Acoustic comfort

“Silence is golden”

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■  The fight against environmental pollution is set to keep on growing; the first experiment of alternating traffic in Paris, or demonstrations triggered by the extension of Charles De Gaulle airport, clearly show that the two types of nuisance that most disturb the population are air and noise.

■  Thus, noise environment is the subject of a large number of research and development projects. Authorities are seeking to better identify the problems and disturbances related to noise and are trying to control them in more and more restrictive legislation; the different texts of the NRA implemented in France in January 1996 translate this intention.

■  Technological progress presents a major disadvantage, as increasing a system’s performances often results in an increase in noise generated. For example, transport and the increase in speed. In the automobile field, safety, comfort and quality are promoted by marketing services to make their vehicles stand out from the competition; acoustic comfort is one of their strong arguments, because it suggests both art de vivre and strong perceived quality.

■  All over the world, constructors and equipment manufacturers are carrying out in-depth studies on external noise and interior acoustic quality. In their laboratories, perception of sound quality is analysed with psycho-acoustic methods and models; studies on the procedures of perceptive tests, on the multi-dimensional analysis or identification of relevant parameters are being actively conducted.

■  A constant concern is also the improvement of properties of existing materials or the development of new associations of materials and their implementation processes. In parallel, tools to characterise the vibro-acoustic behaviour of vehicles’ different components have become essential.

■  The fight against noise is also arousing the imagination of electronics experts, with active control techniques already being used in aircraft cabins, and applications in other fields, such as air conditioning or ventilation are now within reach.

■  Whether in the field of transport, building, public works or household electrical goods, developers have to imagine the components, materials and products that will put them ahead of the competition.

■  Since 1995, to take part in this research, Innovation 128 has been proposing companies concerned – manufacturers, constructors, equipment manufacturers, material supplier – a Technological Watch programme, called TechWatch, which involves very close surveillance of recent developments of techniques, new products, applications and feedback, markets, norms and international players.

Main themes

■  Insulating and absorbent products and materials

  • sandwich
  • elastomers
  • composites
  • resins
  • glass
  • absorbing elements
  • insulating elements

■  Active noise control

  • acoustics
  • vibrating mechanics
  • algorithms, modelling
  • electronic controllers
  • active fluid mechanics

■  Acoustic modelling and measuring

  • measuring appliances or elements
  • generic measurement techniques and methods
  • generic modelling
  • materials
  • neurone networks
  • signal processing

■  Acoustics in climatic engineering

  • air conditioning, heating
  • ducts and pipe networks
  • resonators, silencers and sound traps
  • ventilators and rotors
  • aerodynamics and aero-acoustics
  • air distribution
  • pumps, compressors and turbines

■  Applications & markets

  • transport
  • construction
  • industry
  • environment

■  Norms and regulations

  • construction
  • transport
  • industrial and construction equipment
  • environment and infrastructure
  • measurements

■  Psycho-acoustics

  • acoustic and vibrating quality
  • sound perception and recognition
  • notions of disturbance and work conditions
  • speech recognition: analysis, processing, synthesis
  • synthesis and audio spatialisation