department of Electronic Science, Xiamen, 361005 (China); Liu, Qing Huo, E-mail: qhliu@duke.edu [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708 (United States)

2016-12-15

Numerical techniques in time domain are widespread in seismic and acoustic modeling. In some applications, however, frequency-domain techniques can be advantageous over the time-domain approach when narrow band results are desired, especially if multiple sources can be handled more conveniently in the frequency domain. Moreover, the medium attenuation effects can be more accurately and conveniently modeled in the frequency domain. In this paper, we present a spectral-element method (SEM) in frequency domain to simulate elastic and acoustic waves in anisotropic, heterogeneous, and lossy media. The SEM is based upon the finite-element framework and has exponential convergence because of the use of GLL basis functions. The anisotropic perfectly matched layer is employed to truncate the boundary for unbounded problems. Compared with the conventional finite-element method, the number of unknowns in the SEM is significantly reduced, and higher order accuracy is obtained due to its spectral accuracy. To account for the acoustic-solid interaction, the domain decomposition method (DDM) based upon the discontinuous Galerkin spectral-element method is proposed. Numerical experiments show the proposed method can be an efficient alternative for accurate calculation of elastic and acoustic waves in frequency domain.

High transmission acoustic focusing by impedance-matched acoustic meta-surfaces

KAUST Repository

Al Jahdali, Rasha

2016-01-19

Impedance is an important issue in the design of acoustic lenses because mismatched impedance is detrimental to real focusing applications. Here, we report two designs of acoustic lenses that focus acoustic waves in water and air, respectively. They are tailored by acoustic meta-surfaces, which are rigid thin plates decorated with periodically distributed sub-wavelength slits. Their respective building blocks are constructed from the coiling-up spaces in water and the layered structures in air. Analytic analysis based on coupled-mode theory and transfer matrix reveals that the impedances of the lenses are matched to those of the background media. With these impedance-matched acoustic lenses, we demonstrate the acoustic focusing effect by finite-element simulations.

High transmission acoustic focusing by impedance-matched acoustic meta-surfaces

KAUST Repository

Al Jahdali, Rasha; Wu, Ying

2016-01-01

Impedance is an important issue in the design of acoustic lenses because mismatched impedance is detrimental to real focusing applications. Here, we report two designs of acoustic lenses that focus acoustic waves in water and air, respectively. They are tailored by acoustic meta-surfaces, which are rigid thin plates decorated with periodically distributed sub-wavelength slits. Their respective building blocks are constructed from the coiling-up spaces in water and the layered structures in air. Analytic analysis based on coupled-mode theory and transfer matrix reveals that the impedances of the lenses are matched to those of the background media. With these impedance-matched acoustic lenses, we demonstrate the acoustic focusing effect by finite-element simulations.

Acoustic emission linear pulse holography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collins, H.D.; Busse, L.J.; Lemon, D.K.

1983-01-01

This paper describes the emission linear pulse holography which produces a chronological linear holographic image of a flaw by utilizing the acoustic energy emitted during crack growth. A thirty two point sampling array is used to construct phase-only linear holograms of simulated acoustic emission sources on large metal plates. The concept behind the AE linear pulse holography is illustrated, and a block diagram of a data acquisition system to implement the concept is given. Array element spacing, synthetic frequency criteria, and lateral depth resolution are specified. A reference timing transducer positioned between the array and the inspection zone and which inititates the time-of-flight measurements is described. The results graphically illustrate the technique using a one-dimensional FFT computer algorithm (ie. linear backward wave) for an AE image reconstruction

Play-back theatre, theatre laboratory, and role-playing: new tools in investigating the patient-physician relationship in the context of continuing medical education courses.

Science.gov (United States)

Piccoli, G; Rossetti, M; Dell'Olio, R; Perrotta, L; Mezza, E; Burdese, M; Maddalena, E; Bonetto, A; Jeantet, A; Segoloni, G P

2005-06-01

The aim of this study was to report on the validation of a role-playing approach, using play-back and theatre laboratory in the context of a continuing medical education (CME) course on predialysis and transplantation, to discuss the patient-physician relationship. The course was developed with the help of a theatre director. The role-playing 2-day course was designed to be highly interactive for a small group (15-20 participants), based on a core of case reports (dialysis, transplantation, and return to dialysis after graft failure). Two stages were included: play-back theatre in which experiences told by the participants were mimed by a group of actors, and theatre laboratory in which different aspects of voice and touch were explored. Opinions were gathered by an anonymous semistructured questionnaire completed by all participants. The course obtained a high score from The Ministry of Health (14 credits, 1 per teaching hour). The opinions of the 18 participants were highly positive; all liked the courses. Sixteen of 18 asked to repeat the experience. The strong emotional involvement was an advantage for 15 of 18, sharing emotional aspects of the profession for 10 of 18, and usefulness in clarifying opinions on "dark sides" of our profession for 10 of 18. The positive opinions recorded during this experience, the first experiment with a "psycho-theatrical approach" developed in a CME course in our country, suggest the benefit of implementing nonconventional, educational approaches in a multidisciplinary discussion of the patient-physician relationship in transplantation medicine.

Aero-acoustic noise of wind turbines. Noise prediction models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maribo Pedersen, B. [ed.

1997-12-31

Semi-empirical and CAA (Computational AeroAcoustics) noise prediction techniques are the subject of this expert meeting. The meeting presents and discusses models and methods. The meeting may provide answers to the following questions: What Noise sources are the most important? How are the sources best modeled? What needs to be done to do better predictions? Does it boil down to correct prediction of the unsteady aerodynamics around the rotor? Or is the difficult part to convert the aerodynamics into acoustics? (LN)

Vibro-acoustics

CERN Document Server

Nilsson, Anders

2015-01-01

This three-volume book gives a thorough and comprehensive presentation of vibration and acoustic theories. Different from traditional textbooks which typically deal with some aspects of either acoustic or vibration problems, it is unique of this book to combine those two correlated subjects together. Moreover, it provides fundamental analysis and mathematical descriptions for several crucial phenomena of Vibro-Acoustics which are quite useful in noise reduction, including how structures are excited, energy flows from an excitation point to a sound radiating surface, and finally how a structure radiates noise to a surrounding fluid. Many measurement results included in the text make the reading interesting and informative. Problems/questions are listed at the end of each chapter and the solutions are provided. This will help the readers to understand the topics of Vibro-Acoustics more deeply. The book should be of interest to anyone interested in sound and vibration, vehicle acoustics, ship acoustics and inter...

Acoustics an introduction

CERN Document Server

Kuttruff, Heinrich

2006-01-01

This definitive textbook provides students with a comprehensive introduction to acoustics. Beginning with the basic physical ideas, Acoustics balances the fundamentals with engineering aspects, applications and electroacoustics, also covering music, speech and the properties of human hearing. The concepts of acoustics are exposed and applied in:room acousticssound insulation in buildingsnoise controlunderwater sound and ultrasoundScientifically thorough, but with mathematics kept to a minimum, Acoustics is the perfect introduction to acoustics for students at any level of mechanical, electrical or civil engineering courses and an accessible resource for architects, musicians or sound engineers requiring a technical understanding of acoustics and their applications.

Ion- and electron-acoustic solitons in two-electron temperature space plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lakhina, G. S.; Kakad, A. P.; Singh, S. V.; Verheest, F.

2008-01-01

Properties of ion- and electron-acoustic solitons are investigated in an unmagnetized multicomponent plasma system consisting of cold and hot electrons and hot ions using the Sagdeev pseudopotential technique. The analysis is based on fluid equations and the Poisson equation. Solitary wave solutions are found when the Mach numbers exceed some critical values. The critical Mach numbers for the ion-acoustic solitons are found to be smaller than those for electron-acoustic solitons for a given set of plasma parameters. The critical Mach numbers of ion-acoustic solitons increase with the increase of hot electron temperature and the decrease of cold electron density. On the other hand, the critical Mach numbers of electron-acoustic solitons increase with the increase of the cold electron density as well as the hot electron temperature. The ion-acoustic solitons have positive potentials for the parameters considered. However, the electron-acoustic solitons have positive or negative potentials depending whether the fractional cold electron density with respect to the ion density is greater or less than a certain critical value. Further, the amplitudes of both the ion- and electron-acoustic solitons increase with the increase of the hot electron temperature. Possible application of this model to electrostatic solitary waves observed on the auroral field lines by the Viking spacecraft is discussed

Interior acoustic cloak

OpenAIRE

Wael Akl; A. Baz

2014-01-01

Acoustic cloaks have traditionally been intended to externally surround critical objects to render these objects acoustically invisible. However, in this paper, the emphasis is placed on investigating the application of the acoustic cloaks to the interior walls of acoustic cavities in an attempt to minimize the noise levels inside these cavities. In this manner, the acoustic cloaks can serve as a viable and efficient alternative to the conventional passive noise attenuation treatments which a...

Longitudinal acoustic properties of poly(lactic acid) and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parker, N G; Povey, M J W; Mather, M L; Morgan, S P

2010-01-01

Acoustics offers rich possibilities for characterizing and monitoring the biopolymer structures being employed in the field of biomedical engineering. Here we explore the rudimentary acoustic properties of two common biodegradable polymers: poly(lactic acid) and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid). A pulse-echo technique is developed to reveal the bulk speed of sound, acoustic impedance and acoustic attenuation of small samples of the polymer across a pertinent temperature range of 0-70 0 C. The glass transition appears markedly as both a discontinuity in the first derivative of the speed of sound and a sharp increase in the acoustic attenuation. We further extend our analysis to consider the role of ethanol, whose presence is observed to dramatically modify the acoustic properties and reduce the glass transition temperature of the polymers. Our results highlight the sensitivity of acoustic properties to a range of bulk properties, including visco-elasticity, molecular weight, co-polymer ratio, crystallinity and the presence of plasticizers.

Regular Exposure to Cowbells Affects the Behavioral Reactivity to a Noise Stimulus in Dairy Cows

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia Johns

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In alpine regions, cows are often equipped with bells during pasture season to ensure that farmers can locate them. Constant exposure to the chime of a bell may affect cows’ acoustic perception in general. The aim of this study is to test whether routine bell exposure affects the reactivity to a noise stimulus and might be associated with hearing impairment in cows. For the assessment, behavioral and cardiac indicators were used as indirect measures of hearing capacity. Cows that were either used to wearing a bell or not were exposed to a playback of low and high amplitude (=varying loudness. In addition, we tested whether wearing earplugs, mimicking hearing impairment, reduced the cows’ reactivity toward the playback. On 24 farms, half of them routinely using cowbells, 96 Brown Swiss cows were tested in a 2 × 2 factorial cross-over design (65 or 85 dB, without or with earplugs in a balanced order. The effects of bell experience, amplitude, and earplugs on the latency to the first behavioral and cardiac response to a 5-s playback were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models, considering dependencies within the data set. Cows reacted faster without earplugs and when they were exposed to 85 dB compared with 65 dB. The proportion of cows leaving the feeding rack after onset of the playback was reduced by bell experience and earplugs and was increased when exposed to 85 dB compared with 65 dB. Exposure without earplugs to 85 dB but not to 65 dB increased heart rate. Heart rate and heart rate variability indicated increased sympathetic activation during the exposure to 85 dB compared with 65 dB. In general, behavioral and cardiac indicators did not indicate severe hearing impairment due to routine bell exposure. The 85-dB stimulus increased arousal and avoidance compared with the 65-dB stimulus, with bell experience and earplugs leading to a general decrease in avoidance of the stimulus. This may reflect an altered

Results of acoustic measurements with an electric boiling generator at KNK II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aberle, J.

1987-08-01

With regard to an integral core surveillance in sodium-cooled breeder reactors acoustic measurement techniques are under development. To determine experimentally the acoustic transfer function of a reactor core and to demonstrate the detectability of local sodium boiling, experiments with a so-called Boiling Generator were carried out in the KNK II reactor. The main part of this Boiling Generator was an electrically heated pin bundle which was equipped with a local blockage to obtain cooling disturbances. In this report the results of the acoustic measurements carried out with the Boiling Generator are presented. Main topic of the evaluation is the determination of the acoustic transfer function between the core and the upper sodium plenum. The signal conditioning necessary prior to this investigation is also explained. Great effort was required to suppress electrical disturbances which superimposed the acoustic signals and could not be eliminated by the hardware during the experiments. Finally, the detectability of local boiling using acoustic measurements is considered

Arbitrary amplitude fast electron-acoustic solitons in three-electron component space plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mbuli, L. N.; Maharaj, S. K. [South African National Space Agency (SANSA) Space Science, P.O. Box 32, Hermanus 7200, Republic of South Africa (South Africa); Department of Physics, University of the Western Cape (UWC), Robert Sobukwe Road, Bellville 7535, Republic of South Africa (South Africa); Bharuthram, R. [Department of Physics, University of the Western Cape (UWC), Robert Sobukwe Road, Bellville 7535, Republic of South Africa (South Africa); Singh, S. V.; Lakhina, G. S. [Indian Institute of Geomagnetism, New Panvel (West), Navi Mumbai 410218 (India); Department of Physics, University of the Western Cape (UWC), Robert Sobukwe Road, Bellville 7535, Republic of South Africa (South Africa)

2016-06-15

We examine the characteristics of fast electron-acoustic solitons in a four-component unmagnetised plasma model consisting of cool, warm, and hot electrons, and cool ions. We retain the inertia and pressure for all the plasma species by assuming adiabatic fluid behaviour for all the species. By using the Sagdeev pseudo-potential technique, the allowable Mach number ranges for fast electron-acoustic solitary waves are explored and discussed. It is found that the cool and warm electron number densities determine the polarity switch of the fast electron-acoustic solitons which are limited by either the occurrence of fast electron-acoustic double layers or warm and hot electron number density becoming unreal. For the first time in the study of solitons, we report on the coexistence of fast electron-acoustic solitons, in addition to the regular fast electron-acoustic solitons and double layers in our multi-species plasma model. Our results are applied to the generation of broadband electrostatic noise in the dayside auroral region.

Acoustical monitoring of diesel engines in reverberant environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mein, M.

1995-10-01

The feed-back knowledge of emergency diesel generators in nuclear power plants shows that some malfunctions, mainly affecting fuel-injection or distribution system of the engine can be heard and detected by experienced maintenance agents. This study consists in the feasibility,v of acoustical monitoring of those diesel engines, taking into account the reverberant environment of the machine. The operating cycle of the diesel is composed of transient events (injection, combustion, valve closure...) which generate highly non stationary acoustical signals. The detection of a malfunction appearing on such transients requires the use of adapted signal processing techniques. Visual analysis of the phenomena is first proceeded using time-frequency and time-scale representations. The second step will be parametric modeling of acoustical signatures for the extraction of characteristic parameters, in order to characterize the fault and to use an automatic classification system. The lest part of the study will concern the evaluation of the robustness of the detection methods in regard to acoustical reverberation. (author). 10 refs., 6 figs

Acoustic emission technique for leak detection in an end shield of a pressurized heavy water reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalyanasundaram, P.; Jayakumar, T.; Raj, B.

1989-01-01

This paper discusses the successful application of the Acoustic Emission Technique (AET) for detection and location of leak paths present on the inaccessible side of an end shield of a Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR). The methodology was based on the fact that air and water leak AE signals have different characteristic features. Baseline data was generated from a sound end-shield of a PHWR for characterizing the background noise. A mock up end-shield system with saw cut leak paths was used to verify the validity of the methodology. It was found that air leak signals under pressurisation (as low as 3 psi) could be detected by frequency domain analysis. Signals due to air leaks from various locations of a defective end-shield were acquired and analysed. It was possible to detect and locate leak paths. Presence of detected leak paths were further confirmed by alternate test. (orig.)

Non-Destructive Evaluation for Corrosion Monitoring in Concrete: A Review and Capability of Acoustic Emission Technique

Science.gov (United States)

Zaki, Ahmad; Chai, Hwa Kian; Aggelis, Dimitrios G.; Alver, Ninel

2015-01-01

Corrosion of reinforced concrete (RC) structures has been one of the major causes of structural failure. Early detection of the corrosion process could help limit the location and the extent of necessary repairs or replacement, as well as reduce the cost associated with rehabilitation work. Non-destructive testing (NDT) methods have been found to be useful for in-situ evaluation of steel corrosion in RC, where the effect of steel corrosion and the integrity of the concrete structure can be assessed effectively. A complementary study of NDT methods for the investigation of corrosion is presented here. In this paper, acoustic emission (AE) effectively detects the corrosion of concrete structures at an early stage. The capability of the AE technique to detect corrosion occurring in real-time makes it a strong candidate for serving as an efficient NDT method, giving it an advantage over other NDT methods. PMID:26251904

Non-Destructive Evaluation for Corrosion Monitoring in Concrete: A Review and Capability of Acoustic Emission Technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad Zaki

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Corrosion of reinforced concrete (RC structures has been one of the major causes of structural failure. Early detection of the corrosion process could help limit the location and the extent of necessary repairs or replacement, as well as reduce the cost associated with rehabilitation work. Non-destructive testing (NDT methods have been found to be useful for in-situ evaluation of steel corrosion in RC, where the effect of steel corrosion and the integrity of the concrete structure can be assessed effectively. A complementary study of NDT methods for the investigation of corrosion is presented here. In this paper, acoustic emission (AE effectively detects the corrosion of concrete structures at an early stage. The capability of the AE technique to detect corrosion occurring in real-time makes it a strong candidate for serving as an efficient NDT method, giving it an advantage over other NDT methods.

Acoustic energy harvesting based on a planar acoustic metamaterial

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Shuibao; Oudich, Mourad; Li, Yong; Assouar, Badreddine

2016-06-01

We theoretically report on an innovative and practical acoustic energy harvester based on a defected acoustic metamaterial (AMM) with piezoelectric material. The idea is to create suitable resonant defects in an AMM to confine the strain energy originating from an acoustic incidence. This scavenged energy is converted into electrical energy by attaching a structured piezoelectric material into the defect area of the AMM. We show an acoustic energy harvester based on a meta-structure capable of producing electrical power from an acoustic pressure. Numerical simulations are provided to analyze and elucidate the principles and the performances of the proposed system. A maximum output voltage of 1.3 V and a power density of 0.54 μW/cm3 are obtained at a frequency of 2257.5 Hz. The proposed concept should have broad applications on energy harvesting as well as on low-frequency sound isolation, since this system acts as both acoustic insulator and energy harvester.

Acoustic remote monitoring of rock and concrete structures for nuclear waste repositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, R.P.

2000-01-01

Excavation and thermally induced damage is of significance for many types of engineering structures but no more so than in the case of nuclear waste repository design. My research and that of my group, formally at Queen's University Canada and Keele University UK and now at the University of Liverpool UK, has focused on the development of acoustic techniques for the in situ detection and quantification of induced damage and fracturing. The application of earthquake seismology to this problem has provided the opportunity to study the micro mechanics of damage mechanisms in situ and provide validation data for predictive geomechanical models used for engineering design. Since 1987 I have been a principal investigator at Atomic Energy of Canada's Underground Research Laboratory (URL), responsible for the development of acoustic emission techniques (AE). In the last twelve years, the application of acoustic techniques to rock damage assessment has been pioneered by my group at the URL and successfully applied in several other major international projects including the ZEDEX, Retrieval and Prototype repository experiments at the Aspo Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) of SKB Sweden. In this paper I describe what information is available by remote acoustic monitoring of rock and concrete structures and demonstrate this with reference to two international scientific experiments carried out at the URL Canada and the HRL Sweden. (author)

Panel acoustic contribution analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Sean F; Natarajan, Logesh Kumar

2013-02-01

Formulations are derived to analyze the relative panel acoustic contributions of a vibrating structure. The essence of this analysis is to correlate the acoustic power flow from each panel to the radiated acoustic pressure at any field point. The acoustic power is obtained by integrating the normal component of the surface acoustic intensity, which is the product of the surface acoustic pressure and normal surface velocity reconstructed by using the Helmholtz equation least squares based nearfield acoustical holography, over each panel. The significance of this methodology is that it enables one to analyze and rank relative acoustic contributions of individual panels of a complex vibrating structure to acoustic radiation anywhere in the field based on a single set of the acoustic pressures measured in the near field. Moreover, this approach is valid for both interior and exterior regions. Examples of using this method to analyze and rank the relative acoustic contributions of a scaled vehicle cabin are demonstrated.

Compact Acoustic Models for Embedded Speech Recognition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lévy Christophe

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Speech recognition applications are known to require a significant amount of resources. However, embedded speech recognition only authorizes few KB of memory, few MIPS, and small amount of training data. In order to fit the resource constraints of embedded applications, an approach based on a semicontinuous HMM system using state-independent acoustic modelling is proposed. A transformation is computed and applied to the global model in order to obtain each HMM state-dependent probability density functions, authorizing to store only the transformation parameters. This approach is evaluated on two tasks: digit and voice-command recognition. A fast adaptation technique of acoustic models is also proposed. In order to significantly reduce computational costs, the adaptation is performed only on the global model (using related speaker recognition adaptation techniques with no need for state-dependent data. The whole approach results in a relative gain of more than 20% compared to a basic HMM-based system fitting the constraints.

Classifying Particles By Acoustic Levitation

Science.gov (United States)

Barmatz, Martin B.; Stoneburner, James D.

1983-01-01

Separation technique well suited to material processing. Apparatus with rectangular-cross-section chamber used to measure equilibrium positions of low-density spheres in gravitational field. Vertical acoustic forces generated by two opposing compression drivers exciting fundamental plane-wave mode at 1.2 kHz. Additional horizontal drivers centered samples along vertical axis. Applications in fusion-target separation, biological separation, and manufacturing processes in liquid or gas media.

A Study on the Leakage Characteristic Evaluation of High Temperature and Pressure Pipeline at Nuclear Power Plants Using the Acoustic Emission Technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Young Hoon; Kim, Jin Hyun; Song, Bong Min; Lee, Joon Hyun; Cho, Youn Ho [Pusan National University, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2009-10-15

An acoustic leak monitoring system(ALMS) using acoustic emission(AE) technique was applied for leakage detection of nuclear power plant's pipeline which is operated in high temperature and pressure condition. Since this system only monitors the existence of leak using the root mean square(RMS) value of raw signal from AE sensor, the difficulty occurs when the characteristics of leak size and shape need to be evaluated. In this study, dual monitoring system using AE sensor and accelerometer was introduced in order to solve this problem. In addition, artificial neural network(ANN) with Levenberg Marquardt(LM) training algorithm was also applied due to rapid training rate and gave the reliable classification performance. The input parameters of this ANN were extracted from varying signal received from experimental conditions such as the fluid pressure inside pipe, the shape and size of the leak area. Additional experiments were also carried out and with different objective which is to study the generation and characteristic of lamb and surface wave according to the pipe thickness

A Study on the Leakage Characteristic Evaluation of High Temperature and Pressure Pipeline at Nuclear Power Plants Using the Acoustic Emission Technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Young Hoon; Kim, Jin Hyun; Song, Bong Min; Lee, Joon Hyun; Cho, Youn Ho

2009-01-01

An acoustic leak monitoring system(ALMS) using acoustic emission(AE) technique was applied for leakage detection of nuclear power plant's pipeline which is operated in high temperature and pressure condition. Since this system only monitors the existence of leak using the root mean square(RMS) value of raw signal from AE sensor, the difficulty occurs when the characteristics of leak size and shape need to be evaluated. In this study, dual monitoring system using AE sensor and accelerometer was introduced in order to solve this problem. In addition, artificial neural network(ANN) with Levenberg Marquardt(LM) training algorithm was also applied due to rapid training rate and gave the reliable classification performance. The input parameters of this ANN were extracted from varying signal received from experimental conditions such as the fluid pressure inside pipe, the shape and size of the leak area. Additional experiments were also carried out and with different objective which is to study the generation and characteristic of lamb and surface wave according to the pipe thickness

Acoustic invisibility cloaks of arbitrary shapes for complex background media

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Jian; Chen, Tianning; Liang, Qingxuan; Wang, Xiaopeng; Xiong, Jie; Jiang, Ping

2016-04-01

We report on the theoretical investigation of the acoustic cloaks working in complex background media in this paper. The constitutive parameters of arbitrary-shape cloaks are derived based on the transformation acoustic theory and coordinate transformation technique. The detailed analysis of boundaries conditions and potential applications of the cloaks are also presented in our work. To overcome the difficulty of achieving the materials with ideal parameters in nature, concentric alternating layered isotropic materials is adopted to approximate the required properties of the cloak. Theoretical design and excellent invisibility are demonstrated by numerical simulations. The inhomogeneous medium and arbitrary-shape acoustic cloaks grow closer to real application and may be a new hot spot in future.

Systematic Error of Acoustic Particle Image Velocimetry and Its Correction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mickiewicz Witold

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Particle Image Velocimetry is getting more and more often the method of choice not only for visualization of turbulent mass flows in fluid mechanics, but also in linear and non-linear acoustics for non-intrusive visualization of acoustic particle velocity. Particle Image Velocimetry with low sampling rate (about 15Hz can be applied to visualize the acoustic field using the acquisition synchronized to the excitation signal. Such phase-locked PIV technique is described and used in experiments presented in the paper. The main goal of research was to propose a model of PIV systematic error due to non-zero time interval between acquisitions of two images of the examined sound field seeded with tracer particles, what affects the measurement of complex acoustic signals. Usefulness of the presented model is confirmed experimentally. The correction procedure, based on the proposed model, applied to measurement data increases the accuracy of acoustic particle velocity field visualization and creates new possibilities in observation of sound fields excited with multi-tonal or band-limited noise signals.

Evaluation of forced-convection nucleate boiling detection by acoustic emission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wells, R.P.; Paterson, J.A.

1981-10-01

Acoustic Emission techniques are being investigated for use as protection systems in neutral beam accelerators and water cooled beam dumps. For this purpose, the characteristics of the boiling curve for forced-convection surface boiling have been compared to the Acoustic Emission (AE) produced. Results indicate that AE, in the form of count-rate, is a sensitive indicator of nucleate boiling incipience and is relatively insensitive to flow velocity in the 0 to 12 m/s range

Prediction and near-field observation of skull-guided acoustic waves.

Science.gov (United States)

Estrada, Héctor; Rebling, Johannes; Razansky, Daniel

2017-06-21

Ultrasound waves propagating in water or soft biological tissue are strongly reflected when encountering the skull, which limits the use of ultrasound-based techniques in transcranial imaging and therapeutic applications. Current knowledge on the acoustic properties of the cranial bone is restricted to far-field observations, leaving its near-field unexplored. We report on the existence of skull-guided acoustic waves, which was herein confirmed by near-field measurements of optoacoustically-induced responses in ex-vivo murine skulls immersed in water. Dispersion of the guided waves was found to reasonably agree with the prediction of a multilayered flat plate model. We observed a skull-guided wave propagation over a lateral distance of at least 3 mm, with a half-decay length in the direction perpendicular to the skull ranging from 35 to 300 μm at 6 and 0.5 MHz, respectively. Propagation losses are mostly attributed to the heterogenous acoustic properties of the skull. It is generally anticipated that our findings may facilitate and broaden the application of ultrasound-mediated techniques in brain diagnostics and therapy.

Prediction and near-field observation of skull-guided acoustic waves

Science.gov (United States)

Estrada, Héctor; Rebling, Johannes; Razansky, Daniel

2017-06-01

Ultrasound waves propagating in water or soft biological tissue are strongly reflected when encountering the skull, which limits the use of ultrasound-based techniques in transcranial imaging and therapeutic applications. Current knowledge on the acoustic properties of the cranial bone is restricted to far-field observations, leaving its near-field unexplored. We report on the existence of skull-guided acoustic waves, which was herein confirmed by near-field measurements of optoacoustically-induced responses in ex-vivo murine skulls immersed in water. Dispersion of the guided waves was found to reasonably agree with the prediction of a multilayered flat plate model. We observed a skull-guided wave propagation over a lateral distance of at least 3 mm, with a half-decay length in the direction perpendicular to the skull ranging from 35 to 300 μm at 6 and 0.5 MHz, respectively. Propagation losses are mostly attributed to the heterogenous acoustic properties of the skull. It is generally anticipated that our findings may facilitate and broaden the application of ultrasound-mediated techniques in brain diagnostics and therapy.

Variations in frequency content of acoustic emission during extension of HF-1 steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartman, W.F.; Kline, R.A.

1977-01-01

Acoustic emissions resulting from continuous, dead-weight, tensile loading of quenched and tempered HF-1 steel were analyzed for frequency content. Three distinct frequency spectra were observed. These correspond to microplasticity, plasticity and deformation after recovery. It is shown that frequency analysis of acoustic emission can be a sensitive evaluation technique for assessing structural integrity

Acoustic imaging in a water filled metallic pipe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolbe, W.F.; Turko, B.T.; Leskovar, B.

1984-04-01

A method is described for the imaging of the interior of a water filled metallic pipe using acoustical techniques. The apparatus consists of an array of 20 acoustic transducers mounted circumferentially around the pipe. Each transducer is pulsed in sequence, and the echos resulting from bubbles in the interior are digitized and processed by a computer to generate an image. The electronic control and digitizing system and the software processing of the echo signals are described. The performance of the apparatus is illustrated by the imaging of simulated bubbles consisting of thin walled glass spheres suspended in the pipe

Acoustic imaging in a water filled metallic pipe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolbe, W.F.; Leskovar, B.; Turko, B.T.

1985-01-01

A method is described for the imaging of the interior of a water filled metallic pipe using acoustical techniques. The apparatus consists of an array of 20 acoustic transducers mounted circumferentially around the pipe. Each transducer is pulsed in sequence, and the echos resulting from bubbles in the interior are digitized and processed by a computer to generate an image. The electronic control and digitizing system and the software processing of the echo signals are described. The performance of the apparatus is illustrated by the imaging of simulated bubbles consisting of thin walled glass spheres suspended in the pipe

Springer Handbook of Acoustics

CERN Document Server

Rossing, Thomas D

2007-01-01

Acoustics, the science of sound, has developed into a broad interdisciplinary field encompassing the academic disciplines of physics, engineering, psychology, speech, audiology, music, architecture, physiology, neuroscience, and others. The Springer Handbook of Acoustics is an unparalleled modern handbook reflecting this richly interdisciplinary nature edited by one of the acknowledged masters in the field, Thomas Rossing. Researchers and students benefit from the comprehensive contents spanning: animal acoustics including infrasound and ultrasound, environmental noise control, music and human speech and singing, physiological and psychological acoustics, architectural acoustics, physical and engineering acoustics, signal processing, medical acoustics, and ocean acoustics. This handbook reviews the most important areas of acoustics, with emphasis on current research. The authors of the various chapters are all experts in their fields. Each chapter is richly illustrated with figures and tables. The latest rese...

Ultrasonic superlensing jets and acoustic-fork sheets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mitri, F.G., E-mail: F.G.Mitri@ieee.org

2017-05-18

Focusing acoustical (and optical) beams beyond the diffraction limit has remained a major challenge in imaging instruments and systems, until recent advances on “hyper” or “super” lensing and higher-resolution imaging techniques have shown the counterintuitive violation of this rule under certain circumstances. Nonetheless, the proposed technologies of super-resolution acoustical focusing beyond the diffraction barrier require complex tools such as artificially engineered metamaterials, and other hardware equipment that may not be easily synthesized or manufactured. The present contribution therefore suggests a simple and reliable method of using a sound-penetrable circular cylinder lens illuminated by a nonparaxial Gaussian acoustical sheet (i.e. finite beam in 2D) to produce non-evanescent ultrasonic superlensing jets (or bullets) and acoustical ‘snail-fork’ shaped wavefronts with limited diffraction. The generalized (near-field) scattering theory for acoustical sheets of arbitrary wavefronts and incidence is utilized to synthesize the incident beam based upon the angular spectrum decomposition method and the multipole expansion method in cylindrical wave functions to compute the scattered pressure around the cylinder with particular emphasis on its physical properties. The results show that depending on the beam and lens parameters, a tight focusing (with dimensions much smaller than the beam waist) can be achieved. Subwavelength resolution can be also achieved by selecting a lens material with a speed of sound exceeding that of the host fluid medium. The ultrasonic superlensing jets provide the impetus to develop improved subwavelength microscopy and acoustical image-slicing systems, cell lysis and surgery, and photoacoustic imaging to name a few examples. Moreover, an acoustical fork-sheet generation may open innovative avenues in reconfigurable on-chip micro/nanoparticle tweezers and surface acoustic waves devices. - Highlights: • Ultrasonic

Experimental observation of azimuthal shock waves on nonlinear acoustical vortices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brunet, Thomas; Thomas, Jean-Louis; Marchiano, Regis; Coulouvrat, Francois

2009-01-01

Thanks to a new focused array of piezoelectric transducers, experimental results are reported here to evidence helical acoustical shock waves resulting from the nonlinear propagation of acoustical vortices (AVs). These shock waves have a three-dimensional spiral shape, from which both the longitudinal and azimuthal components are studied. The inverse filter technique used to synthesize AVs allows various parameters to be varied, especially the topological charge which is the key parameter describing screw dislocations. Firstly, an analysis of the longitudinal modes in the frequency domain reveals a wide cascade of harmonics (up to the 60th order) leading to the formation of the shock waves. Then, an original measurement in the transverse plane exhibits azimuthal behaviour which has never been observed until now for acoustical shock waves. Finally, these new experimental results suggest interesting potential applications of nonlinear effects in terms of acoustics spanners in order to manipulate small objects.

Electron density measurement in gas discharge plasmas by optical and acoustic methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biagioni, A.; Anania, M.P.; Bellaveglia, M.; Chiadroni, E.; Giovenale, D. Di; Pirro, G. Di; Ferrario, M.; Pompili, R.; Shpakov, V.; Vaccarezza, C.; Villa, F.; Cianchi, A.; Filippi, F.; Mostacci, A.; Zigler, A.

2016-01-01

Plasma density represents a very important parameter for both laser wakefield and plasma wakefield acceleration, which use a gas-filled capillary plasma source. Several techniques can be used to measure the plasma density within a capillary discharge, which are mainly based on optical diagnostic methods, as for example the well-known spectroscopic method using the Stark broadening effect. In this work, we introduce a preliminary study on an alternative way to detect the plasma density, based on the shock waves produced by gas discharge in a capillary. Firstly, the measurements of the acoustic spectral content relative to the laser-induced plasmas by a solid target allowed us to understand the main properties of the acoustic waves produced during this kind of plasma generation; afterwards, we have extended such acoustic technique to the capillary plasma source in order to calibrate it by comparison with the stark broadening method.

Sounds scary? Lack of habituation following the presentation of novel sounds.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tine A Biedenweg

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Animals typically show less habituation to biologically meaningful sounds than to novel signals. We might therefore expect that acoustic deterrents should be based on natural sounds. METHODOLOGY: We investigated responses by western grey kangaroos (Macropus fulignosus towards playback of natural sounds (alarm foot stomps and Australian raven (Corvus coronoides calls and artificial sounds (faux snake hiss and bull whip crack. We then increased rate of presentation to examine whether animals would habituate. Finally, we varied frequency of playback to investigate optimal rates of delivery. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Nine behaviors clustered into five Principal Components. PC factors 1 and 2 (animals alert or looking, or hopping and moving out of area accounted for 36% of variance. PC factor 3 (eating cessation, taking flight, movement out of area accounted for 13% of variance. Factors 4 and 5 (relaxing, grooming and walking; 12 and 11% of variation, respectively discontinued upon playback. The whip crack was most evocative; eating was reduced from 75% of time spent prior to playback to 6% following playback (post alarm stomp: 32%, raven call: 49%, hiss: 75%. Additionally, 24% of individuals took flight and moved out of area (50 m radius in response to the whip crack (foot stomp: 0%, raven call: 8% and 4%, hiss: 6%. Increasing rate of presentation (12x/min ×2 min caused 71% of animals to move out of the area. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The bull whip crack, an artificial sound, was as effective as the alarm stomp at eliciting aversive behaviors. Kangaroos did not fully habituate despite hearing the signal up to 20x/min. Highest rates of playback did not elicit the greatest responses, suggesting that 'more is not always better'. Ultimately, by utilizing both artificial and biological sounds, predictability may be masked or offset, so that habituation is delayed and more effective deterrents may be produced.

Decision-making for acoustic emission data set

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pellionisz, P.

1992-12-01

Acoustic emission techniques are widely applied in proof tests of pressure vessels. Correct interpretation of experimental data is of primary importance. The AE DATA EXPERT system performs this task in three procedures: source separation, source purification and source classification. Basic production rules are discussed. (author) 19 refs.; 16 figs.; 2 tabs

Considerations for acoustic emission monitoring of spherical Kevlar/epoxy composite pressure vessels

Science.gov (United States)

Hamstad, M. A.; Patterson, R. G.

1977-01-01

We are continuing to research the applications of acoustic emission testing for predicting burst pressure of filament-wound Kevlar 49/epoxy pressure vessels. This study has focused on three specific areas. The first area involves development of an experimental technique and the proper instrumentation to measure the energy given off by the acoustic emission transducer per acoustic emission burst. The second area concerns the design of a test fixture in which to mount the composite vessel so that the acoustic emission transducers are held against the outer surface of the composite. Included in this study area is the calibration of the entire test setup including couplant, transducer, electronics, and the instrument measuring the energy per burst. In the third and final area of this study, we consider the number, location, and sensitivity of the acoustic emission transducers used for proof testing composite pressure vessels.

Computational simulation in architectural and environmental acoustics methods and applications of wave-based computation

CERN Document Server

Sakamoto, Shinichi; Otsuru, Toru

2014-01-01

This book reviews a variety of methods for wave-based acoustic simulation and recent applications to architectural and environmental acoustic problems. Following an introduction providing an overview of computational simulation of sound environment, the book is in two parts: four chapters on methods and four chapters on applications. The first part explains the fundamentals and advanced techniques for three popular methods, namely, the finite-difference time-domain method, the finite element method, and the boundary element method, as well as alternative time-domain methods. The second part demonstrates various applications to room acoustics simulation, noise propagation simulation, acoustic property simulation for building components, and auralization. This book is a valuable reference that covers the state of the art in computational simulation for architectural and environmental acoustics.  

Characterization by acoustic emission and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of the cathodic disbonding of Zn coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amami, Souhail; Lemaitre, Christian; Laksimi, Abdelouahed; Benmedakhene, Salim

2010-01-01

Galvanized steel has been tested in a synthetic sea water solution under different cathodic overprotection conditions. The generated hydrogen flux caused the damage of the metal-zinc interface and led to a progressive coating detachment. Scanning electron microscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and acoustic emission technique were used to characterize the damage chronology under different cathodic potentials. A damage mechanism was proposed and the acoustic signature related to the coating degradation was statistically identified using clustering techniques.

Characterization by acoustic emission and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of the cathodic disbonding of Zn coating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amami, Souhail [Universite de Technologie de Compiegne, Departement de Genie Mecanique, Laboratoire Roberval, UMR 6066 du CNRS, B.P. 20529, 60206 Compiegne Cedex (France)], E-mail: souhail.amami@utc.fr; Lemaitre, Christian; Laksimi, Abdelouahed; Benmedakhene, Salim [Universite de Technologie de Compiegne, Departement de Genie Mecanique, Laboratoire Roberval, UMR 6066 du CNRS, B.P. 20529, 60206 Compiegne Cedex (France)

2010-05-15

Galvanized steel has been tested in a synthetic sea water solution under different cathodic overprotection conditions. The generated hydrogen flux caused the damage of the metal-zinc interface and led to a progressive coating detachment. Scanning electron microscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and acoustic emission technique were used to characterize the damage chronology under different cathodic potentials. A damage mechanism was proposed and the acoustic signature related to the coating degradation was statistically identified using clustering techniques.

A Multi-Model Reduction Technique for Optimization of Coupled Structural-Acoustic Problems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Creixell Mediante, Ester; Jensen, Jakob Søndergaard; Brunskog, Jonas

2016-01-01

Finite Element models of structural-acoustic coupled systems can become very large for complex structures with multiple connected parts. Optimization of the performance of the structure based on harmonic analysis of the system requires solving the coupled problem iteratively and for several frequ....... Several methods are compared in terms of accuracy and size of the reduced systems for optimization of simple models....

Monitoring power breakers using vibro acoustic techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Horia Balan

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Speaking about the commutation’s equipment, it can be said that the best solution in increasing reliability and lowering the maintenance costs is a continuous monitoring of the equipment. However, if the price/quality ratio is considered, it is obvious that, for the moment, the diagnosis can be also an acceptable solution. Nowadays the predictive maintenance for equipment’s diagnosis is currently replacing the preventive diagnosis. An efficient modality of lowering the maintenance costs is to online monitoring the power breakers, during their operation in the power systems. Consequently any connecting/disconnecting operations may be used in diagnosing a power breaker. Thus any supplementary and superfluous tests and/or maintenance maneuvers are avoided. The paper presents the operational maintenance in a power station with three high voltage active breakers, Areva type. The method of establishing the state of a breaker consists in the comparison between the signature of the acoustic signal provided by the manufacturer and the signal issued from the testing operation of the breaker’s state. The software processing procedure and the methodology of determining the faults of the monitored equipment are also developed. All the tests on the circuit breaker are made according the prescriptions of normative.

Detecting and identifying damage in sandwich polymer composite by using acoustic emission

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McGugan, M.; Soerensen, Bent F.; Oestergaard, R.; Bech, T.

2006-12-15

Acoustic emission is a useful monitoring tool for extracting extra information during mechanical testing of polymer composite sandwich materials. The study of fracture mechanics within test specimens extracted from wind turbine blade material is presented. The contribution of the acoustic emission monitoring technique in defining different failure modes identified during the testing is discussed. The development of in-situ structural monitoring and control systems is considered. (au)

A New Technique to Identify Arbitrarily Shaped Noise Sources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto A. Tenenbaum

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Acoustic intensity is one of the available tools for evaluating sound radiation from vibrating bodies. Active intensity may, in some situations, not give a faithful insight about how much energy is in fact carried into the far field. It was then proposed a new parameter, the supersonic acoustic intensity, which takes into account only the intensity generated by components having a smaller wavenumber than the acoustic one. However, the method is only efective for simple sources, such as plane plates, cylinders and spheres. This work presents a new technique, based on the Boundary Elements Method and the Singular Value Decomposition, to compute the supersonic acoustic intensity for arbitrarily shaped sources. The technique is based in the Kirchoff-Helmholtz equation in a discretized approach, leading to a radiation operator that relates the normal velocity on the source's surface mesh with the pressure at grid points located in the field. Then, the singular value decomposition technique is set to the radiation operator and a cutoff criterion is applied to remove non propagating components. Some numerical examples are presented.

Fifty years of progress in acoustic phonetics

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, Kenneth N.

2004-10-01

Three events that occurred 50 or 60 years ago shaped the study of acoustic phonetics, and in the following few decades these events influenced research and applications in speech disorders, speech development, speech synthesis, speech recognition, and other subareas in speech communication. These events were: (1) the source-filter theory of speech production (Chiba and Kajiyama; Fant); (2) the development of the sound spectrograph and its interpretation (Potter, Kopp, and Green; Joos); and (3) the birth of research that related distinctive features to acoustic patterns (Jakobson, Fant, and Halle). Following these events there has been systematic exploration of the articulatory, acoustic, and perceptual bases of phonological categories, and some quantification of the sources of variability in the transformation of this phonological representation of speech into its acoustic manifestations. This effort has been enhanced by studies of how children acquire language in spite of this variability and by research on speech disorders. Gaps in our knowledge of this inherent variability in speech have limited the directions of applications such as synthesis and recognition of speech, and have led to the implementation of data-driven techniques rather than theoretical principles. Some examples of advances in our knowledge, and limitations of this knowledge, are reviewed.

Broadband acoustic properties of a murine skull.

Science.gov (United States)

Estrada, Héctor; Rebling, Johannes; Turner, Jake; Razansky, Daniel

2016-03-07

It has been well recognized that the presence of a skull imposes harsh restrictions on the use of ultrasound and optoacoustic techniques in the study, treatment and modulation of the brain function. We propose a rigorous modeling and experimental methodology for estimating the insertion loss and the elastic constants of the skull over a wide range of frequencies and incidence angles. A point-source-like excitation of ultrawideband acoustic radiation was induced via the absorption of nanosecond duration laser pulses by a 20 μm diameter microsphere. The acoustic waves transmitted through the skull are recorded by a broadband, spherically focused ultrasound transducer. A coregistered pulse-echo ultrasound scan is subsequently performed to provide accurate skull geometry to be fed into an acoustic transmission model represented in an angular spectrum domain. The modeling predictions were validated by measurements taken from a glass cover-slip and ex vivo adult mouse skulls. The flexible semi-analytical formulation of the model allows for seamless extension to other transducer geometries and diverse experimental scenarios involving broadband acoustic transmission through locally flat solid structures. It is anticipated that accurate quantification and modeling of the skull transmission effects would ultimately allow for skull aberration correction in a broad variety of applications employing transcranial detection or transmission of high frequency ultrasound.

Acoustic Neuroma Association

Science.gov (United States)

... EVENTS DONATE NEWS Home Learn Back Learn about acoustic neuroma AN Facts What is acoustic neuroma? Diagnosing ... Brain Freeze ? READ MORE Read More What is acoustic neuroma? Identifying an AN Learn More Get Info ...

A study of aluminum-lithium alloy solidification using acoustic emission techniques. Ph.D. Thesis, 1991

Science.gov (United States)

Henkel, Daniel P.

1992-01-01

Physical phenomena associated with the solidification of an aluminum lithium alloy was characterized using acoustic emission (AE) techniques. It is shown that repeatable patterns of AE activity may be correlated to microstructural changes that occur during solidification. The influence of the experimental system on generated signals was examined in the time and frequency domains. The analysis was used to show how an AE signal from solidifying aluminum is changed by each component in the detection system to produce a complex waveform. Conventional AE analysis has shown that a period of high AE activity occurs in pure aluminum, an Al-Cu alloy, and the Al-Li alloy, as the last fraction of solid forms. A model attributes this to the internal stresses of grain boundary formation. An additional period of activity occurs as the last fraction of solid forms, but only in the two alloys. A model attributes this to the formation of interdendritic porosity which was not present in the pure aluminum. The AE waveforms were dominated by resonant effects of the waveguide and the transducer.

Non-Imaging Acoustical Properties in Monitoring Arteriovenous Hemodialysis Access. A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anas Mohd Noor

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The limitations of the gold standard angiography technique in arteriovenous access surveillance have opened a gap for researchers to find the best way to monitor this condition with low-cost, non-invasive and continuous bedside monitoring. The phonoangiography technique has been developed prior to these limits. This measurement and monitoring technique, associated with intelligence signal processing, promises better analysis for early detection of hemodialysis access problems, such as stenosis and thrombosis. Some research groups have shown that the phonoangiography technique could identify as many as 20% of vascular diameter changes and also its frequency characteristics due to hemodialysis access problems. The frequency characteristics of these acoustical signals are presented and discussed in detail to understand the association with the stenosis level, blood flows, sensor locations, fundamental frequency bands of normal and abnormal conditions, and also the spectral energy produced. This promising technique could be used in the near future as a tool for pre-diagnosis of arteriovenous access before any further access correction by surgical techniques is required. This paper provides an extensive review of various arteriovenous access monitoring techniques based on non-imaging acoustical properties.

Development of ion-acoustic double layers through ion-acoustic fluctuations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sekar, A.N.; Saxena, Y.C.

1985-01-01

Experimental results on the formation of ion acoustic double layers resembling asymmetric ion-holes are presented. In a double plasma device, modified suitably to inject electron beam into the target plasma, modulation of the beam through step potential leads to excitation of ion-acoustic fluctuation. The ion-acoustic fluctuation, growing away from the grids separating source and target plasmas, developed into weak asymmetric ion-acoustic double layer. The observations are in qualitative agreement with theoretical models and computer simulations. (author)

Acoustic tweezers via sub-time-of-flight regime surface acoustic waves.

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, David J; Devendran, Citsabehsan; Ma, Zhichao; Ng, Jia Wei; Neild, Adrian; Ai, Ye

2016-07-01

Micrometer-scale acoustic waves are highly useful for refined optomechanical and acoustofluidic manipulation, where these fields are spatially localized along the transducer aperture but not along the acoustic propagation direction. In the case of acoustic tweezers, such a conventional acoustic standing wave results in particle and cell patterning across the entire width of a microfluidic channel, preventing selective trapping. We demonstrate the use of nanosecond-scale pulsed surface acoustic waves (SAWs) with a pulse period that is less than the time of flight between opposing transducers to generate localized time-averaged patterning regions while using conventional electrode structures. These nodal positions can be readily and arbitrarily positioned in two dimensions and within the patterning region itself through the imposition of pulse delays, frequency modulation, and phase shifts. This straightforward concept adds new spatial dimensions to which acoustic fields can be localized in SAW applications in a manner analogous to optical tweezers, including spatially selective acoustic tweezers and optical waveguides.

Acoustic measurements of soil-pipeflow and internal erosion

Science.gov (United States)

Internal erosion of soil pipes can lead to embankment failures, landslides, and gully erosion. Therefore, non-intrusive methods are needed to detect and monitor soil pipeflow and the resulting internal erosion. This paper presents a laboratory study using both active and passive acoustic techniques ...

[Acoustic emission diagnostic techniques for high-field high current-density super inducting poles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

Acoustic emission technology was introduced in the late 1970's to monitor superconducting magnets. It has now been firmly established that acoustic signals in superconducting magnets are emitted principally by mechanical events such as conductor strain, conductor motion, frictional motion, and epoxy cracking. Despite earlier suggestions, flux motion, except during flux jumping, does not appear to be an important source of AE signals in superconducting magnets. Of these several potential sources of AE signals in superconducting magnets, mechanical disturbances have been identified to be most important in high-performance, ''adiabatic'' magnets such as the dipoles used in accelerators. These mechanical disturbances are transitory, each generating a packet of AE signals that can be located with sensors. Source identification and location has been achieved with a number of superconducting magnets. In this section, the basic principle for the operation of adiabatic magnets is discussed, followed by presentation of some of the important experimental results relevant to the question of premature quench obtained at MIT

Numerical analysis of the resonance mechanism of the lumped parameter system model for acoustic mine detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Chi; Zhou Yu-Qiu; Shen Gao-Wei; Wu Wen-Wen; Ding Wei

2013-01-01

The method of numerical analysis is employed to study the resonance mechanism of the lumped parameter system model for acoustic mine detection. Based on the basic principle of the acoustic resonance technique for mine detection and the characteristics of low-frequency acoustics, the ''soil-mine'' system could be equivalent to a damping ''mass-spring'' resonance model with a lumped parameter analysis method. The dynamic simulation software, Adams, is adopted to analyze the lumped parameter system model numerically. The simulated resonance frequency and anti-resonance frequency are 151 Hz and 512 Hz respectively, basically in agreement with the published resonance frequency of 155 Hz and anti-resonance frequency of 513 Hz, which were measured in the experiment. Therefore, the technique of numerical simulation is validated to have the potential for analyzing the acoustic mine detection model quantitatively. The influences of the soil and mine parameters on the resonance characteristics of the soil—mine system could be investigated by changing the parameter setup in a flexible manner. (electromagnetism, optics, acoustics, heat transfer, classical mechanics, and fluid dynamics)

Acoustic emission during tensile deformation and fracture of nuclear grade AISI type 304 stainless steel specimens with notches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mukhopadhyay, C.K.; Jayakumar, T.; Baldev Raj

1996-01-01

Acoustic emission generated during tensile deformation and fracture of nuclear grade AISI type 304 stainless steel specimens with notches has been studied. The extent of acoustic activity generated depends on notch tip severity, notch tip blunting and tearing of the notches. The equation N=AK m applied to the acoustic emission data of the notched specimens has shown good correlation. Acoustic emission technique can be used to estimate the size of an unknown notch. (author)

Calibration of sensors for acoustic detection of neutrinos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ardid, M; Bou-Cabo, M; Espinosa, V; Martinez-Mora, J; Camarena, F; Alba, J [Departament de Fisica Aplicada, E.P.S. Gandia, Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Cra. Nazaret/Oliva S/N, E-46730 Gandia (Spain)

2007-09-15

Calibration of sensors is an important task for the acoustic detection of neutrinos. Different approaches have been tried and used (calibrated hydrophones, resistors, powerful lasers, light bulbs explosion, etc.) We propose some methods for calibration that can be used in both the lab and the telescope ('in situ'). In this paper, different studies following these methods and their results are reported. First, we describe the reciprocity calibration method for acoustic sensors. Since it is a simple method and calibrated hydrophones are not needed, this technique is accessible for any lab. Moreover, the technique could be used to calibrate the sensors of a neutrino telescope just by using themselves (reciprocally). A comparison of this technique using different kind of signals (MLS, TSP, tone bursts, white noise), and in different propagation conditions is presented. The limitations of the technique are shown, as well as some possibilities to overcome them. The second aspect treated is the obtaining of neutrinolike signals for calibration. Probably, the most convenient way to do it would be to generate these signals from transducers directly. Since transducers do not usually have a flat frequency response, distortion is produced, and neutrino-like signals could be difficult to achieve. We present some equalization techniques to offset this effect. In this sense, the use of inverse filter based in Mourjopoulos theory seems to be quite convenient.

Parametric Analysis of Acoustical Requirements for Lateral Reflections: Melbourne Recital Hall Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erica Claustro

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This paper is an investigation of the Melbourne Recital Centre as a case study to define the parameters necessary for good acoustical quality as it relates to the Binaural Quality Index and determining the intimacy of the hall by its initial time delay gap. The Melbourne Recital Centre, designed by Ashton Raggatt McDougall Architects, is a significant case study, as its design was driven by the acoustic requirements of reflection and diffusion through Odeon Acoustical Software. It achieves the same acoustical quality of older, ornately designed shoebox concert halls, from the perspective of contemporary design and fabrication tools and techniques. The sleek design of the Melbourne Recital Centre successfully reflects sound waves in low, mid, and high frequencies due to corresponding wall panel differentiation in the corresponding scales, as engineered by Arup Acoustics.

Virtual microphone sensing through vibro-acoustic modelling and Kalman filtering

Science.gov (United States)

van de Walle, A.; Naets, F.; Desmet, W.

2018-05-01

This work proposes a virtual microphone methodology which enables full field acoustic measurements for vibro-acoustic systems. The methodology employs a Kalman filtering framework in order to combine a reduced high-fidelity vibro-acoustic model with a structural excitation measurement and small set of real microphone measurements on the system under investigation. By employing model order reduction techniques, a high order finite element model can be converted in a much smaller model which preserves the desired accuracy and maintains the main physical properties of the original model. Due to the low order of the reduced-order model, it can be effectively employed in a Kalman filter. The proposed methodology is validated experimentally on a strongly coupled vibro-acoustic system. The virtual sensor vastly improves the accuracy with respect to regular forward simulation. The virtual sensor also allows to recreate the full sound field of the system, which is very difficult/impossible to do through classical measurements.

Experimental observation of acoustic sub-harmonic diffraction by a grating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Jingfei, E-mail: benjamin.jf.liu@gatech.edu; Declercq, Nico F., E-mail: declercqdepatin@gatech.edu [Laboratory for Ultrasonic Nondestructive Evaluation “LUNE,” Georgia Tech Lorraine, Georgia Tech-CNRS UMI2958, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2, rue Marconi, Metz 57070 (France)

2014-06-28

A diffraction grating is a spatial filter causing sound waves or optical waves to reflect in directions determined by the frequency of the waves and the period of the grating. The classical grating equation is the governing principle that has successfully described the diffraction phenomena caused by gratings. However, in this work, we show experimental observation of the so-called sub-harmonic diffraction in acoustics that cannot be explained by the classical grating equation. Experiments indicate two physical phenomena causing the effect: internal scattering effects within the corrugation causing a phase shift and nonlinear acoustic effects generating new frequencies. This discovery expands our current understanding of the diffraction phenomenon, and it also makes it possible to better design spatial diffraction spectra, such as a rainbow effect in optics with a more complicated color spectrum than a traditional rainbow. The discovery reveals also a possibly new technique to study nonlinear acoustics by exploitation of the natural spatial filtering effect inherent to an acoustic diffraction grating.

Investigations of incorporating source directivity into room acoustics computer models to improve auralizations

Science.gov (United States)

Vigeant, Michelle C.

Room acoustics computer modeling and auralizations are useful tools when designing or modifying acoustically sensitive spaces. In this dissertation, the input parameter of source directivity has been studied in great detail to determine first its effect in room acoustics computer models and secondly how to better incorporate the directional source characteristics into these models to improve auralizations. To increase the accuracy of room acoustics computer models, the source directivity of real sources, such as musical instruments, must be included in the models. The traditional method for incorporating source directivity into room acoustics computer models involves inputting the measured static directivity data taken every 10° in a sphere-shaped pattern around the source. This data can be entered into the room acoustics software to create a directivity balloon, which is used in the ray tracing algorithm to simulate the room impulse response. The first study in this dissertation shows that using directional sources over an omni-directional source in room acoustics computer models produces significant differences both in terms of calculated room acoustics parameters and auralizations. The room acoustics computer model was also validated in terms of accurately incorporating the input source directivity. A recently proposed technique for creating auralizations using a multi-channel source representation has been investigated with numerous subjective studies, applied to both solo instruments and an orchestra. The method of multi-channel auralizations involves obtaining multi-channel anechoic recordings of short melodies from various instruments and creating individual channel auralizations. These auralizations are then combined to create a total multi-channel auralization. Through many subjective studies, this process was shown to be effective in terms of improving the realism and source width of the auralizations in a number of cases, and also modeling different

Acoustic textiles

CERN Document Server

Nayak, Rajkishore

2016-01-01

This book highlights the manufacturing and applications of acoustic textiles in various industries. It also includes examples from different industries in which acoustic textiles can be used to absorb noise and help reduce the impact of noise at the workplace. Given the importance of noise reduction in the working environment in several industries, the book offers a valuable guide for companies, educators and researchers involved with acoustic materials.

Preliminary Study of Feasibility of Acoustic Detection of Small Sodium-Water Reactions in Lmfbr Steam Generators.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chamberlain, H. V.

1970-06-01

An evaluation of acoustic techniques for the detection of sound resulting from water leaks into liquid sodium was conducted. Acoustic spectra over the range of 100Hz to 80kHz were detected. A leak as small as 0.00008 lb/ sec was detected by the acoustic instrumentation. The indicated leak rate was the smallest that was injected into the liquid sodium, and is not to be interpreted as the smallest leak rate that might be detected by the acoustic method. Detection time was found to be essentially instantaneous.

Residual stress measurement with focused acoustic waves and direct comparison with X-ray diffraction stress measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sathish, Shamachary; Moran, Thomas J.; Martin, Richard W.; Reibel, Richard

2005-01-01

The technique of measuring small changes in acoustic wave velocity due to external or internal stress has been used for quantitative determination of residual stress in materials during the last decade. Application of similar methodology with focused acoustic waves leads to residual stress measurement with spatial resolution of a few millimeters to a few microns. The high spatial resolution residual stress measurement required development of new methodologies in both the design of acoustic lenses and the instrumentation for acoustic wave velocity determination. This paper presents two new methodologies developed for the measurement of residual stress with spatial resolution of a few millimeters. The design of new type of acoustic lens for achieving higher spatial resolution in residual stress measurement is introduced. Development of instrumentation for high precision local surface wave velocity measurement will be presented. Residual stresses measured around a crack tip in a sample of Ti-6A1-4V using a focused beam will be compared with X-ray diffraction measurements performed on the same region of the sample. Results of residual stress measurements along a direction perpendicular to the electron beam weld in a sample of Ti-6A1-4V, determined using focused acoustic waves and X-ray diffraction technique, are also presented. The spatial resolution and penetration depth of X-rays and focused acoustic beams with reference to residual stress measurements are discussed

Architectural acoustics

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Long, Marshall

2014-01-01

.... Beginning with a brief history, it reviews the fundamentals of acoustics, human perception and reaction to sound, acoustic noise measurements, noise metrics, and environmental noise characterization...

Comprehensive evaluation of the acoustic impulse-response of apples as a measure of fruit quality

OpenAIRE

Landahl, Sandra

2007-01-01

The acoustic impulse-response technique is a means to evaluate apple quality. In this work the effect of physiological changes in the fruit on the physical measurements of fruit quality are examined. In the acoustic impulse-response technique the fruit is mechanically excited by an impact force and starts to vibrate at its own natural frequency. The resulting sound waves are then recorded and analysed. It is a fast method and yields a produce-averaged value: the stiffness factor. Experimen...

Investigating broadband acoustic adsorption using rapid manufacturing

Science.gov (United States)

Godbold, O.

The reduction of nuisance noise and the removal of unwanted sound modes within a room or component enclosure-area can be accomplished through the use of acoustic absorbers. Sound absorption can be achieved through conversion of the kinetic energy associated with pressure waves, into heat energy via viscous dissipation. This occurs within open porous materials, or by utilising resonant effects produced using simple cavity and orifice configurations. The manufacture of traditional porous and resonant absorbers is commonly realised using basic manufacturing techniques. These techniques restrict the geometry of a given resonant construction, and limit the configuration of porous absorbers. The aim of this work is to exploit new and emerging capabilities of Rapid Manufacturing (RM) to produce components with geometrical freedom, and apply it to the development of broadband acoustic absorption. New and novel absorber geometric configurations are identified and their absorption performance is determined. The capabilities and limitations of RM processes in reproducing these configurations are demonstrated. The geometric configuration of RM resonant absorbers is investigated. Cavity modifications aimed at damping the resonant effect by restricting the motion of cavity air, and adding increased viscous resistance are explored. Modifications relating to cavity shape, the addition of internal perforations and increased cavity surface area have all been shown to add acoustic resistance, thereby increasing the bandwidth of absorption. Decreasing the hydraulic radius of the cavity cross section and reducing internal feature dimensions provide improved resistance over conventional configurations..

Study of green state ceramics damage by acoustic emission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kerboul, Genevieve

1992-01-01

Dry pressing is a delicate operation of the conventional process of elaboration of ceramic materials as most of the detected defects in sintered products are appearing during it, this research thesis reports the study of ceramic powder forming by using the non destructive technique of acoustic emission to detect defects in pressed samples as soon as they initiate. An original signal processing system has also been designed to analyse the effective value of acoustic signals emitted during pressing on industrial hydraulic presses, but comprising a single tooling. Three powders have been tested: UO_2, Al_2O_3 and a UO_2-PuO_2 mixture. In a first part, the author recalls some elements regarding the fabrication of nuclear fuel, knowledge on powder pressing, and general principles of acoustic emission. She reports a feasibility study and then defines experimental conditions. In the second part, she presents acoustic emission periods during a pressing cycle, and reports the study of the response of flawless and flawed pressed samples. She reports the examination of their evolution with respect to powder nature and to fabrication process parameters. She reports a detailed analysis of acoustic emission parameters as a basis to define the principle of operation of an in situ and real time detection of flawed pressed samples [fr

Pulsed TV holography measurement and digital reconstruction of compression acoustic wave fields: application to nondestructive testing of thick metallic samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trillo, C; Doval, A F; Deán-Ben, X L; López-Vázquez, J C; Fernández, J L; Hernández-Montes, S

2011-01-01

This paper describes a technique that numerically reconstructs the complex acoustic amplitude (i.e. the acoustic amplitude and phase) of a compression acoustic wave in the interior volume of a specimen from a set of full-field optical measurements of the instantaneous displacement of the surface. The volume of a thick specimen is probed in transmission mode by short bursts of narrowband compression acoustic waves generated at one of its faces. The temporal evolution of the displacement field induced by the bursts emerging at the opposite surface is measured by pulsed digital holographic interferometry (pulsed TV holography). A spatio-temporal 3D Fourier transform processing of the measured data yields the complex acoustic amplitude at the plane of the surface as a sequence of 2D complex-valued maps. Finally, a numerical implementation of the Rayleigh–Sommerfeld diffraction formula is employed to reconstruct the complex acoustic amplitude at other planes in the interior volume of the specimen. The whole procedure can be regarded as a combination of optical digital holography and acoustical holography methods. The technique was successfully tested on aluminium specimens with and without an internal artificial defect and sample results are presented. In particular, information about the shape and position of the defect was retrieved in the experiment performed on the flawed specimen, which indicates the potential applicability of the technique for the nondestructive testing of materials

Frequency Representation: Visualization and Clustering of Acoustic Data Using Self-Organizing Maps.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Xinhua; Sun, Song; Yu, Xiantao; Wang, Pan; Nakamura, Kentaro

2017-11-01

Extraction and display of frequency information in three-dimensional (3D) acoustic data are important steps to analyze object characteristics, because the characteristics, such as profiles, sizes, surface structures, and material properties, may show frequency dependence. In this study, frequency representation (FR) based on phase information in multispectral acoustic imaging (MSAI) is proposed to overcome the limit of intensity or amplitude information in image display. Experiments are performed on 3D acoustic data collected from a rigid surface engraved with five different letters. The results show that the proposed FR technique can not only identify the depth of the five letters by the colors representing frequency characteristics but also demonstrate the 3D image of the five letters, providing more detailed characteristics that are unavailable by conventional acoustic imaging.

Online monitoring of the two-dimensional temperature field in a boiler furnace based on acoustic computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Shiping; Shen, Guoqing; An, Liansuo; Niu, Yuguang

2015-01-01

Online monitoring of the temperature field is crucial to optimally adjust combustion within a boiler. In this paper, acoustic computed tomography (CT) technology was used to obtain the temperature profile of a furnace cross-section. The physical principles behind acoustic CT, acoustic signals and time delay estimation were studied. Then, the technique was applied to a domestic 600-MW coal-fired boiler. Acoustic CT technology was used to monitor the temperature field of the cross-section in the boiler furnace, and the temperature profile was reconstructed through ART iteration. The linear sweeping frequency signal was adopted as the sound source signal, whose sweeping frequency ranged from 500 to 3000 Hz with a sweeping cycle of 0.1 s. The generalized cross-correlation techniques with PHAT and ML were used as the time delay estimation method when the boiler was in different states. Its actual operation indicated that the monitored images accurately represented the combustion state of the boiler, and the acoustic CT system was determined to be accurate and reliable. - Highlights: • An online monitoring approach to monitor temperature field in a boiler furnace. • The paper provides acoustic CT technology to obtain the temperature profile of a furnace cross-section. • The temperature profile was reconstructed through ART iteration. • The technique is applied to a domestic 600-MW coal-fired boiler. • The monitored images accurately represent the combustion state of the boiler

Field-Deployable Acoustic Digital Systems for Noise Measurement

Science.gov (United States)

Shams, Qamar A.; Wright, Kenneth D.; Lunsford, Charles B.; Smith, Charlie D.

2000-01-01

Langley Research Center (LaRC) has for years been a leader in field acoustic array measurement technique. Two field-deployable digital measurement systems have been developed to support acoustic research programs at LaRC. For several years, LaRC has used the Digital Acoustic Measurement System (DAMS) for measuring the acoustic noise levels from rotorcraft and tiltrotor aircraft. Recently, a second system called Remote Acquisition and Storage System (RASS) was developed and deployed for the first time in the field along with DAMS system for the Community Noise Flight Test using the NASA LaRC-757 aircraft during April, 2000. The test was performed at Airborne Airport in Wilmington, OH to validate predicted noise reduction benefits from alternative operational procedures. The test matrix was composed of various combinations of altitude, cutback power, and aircraft weight. The DAMS digitizes the acoustic inputs at the microphone site and can be located up to 2000 feet from the van which houses the acquisition, storage and analysis equipment. Digitized data from up to 10 microphones is recorded on a Jaz disk and is analyzed post-test by microcomputer system. The RASS digitizes and stores acoustic inputs at the microphone site that can be located up to three miles from the base station and can compose a 3 mile by 3 mile array of microphones. 16-bit digitized data from the microphones is stored on removable Jaz disk and is transferred through a high speed array to a very large high speed permanent storage device. Up to 30 microphones can be utilized in the array. System control and monitoring is accomplished via Radio Frequency (RF) link. This paper will present a detailed description of both systems, along with acoustic data analysis from both systems.

Comparison of survey techniques on detection of northern flying squirrels

Science.gov (United States)

Diggins, Corinne A.; Gilley, L. Michelle; Kelly, Christine A.; Ford, W. Mark

2016-01-01

The ability to detect a species is central to the success of monitoring for conservation and management purposes, especially if the species is rare or endangered. Traditional methods, such as live capture, can be labor-intensive, invasive, and produce low detection rates. Technological advances and new approaches provide opportunities to more effectively survey for species both in terms of accuracy and efficiency than previous methods. We conducted a pilot comparison study of a traditional technique (live-trapping) and 2 novel noninvasive techniques (camera-trapping and ultrasonic acoustic surveys) on detection rates of the federally endangered Carolina northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus coloratus) in occupied habitat within the Roan Mountain Highlands of North Carolina, USA. In 2015, we established 3 5 × 5 live-trapping grids (6.5 ha) with 4 camera traps and 4 acoustic detectors systematically embedded in each grid. All 3 techniques were used simultaneously during 2 4-day survey periods. We compared techniques by assessing probability of detection (POD), latency to detection (LTD; i.e., no. of survey nights until initial detection), and survey effort. Acoustics had the greatest POD (0.37 ± 0.06 SE), followed by camera traps (0.30 ± 0.06) and live traps (0.01 ± 0.005). Acoustics had a lower LTD than camera traps (P = 0.017), where average LTD was 1.5 nights for acoustics and 3.25 nights for camera traps. Total field effort was greatest with live traps (111.9 hr) followed by acoustics (8.4 hr) and camera traps (9.6 hr), although processing and examination for data of noninvasive techniques made overall effort similar among the 3 methods. This pilot study demonstrated that both noninvasive methods were better rapid-assessment detection techniques for flying squirrels than live traps. However, determining seasonal effects between survey techniques and further development of protocols for both noninvasive techniques is

Application of acoustic techniques for exploration of submerged area in connection with hydro-projects

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Vora, K.H.

route selection, developments of ports and harbours, etc. as also for post-constructional inspection like determination of exposed pipeline, or extent of siltation in reservoir. The acoustic methods use sound waves of different characteristics to obtain...

Spatial Processing of Urban Acoustic Wave Fields from High-Performance Computations

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Ketcham, Stephen A; Wilson, D. K; Cudney, Harley H; Parker, Michael W

2007-01-01

.... The objective of this work is to develop spatial processing techniques for acoustic wave propagation data from three-dimensional high-performance computations to quantify scattering due to urban...

Experimental demonstration of the Rayleigh acoustic viscous boundary layer theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Castrejón-Pita, J R; Castrejón-Pita, A A; Huelsz, G; Tovar, R

2006-03-01

Amplitude and phase velocity measurements on the laminar oscillatory viscous boundary layer produced by acoustic waves are presented. The measurements were carried out in acoustic standing waves in air with frequencies of 68.5 and 114.5 Hz using laser Doppler anemometry and particle image velocimetry. The results obtained by these two techniques are in good agreement with the predictions made by the Rayleigh viscous boundary layer theory and confirm the existence of a local maximum of the velocity amplitude and its expected location.

Validity and reliability of acoustic analysis of respiratory sounds in infants

Science.gov (United States)

Elphick, H; Lancaster, G; Solis, A; Majumdar, A; Gupta, R; Smyth, R

2004-01-01

Objective: To investigate the validity and reliability of computerised acoustic analysis in the detection of abnormal respiratory noises in infants. Methods: Blinded, prospective comparison of acoustic analysis with stethoscope examination. Validity and reliability of acoustic analysis were assessed by calculating the degree of observer agreement using the κ statistic with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: 102 infants under 18 months were recruited. Convergent validity for agreement between stethoscope examination and acoustic analysis was poor for wheeze (κ = 0.07 (95% CI, –0.13 to 0.26)) and rattles (κ = 0.11 (–0.05 to 0.27)) and fair for crackles (κ = 0.36 (0.18 to 0.54)). Both the stethoscope and acoustic analysis distinguished well between sounds (discriminant validity). Agreement between observers for the presence of wheeze was poor for both stethoscope examination and acoustic analysis. Agreement for rattles was moderate for the stethoscope but poor for acoustic analysis. Agreement for crackles was moderate using both techniques. Within-observer reliability for all sounds using acoustic analysis was moderate to good. Conclusions: The stethoscope is unreliable for assessing respiratory sounds in infants. This has important implications for its use as a diagnostic tool for lung disorders in infants, and confirms that it cannot be used as a gold standard. Because of the unreliability of the stethoscope, the validity of acoustic analysis could not be demonstrated, although it could discriminate between sounds well and showed good within-observer reliability. For acoustic analysis, targeted training and the development of computerised pattern recognition systems may improve reliability so that it can be used in clinical practice. PMID:15499065

Using acoustics to study and stimulate the coalescence of oil drops surrounded by water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gardner, E.A.; Apfel, R.E. (Yale Univ., New Haven, CT (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering)

1993-08-01

The coalescence of oil drops in water is studied using acoustic levitation and stimulated with acoustic cavitation. Unlike most earlier studies, which investigate the coalescence of a single drop with an initially planar interface, the use of acoustic radiation forces allows two drops to be brought into contact and allowed to coalesce. The acoustic technique has the advantage over other drop-drop coalescence systems in that the drops remain in contact until they coalesce without the use of solid supports to control them. Additionally, acoustic cavitation is observed to deposit sufficient energy in the oil-water interface to trigger the coalescence of a pair of 2-mm-diameter drops. This stimulation mechanism could have application to emulsion breaking. Some of the factors that affect spontaneous and stimulated coalescence are investigated.

Marine bioacoustics and technology: The new world of marine acoustic ecology

Science.gov (United States)

Hastings, Mardi C.; Au, Whitlow W. L.

2012-11-01

Marine animals use sound for communication, navigation, predator avoidance, and prey detection. Thus the rise in acoustic energy associated with increasing human activity in the ocean has potential to impact the lives of marine animals. Thirty years ago marine bioacoustics primarily focused on evaluating effects of human-generated sound on hearing and behavior by testing captive animals and visually observing wild animals. Since that time rapidly changing electronic and computing technologies have yielded three tools that revolutionized how bioacousticians study marine animals. These tools are (1) portable systems for measuring electrophysiological auditory evoked potentials, (2) miniaturized tags equipped with positioning sensors and acoustic recording devices for continuous short-term acoustical observation rather than intermittent visual observation, and (3) passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) systems for remote long-term acoustic observations at specific locations. The beauty of these breakthroughs is their direct applicability to wild animals in natural habitats rather than only to animals held in captivity. Hearing capabilities of many wild species including polar bears, beaked whales, and reef fishes have now been assessed by measuring their auditory evoked potentials. Miniaturized acoustic tags temporarily attached to an animal to record its movements and acoustic environment have revealed the acoustic foraging behavior of sperm and beaked whales. Now tags are being adapted to fishes in effort to understand their behavior in the presence of noise. Moving and static PAM systems automatically detect and characterize biological and physical features of an ocean area without adding any acoustic energy to the environment. PAM is becoming a powerful technique for understanding and managing marine habitats. This paper will review the influence of these transformative tools on the knowledge base of marine bioacoustics and elucidation of relationships between marine

Benefits and Challenges when Performing Robust Topology Optimization for Interior Acoustic Problems

OpenAIRE

Christiansen, Rasmus Ellebæk; Jensen, Jakob Søndergaard; Lazarov, Boyan Stefanov; Sigmund, Ole

2014-01-01

The objective of this work is to present benets and challenges of using robust topology optimization techniques for minimizing the sound pressure in interior acoustic problems. The focus is on creating designs which maintain high performance under uniform spatial variations. This work takes offset in previous work considering topology optimization for interior acoustic problems, [1]. However in the previous work the robustness of the designs was not considered.

Benefits and Challenges when Performing Robust Topology Optimization for Interior Acoustic Problems