Abstract: A multi-channel active acoustic attenuation system for attenuating a correlated input acoustic wave has one or more output transducers introducing one or more respective canceling acoustic waves to attenuate the input acoustic wave and yield an attenuated output acoustic wave, one or more error transducers sensing the output acoustic wave and providing one or more error signals, and a plurality of adaptive filter channel models. Each channel model has a model input from a respective error transducer. One or more of the channel models also has a model input from at least one of the remaining channel models. Each channel model has an error input from one or more of the error transducers. Each channel model has a model output outputting a correction signal to a respective output transducer to introduce the respective canceling acoustic wave. The correction signal from one or more of the model outputs is also input to the model input of one or more of the remaining channel models.

Abstract: An active acoustic attenuation system attenuates a correlated input acoustic wave and eliminates the need for an input transducer sensing such wave. An output transducer introduces a canceling acoustic wave to attenuate the input acoustic wave and yield an attenuated output acoustic wave. An error transducer senses the output acoustic wave and provides an error signal. An adaptive filter model has a model input, a model output outputting a correction signal to the output transducer to introduce the canceling acoustic wave and an error input from the error transducer. A summer has a first input from the model output, a second input from the error transducer, and an output outputting a resultant sum to the model input, such that the model input is provided by the sum of the correction signal and the error signal.

Abstract: An active acoustic attenuation system specifies the error signal (44) to correspondingly specify the output acoustic wave. In the preferred embodiment, the error signal (44) is specified by summing (210) the error signal (44) with a desired signal (204) to provide a specified error signal (206) to the error input (202) of the adaptive filter model (40) such that the model (40) outputs the correction signal (46) to the output transducer (14) to introduce the canceling acoustic wave which specifies the output acoustic wave such that a desired signal is present in the output acoustic wave.

Abstract: An acoustic system has a chamber (12) having an input (14) for receiving an input acoustic wave and guiding the input acoustic wave along a flowpath (16) to a chamber output (18), an acoustic transducer (20, 22, 24) interacting with the acoustic wave in the chamber (12), and a venturi (30, 32, 34) drawing air into the flowpath (16) to flow to the chamber output (18). The venturi aspirates internal areas of the chamber to keep the acoustic transducers clean and/or aspirates external air into the chamber past the transducers to cool same.

Abstract: Active acoustic attenuation apparatus is provided for cancellation of noise from an exhaust pipe (12). A chamber (50) has an input (70) receiving exhaust from the exhaust pipe and directing the exhaust along a flowpath (76) to a chamber output (74). Speakers (88, 90) are transversely spaced and offset from the flowpath and introduce sound into the chamber at a space (56) having a transverse area at least as large as each speaker, to minimize acoustic loading of the speakers and to protect the speakers from the heat of hot exhaust for automotive applications, including electronic mufflers.

Abstract: An active acoustic attenuation system (10) is provided with various adaptive filter models (40, 48, 56, 70, 84, 100) enabling communication between persons (26, 30) in spaced zones (12, 16) by selectively cancelling undesired noise and undesired speech, all on an on-line basis without dedicated off-line pretraining and also for both broadband and narrowband noise.

Abstract: A method is provided for reducing convergence time of an active acoustic attenuation system upon start-up or upon a given sensed parameter change. The weights of the adaptive filter model coefficient weight vector are started at or changed to values which are closer to the converged value than the initial or present nonconverged value is to the converged value. The filter model converges in a shorter time as the weights change and are updated from their starting or changed value to the converged value.

Abstract: An active acoustic attenuation system (200) has a first adaptive filter model M modeling the acoustic path P from an input transducer (10) to an output transducer (14), and a second adaptive filter model Q modeling the overall system from the input transducer (10) to an error transducer (16). A third adaptive filter model T models the transfer function S of the output transducer (14) and the error path E between the output transducer (14) and the error transducer (16), without an auxiliary random noise source.

Abstract: A cylindrical screen construction for a filter and a method of producing the screen. A sheet of metal screen containing a multiplicity of holes is rolled into cylindrical form and the longitudinal edges of the sheet are joined by a thermoplastic connecting strip. The strip is generally H-shaped in cross section having a pair of opposed longitudinal grooves that receive the respective edges of the sheet. Heat and pressure are applied to the strip causing the thermoplastic material to fuse and penetrate the holes along the side edges of the screen to provide a smooth surfaced mechanically interlocked joint between the edges.

Abstract: An improved clamp assembly for clamping the overlapping ends of metal tubes in an exhaust system. The clamp assembly includes a metal ring having a pair of overlapping end portions disposed in side-by-side contact. A generally U-shaped bracket is secured to each of the end portions and each bracket has a pair of opposed legs connected by a web portion. Extensions project longitudinally outward from the end of each leg and the extensions are offset laterally from each other. One leg of each bracket is welded to one of the end portions of the ring and the welded leg is bent adjacent the weld to position the first extension in slidable contact with the other end portion of the ring. The extension of the opposite leg is disposed in side-by-side relation with the first extension and also serves to slidably receive the opposite end portion of the ring.

Abstract: A microphone probe for acoustic measurement in turbulent flow. The probe includes a tube having a closed end facing upstream with respect to the direction of sound propagation and a microphone is located in a downstream end of the tube. At least a portion of the length of the tube is composed of a rigid foraminous material containing a multiplicity of interconnected cells with the average cell size being less than 100 microns. In operation sound pressure fluctuations cause pressure waves to propagate through the cells to the inside of the tube and the sound pressure waves add constructively to create a high pressure sound at the microphone, while turbulent flow pressure fluctuations are essentially averaged out.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring the vibrational characteristics of a muffler and including a metal adapter having an internal cooling chamber. One end of the adapter is attached to a connecting member, such as a nut, that is secured to the outer surface of the muffler, while an accelerometer is mounted on the opposite end of the adapter and measures the vibrational characteristics of the muffler under operating conditions. A cooling medium, such as water, is continually flowed through the internal chamber of the adapter to minimize transfer of heat from the muffler to the accelerometer. The adapter is designed to maximize the cooling effect with a minimum increase in mass.

Abstract: A cartridge-type liquid-gas separator having particular use for separating oil from air. The separator includes an outer casing containing an annular pleated first stage filter element and an annular second stage element located concentrically of the first stage element. The first stage filter element is composed of a coalescer section formed of unwoven fibrous material and a disloader section disposed downstream of the coalescer section and composed of multiple layers of fibrous material impregnated with a resin having low surface energy. The first stage element can also include a pair of screens, one located upstream of the coalescer section and a second located downstream of the disloader section. The second stage which is spaced downstream from the first stage is composed of a fibrous stripper layer followed by a screen.

Abstract: A muffler construction having improved sound attenuation characteristics. A tapered tubular metal screen is disposed within the outlet conduit of a muffler and has a axis concentric with the axis of the conduit. The screen has a closed end preferably facing in a downstream direction with respect to gas flow, and the opposite open end of the screen is attached to the conduit. The screen acts to reduce the sound levels without increasing the overall size of the muffler and with a minimum increase of weight.

Abstract: An adaptive active acoustic attenuation system is provided with extended frequency range to attenuate undesired noise which was previously filtered out to avoid instability of the adaptive model. The input signal from the input microphone to the model and the error signal from the error microphone to the model are differentially bandpass filtered to provide a narrower frequency range error signal. In one embodiment, the model operates in its stable region to provide accurate well behaved correction signals to the cancelling loudspeaker, while still receiving a low frequency input noise signal from the input microphone including frequencies below such range. Minimum attenuation frequency has been reduced by at least an octave.

Abstract: A system is provided for increasing the frequency range of an active acoustic attenuation system in a duct without increasing cut-off frequency f.sub.c of the duct or otherwise splitting or partitioning the duct into separate ducts or chambers. The frequency range is increased above f.sub.c to include higher order modes. A plurality of cancelling model sets are provided. Each transverse portion of the acoustic pressure wave has its own set of an adaptive filter model, cancelling speaker, and error microphone. A single input microphone may service all sets.

Abstract: A microphone probe for acoustic measurement in turbulent flow. The probe includes a tube having a closed end facing upstream with respect to the direction of sound propagation, and a microphone is located in the downstream end of the tube. The tube is provided with a plurality of small ports, or alternately a slit, that extend a substantial portion of the length of the tube and an acoustically resistive material is stretched across the ports and clamped to the tube. In one form of the invention, the side edges of the material are connected to rigid bars and the bars are drawn together by a plurality of threaded fasteners to stretch the material over the ports. The threaded adjustment of the fasteners provides a means for varying the acoustical resistance of the material. In a second form of the invention, the bars to which the side edges of the material are attached, are clamped together by spring clips.

Abstract: A pleated filter element comprising a sheet of filter material disposed in generally cylindrical configuration and having a series of longitudinally extending pleats. The pleats have outer radial extremities that lie on an outer circle and inner radial extremities that lie on an inner circle. The end pleats in the series terminate in side edges which are disposed in contiguous relation. A mass or bar of synthetic resin connects and encapsulates the side edges, and the connected end pleats have the same radial depth as the remaining pleats in the filter.

Abstract: An active acoustic attenuation system is provided that increases dynamic range by adjusting the amplitude of the input signal and the error signal at respective model and error inputs (42, 44) and providing automatic self-calibration. Input and error transducers (10, 16) provide analog input and error signals which are converted by an analog to digital converter (164, 170) to digital input and error signals for input to the model (40). Digital to analog converters (176) have digital inputs from respective digital input and error signals and operate in an analog to analog mode with analog inputs from respective input and error transducers (10, 16) and analog outputs to the analog to digital converter (164, 170). Dynamic range is also increased by adjusting the amplitude of the correction signal to the output transducer (14).

Abstract: A hollow tubular cartridge (4) is tethered on an insulated electrical lead (10) connected to a hand held box (18) containing sensing circuitry. The cartridge (4) is lowered into a fuel tank (12) for sensing water in the tank (18) by a reduced electrical resistance path between probe electrodes (6 and 8) on the cartridge (4) which is sensed by circuitry within the box (18).