Acoustics and electroacoustics

Duration

30h Th, 22h Pr, 8h Labo.

Number of credits

Lecturer

Jean-Jacques Embrechts

Language(s) of instruction

English language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

Course description
Fundamentals of applied acoustics and electroacoustics are gathered in this course.
Contents

• Interaction between the sound sources and their environment (radiation, propagation, reflection, transmission, diffraction)
• The Kundt standing wave tube and the measurement of sound absorption
• Room acoustics and auralization
• Electrical, mechanical and acoustic analogies (electroacoustic models of complete acoustic systems)
• Microphones and loudspeakers: properties and electoacoustic models
• Microphone arrays

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

At the end of this course, it is intended that the student will be able to:

• identify the fundamental variables in acoustics, the modes of acoustic propagation and the diiferent kinds of acoustic sources,
• calculate the radiation impedance of acoustic sources,
• understand and apply some noise indicators describing discomfort, in particular equivalent noise levels,
• measure (under normal incidence) the reflection coefficients and acoustic impedances of material samples,
• understand the effects of eigenmodes in rooms and determine their frequencies,
• calculate and measure reverberation times,
• propose simulation models in room acoustics,
• set up the electroacoustic model of acoustical systems,
• develop the electroacoustic model of microphones and determine their main parameters,
• develop the electroacoustical model of loudspeakers and determine their main parameters,
• measure the principal characteristics of loudspeakers.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Fundamentals of electrical circuits analysis Mathematics : differential equations

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

First of all, this course is organised in modules, each of them consisting in a general presentation ex cathedra. Some modules are followed by applications and exercices with the teacher.
Some laboratory measurement sessions are planned, for example the measurement of reflection coefficients with the Kundt tube or the measurement of loudspeakers' properties. The presence of the students to these sessions is strongly recommended. These laboratory sessions are organised only once per academic year.

Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning)

Face-to-face learning

Recommended or required readings

The learning materials and documents will be provided by the teacher on-line, via myULg. These are the slides presented and commented by the teacher during the oral presentations. For the lesson dedicated to loudspeakers, a accompanying text is available.


Recommended readings (non-mandatory):
Rossi M., Audio, Presses polytechniques et universitaires romanes (2007)
Leach, Introduction to Electroacoustics and Audio Amplifier Design - 2nd edition, Kendall/Hunt Publishing Cy (2001)
Kuttruff H., Room acoustics 4th ed., Taylor & Francis (2000)
Watkinson, The art of sound reproduction,Focal Press (1998)

Assessment methods and criteria

A written examination is organised in june and a second one in august-september (2nd session). The student will answer to questions concerning the theory and exercises, but also the laboratory sessions.
 (an electronic calculator is strongly recommended).

Work placement(s)

Organizational remarks

This course is organised during the first (autumn) quadrimester 2018-19, at the Montefiore Institute B28.
The official language is english.

Contacts

J.J. Embrechts

Items online