Experimental Study of Acoustic Noise Correlation Technique for Passive Monitoring of Rails

The work presented in this paper aims at investigating the ability of acoustic noise correlation technique for railway infrastructure health monitoring. The principle of this technique is based on impulse responses reconstruction by correlation of random noise propagated in the medium. Since wheel-rail interaction constitutes a source of such noise, correlation technique could be convenient for detection of rail defects using only passive sensors. Experiments have been carried out on a 2 m-long rail sample. Acoustic noise is generated in the sample at several positions. Direct comparison between an active emission-reception response and the estimated noise correlation function has confirmed the validity of the equivalence relation between them. The quality of the reconstruction is shown to be strongly related to the spatial distribution of the noise sources. High sensitivity of the noise-correlation functions to a local defect on the rail is also demonstrated. However, interpretation of the defect signature is more ambiguous than when using classical active responses. Application of a spatiotemporal Fourier transform on data recorded with variable sensor-defect distances has allowed overcoming this ambiguity.

Hybrid device for acoustic noise reduction and energy harvesting based on a silicon micro-perforated panel structure

A kind of hybrid device for acoustic noise reduction and vibration energy harvesting based on the silicon micro- perforated panel （MPP） resonant structure is investigated in the article. The critical parts of the device include MPP and energy harvesting membranes. They are all fabricated by means of silicon micro-electro-mechanical systems （MEMS） tech- nology. The silicon MPP has dense and accurate micro-holes. This noise reduction structure has the advantages of wide band and higher absorption coefficients. The vibration energy harvesting part is formed by square piezoelectric membranes arranged in rows. ZnO material is used as it has a good compatibility with the fabrication process. The MPP, piezo- electric membranes, and metal bracket are assembled into a hybrid device with multifunctions. The device exhibits good performances of acoustic noise absorption and acoustic-electric conversion. Its maximum open circuit voltage achieves 69.41 mV.

Acoustic Noise from Tandem Wind Rotors of Intelligent Wind Power Unit

The authors had invented the unique wind power unit composed of the large-sized front wind rotor,the small-sized rear wind rotor and the peculiar generator with the inner and the outer rotational armatures without the conventional stator.This unit is called "Intelligent Wind Power Unit" by the authors.The front and the rear wind rotors drive the inner and the outer armatures,respectively,while the rotational torque is counter-balanced between both armatures/wind rotors.This paper discusses experimentally the acoustic noise from the front and the rear wind rotors.The acoustic noise,in the counter-rotating operation,is induced mainly from the flow interaction between both rotors,and has the dominant power spectrum density at the frequency of the blade passing interaction.The noise is caused mainly from the turbulent fluctuation due to the flow separation on the blade,when the rear wind rotor stops or rotates in the same direction as the front wind rotor.

Improved signal de-noising in underwater acoustic noise using S-transform: A performance evaluation and comparison with the wavelet transform

Sound waves propagate well underwater making it useful for target locating and communication.Underwater acoustic noise(UWAN)affects the reliability in applications where the noise comes from multiple sources.In this paper,a novel signal de-noising technique is proposed using S-transform.From the time-frequency representation,de-noising is performed using soft thresholding with universal threshold estimation which is then reconstructed.The UWAN used for the validation is sea truth data collected at Desaru beach on the eastern shore of Johor in Malaysia with the use of broadband hydrophones.The comparison is made with the more conventionally used wavelet transform de-noising method.Two types of signals are evaluated:fixed frequency signals and time-varying signals.The results demonstrate that the proposed method shows better signal to noise ratio(SNR)by 4 dB and lower root mean square error(RMSE)by 3 dB achieved at the Nyquist sampling frequency compared to the previously proposed de-noising method like wavelet transform.

Performances and Acoustic Noise of Micro Multi-blade Fan

In this paper, the performances and the acoustic noise of the traditional type micro multi-blade fan were investi- gated experimentally and numerically, to optimize the specifications of the fan for the resident circumstances. The acoustic noise level decreases but the efficiency deteriorates slightly with the increase of the blade number of the impeller. Besides, the acoustic noise decreases with the increase of the distance between the impeller outlet and the volute tongue, in accompanying with the increase of the input and the deterioration of the fan efficiency.

An improved joint method for onset picking of acoustic emission signals with noise

The onset times of acoustic signals with spikes,heavy bodies and unclear takeoffs are difficult to be picked accurately by the automatic method at present.To deal with this problem,an improved joint method based on the discrete wavelet transform(DWT),modified energy ratio(MER)and Akaike information criterion(AIC)pickers,has been proposed in this study.First,the DWT is used to decompose the signal into various components.Then,the joint application of MER and AIC pickers is carried out to pick the initial onset times of all selected components,where the minimum AIC position ahead of MER onset time is regarded as the initial onset time.Last,the average for initial onset times of all selected components is calculated as the final onset time of this signal.This improved joint method is tested and validated by the acoustic signals with different signal to noise ratios(SNRs)and waveforms.The results show that the improved joint method is not affected by the variations of SNR,and the onset times picked by this method are always accurate in different SNRs.Moreover,the onset times of all acoustic signals with spikes,heavy bodies and unclear takeoffs can be accurately picked by the improved joint method.Compared to some other methods including MER,AIC,DWT-MER and DWT-AIC,the improved joint method has better SNR stabilities and waveform adaptabilities.

Multi-Body Dynamics Analysis and Low Noise Optimization of X6170ZC Diesel

The multi-body dynamics model of the X6170ZC diesel is established to analyze vibration and acoustic noise. The high quality finite element and simulation models are developed, and nonlinear springs are used to imitate the joints of engine components. The acoustic behavior of the structure is evaluated by the velocity of surface vibration. The noise level is reduced by improving the structure of the engine. The result shows that the surface vibration velocity level is decreased about 3.7 dB (A) at 1 600 Hz after the optimization. Based on the contrast between the two structures, it is concluded that through structure design the combined noise can be reduced, and the virtual design mode of diesel engines is feasible.

Theoretical Investigation of the Vortex Shedding Noise from the Wake of Airfoil

The vortex shedding noise has been revealed as an important wing noise source on some modern commercial aircraft based on the fly-over measurements with a planar microphone array by Michel (1998). In this paper, an analytical model is presented for predicting this vortex shedding noise. The downstream wake of a 2-dimensional airfoil is assumed to be dominated by the von Karman vortex street, and the strength and the shedding frequency of the wake vortex are determined from the wake structure model. An aero-acoustic model is developed based on the Howe's unified theory of trailing edge noise and is incorporated with the wake model to predict the sound pressure level and directivity of vortex shedding noise. The predicted vortex shedding frequencies, sound pressure levels and directivities compare favorably with the measured results for 6 modern commercial aircraft.

Review of High-frequency PWM Acoustic Noise Suppression Methods for PMSMs

Permanent magnet synchronous motors(PMSMs)driven by voltage source inverters(VSIs)with pulse width modulation(PWM)are widely used.Given the impact of acoustic noise on the environment and human ears,the comfort level of the high-frequency vibration noise emitted by PMSMs has become an important factor.This study introduces the current mainstream high-frequency vibration noise suppression strategies for PMSMs by reducing the high-frequency current harmonics of stator windings,including spread spectrum technology,vector position exchange technology,and interleaved parallel technology.Furthermore,this study analyzed and compared the advantages and disadvantages of various suppression strategies.

Time exposure acoustics in seismic exploration

An analysis of a passive seismic method for subsurface imaging is presented in which ambient seismic noise is employed as the source of illumination of subsurface scatterers. The imaging algorithm can incorporate new data into the image in a recursive fashion which causes image background noise to diminish over time. Under the assumption of spatially-incoherent ambient noise, an analytical expression for the point-spread function of the imaging algorithm is derived. The point-spread function （PSF） characterizes the resolution of the image, which is a function of the receiving array length and the ambient bandwidth.

Effect of Angle of Attack and Blade Tip Vortex on the Noise Level of Tandem Wind Rotors of an Intelligent Wind Power Unit

The authors have invented a superior wind power unit, which is composed of tandem wind rotors and double rotational armature type generator without the traditional stator. This unit is called ＂intelligent wind power unit＂. At upwind type unit, the large-sized front wind rotor and the small-sized rear wind rotor drive the inner and the outer rotational armatures respectively, in keeping the rotational torque counter-balance between both wind rotors/armatures. This paper discusses the acoustic noise emitted from the tandem wind rotors. As for tandem wind rotors, the tip vortex shedding from the front wind rotor may make a loud acoustic noise if the vortex attacks the rear wind rotor. Intelligent wind power unit, however, has no chance to increase the acoustic noise level by the tip vortex because the diameter of the front wind rotor is reasonably larger than the diameter of the rear wind rotor. The vorticity generated in the boundary layer on the blade can be observed obviously at wake flow and can be evaluated quantitatively at flow conditions measured by a hot-wire anemometer at a wind tunnel. The flow conditions have shown that the radial and axial components of vorticities contribute to emit the acoustic noise.

ZigBee Sensor Network Platform for Health Monitoring of Rails Using Ambient Noise Correlation

WSNs （wireless sensor networks） can be used for railway infrastructure inspection and vehicle health monitoring. SHM （structural health monitoring） systems have a great potential to improve regular operation, security and maintenance routine of structures with estimating the state of its health and detecting the changes that affect its performance. This is vital for the development, upgrading, and expansion of railway networks. The work presented in this paper aims at the possible use of acoustic sensors coupled with ZigBee modules for health monitoring of rails. The detection principle is based on acoustic noise correlation techniques. Experiments have been performed in a rail sample to confirm the validity of acoustic noise correlation techniques in the rail. A wireless communication platform prototype based on the ZigBee/IEEE 802.15.4 technology has been implemented and deployed on a rail sample. Once the signals from the structure are collected, sensor data are transmitted through a ZigBee solution to the processing unit.

On aerodynamic noises radiated by the pantograph system of high-speed trains

Pantograph system of high-speed trains become significant source of aerodynamic noise when travelling speed exceeds 300 km/h. In this paper, a hybrid method of non-linear acoustic solver （NLAS） and Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings （FW-H） acoustic analogy is used to predict the aerodynamic noise of pantograph system in this speed range. When the simulation method is validated by a benchmark problem of flows around a cylinder of finite span, we calculate the near flow field and far acoustic field surrounding the pantograph system. And then, the frequency spectra and acoustic attenuation with distance are analyzed, showing that the pantograph system noise is a typical broadband one with most acoustic power restricted in the medium-high frequency range from 200 Hz to 5 kHz. The aerodynamic noise of pantograph systems radiates outwards in the form of spherical waves in the far field. Analysis of the overall sound pressure level （OASPL） at different speeds exhibits that the acoustic power grows approximately as the 4th power of train speed. The comparison of noise reduction effects for four types of pantograph covers demonstrates that only case 1 can lessen the total noise by about 3 dB as baffles on both sides can shield sound wave in the spanwise direction. The covers produce additional aerodynamic noise themselves in the other three cases and lead to the rise of OASPLs.

Environmental noise alters gastric myoelectrical activity:Effect of age

AIM: To evaluate the effect of age and acoustic stress on gastric myoelectrical activity (GMA) and autonomic nervous system function. METHODS: Twenty-one male subjects (age range 22-71 years, mean 44 years) were recruited and exposed, in random order, to three auditory stimuli (Hospital noise, conversation babble and traffic noise) after a 20-min baseline. All periods lasted 20 min and were interspersed with a 10 min of recovery. GMA was obtained using a Synectics Microdigitrapper. Autonomic nerve function was assessed by monitoring blood pressure and heart rate using an automatic recording device. RESULTS: Dominant power tended to decrease with increase of age (P < 0.05). The overall percentage of three cycle per minute (CPM) activity decreased during exposure to hospital noise (12.0%, P < 0.05), traffic noise (13.9%, P < 0.05), and conversation babble (7.1%). The subjects in the younger group (< 50 years) showed a consistent reduction in the percentage of 3 CPM activity during hospital noise (22.9%, P < 0.05), traffic noise (19.0%, P < 0.05), and conversation babble (15.5%). These observations were accompanied by a significant increase in bradygastria: hospital noise (P < 0.05) and traffic noise (P < 0.05). In contrast, the subjects over 50 years of age did not exhibit a significant decrease in 3 CPM activity. Regardless of age, noise did not alter blood pressure or heart rate. CONCLUSION: GMA changes with age. Loud noise can alter GMA, especially in younger individuals. Our data indicate that even short-term exposure to noise may alter the contractility of the stomach.

H_∞ Sub-optimal Filter for Low-cost Integrated Navigation System

The integrated navigation system,specially the system based on GPS and INS, is a leading trend of navigation technology, and some of typical integrated navigation systems have been developed and tested in the past few years. On the other hand, because INS is very expensive in general, the application of GPS/INS system is also limited in some application fields. In this paper, a low-cost dynamic measurement unit (DMU) and GPS are integrated by using H∞ filter. At first, based on the mathematic description of H∞ filtering problem, a sub-optimal H∞ filter is discussed. Meanwhile, the relationship between H∞ filter and standard Kalman filter is studied. Aiming at the detail position/velocity integrated mode, the application of H∞ filter on low cost integrated navigation is researched through some simulations, including the performance of accuracy, robustness and stability.

Fast Calculation of Electromagnetic Forces in IPMSMs Under PWM VSI Supply Based on Small-Signal Time-Harmonic Finite Element Method

This paper introduces a novel method for fast calculating the electromagnetic forces in interior permanent magnet synchronous machines(IPMSMs)under pulse width modulation(PWM)voltage source inverter(VSI)supply based on the small-signal time-harmonic finite element analysis(THFEA),which has been successfully utilized for fast calculating the PWMinduced losses in silicon steel sheets and permanent magnets.Based on the small-signal THFEA,the functional relationships between high-frequency harmonic voltages(HFHVs)and corresponding airgap flux densities are established,which are used for calculating the flux density spectra caused by each HFHV in the PWM voltage spectra.Then,the superposition principle is applied for calculating the flux density spectra caused by fundamental currents and all HFHVs,which are converted to the electromagnetic force spectra at last.The relative errors between the force density spectra calculated with the proposed method and those obtained from traditional time-stepping finite element analysis(TSFEA)using PWM voltages as input are within 3.1%,while the proposed method is 24 times faster than the traditional TSFEA.

Improved Model of Radial Vibration in Switched Reluctance Motor Including Magnetic Saturation

This paper proposes an improved method for the prediction of radial vibration in switched reluctance motor(SRM)considering magnetic saturation.In this paper,the basic modeling principle is briefly introduced,it is based on the derivation that the peak acceleration is dependent on the product of phase current and current gradient idi/dt.However,the derivation may cause errors due to saturation effect.Thus in this paper,the discrete sample data are firstly acquired based on DC pulse measurement method,by which electromagnetic,torque and peak acceleration characteristics can all be acquired.Then the entire peak acceleration characteristics are obtained by improved Least Square Support Vector Machine(LSSVM).Based on the obtained static peak acceleration characteristics,the time-varied radial vibration model is established based on superposition of natural oscillations of dominant vibration modes.Finally,a simulation model is built up using MATLAB/Simulink.The good agreement between simulation and experiment shows that the proposed method for modeling is feasible and accurate,even under saturation.In addition,since LSSVM does not need any prior knowledge,it is much easier for modeling compared with other existing literatures.

Phenomena of optic-bound effect on fibre optic gyro

The optic-bound effect on fibre optic gyro （FOG） precision is analysed theoretically, and formulas describing the change of FOG light power under the action of optic-bound effect are given. It is confirmed that optic-bound effect is a main instantaneous non-reciprocity effect of FOG in addition to the Sagnac effect and can lead to a dynamic error of FOG in practical environments. An approach to suppressing or eliminating the error due to the optic-bound effect is presented and verified experimentally. The result shows that the approach is valid and the precision of FOG is improved observably.

Patient’s Comfort and Technical Quality Exams at 1.5 and 3.0 T Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Increased interest of clinicians for using 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as imaging modality of choice for their patients, has been evident in the past few years. The aim of this study was to compare the technical quality of the obtained tomography using 3.0 T and 1.5 T MRI, and to compare the subjective feeling of discomfort of patients and subjective acoustic noise experience during imaging using MRI at 3.0 T and 1.5 T. Brain MRI (1.5 and 3.0 T) was performed in 58 patients, according to a standardized protocol. All studies have been randomly described by independent two radiologists. The reference standard for the existence of technical artifact is established on the basis of both radiologists’ consensus. We also compared the subjective feelings of the discomfort and acoustic noise during the both MRI (1.5 T and 3.0 T) exams. Artifacts were significantly more common during 3.0 T MRI in comparison with the 1.5 T MRI (χ2 = 5.286, P < 0.05), as well as in male patients (χ2 = 8.841, P < 0.05), and sub-jective assessments of discomfort and acoustic noise were higher in patients who underwent imaging using 3.0 T MRI, (χ2 = 125.959, df = 1, P < 0.001) and in females (χ2 = 195.449, df = 1, P < 0.001). Additional research is needed to prove that appropriate information for patients about the discomfort during 3.0 T MRI and their psychological preparation is very important element for optimal use of 3.0 T MRI in daily clinical practice.

Carrier frequency offset and impulse noise estimation for underwater acoustic orthogonal frequency division multiplexing

The carrier frequency offset（CFO）and impulse noise always affect the performance of underwater acoustic communication_systems.The CFO and impulse noise could be estimated by using the null subcarriers to cancel the effects of the two types of interference.The null subcarriers estimation methods include optimal separate estimation and joint estimation.The separate estimation firstly estimates the CFO value and then estimates the impulse noise value.However,the CFO and impulse noise always affect each other when either of them is estimated separately.The performance could be improved by using the joint estimation.The results of simulations and experiments have showed that these two optimization methods have good performance and the joint estimation has better performance than the separate estimation method.There is 3 dB performance gain at the BER value of 10^（-2）when using the joint estimation method.Thus these methods could improve the system robustness by using the CFO compensation and impulse noise suppression.