11.07.2015 Views

THE SCIENCE AND APPLICATIONS OF ACOUSTICS - H. H. Arnold ...

THE SCIENCE AND APPLICATIONS OF ACOUSTICS - H. H. Arnold ...

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188 9. Sound-Measuring InstrumentationFigure 9.11. Schematic of a noise dosimeter.The noise dosimeter is a device designed to measure the percentage of the maximumdaily noise dose permitted by regulations. Its functional elements are givenin Figure 9.11. Both the noise dosimeter and the personal sound exposure metershare the same requirements for operation under severe operating conditions; andboth types of instruments include a microphone, an amplifier, A-weighting network,a squaring device, a time integrator, and an indicator. The personal soundexposure meters contain a latching overload but the noise dosimeter may includea latching upper-limit indicator. Additionally, the dosimeter must include exponentialtime-weighting usually incorporating the slow-response characteristic anda manufacturer-specified threshold sound level, 1 neither of which is found in thepersonal sound exposure meter.American National Standard ANSI S1.25 gives the specifications for a noisedosimeter. Slow-time weighted, A-weighted sound pressure is integrated with a5-dB exchange rate 2 in accordance with the regulations of U.S. OccupationalSafety and Health Administration (OSHA, 1983) and Mine Safety and Health1 Threshold sound level, stated in decibels, is the A-weighted sound level specified by the manufacturerof the noise dosimeter below which the instrument provides no significant indication. The thresholdsound level should be at least 5 dB less than the criterion sound level.2 The terminology exchange rate, expressed in decibels, refers to the change in decibels required todouble (or halve) the exposure time in order to maintain the same amount of noise exposure. Forexample, with the 5 dB exchange rate, exposure to 90 dB for 8hisequivalent to exposure to 95 dBfor4horto100dBfor2h.

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