POLITECNICO DI TORINO

Di parti mento di Energeti ca

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;

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:

2
4 R
Q W
I


=
t


Q is a directionality factor representing the portion of space which is effectively interested by
the sound pressure waves emission:

s
S
R
Q
2
4
=
t
S
s,
surface through which the acoustic power is emitted

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:

|
|
.
|

\
|

+

=
S a
a
R
Q
W I
'
'
2
1
4
4 t

S
,
surface of the environment including the ceiling, the floor and the walls.

By definition it is know that:

0
0
0
S
W
I = being
2
0
12
0
2 12
0
1
10
/ 10
m S
W W
m W I
=
=
=

It is then possible to write:

|
|
.
|

\
|

+

=
S a
a
R
Q
S
W
W
I
I
'
'
2
0
0 0
1
4
4 t


By introducing logarithms and considering the definition of Intensity Level, L
I
and Power
Level, L
W
it is possible to obtain:

( )
|
|
.
|

\
|

+

=
|
|
.
|

\
|

+

+ +
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
|
|
.
|

\
|
S a
a
R
Q
L L
S a
a
R
Q
S
W
W
I
I
W I
'
'
2
'
'
2
0
0 0
1
4
4
log 10
1
4
4
log log log log
t
t

For a free field we obtain:

|
.
|

\
|

=
2
4
log 10
R
Q
L L
W I
t


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:

( ) ( ) ( ) dB L L L L
W I W I
6 4 log 10
2 1
= =

Then by doubling the distance, it is possible to estimate a decay of 6 dB for a free field.

Well 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

1
st
measure:
2
nd
measure:
3
rd
measure:


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:

Pressure Level Measurements (background noise)
f (Hz) 63 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000 8000 16000 L
P1,global

L
p1
(dB)
Noise

Pressure Level Measurements (background noise and source)
f (Hz) 63 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000 8000 16000 L
P2,global

L
p2
(dB)
Noise+source



The effective mean acoustic pressure can be then obtained:

( )
( )
|
|
.
|

\
|
A
A
=
2
0
2
10
p
p
Log L
eff
P

For each octave band we have :
20
0 1 ,
1 ,
10
i p
L
i eff
p p A = A 16000 63 s s i for the background noise
20
0 2 ,
2 ,
10
i p
L
i eff
p p A = A 16000 63 s s i for the background noise and the source


Effective acoustic pressure (background noise)
f (Hz) 63 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000 8000 16000
p
eff,1
(Pa)
Noise

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



The effective acoustic pressure of the source alone is then given by:

i eff i eff i source eff
p p p
, 1 , , 2 , , ,
A A = A

Effective acoustic pressure (source)
f (Hz) 63 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000 8000 16000
p
eff,source,i
(Pa)
Source


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

( )
( )
|
|
.
|

\
|
A
A
=
2
0
2
, ,
, ,
10
p
p
Log L
i source eff
i source P


The global effective pressure level is then expressed as:

|
|
|
.
|

\
|
A
A
=

2
0
2
,
,
10
p
p
Log L
i
i eff
global P

Reverberation time

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:

dB t dB A A = : 60 :
60
t

dB A is the decay of pressure level in the time interval t A .

Reverberation Time,
60

f
(Hz)
63 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000 8000 16000

60
(s)


Average apparent absorbance coefficient
It is evaluated by using the Sabine relation:
S a
V

=
'
16 . 0
60
t

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

S
V
a

=
60
16 . 0 '
t

The absorbance constant is evaluated at the different frequencies (central frequency for the
related octave bande):

Average Apparent Absorbance Coefficient , ' a
Fm
(Hz)
63 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000 8000 16000
' a

Definition of the sound power level

For a semi-reverberated sound it is given by:
|
|
.
|

\
|

+

=
S a
a
R
Q
L L
I W
'
'
2
1
4
4
log 10
t

With Q the directional factor:
s
S
R
Q
2
4
=
t

|
|
.
|

\
|
|
|
.
|

\
|

+ =
|
|
.
|

\
|

+ =
S a
a
S
S
L
S a
a
S
L L
s
s
I
s
I W
'
'
'
'
1
4 1
1
log 10
1
4
1
log 10

By using the properties of logarithms it is obtained:

|
|
.
|

\
|

+ + =
S a
a
S S L L
s s I W
'
'
1
4 1 log 10 ) log( 10

And since
P I
L L ~ , the following expression is obtained:
|
|
.
|

\
|

+ + =
S a
a
S S L L
s s P W
'
'
1
4 1 log 10 ) log( 10

Finally:
2
0
1m S = and the final relation can be written:
K
S
S
L L
s
P W
+ = ) log( 10
0
where:
|
|
.
|

\
|

+ =
S a
a
S K
s
'
'
1
4 1 log 10
In the formula each term can be summarized:

L
w
: acoustic power level;
L
p
: acoustic pressure level;
S
s
: surface of the semi-sphere of radius R (R=distance between the source and the receiver
during the measurements);
S
0
: reference surface (1 m);
K: environmental correction factor evaluated form the attached figure as a function of
s
S S a '






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, L
w

Fm
(Hz)
63 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000 8000 16000
L
w
(dB)
W(W)


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

=
i
i tot
W W

Finally the global sound power level is given as:
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
0
log 10
W
W
L
tot
w