Application of Sound Intensity to the Measurement of Aeroacoustic Noise Sources in Flow

In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, Jing-Yau Chung along with Joseph Pope published several external General Motors reports on the then novel measurement of sound intensity (SI) using the two-microphone, cross-spectral method. Application of this measurement method was then extended to sound intensity measurements in flow. Through component wind tunnel measurements, it was determined that the intensity of noise sources could be accurately measured up to a level of 15 dB below the sound pressure level generated by flow noise on microphones. An initial application of this method was to the identification of noise sources alongside rolling truck tires. It was then extended to the measurement of the aerodynamic noise generated by protrusions added to automotive vehicle designs. These included items such as outside rearview mirrors, windshield wipers, A-pillar offsets, grille whistles, roof racks, underbodies, and fixed-mast radio antennas. Many of these could be applied on the early full-size clay models or other mock-ups as well as actual vehicles. An application of sound intensity was the development of the straked antenna design leading to a GM Defensive Patent and its now universal application to virtually all vehicles with simple fixed-mast antennas. The development of this design is highlighted along with the background on the application of sound intensity to measurements in air flow.