Personal sound exposure meters: A study of measurements methods of the acoustic performance for pattern evaluation

Soares, Z. M. D. Electroacoustic Laboratory, National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology, Duque de Caxias, RJ, Brazil, zmsoares@inmetro.gov.br

Milhomem, T. A. B. Electroacoustic Laboratory, National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology, Duque de Caxias, RJ, Brazil, tbmilhomem@inmetro.gov.br

Santo, N. M. E. Electroacoustic Laboratory, National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology, Duque de Caxias, RJ, Brazil, nmsanto@inmetro.gov.br

Pinto, E. B. Electroacoustic Laboratory, National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology, Duque de Caxias, RJ, Brazil, ebpinto@inmetro.gov.br

Abstract

This paper shows a study of measurement methods for evaluating the acoustic performance of personal sound exposure meters focusing on pattern evaluation. The methods developed in this investigation follow the principles established in methods of sequential comparison in diffuse-field (using a reverberation chamber) and in free-field (using an anechoic chamber). A torso simulator is used in this study to simulate the real case of a worker using a personal sound exposure meter. In addition, part of this study is a particular case that does not use the torso simulator, but follows what is recommended in the calibration of sound level meters in free-field.

Keywords:

personal sound exposure meter

diffuse-field

free-field

torso simulator.

References

[1] International Electrotechnical Commission. IEC 61252 Electroacoustics – Specifications for personal sound exposure meters. 1993. International standard.

[2] International Electrotechnical Commission. IEC 61183 Electroacoustics – Random-incidence and diffuse-field calibration of sound level meters. 1994. International standard

[3] International Organization for Standardization. ISO 9612 Acoustics – Determination of occupation noise exposure – Engineering method. 2009. International standard.

[4] Rodrigues, D.; Rosenkrans, P.; Barrera-Figueroa, S.; Guglielmone, C.; Soares, Z. M. D. and Kling, C. Final report on the supplementary comparison EURAMET.AUV.A-S2. 2019. Technical report. Available in:https://www.bipm.org/documents/20126/44564450/EUR AMET.AUV.A-S2.pdf/049adb09-0682-49b1-aa60 a5e54c0f45d2.

[5] International Organization for Standardization. ISO 354 Acoustics - Measurement of sound absorption in a reverberation room. 2003. International standard.

[6] International Electrotechnical Commission. IEC 61672-1 Electroacoustics – Sound level meter – Part 1: Specifications. 2013. International standard.

[7] International Electrotechnical Commission. IEC 61094-8 Measurement microphones – Part 8: Methods for determining the free-field sensitivity of working standard microphones by comparison. 2012. International standard.

[8] International Electrotechnical Commission. IEC 60118-8 Electroacosutics – Hearing aids – Part 8: Methods of measurement of performance characteristics of hearing aids under simulated in situ working conditions. 2005. International standard.

[9] International Electrotechnical Commission. IEC 61672-2 Electroacoustics – Sound level meter – Part 2: Pattern evaluation tests. 2013. International standard.