What is Environmental Noise?
Environmental noise is ‘unwanted sound’ arising from all areas of human activity such as noise from transport, industrial and recreational activities. Excessive noise can:
- seriously harm human health, including mental health
- interfere with people’s daily activities at school, at work, at home & during leisure time
- disrupt sleep, cause cardiovascular and psychophysiological effects
- lower performance, lead to annoyance responses and changes in social behaviour
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), they would consider noise complaints under four main categories:
- entertainment
- domestic/neighbourhood noise
- industrial/commercial activities
- transport-related noise
What can you do to solve Industrial and Environmental Noise Problems?
Ventac offers the full range of acoustic consultancy services and sound testing throughout Ireland, UK, Europe, US and Benelux Markets. Â Our solutions are supported by our acoustic expertise, technical capabilities and innovative problem solving and are created in partnership with the customer to ensure a high performance and superior acoustic solution. Our team of acoustic consultants are capable of using very specialist noise measurement equipment to achieve the best possible outcome at every stage of your required needs.
Ventac’s complete Vehicle and Industrial Noise Control Solutions include acoustic testing and assessment, solution design, product identification and installation services.
Acoustic Camera Technology
Our two state-of-the-art acoustic cameras are used to locate sound sources and to characterise them. They both consist of a group of microphones, also called a microphone array, from which signals are simultaneously collected and processed to form a representation of the location of the sound sources.
As part of our assessment process, noise control problems are evaluated, and prototype acoustic solutions are quickly supplied for testing both commercial, agricultural and industrial vehicles. This testing procedure is supported by Ventac’s advanced noise source identification techniques, which include sound intensity equipment and highly effective acoustic camera arrays. This technology combined with our specialised techniques allows us to provide our customers with highly targeted solutions for noise problems.
The acoustic cameras are used for the quick identification of mid to high-frequency noise sources. Live measurements are possible using far-field beamforming (live acoustic camera work) and near-field holography measurements (detailed up close analysis) for detailed analysis of noise radiating from its source at a given frequency. Images can be animated and can record sound for further analysis and to demonstrate the phase or sound wave.
The camera is designed to provide qualitative data, in the form of noise maps, rather than the quantitative data a sound meter would provide. Beamforming is a good way of finding the ‘hotspots’ over a large area quickly but it is limited to a relatively high frequency range. Near field holography can measure a very broad frequency range and can map the results in terms of pressure, particle velocity or intensity but is used very close to the noise source and work best on relatively flat structures. The specialised software allows for animated maps of the wave motion for the near filed work and it can display this in a 3-dimensional format. This combination of abilities makes the camera a very powerful noise source identification tool but also one that can provide real insight into the source of noise generation. Ventac’s acoustic technologies are a powerful educational tool for visualising the path and characteristics of the sound.
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To find out more about how we can help with your noise problem, contact us on 045 851500 or info@ventac.com
