AS 1217.

21985

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Australian Standard
Acoustics Determination of
sound power levels of noise
sources
Part 2: Precision methods for
broad-band sources in
reverberation rooms

This Australian standard was prepared by Committee AK/2, Techniques for

Measurement. It was approved on behalf of the Council of the Standards Association
of Australia on 30 August 1984 and published on 4 April 1985.

The following interests are represented on Committee AK/2:

Australian Acoustical Society
CSIRO, Division of Building Research
CSIRO, National Measurement Laboratory

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Department of Aviation
Department of Industrial Relations, N.S.W.
Department of Housing and Construction
Environment Protection Authority of Victoria
Metal Trades Industry Association of Australia
National Acoustic Laboratories
Telecom Australia
University of Adelaide
University of Queensland

Review of Australian Standards. To keep abreast of progress in industry, Australian Standards are subject
to periodic review and are kept up to date by the issue of amendments or new edit ions as necessary. It is
important therefore that Standards users ensure that they are in possession of the latest editi on, and any
amendments thereto.
Full details of all Australi an Standards and related publi cati ons wil l be found in the Standards Australia
Catalogue of Publications; this informati on is supplemented each month by the magazine The Australi an
Standard, which subscribing members receive, and which gives details of new publi cati ons, new edit ions
and amendments, and of withdrawn Standards.
Suggesti ons for improvements to Australian Standards, addressed to the head off ice of Standards Australi a,
are welcomed. Notif ication of any inaccuracy or ambiguit y found in an Australi an Standard should be made
without delay in order that the matter may be investigated and appropriate action taken.

This standard was issued in draft form for comment as DR 82053.

AS 1217.21985

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Australian Standard
Acoustics Determination of
sound power levels of noise
sources
Part 2: Precision methods for
broad-band sources in
reverberation rooms

First publi shed (as AS 1217) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1972

AS 1217.2 fir st published . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1985
Incorporating:
Amdt 1 1989

PUBLISHED BY STANDARDS AUSTRALIA

(STANDARDS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA)
1 THE CRESCENT, HOMEBUSH, NSW 2140
ISBN 0 7262 3590 3

AS 1217.21985

PREFACE

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This standard was prepared by the Associations Committee on Techniques for

Measurement. It supersedes AS 1217- 1972, Methods of Measurement of Airborne
Sound Emitted by Machines.
This standard is based on ISO 3741-1975, Acoustics Determination of Sound Power
Levels of Noise Sources Guidelines for the Use of Basic Standards and for the
Preparation of Noise Test Codes.

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AS 1217.21985

CONTENTS
Page
FOREWORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SECTION 1. SCOPE AND GENERAL

1.1 Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.2 Field of Application . . . . . .
1.3 Referenced Documents . . . .
1.4 Measurement Uncertainty . . .
1.5 Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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SECTION 2. TEST ROOM REQUIREMENTS

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2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6

General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Room Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Room Absorption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Criterion for Room Adequacy . . . . . . . .
Criterion for Background Noise Level . .
Criteria for Temperature and Humidity .

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SECTION 3. INSTRUMENTATION
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6

General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Indicating Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Microphone and Its Associated Cable . . . . . .
Frequency Response of the Instrumentation System
Filter Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SECTION 4. INSTALLATION AND OPERATION OF SOURCE

4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5

General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Source Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Source Mounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Auxiliary Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Operation of Source During Measurements

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SECTION 5. MEASUREMENT OF MEAN-SQUARE SOUND PRESSURE

5.1
5.2

Microphone Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Required Data and Conditions of Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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SECTION 6. CALCULATION OF SOUND POWER LEVEL

6.1
6.2
6.3

General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Direct Method (Method I) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Comparison Method (Method II) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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SECTION 7. INFORMATION TO BE RECORDED AND REPORTED

7.1
7.2

Information to be Recorded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Information to be Reported . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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APPENDICES
A

Test Room Qualification Procedure for the Measurement of

Broad-band Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

14

Characteristics and Calibration of Reference Sound Source . . . . .

15

Computational Procedures for Calculating A-weighted Sound

Power Level from Octave or One-third Octave Band Power
Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

16

Guidelines for the Design of Reverberation Rooms . . . . . . . . . . .

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AS 1217.21985

STANDARDS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA

Australian Standard
for
ACOUSTICS DETERMINATION OF SOUND POWER LEVELS OF NOISE SOURCES
PART 2 PRECISION METHODS FOR BROAD-BAND SOURCES IN
REVERBERATION ROOMS

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FOREWORD
This standard is one of a series setting out various methods for determining the sound
power levels of machines and equipment. These basic documents specify only the
acoustical requirements for measurements appropriate for different test environments
as shown in Table A.
In the application of these basic documents, it is necessary to decide which one is most
appropriate for the conditions and purposes of the test. The operating and mounting
conditions of the machine or equipment to be tested must be in accordance with the
general principles stated in the basic documents.
Guidelines for making these decisions are provided in AS 1217.1. If no sound test code
is specified for a particular machine, the mounting and operating conditions shall be
fully described in the test report.
TABLE A.
BASIC STANDARDS SPECIFYING VARIOUS METHODS FOR DETERMINING THE SOUND
POWER LEVELS OF MACHINES AND EQUIPMENT
AS number

Classifi cati on
of method

AS 1217.2
Precision
AS 1217.3

AS 1217.4

Engineering

AS 1217.5

Engineering

AS 1217.6

AS 1217.7

Precision

Survey

Test
Environment

Volume of source Character of

noise

Reverberation
room complying
with specif ied
requir ements
Preferably less
than 1 percent of
test room volume
Special
reverberation
test room

Steady,
broad-band
Steady,
discretefr equency, or
narr ow-band
Steady,
broad-band,
narr ow-band,
or discretefr equency

Outdoors or in
large room

Greatest
dimension less
than 15 m

Most

Anechoic or
hemi-anechoic
room

Preferably less
than 0.5 percent
of test room
volume

Most

No special test
environment

No restr icti ons;

li mited only by
available test
environment

COPYRIGHT

Most

Sound power levels

obtainable

Opti onal
information
available

In one-thir d octave or
octave bands

A-weighted sound
power level

A-weighted and in
octave bands

Other weighted
sound power
levels

A-weighted and in
one-thir d octave or
octave bands

Directivit y informati on and sound

pressure levels as
a function of ti me;
other weighted
sound power
levels

A-weighted

Sound pressure
levels as a
functi on of time;
other weighted
sound power
levels

AS 1217.21985

SYNOPSIS
Applicability. This standard sets out in detail two laboratory methods for determining
the sound power radiated by a device, machine, component, or subassembly as a
function of frequency, using a reverberation test room having prescribed acoustical
characteristics. While other methods could be used to measure the noise emitted by
machinery and equipment, the methods specified in this standard are particularly
advantageous for rating the sound output of sources which produce steady noise and
for which directivity information is not required. If the temporal pattern of radiation
or directivity is required, another method may be selected.
Among the reasons for obtaining data as described in this standard are
(a) rating apparatus according to its sound power output;
(b) establishing sound control measures; and

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(c) predicting the sound pressure levels produced by a device or machine in a given
enclosure or environment.
In this standard, the computation of sound power from sound pressure measurements
is based on the premise that the mean-square sound pressure averaged in space and
time, p2 , is
(i) directly proportional to the sound power output of the source;
(ii) inversely proportional to the equivalent absorption area of the room; and
(iii) otherwise depends only on the physical constants of air density and velocity of
sound.
Test environment . Reverberation room with the preferred minimum volume and
absorption characteristics and qualified according to a test procedure given in
Appendix A. Guidelines for the design of reverberation rooms are given in
Appendix D. The minimum test room volume depends on the lowest frequency band
of interest (Vmin = 200 m3 corresponds to 100 Hz for the lowest allowable one-third
octave band).
Size of noise source. Volume of the source preferably less than 1 percent of test room
volume. (See also Clause 4.3 for flush mountings.)
Character of noise radiated by the source. Steady (as defined in Clause 4.2.2 of SAA
MP44, Part 1) broad-band.
Accuracy. Precision (standard deviation for determining sound power levels for 1 kHz
octave band is less than or equal to 1.5 dB).
Quantities to be measured. Sound pressure levels in frequency bands on a prescribed
path or at several discrete microphone positions.
Quantities to be determined. Sound power levels in frequency bands, A-weighted
sound power levels (optional).
Quantities which cannot be obtained. Directivity characteristics of the source, temporal
pattern of radiated noise for sources emitting non-steady noise.

COPYRIGHT

AS 1217.21985

SECTION 1. SCOPE AND GENERAL

1.1 SCOPE. This standard sets out a direct method and
a comparison method for determining the sound power
level produced by a source. It specifies test room
requirements, source location and operating conditions,
instrumentation and techniques for obtaining an estimate
of mean-square sound pressure from which the sound
power level of the source in octave or one-third octave
bands is calculated.
1.2 FIELD OF APPLICATION.
1.2.1 Types of noise. This standard applies primarily to
sources which produce steady broad-band noise as
defined in Clause 4.2.2 of SAA MP44, Part 1.

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NOTE: Where discrete frequencies or narrow bands of noise are

present in the spectrum of a source, the mean-square sound pressure
tends to be highly dependent on the positions of the source and the
microphone within the room. The average value over a limited
microphone path or array may differ significantly from the value
averaged over all points in the room. Procedures for determining the
sound power radiated by a source when discrete tones are present in
the spectrum are described in AS 1217.3.

1.2.2 Size of source. This standard applies only to small

sound sources, i.e. sources with volumes which are
preferably not greater than 1 percent of the volume of
the reverberation room used for the test.
1.3 REFERENCED DOCUMENTS. The following
documents are referred to in this standard:
AS 1045
Method of Measurement of Absorption
Coefficients in a Reverberation Room
AS 1217
Acoustics Determination of Sound
Power Levels of Noise Sources,
Part 1 Guidelines for the Use of Basic
S t anda rds and for t he
Preparation of Noise Test
Codes
Acoustics Determination of Sound
Power Levels of Noise Sources.
Part 3 Precision Methods for Discretefrequency and Narrow-band
Sources in Reverberation
Rooms
Acoustics Determination of Sound
Power Levels of Noise Sources,
Part 4 Engineering Methods for
Special Reverberation Test
Rooms
Acoustics Determination of Sound
Power Levels of Noise Sources,
Part 5 Engineering Methods for Freefield Conditions over a
Reflecting Plane
Acoustics Determination of Sound
Power Levels of Noise Sources,
Part 6 Precision Methods for Anechoic
and Hemi-anechoic Rooms
Acoustics Determination of Sound
Power Levels of Noise Sources,
Part 7 Survey Method
AS 1259
Sound Level Meters
AS 1633
Glossary of Acoustic Terms
AS 2533
Acoustics Preferred Frequencies for
Measurements

AS Z41

Octave, Half Octave and One-third Octave

Band Pass Filters Intended for the
Analysis of Sound and Vibrations
SAA MP44 Guide for the Use of Sound Measuring
Equipment
Part 1 Portable Sound Level Meters*
1.4 M EAS UREMENT UN CERTAINTY .
Measurements made in conformity with this standard
tend to result in standard deviations which are equal to
or less than those given in Table 1.1. The standard
deviations of Table 1.1 take into account the cumulative
effects of all causes of measurement uncertainty.
TABLE 1.1
UNCERTAINTY IN DETERMINING SOUND
POWER LEVELS OF BROAD-BAND SOURCES
IN REVERBERATION ROOMS
Octave band centre
frequencies
Hz
125
250
500 to 4000
8 000

One-third octave
band centre
frequencies
Hz
100 to 160
200 to 315
400 to 5 000
6 300 to 10 000

Standard deviation

dB
3.0
2.0
1.5
3.0

1.5 DEFINITIONS. For the purposes of this standard,

the following definitions apply.
NOTE: For definitions of other related acoustics terms, see AS 1633.

1.5.1 Reverberation room a test room complying

with the requirements of this standard.
1.5.2 Reverberant sound field that portion of the
sound field in the test room over which the influence of
sound received directly from the source is negligible.
1.5.3 Mean-square sound pressure the sound
pressure averaged in space and time on a mean-square
basis is denoted by p2. In practice, space and time
averaging over a finite path length or a fixed number of
microphone positions, as well as deviations from the
ideally reverberant sound field, lead only to an estimate
of p2 called p 2av in this standard.
1.5.4 Sound pressure level 10 times the logarithm to
the base 10 of the ratio of the mean-square sound
pressure of a sound to the square of the reference sound
pressure. This quantity is denoted by L p. The width of
a restricted frequency band or the weighting network is
indicated, e.g. octave band pressure level, one-third
octave band pressure level, A-weighted sound power
level. The reference sound pressure is 20 Pa. Unit:
decibel (dB).
1.5.5 Sound power level 10 times the logarithm to
the base 10 of the ratio of a given sound power to the
reference sound power. This quantity is denoted by L W
The width of a restricted frequency band or the
weighting network is indicated, e.g. octave band power
level, one-third octave band power level, A-weighted
sound power level. The reference sound power is 1 pW.
Unit: decibel (dB).

SAA MP44, Part 1, is in course of revision and is to be issued as AS 2659, Part 1.

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AS 1217.2-1985 Acoustics - Determination of

sound power levels of noise sources - Precision
methods for broad-band sources in reverberation
rooms

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