Acoustical engineering is the branch of
engineeringEngineering is the discipline, art and profession of acquiring and applying technical, scientific and mathematical knowledge to design and implement materials, structures, machines, devices, systems, and processes that safely realize a desired objective or inventions.The American Engineers' Council...
dealing with
soundSound is a travelling wave which is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.- Perception of sound...
and
vibrationOscillation is the repetitive variation, typically in time, of some measure about a central value or between two or more different states. Familiar examples include a swinging pendulum and AC power...
. It is closely related to
acousticsAcoustics is the interdisciplinary science that deals with the study of sound, ultrasound and infrasound . A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician. The application of acoustics in technology is called acoustical engineering...
, the science of sound and vibration. Acoustical engineers are typically concerned with:
- how to reduce unwanted sounds
- how to make useful sounds
- using sound as an indication of some other physical property
The art of reducing unwanted sounds is called
noise controlNoise control is an active or passive means of reducing sound emissions, often incentivised by personal comfort, environmental considerations or legal compliance. Practical and efficient noise control is wholly reliant on an accurate diagnosis of what is causing the noise, which first involves...
.
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Acoustical engineering is the branch of
engineeringEngineering is the discipline, art and profession of acquiring and applying technical, scientific and mathematical knowledge to design and implement materials, structures, machines, devices, systems, and processes that safely realize a desired objective or inventions.The American Engineers' Council...
dealing with
soundSound is a travelling wave which is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.- Perception of sound...
and
vibrationOscillation is the repetitive variation, typically in time, of some measure about a central value or between two or more different states. Familiar examples include a swinging pendulum and AC power...
. It is closely related to
acousticsAcoustics is the interdisciplinary science that deals with the study of sound, ultrasound and infrasound . A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician. The application of acoustics in technology is called acoustical engineering...
, the science of sound and vibration. Acoustical engineers are typically concerned with:
- how to reduce unwanted sounds
- how to make useful sounds
- using sound as an indication of some other physical property
The art of reducing unwanted sounds is called
noise controlNoise control is an active or passive means of reducing sound emissions, often incentivised by personal comfort, environmental considerations or legal compliance. Practical and efficient noise control is wholly reliant on an accurate diagnosis of what is causing the noise, which first involves...
. Noise control engineers work with engineers in most industries to ensure that their products and processes are quiet. There is also a great deal of work done with the assessment and design of buildings, workplaces, airports, road systems in fact most noise generating or noise sensitive developments. There are many standards and documents stating what levels of performance must be achieved for each condition. The various standards and regulations used in the UK are condensed into
The Little Red Book of AcousticsThe Little Red Book of Acoustics is a small book giving an overview of UK acoustic regulations. The book also gives an introduction to acoustics and acoustic definitions....
.
The art of producing useful sounds includes the use of
ultrasoundUltrasound is cyclic sound pressure with a frequency greater than the upper limit of human hearing. Although this limit varies from person to person, it is approximately 20 kilohertz in healthy, young adults and thus, 20 kHz serves as a useful lower limit in describing ultrasound...
for medical diagnosis,
sonarSonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels. There are two kinds of sonar: active and passive. Sonar may be used as a means of acoustic location and of measurement of the echo characteristics of "targets" in the water...
, and sound reproduction.
A separate and related discipline,
audio engineeringAudio engineering is a part of audio science dealing with the recording and reproduction of sound through mechanical and electronic means. The field draws on many disciplines, including electrical engineering, acoustics, psychoacoustics, and music. Unlike acoustical engineering, audio...
, is the art of recording and reproducing speech and music for human use.
See also
- Institute of Acoustics
The Institute of Acoustics is a British professional engineering institution founded in 1974. It is licensed by the Engineering Council UK to assess candidates for inclusion on ECUK's Register of professional Engineers. The Institute's address is 77A St Peters Street, St Albans, Herts, AL1 3BN,...
- Acoustical Society of America
The Acoustical Society of America is an international scientific society dedicated to increasing and diffusing the knowledge of acoustics and its practical applications.-History:...
- Audio Engineering Society
Established in 1948, the Audio Engineering Society draws its membership from amongst engineers, scientists, manufacturers and other organizations and individuals with an interest or involvement in the professional audio industry...
- Sound baffle
A sound baffle is a construction or device which reduces the strength of airborne sound. Sound baffles are a fundamental tool of noise mitigation, the practice of minimizing noise pollution or reverberation. An important type of sound baffle is the noise barrier constructed along highways to...
- Sound reinforcement system
A sound reinforcement system is the combination of microphones, signal processors, amplifiers, and loudspeakers that makes live or pre-recorded sounds louder and may also distribute those sounds to a larger or more distant audience...
- Soundproofing
Soundproofing is any means of reducing the sound pressure with respect to a specified sound source and receptor . There are several basic approaches to reducing sound: increasing the distance between source and receiver, using noise barriers to block or absorb the energy of the sound waves, using...
- :Category:Acoustical engineers