James Hill

BROADBAND ELECTROSTATIC TRANSDUCERS : MODELING AND EXPERIMENTS

A model for broadband electrostatic transducers capable of generating and detecting ultrasound in air at megahertz frequencies has been developed. This model uses a lumped parameter approximation to describe a transducer with a grooved backplate and a stretched diaphragm. The mechanical stiffness effects included in the model are compressibility of the air gap separating the diaphragm and the backplate, flexure bending stiffness of the diaphragm, and in‐plane tension forces applied to the diaphragm. A prototype transducer with backplate grooves 200 μm wide and 3.75 μm deep was constructed using micromachining techniques. Measurements of the electrical admittance and transmit sensitivity were made at various polarization voltages and diaphragm tensions. Model predictions of transducer electrical admittance and transmit sensitivity compare well with experimental data. The resonance frequency is predicted within 50 kHz of the nominal measured value near 500 kHz, and model predictions of transmit sensitivity ...

Hybrid silencer transmission loss above a duct’s plane wave region

For large ducts, the removal of low frequency and tonal noise is normally achieved through the use of inefficient dissipative silencers; however, a combination of dissipative and reactive solutions could be more effective. But reactive noise control solutions are rarely applied to large diameter duct systems since it is commonly assumed that the low cut-on frequency of higher order modes severely restricts their efficiency. However, it is possible for a reactive silencer to remain operational outside of the plane wave region, provided the reactive elements are distributed across the cross-section of the duct. Of course, at higher frequencies, the sound field within a duct will have nonplane wave modal content, and the transmission loss is expected to differ compared to the plane wave condition. This effect is investigated here using numerical (FEM) predictions for hybrid dissipative-reactive parallel baffle silencers and the performance of the reactive elements is explored under different excitations. The...

The influence of higher order incident modes on the performance of a hybrid reactive-dissipative splitter silencer

A hybrid reactive-dissipative splitter silencer offers the potential to attenuate turbomachinery noise over a wide frequency range, including the problematic low to medium frequencies. This article uses a theoretical model to investigate the performance of a hybrid parallel baffle silencer for different complex incident sound fields. This includes an incident sound field with equal modal energy density, as well as the excitation of individual higher order modes. It is shown that provided horizontal and vertical partitions are used in the reactive element, the sound attenuation performance of the reactive chamber under complex incident sound fields is equivalent to that obtained using plane wave excitation over the frequency range of interest. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the reactive elements work at frequencies above the first cut-on mode in the inlet duct, and so they are capable of extending sound attenuation into the low to medium frequency range. This delivers an efficient hybrid silencer des...

Analysis of acoustic data acquisition instrumentation for underwater blast dredging

A team of seniors from the University of Rhode Island were tasked with analyzing the acoustic data and evaluating the data acquisition systems used in Pacific Northwest National Laboratories’ (PNNL) study of blast dredging in the Columbia River. Throughout the semester, the students learned about the unique acoustic signatures of confined underwater blasts and the necessary specifications of systems used to record them. PNNL used two data acquisition systems. One was a tourmaline underwater blast sensor system created by PCB Piezotronics. The second was a hydrophone system using a Teledyne TC 4040 hydrophone, a Dytran inline charge amplifier, and a signal conditioner built for the blast sensor system. The students concluded that the data from the blast sensor system was reliable because the system was built by the company for this specific application and there were calibration sheets showing the system worked properly. The hydrophone data was deemed unreliable because components were orientated in an unu...

Equipment Testing to Sonic Environments—Facilities and Techniques

A general description, along with details, for the equipment qualification sonic testing facility at North American Aviation, Inc.. Columbus. Ohio, is presented. Methods of sound generation, control, and monitoring and testing techniques are described. A unique method of generating noise at the open end of a large catenoidal horn (11 ft at the open end, 10 ft long, and 3 ft at the throat) and concentrating such noise at the throat to increase SPL is utilized in this facility.