Product Noise Control

There are many available approaches to controlling product noise but the first step is almost always to determine what the most important noise sources by “rank ordering”. Once identified, the source mechanisms or the transfer paths to the listener can be affected to achieve the wanted noise and vibration product characteristics. This can be done to make a product quieter (or louder!) or sound better (see Sound Quality).

Diagnostic tests:

• Sound power rank ordering
• Transfer path analysis
• Sound intensity maps
• Modal analysis
• Power flow methods
• Source tracking with accelerometer arrays

Noise control measures (at source) might include:

• Improved tolerances
• Smoothing airflow
• Reducing flow rates while maintaining volume flow
• Changing contact profiles and stiffness’s

Noise control measures (transmission paths) might include:

• Enclosures
• Silencers
• Barriers
• Absorbers
• Structural modification
• Vibration isolators
• Metamaterials

Andrew Elliot
t: +44 (0)161 295 4001
e: a.s.elliott@salford.ac.uk