POLITECNICO DI TORINO

Dipartimento di Energetica
Prof. Elena Campagnoli, Ing. Pierluigi Leone,
Prof. Pietro Asinari

Measurement of the sound power emitted by a source in a

closed environment

The aim of the experimental session is the measurement of the sound power emitted by a source
in a closed environment.
In order to achieve such result, the following evaluations will be performed:

o Evaluation of the acoustic field (free, reverberated, semi- reverberated);

o Evaluation of the sound pressure level (global and spectral) of the (1) background noise,
(2) the investigated source and background noise, (3) the investigated source alone;
o Estimation of the reverberation time (global, spectral);
o Evaluation of the average apparent absorbance coefficient of the environment and
definition of sound power level;

1) Evaluation of the Acoustic Field (free, reverberated, semi- reverberated):

In a free acoustic field, the relation between the power W and its intensity I is expressed by the
following formula:

W Q Relazione tra potenza W e intensità I.

I
4   R2

Q is a directionality factor representing the portion of space which is effectively interested by

the sound pressure waves emission:

4   R2
Q Ss, surface through which the acoustic power is emitted
Ss

For common situations, practical values for Q are the following:

Q=2, source emitting in a full hemisphere;
Q=4, source emitting in a half hemisphere;
Q=8, source emitting in a quarter of hemisphere;

In a semi-reverberated acoustic field, the relation between the power of the sound W and its
intensity I is expressed by the following formula with an outline of the direct and reflected
components:

 Q 1 a ' 
I W    4 ' 
 4    R 2
a  S 
S, surface of the environment including the ceiling, the floor and the walls.
 By definition it is know that:

I 0  10 12 W / m 2
W0
I0  being W 0  10 12 W
S0
S0  1 m 2
It is then possible to write:

I W  Q 1 a ' 
  S0   4  
I 0 W0  4 R
2
a '  S 

By introducing logarithms and considering the definition of Intensity Level, LI and Power
Level, LW it is possible to obtain:

 I W   Q 1 a ' 
log   log   log S0   log  4 ' 
 I0 W
 0  4    R 2
a  S 
 Q 1 a '
LI  LW  10  log  4 '  Lw = 10*log(W/W0)
 4 R
2
a  S 
For a free field we obtain:

 Q  Li = livello di intensità
LI  LW  10  log 2 
 4 R  Lw = livello di potenza

By varying the R parameter (R is the distance between the source and the receiver), for example
by doubling it, it is possible to obtain:

LI  LW 1  LI  LW 2  10  log4  6dB --> la differenza, tra differenti livelli di pressione, misurati a
distanze diverse dalla sorgente, dovrebbe essere pari a 6dB.
Then by doubling the distance, it is possible to estimate a decay of 6 dB for a free field.

We’ll use the above relation in order to evaluate which is the kind of the acoustic field. The
pressure level will be measured in three different points placed at a certain distance far from the
source in order to verify if the difference between the pressure levels is equal to 6 Db (free
field) or not
Si comprende come, con ogni raddoppio
della distanza, si ha una diminuzione di 1 measure: per R1=1m => 70 dB
st

circa 6 dB del livello di pressione sonora. 2 measure: per 2R1 (2m) => 67,5 dB
nd

3rd measure:

2) Evaluation of the sound pressure level (global and spectral)

Measurements are performed by using a phonometer and concern acoustic pressure levels
(global and spectral) of the (1) background noise, (2) the investigated source and background
noise. The acoustic pressure levels and weighted acoustic levels for the investigated source
alone can be evaluated as a difference.
Measurements will be done at the following octave bands:
(1) misura del rumore di fondo
(2) misura del rumore di fondo + suono della sorgente
 (le misure Lp2 sono state condotte a una distanza dalla sorgente pari a R1=1m)
Misure dei livelli di pressione (rumore di fondo)
f (Hz) 63 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000 8000 16000 LP1,global
(1) Lp1 (dB) 47 53 51 46 45 40 32 23 15 352
Noise
Misure dei livelli di pressione (rumore di fondo + sorgente)
f (Hz) 63 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000 8000 16000 LP2,global
(2) Lp2 (dB) 65 76 72 75 78 75 73 68 60 642
Noise+source

The effective mean acoustic pressure can be then obtained:

(Pressione acustica media efficace)
 peff 2 
LP  10  Log   p0 è la pressione sonora di riferimento pari a 20x10-6 Pa, che corrisponde
  p 0 2 
 alla soglia inferiore di udibilità media per un tono puro a 1Khz.
For each octave band we have :
Lp ,1i

peff ,1i  p0  10 20

63  i  16000 for the background noise
Lp , 2 i

peff ,2i  p0  10 20

63  i  16000 for the background noise and the source

Effective acoustic pressure (background noise)

f (Hz) 63 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000 8000 16000
Δpeff,1 (Pa)
Noise
Effective acoustic pressure (background noise and source)
f (Hz) 63 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000 8000 16000
Δpeff,2 (Pa)
Noice+source

The effective acoustic pressure of the source alone is then given by:
2 2 2
peff ,source ,i  peff ,2,i  peff ,1,i

Effective acoustic pressure (source)

f (Hz) 63 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000 8000 16000
Δpeff,source,i (Pa)
Source

And finally the pressure level of the source alone can be expressed as:

 peff ,source ,i 2 
LP ,source ,i  10  Log   <-- aggiunto nella tabella su excel

 p0 2 


The global effective pressure level is then expressed as:

   peff
2

 i ,i
 <-- non fatto perchè non capito
LP ,global  10  Log  
 p 0
2

 
3) Reverberation time Calcolo del tempo di riverberazione:

It is determined by using a constant sound source which is then suddenly deactivated or a sound
impulse. The phonometer is then used to determine how the acoustic pressure levels decreases
by time for the different octave band. The phonometer measures the acoustic pressure level
over a time range of 5 s with a sampling time of 0.01 s. The reverberation time for each octave
band is determined by measuring the maximum pressure level and the further decay of 60dB. If
the maximum pressure level does not reach the value of 60 dB, the reverberation time can be
determined by using the following formula:

 60 : 60dB  t : dB

dB is the decay of pressure level in the time interval t . (= 5 s)

Tempo di riverberazione, τ60

f 63 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000 8000 16000
(Hz)
τ60
0,7 0,6 0,4 0,4 0,5 0,9 0,9 0,7 0,6
(s)

4) Average apparent absorbance coefficient

It is evaluated by using the Sabine relation:
V
 60  0.16 
a 'S

Where V is the volume of the Room 402 and S its surface. According to the Sabine’s relation,
the average apparent absorbance coefficient is determined:

V <-- coefficiente di assorbimento medio apparente

a '  0.16 
 60  S
The absorbance constant is evaluated at the different frequencies (central frequency for the
related octave bande):

Average Apparent Absorbance Coefficient , a '

Fm 63 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000 8000 16000
(Hz)
a'

Definition of the sound power level

For a semi-reverberated sound it is given by:

 Q 1 a ' 
LW  LI  10  log  4  
 4    R 2
a '
 S 
 With Q the directional factor:
4   R2 = 2
Q
Ss
 1 1 a '   1  1 a ' 
LW 
 LI  10  log  4 '   LI  10  log 
  1  4  Ss  '  
S 
 Ss a S   s  a  S 

By using the properties of logarithms it is obtained:

 1 a ' 
LW  LI  10  log( S s )  10  log 1  4  S s  ' 
 a  S 

And since LI  LP , the following expression is obtained:

 1 a ' 
LW  LP  10  log( S s )  10  log 1  4  S s  ' 
 a  S 

Formula Finally: S0  1 m 2 and the final relation can be written:

da usare S  1 a ' 
-----------> LW  LP  10  log( s )  K where: K  10  log 1  4  Ss  ' 
S0  a  S 
In the formula each term can be summarized:

Lw: acoustic power level; (Livello di potenza acustica)

Lp: acoustic pressure level; (Livello di pressione acustica)
Ss: surface of the semi-sphere of radius R (R=distance between the source and the receiver
during the measurements);
S0: reference surface (1 m²);
K: environmental correction factor evaluated form the attached figure as a function of a 'S S s
 So the acoustic power levels can be then evaluated at each frequency and they can be used in
order to evaluate the acoustic power at each octave band

Acoustic Power Level, Lw

Fm 63 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000 8000 16000
(Hz)
(Livelli di potenza acustica) Lw (dB) Lw = 10*log(W/W0)
(Potenza acustica) W(W) W = W0*10^(Lw/10)

The global sound power of the source is then obtained by the summation of each acoustic
power at the single frequency.

Wtot   W i = 1,22 mW
i

Finally the global sound power level is given as: con W0 = 10^-12 [W]
W 
Lw  10  log tot  = 90,86 dB
W0 