Acoustic field analysis was conducted to propose noise reduction measures for the suction housing of a
vacuum pump used in dentistry. The target frequency for reduction was selected by measuring the sound
pressure level during steady-state operation, allowing identification of the primary noise sources through
intensity and vibration measurements. The impeller area was analyzed by designing a full-scale analytic
model for sound field analysis using reverse engineering, including precise 3D modeling. The inner
boundaries were then separately extracted to complete a model for acoustic analysis. The characteristics
of the inner suction housing area were analyzed using the Boundary Element Method (BEM). Noise reduction
measures were proposed by analyzing the characteristics of the suction housing with respect to the
differences in excitation frequency brought about by changing the number of impeller blades used. The
acoustic frequency response function (FRF) of the inner suction housing was obtained by applying BEM.
The relationships between the suction housing and the noise source were investigated to propose noise
reduction measures. The proposed measure of reducing impeller blade number was validated by showing
that it would avoid resonance in the suction housing by moving the BPF to a lower frequency. Thus, this
study proposed the reduction of the number of impeller blades to reduce the noise of the current suction
housing design considerably while maintaining its performance.