QUITE DIFFERENT, STATE-OF-THE-ART AND VERY USEFUL ACOUSTICAL MEASUREMENTS - MEASUREMENTS OF SOUND INTENSITY

Whereas common environmental and occupational noise assessments are based on the sound pressure level, which is a scalar quantity that has only the magnitude and is measured with a single microphone, sound intensity level is a vector quantity that has both the magnitude and direction, and is measured with a sophisticated probe of two carefully spaced and opposite-directed microphones.

On the photographs, our measuring equipment: a hand-held sound intensity system - a Brüel & Kjær (B&K) Modular Precision Real-Time Sound Analyser type 2260 Investigator with a Sound Intensity Probe type 3595.

The advantages of sound intensity measurements over sound pressure measurements include the abilities to:

1. determine the sound power level of a mechanical system (compressor, lawn-mower, air-conditioner, pump, fan) in-situ, in your laboratory or factory, without the necessity of placing this system inside the anechoic or reverberant chambers (expensive) or in the acoustically free-field (in many cases unattainable);
    
2. search for, pinpoint, rank and quantify individually all significant sub-sources of noise within a mechanical system (e.g. an air-conditioning unit), such as compressors, cooling fans, worn-out bearings, covering panels, motors, gear boxes and supporting structure - this permits effective, optimally targeted (informed) noise reduction modifications; and
    
3. scan walls, windows, doors, floors and ceilings to determine, which of these elements or their part(s) are acoustically inadequate and need to be replaced or reinforced. 

If you need to:

1. determine sound power level of your products for technical specifications, sale contracts or legal requirements;
    

2. carry-out a modern noise reduction program for your products or equipment that you use;
    

3. decrease transmission of noise between two rooms;


 

4. reduce the impact of aircraft or road traffic noise affecting your office, residence and/or school;


 

5. control noise escaping from your factory building, sound studio, discothèque and/or club;

E-mail   PCCD for a free introductory consultation and quotation for measurements of sound intensity.
 

 Although the sound intensity technology:

a.     allows to resolve noise problems in the scientifically most advanced and effective way; and
b.     in many cases is absolutely indispensable;

there are only few acoustical consultants in Sydney that use this technology because of the high cost of required measuring equipment and/or lack of expertise.