MECHENG 726 : Acoustics for Engineers

Engineering

2024 Semester Two (1245) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

The wave equation and solutions. Noise sources. Sound reflection and propagation. The ear and hearing system. Psychology of hearing. Measurement of sound fields and acoustic properties of rooms. Legal and standards requirements. Sound fields in enclosures. Sound transmission. Materials as absorbers and reflectors. Electro-acoustics. Digital signal processing for audio and acoustics.

Course Overview

This course is intended to prepare students for work as an acoustical engineer. The syllabus includes a significant amount of physical and electro-acoustics with a strong emphasis on teaching knowledge which students will be able to apply in a career as an acoustical engineer (e.g. how to measure and calculate sound pressure level, reverberation time, noise dose and recommend sound absorption/insulation treatments within a building). Legal requirements and standards for assessing noise levels which are relevant to New Zealand are also covered. The importance of human perception of sound is emphasised throughout the course.  

The major topics covered in this course are: physical acoustics, human hearing and perception of sound, legal requirements and standard methods for quantifying sound, building acoustics, electroacoustics and audio signal processing. 

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: ELECTENG 331 or MECHENG 325

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Communication

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Understand and apply appropriate methods and use appropriate metrics to quantify acoustic performance. (Capability 3.2)
  2. Understand and explain how acoustical devices and algorithms are used to measure and produce sound (Capability 3.2)
  3. Understand and describe how the human hearing system works. (Capability 6.1)
  4. Analyse and predict the behaviour of sound waves using various models. (Capability 3.1 and 3.2)
  5. Understand and suggest practical methods for reducing or controlling noise. (Capability 3.1, 4.1 and 5.1)
  6. Analyse sound fields using measured acoustical properties (Capability 3.1 and 3.2)
  7. Create a technical report describing an experiment of acoustical measurements. (Capability 6.1)
  8. Evaluate whether an acoustic environment or event is permitted according to relevant legislation (Capability 1.1)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Assignments 40% Group & Individual Coursework
Final Exam 60% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Assignments
Final Exam

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For each week, you can expect to spend, on average, 3 hours of lectures, 4 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 3 hours of work on assignments.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including labs to complete components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including labs will not be available as recordings.
The course will not include live online events.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Notes are provided for this course. The text books recommended below may be useful for further reading. 

Engineering noise control – Bies et al. 
Communication Acoustics: An Introduction to Speech, Audio and Psychoacoustics - Pulkki and Karjalainen

Health & Safety

A health and safety induction will be provided prior to taking part in the lab experience session.  Further, students are expected to adhere to the guidelines outlined in the Health and Safety section of the Engineering Undergraduate Handbook.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

No action to be taken

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.