Sound power measurement guide for manufacturers

Sound power quantifies the acoustic power of a product, independent of the environment, distance or direction. Sound power is the rate at which energy of sound is radiated per unit time and is expressed in watt.

Measuring sound power is counterintuitive and qualifying an acoustic source to an existing standard can be a challenge. One can compute sound power either through the measurement of sound pressure or sound intensity.

Understanding sound power measurement standards is essential to objectively compare noise strength, benchmark competitor products, and comply with market legislation.

Download this sound power measurement guide that provides an overview of the existing standards as well as the applicable regulations and noise code.

You will learn:

• How to differentiate between sound power, sound pressure, and sound intensity
• Different measurement standards, namely sound pressure-based and sound intensity-based methods
• Equipment used to measure the sound power and measurement uncertainties

Sound pressure-based certification standards

The Sound Power Level is a measure of the acoustic energy emitted from a source of noise, expressed in decibels whereas the sound pressure level is the measure of local pressure deviation caused by the sound wave. Contrary to sound power, the sound pressure level is dependent on the location and the position of the measurement microphone.

Download the sound power guide to learn about the sound pressure-based ISO standards, namely.

• ISO 3741: Precision method in a reverberant room
• ISO 3743-1: Engineering method in a hard-walled room
• ISO 3743-2: Engineering method in special reverberation rooms
• ISO 3744: Engineering method in essentially free-field over a reflective plane
• ISO 3745: Precision method in anechoic or semi-anechoic rooms
• ISO 3746: Survey method with no special test environment
• ISO 3747: Engineering or survey method in situ in a reverberant environment

Sound intensity-based certification standards

Sound power is the total energy radiated, whereas noise intensity or sound intensity is a vector quantity i.e. it has direction and describes the amount of energy that flows through the unit area.

Download the guide to discover ISO standards ISO 9614-1, ISO 9614-2 and ISO 9614-3 that govern sound intensity-based measurements and describe the procedures that are required to obtain quality results.