This invention relates to a method of attenuating a given sound field by means of a radiation pattern which interferes with and reduces the effect of the original field. Up till now, most attempts to achieve a reduction in noise level have been confined either to reducing the efficiency of the source generating the sound or to passive methods of control, e.g. by lagging with absorbing material or by deliberate impedance mismatching to prevent efficient transmission of the sound.
A method of generating sound waves which interfere destructively with the sound field to be attenuated was described by Jessel and Mangiante in the "Journal of Sound and Vibration" 1972 in a paper under the file "Active Sound Absorbers in an Air Duct". However the method described is inefficient and the reasons for this inefficiency are fully described later in this specification.
The invention provides a method of attenuating a sound wave propagating in a given direction along a duct through a fluid contained in the duct, the method comprising: generating sound waves from an array of similar sound sources located adjacent the wall of said duct respectively at different positions along said duct, each source generating a pair of sound waves which travel through said fluid in opposite directions along said duct from the position of that source; and controlling the operation of said array of sources to cause destructive interference to occur between the wave to be attenuated and the resultant of the waves generated by said sources and travelling in said given direction and simultaneously to cause the resultant of the waves generated by said sources and travelling in the direction opposite to said given direction to be negligible.
It is to be understood that the expression "sound" used in this specification implies no limitation on the frequency of a wave motion in relation to the physiological perception of sound.
Depending upon the precise circumstances of application, the generated sound waves can be related to the operation of the source of unwanted sound waves, or they can be generated in response to detection of the unwanted sound waves. Arrays of detectors similar in disposition to the arrays of sources provided by the invention may be used to eliminate unwanted coupling between sources and detectors. Advantageously, the degree of attenuation of the unwanted sound may be measured by suitable monitoring means, whose output controls the generated sound waves.
The invention is particularly well suited to the control of longitudinal propagation of sound waves or pressure pulses in ducts. As will be more fully explained below, for such an application it may be appropriate to use composite sound sources each comprising at least three discrete sound generating devices distributed symmetrically about the wall of the duct; thus where the duct is of circular cross-section, a suitable arrangement involves the use of three devices distributed symmetrically around the circumference and where the duct is of square cross-section a suitable arrangement involves the use of four devices respectively situated centrally in the four sides.
A further general point that may conveniently be mentioned here is that in the following description the terms "downstream" and "upstream" are used to refer respectively to the directions corresponding and opposite to the direction of propagation along the duct of the wave to be attenuated, and are not used with reference to any general flow of fluid along the duct, which may occur in either of these directions.