| Mechanical Engineering
Acoustics & Noise Unit |
| (M.E.A.N.U.) |
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| The Mechanical Engineering Acoustics and Noise
Unit (MEANU) was founded in 1984. It has the distinction of being
the only full-scale Canadian acoustics laboratory directly associated with
a university and, therefore, allows for educational and research use of
the facility along with commercial resting. As well, MEANU
functions under the Department of
Mechanical Engineering, which simplifies access to facilities in the
Department. |
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| It has become one of two active laboratories in
Canada which carry out standard American Society for Testing and Materials
(ASTM) and International Standards
Organization (ISO) testing for
acoustical materials and systems. Projects such as standard acoustic
tests, research contracts or fundamental research can be developed and
completed. The technological expertise of the faculty members associated
with MEANU is a particular strength. Consequently, MEANU
offers an excellent vehicle for technology transfer between the
University, regulatory agencies and the commercial sector. |
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| General Description of the
Facilities
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| The major portion of the facility is contained in a
laboratory/office located in Grosvenor Industrial Park of south-east
Edmonton. The layout of the complex is shown on the floor plan (shown at
bottom of page) and includes two inter-connected reverberation chambers in
which much of the sound transmission, sound absorption and sound power
testing is done. Associated with these rooms and the control room is a
portable hearing research chamber, low noise flow sources for testing of
HVAC components, frames for mounting test specimens, and a wide range of
acoustical instrumentation. The control room uses a digital filter based
computerized data acquisition system to automatically measure, record, and
process the acoustical data efficiently. The major concern is to obtain
precision, which meets or exceeds the requirements of the appropriate
testing standards. |
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(Small Chamber with Variable Diffusivity
Baffles) |
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| (Opening Between Chambers with Plug
Wall) |
(Large Acoustic Doors (STC-52)
) |
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| (Control Room) |
(Instrument Shop Area) |
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| Other facilities, which are housed in the Mechanical
Engineering Building (on the University
of Alberta campus) and are utilized by the MEANU include an
anechoic chamber, electro-dynamic shaker tables, cold rooms and materials
testing machines, as well as comprehensive electronics and machine
shops. |
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| (Anechoic Chamber) |
(Anechoic Chamber with Muffler
Test) |
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| Coupled with the experimental capabilities are numerical
modeling packages using Finite Element (FEM) and Boundary Element (BEM)
techniques for a variety of problems related to silencer design, acoustic
radiation, enclosures, piping systems and acoustical material
characterization. |
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| Details of Specific Testing
Capabilities
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| MEANU conducts numerous standard tests to provide
clients with specific information. These include: |
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- Sound Absorption and Sound Absorption Coefficients by the
Reverberation Room Method (ASTM C423).
- Impedance and Absorption of Acoustical Materials Using the Impedance
Tube Method With the Traveling Microphone Method or Using the Two
Microphone Method (ASTM C384 & E1050).
- Measurement of Airborne Sound Transmission of Building Partitions
(ASTM E90).
- Laboratory Measurement of Noise Reduction of Sound Isolating
Enclosures (ASTM E596).
- Airflow and Acoustical Performance of Materials, Duct Liners, and
Prefabricated Silencers (ASTM E477 & C522).
- Calibration and Performance of Loudspeakers and Microphones (IEC
268-4 & 268-5).
- Determination of Sound Power Levels of Broad-Band Noise Sources in
Reverberation Rooms (ANSI S1.31).
- Measurement of Real-Ear and Physical Attenuation of Hearing
Protection Devices (ANSI S3.19, S12.6, & CSA Z94.1 – M1984).
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| Additional
Capabilities
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| The laboratory and associated personnel also have expanded
capacity to undertake studies related to the following: |
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| -Finite Element and Boundary Element Method analysis using
SYSNOISE
for modeling silencers, enclosures, duct and piping networks as well as
for radiation problems (such as barrier walls) and structural/acoustic
coupling behavior. |
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| -Sound intensity measurements for noise source identification and
mapping. |
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(screen image of SYNOISE software
modeling Transmission Loss of curved duct) |
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| Contact Information
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