2003 Annual Sales Meeting

Copyright Nelson Acoustical Engineering & JGS Consulting

Sound Propagation
2003 Annual Sales Meeting
Copyright Nelson Acoustical Engineering & JGS Consulting
r
Sound Propagation Free Space
Free Space
P
Basic Relationship
L
p
(r) = L
w
20 log r C
Source
L
W
C=0.6 dB if r is in feet;
C=10.9 dB if r is in meters
Sound Pressure Level inversely
proportional to distance (r)
squared.
20*log r = 6 dB/double distance
Another Useful Form
L
p
(r) = L
p
(r
0
) 20 Log (r/r
0
)
Energy is spread over larger area as sound
propagates, causing sound pressure level
to decrease with distance from source
2003 Annual Sales Meeting
Copyright Nelson Acoustical Engineering & JGS Consulting
P
Sound Pressure Level in Enclosed Space
Near Source
Sound Power Level
of Source is
dominant factor in
determining Sound
Pressure Level in
Direct Field
Far From Source
Both Sound Power
Level of Source and
Acoustical
Properties of
Enclosed Space are
factors in
determining Sound
Pressure Level in
Reverberant Field
S
o
u
n
d

P
r
e
s
s
u
r
e

L
e
v
e
l
Distance
Direct Field
Reverberant Field
2003 Annual Sales Meeting
Copyright Nelson Acoustical Engineering & JGS Consulting
Sound Pressure Level in Enclosed Space
S
o
u
n
d

P
r
e
s
s
u
r
e

L
e
v
e
l
Distance
Near Source
Sound Power of
Source is dominant
factor in determining
sound pressure level.
Sound pressure level
decays at 6
dB/doubling of
distance.
Direct Field.
Far from Source
Sound Pressure Level
is constant and
determined by Sound
Power of Source AND
Room Constant.
Reverberant Field.
In Between
Sound Pressure level
decreases as less than 6
dB/doubling of distance
until Reverberant Field
dominates.
Reverberant
Environment
2003 Annual Sales Meeting
Copyright Nelson Acoustical Engineering & JGS Consulting
Sound Pressure vs. Sound Power
in an enclosed space
R=3
R=10
R=30
R=100
R= infinite
Q=2
0.1 1.0 10.0
Distance [m]
-30
-20
-10
0
10
20
L
p

-

L
w



[
d
B
]
Small
Reverberant
Spaces
Anechoic
Spaces
Assumptions:
1. Reverberant sound field
is diffuse = high mode
count
Room Dimensions>>
Large
Reverberant
Spaces
Room Constant (R)

=
1
S
R
= average sound
absorption coefficient of
the enclosure surfaces
2003 Annual Sales Meeting
Copyright Nelson Acoustical Engineering & JGS Consulting
Acoustic Properties of Enclosed Spaces
are Frequency Dependent
R=3
R=10
R=30
R=100
R= infinite
Q=2
0.1 1.0 10.0
Distance [m]
-30
-20
-10
0
10
20
L
p

-

L
w



[
d
B
]
High Frequencies
>500 Hz
Large Room
Constant
Low Frequencies
<500 Hz
Smaller Room
Constant
If you are
measuring at 2
meters, this
would be your
error at low
frequencies
2003 Annual Sales Meeting
Copyright Nelson Acoustical Engineering & JGS Consulting
General Relationship between Sound Pressure
and Sound Power Levels in Large Rooms
C
R r
Q
L r L
w p
+

+ =
4
4
log * 10 ) (
2

L
p
(r) = Sound Pressure Level at distance r from source (in dB re 2 x 10
-5
Pa)
Lw = Sound Power Level of source (in dB re 1x10
-12
watts)
Q

= directivity factor of source in direction

R = Room Constant (in ft
2
or m
2
; see C)

=
1
S
R

= average sound absorption coefficient of enclosure surfaces (dimensionless)

C = Constant (0 if r is in meters and in m
2
; 10 dB if r is in ft and in ft
2
2003 Annual Sales Meeting
Copyright Nelson Acoustical Engineering & JGS Consulting
Observations from the General Relationship
between Sound Pressure and Sound Power Levels
in Large Rooms
C
R r
Q
L r L
w p
+

+ =
4
4
log * 10 ) (
2

This term is related to how big

the room is.
Note that it increases as the
DISTANCE SQUARED
This term is related to the
absorptive properties of
the room walls
Note that it is linearly
related to the absorption
For Anechoic Chamber, the size of the chamber is more important than the
absorptive properties of the wall treatment. BIG CHAMBERS WORK BEST!