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Scientific news from division 1

The sound power level characterises the total amount of sound emitted by a source. Due to this basic importance it is used in many legal and other regulations in occupational health, environmental control and consumer protection. The sound power level is measured in accordance with about 10 different internationally harmonised basic standards. Here, quantities directly measured are either the...

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The determination of the effective size of hydrophones is important for their calibration and application. The respective standard, which was revised with PTB participation, contains several innovations that were implemented promptly at the existing measuring station. The characterisation can now be carried out very efficiently for frequencies from 1 MHz to 50 MHz [1] and thus supports the...

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For the measurement of infrasound, a reliable infrastructure for the traceability of measuring instruments and sensors has been lacking up to now. As an important development step, a new type of primary measuring calibration device for infrasound has now been set up in Department 1.6 Sound, which uses the decrease in ambient air pressure with altitude as an excitation signal.

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Audiometers are calibrated based on reference hearing thresholds. These thresholds are determined by standardized procedures and based on a representative, normal hearing group of test subjects. Often, also at PTB, these data are measured by means of automated routines, which evaluate response times of the test subjects to a stimulus. The evaluation of the response times by the applied algorithms...

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Within the scope of the energy transition, large-scale nuclear and fossil-operated power stations, which used to be located at a large distance to existing residential areas, are increasingly being replaced by energy converters. These are smaller, are operated in a decentralized way and are located close to residential areas. Operating such facilities often causes noise emission in the infrasonic...

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At the end of August 2022, the online workshop "Round & Established 2022" of the participants of the "Si-Trust" took place. The workshop included 14 groups and 14 time zones and therefore met for 4 hours each on two days. The contributions from 11 of the participating institutes described the experience in handling Si-spheres provided to them by PTB after the "Round & Ready" workshop (2016). Due...

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In standardization, requirements for products, services and processes, but also socially important reference values such as upper limits and guideline values are developed and defined. Since acoustic issues are always very close to practical requirements, standardization plays an essential role, and the “Sound” department is highly involved in many standardization committees. An international...

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The Rudolf-Martin-Ehrenurkunde is awarded annually by the DIN/VDI Standards Committee Acoustics, Noise Control and Vibration Engineering (NALS) for special achievements in standardisation. It is dedicated to the former Head of the Mechanics and Acoustics Division at PTB and Founding Chair of NALS Prof. Rudolf Martin. This year it returns to PTB in a way when it was awarded to Dr. Thomas Fedtke,...

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