BS EN ISO 3746:2009 2010

1.1 General

This International Standard specifies a method for measuring the sound pressure levels on a measurement surface enveloping the source in order to calculate the sound power level produced by the noise source. It gives requirements for the test environment and instrumentation as well as techniques for obtaining the surface sound pressure level from which the sound power level of the source is calculated, leading to results which have a grade 3 accuracy.

It is important that specific noise test codes for various types of equipment be established and used in accordance with this International Standard. For each type of equipment, such noise test codes will give detailed requirements on mounting, loading and operating conditions for the equipment under test as well as a selection of the measurement surface and the microphone array as specified in this International Standard.

NOTE 1 The noise test code for a particular type of equipment should give detailed information on the particular surface that is selected, as the use of differently shaped measurement surfaces may yield differing estimates of the sound power level of a source.

1.2 Types of noise and noise sources

The method specified in this International Standard is suitable for measurements of all types of noise.

NOTE 2 A classification of different types of noise (steady, non-steady, quasi-steady, impulsive, etc.) is given in ISO 12001.

This International Standard is applicable to noise sources of any type and size (e.g. device, machine, component, sub-assembly).

NOTE 3 Measurements according to this International Standard may be impracticable for very tall or very long sources such as chimneys, ducts, conveyors and multi­source industrial plants.

1.3 Test environment

The test environment that is applicable for measurements made in accordance with this International Standard may be located indoors or outdoors, with one or more reflecting planes present, meeting specified requirements.

1.4 Measurement uncertainty

For sources which radiate steady broad-band noise, determinations made in accordance with this International Standard result, with few exceptions, in standard deviations of reproducibility of the A­weighted sound power level equal to or less than 3 dB (if K_2A determined in accordance with annex A is lower than 5 dB) or 4 dB (if K_2A is within the range of 5 dB to 7 dB). For discrete-tone sources, the standard deviation of reproducibility is normally 1 dB greater (see table 1).

A single value of the sound power level of a noise source determined in accordance with the procedures given in this International Standard is likely to differ from the true value by an amount within the range of the measurement uncertainty. The uncertainty in determinations of the sound power level arises from several factors which affect the results, some associated with environmental conditions at the test site and others with experimental techniques.

If a particular noise source were to be transported to each of a number of different test sites, and if, at each test site, the sound power level of that source were to be determined in accordance with this International Standard, the results would show a scatter. The standard deviation of the measured levels could be calculated (see examples in ISO 7574-4:1985, annex B). With few exceptions, these standard deviations would not exceed those listed in table 1. The values given in table 1 are standard deviations of reproducibility, σ^R, are defined in ISO 7574-1. The values of table 1 take into account the cumulative effects of measurement uncertainty in applying the procedures of this International Standard, but exclude variations in the sound power output caused by changes in operating conditions (e.g. rotational speed, line voltage) or mounting conditions.

The measurement uncertainty depends on the standard deviation of reproducibility tabulated in table 1 and on the degree of confidence that is desired. As examples, for a normal distribution of sound power levels, there is a 90 % confidence that the expected value of the sound power level of a source lies within the range ± 1,656σ_R of the measured value and a 95 % confidence that it lies within the range ± 1,96σ_R of the measured value. For further examples, reference should be made to the ISO 7574 series and ISO 9296.

Table 1 – Estimated upper values of the standard deviations of reproducibility of A-weighted sound power levels determined in accordance with this International Standard

NOTES

4 If K_2A is greater than or equal to 5 dB, σ_R may be 1 dB greater than the values given in table 1.

5 A noise test code for a particular family of sound sources may have lower values of the standard deviation of reproducibility (see note 8).

6 The standard deviations listed in table 1 are associated with the test conditions and procedures defined in this International Standard and not with the noise source itself. They arise in part from variations between test sites, changes in atmospheric conditions if outdoors, the geometry of the test room or outdoor environment, the acoustical properties of the reflecting plane, absorption at the test room boundaries if indoors, background noise, and the type and calibration of instrumentation. They are also due to variations in experimental techniques, including the size and shape of the measurement surface, number and location of microphone positions, sound source location, integration times, and determination of environmental corrections, if any. The standard deviations are also affected by errors associated with measurements taken in the near field of the source; such errors depend upon the nature of the sound source, but generally increase for smaller measurement distances and lower frequencies (below 250 Hz).

7 If measurements are made at several test sites, the results of sound power determinations on a given source may be in better agreement than would be implied by the standard deviations of table 1.

8 For a particular family of sound sources, a similar size with similar sound power spectra and similar operating conditions, the standard deviations of reproducibility may be smaller than the values given in table 1. Hence, a noise test code for a particular type of machinery or equipment making reference to this International Standard may state standard deviations smaller than those listed in table 1, if substantiation is available from the result of suitable interlaboratory tests.

9 The standard deviations of reproducibility, as tabulated in table 1, include the uncertainty associated with repeated measurements on the same noise under the same conditions (standard deviation of repeatability, see ISO 7574-1). This uncertainty is usually much smaller than the uncertainty associated with variability from one test site to another. However, if it is difficult to maintain stable operating or mounting conditions for a particular source, the standard deviation of repeatability may not be small compared with the values given in table 1. In such cases, the fact that it was difficult to obtain repeatable sound power level data on the source should be recorded and stated in the test report.

10 The procedures of this International Standard and the standard deviations given in table 1 are applicable to measurements on an individual machine. Characterization of the sound power levels of batches of machines of the same family or type involves the use of random sampling techniques in which confidence intervals are specified, and the results are expressed in terms of statistical upper limits. In applying these techniques, the total standard deviation must be known or estimated, including the standard deviation of production, as defined in ISO 7574-1, which is a measure of the variation in sound power output between individual machines within the batch. Statistical methods for the characterization of batches of machines are described in ISO 7574-4.