Engineering Acoustics

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Acoustics is the science of sound, particularly its production, transmission, and effects. Sound is defined as a small mechanical disturbance that may propagate at a speed characteristic of the medium, provided the medium is of great extent compared to a typical size of the disturbance. Sound may exist in gases, liquids or solids.

The applications of acoustics can be broken down into four main categories: Earth Sciences, Engineering, Life Sciences, and the Arts. Within Earth Sciences, acoustics is used in such applications as the development and refinement of underwater detection devices, the measurement of seismic waves and sound levels in the atmosphere. Engineering applications of acoustics include Noise Control, Electro-Acoustics, Sonic and Ultrasonic Engineering systems, non-destructive material testing, shock and vibrations of mechanical systems, and sound quality design of products. Life Sciences use Acoustics in hearing, speech production, bioacoustics, and psychoacoustics. In the Arts, Acoustics is involved in musical instruments, room acoustics, and communications. The following article describes some of the fundamental principles of Acoustics.

For more information about further applications of acoustics, please visit these Application Websites.

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Part 1: Fundamentals of Acoustics

1. Lumped Acoustic Systems
   1. Simple Oscillation
   2. Forced Oscillations (Simple Spring-Mass System)
   3. Mechanical Resistance
   4. Characterizing Damped Mechanical Systems
   5. Electro-Mechanical Analogies
   6. Solution Methods: Electro-Mechanical Analogies
   7. Examples of Electro-Mechanical Analogies
   8. Primary variables of interest
   9. Electro-acoustic analogies
   10. Transducers - Loudspeaker
   11. Moving Resonators
2. One-Dimensional Wave Motion
   1. Transverse vibrations of strings
   2. Time-Domain Solutions
   3. Boundary Conditions and Forced Vibrations
   4. Boundary Conditions and Wave Properties
   5. Attenuation of Sound Waves
   6. Sound Propagation in a Cylindrical Duct With Compliant Wall
3. Three-Dimensional Wave Propagation
   1. Wave Motion in Elastic Solids
4. Non-Linear Acoustics
   1. Qualitative Description of Shocks
   2. The Rankine-Hugoniot Jump Equations
   3. Detonation
   4. The Acoustic Parameter of Nonlinearity
   5. Harmonic Generation

Part 2: Applications

1. Earth Sciences
   1. Atmospheric Phenomena
      1. Thunder acoustics
2. Engineering
   1. Noise Control
      1. Noise in Hydraulic Systems
      2. Specific application-automobile muffler
      3. Flow-induced oscillations of a Helmholtz resonator and applications
      4. Car Mufflers
      5. Sound Absorbing Structures and Materials
      6. Noise from cooling fans
      7. International Space Station Acoustics Challenges
      8. Rotor Stator Interactions
      9. Noise control with self-tuning Helmholtz resonators
      10. Outdoor Sound Propagation
   2. Electro-acoustics
      1. Phonograph Sound Reproduction
      2. Bass Reflex Enclosure Design
      3. Filter Design and Implementation
      4. source-filter theory
      5. Moving Coil Loudspeaker
      6. Microphone Design and Operation
      7. Piezoelectric Transducers
      8. Microphone Technique
      9. Sealed Box Subwoofer Design
   3. Sonic or ultrasonic systems
      1. New Acoustic Filter For Ultrasonics Media
      2. Acoustic Micro Pumps
      3. Beamforming
      4. Sonic Supercharging of 2 Stroke Engines
      5. Thermoacoustics
      6. Acoustic streaming
      7. Acoustic Levitation
      8. Biomedical Ultrasound
3. Life Sciences
   1. Speech Production
      1. Human Voice Production
   2. Nature
      1. Resonating feathers of Manakins
      2. Echolocation in Bats and Dolphins
   3. Hearing
      1. The Human Ear and Sound Perception
      2. Conductive Mechanisms of Hearing
4. Arts
   1. Musical Instruments
      1. Basic Acoustics of the Marimba
      2. How an Acoustic Guitar works
      3. Bessel Functions and the Kettledrum
      4. Acoustics in Violins
      5. Clarinet Acoustics
      6. Acoustic Guitars
   2. Room Acoustics
      1. Room Acoustics and Concert Halls
      2. Basic Room Acoustic Treatments